White Chocolate Candy Cane Thumbprints! Peppermint white chocolate centers in the heart of a petite chocolate cookie and topped with a sprinkling of crushed candy cane, come together in a cookie that's so wintery and Christmasy. These delightful two-bite cookies are a perfect addition to your Christmas cookie boxes. (Plus they freeze well so you can make them ahead of schedule!)
I highly recommend doubling the recipe for these irresistible cookies so you can share the joy with friends and family.
For more festive recipes check out my recipes for Raspberry Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies, Gingerbread Bundt Cake, Pumpkin Pie Pecan Bars and Date and Walnut Scones.
I love peppermint-flavoured baked goods and ice cream in the winter months. Growing up, our Christmas Eve tradition was to eat a bowl of candy cane ice cream while watching Bing Crosby’s White Christmas. These Candy Cane Thumbprint Cookies remind me of that tradition.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Perfectly sized two-bite cookies
- Ideal for Christmas Boxes: These cookies add a festive touch to your holiday cookie boxes! They pair great with Chocolate Haystack Cookies.
- A great recipe to have on hand during the Christmas season. Double or Triple the recipe and freeze the extras to have on hand for bringing to parties or giving as gifts.
- No chill time is required
- These cookies freeze really well
- Kids can help! My boys love to help do the final sprinkle of candy cane dust
Ingredients
- White Chocolate- I have used both white baker's chocolate and white chocolate chips successfully for this recipe.
- Cream - I use heavy cream (35%).
- Peppermint Extract - use a baking extract, not a peppermint essential oil.
- Candy Canes - you can buy crushed candy canes or buy whole candy canes and crush your own!
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How To Make White Chocolate Candy Cane Thumbprints
Here are the step-by-step instructions to make this recipe.
Step 1: Preheat the oven and mix the dry ingredients.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium sized bowl, mix flour together with cocoa powder and salt until well combined.
Step 2: Cream together the wet ingredients.
In a separate medium-sized bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, one egg and peppermint extract.
Step 3: Combine the wet and dry ingredients.
Mix the wet and dry ingredients until just combined.
Step 4: Roll the dough into balls.
Roll the dough into small 2 teaspoon sized balls and arrange on a prepared cookie sheet. Place about 12 cookies per sheet.
The dough may seem to be on the dry side: this helps the cookies hold their shape in the oven.
Step 5: Make a "thumbprint" in the center of each cookie.
Make a small imprint in the center of the cookies with your thumb, back of a teaspoon or with the rounded end of a wooden spoon. Bake for 7-8 minutes.
Step 6: Make the white chocolate ganache.
When you have the last tray of cookies in the oven, begin to warm heavy cream over low heat in a small saucepan and then add the white chocolate. Once the chocolate is melted, stir in peppermint extract.
Once the cookies have cooled slightly, add a small dollop of the white chocolate ganache to the center indentation made in the thumbprint cookies.
Step 7: Add a sprinkle of crushed candy cane.
Sprinkle with a few pieces of crushed candy cane. Allow the ganache to cool and set in the cookie. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Measure the flour carefully and accurately. The best way to do this is to spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with the back of a knife.
- Be sure to use baking peppermint extract, not peppermint essential oil.
- When the cookies come out of the oven, sometimes a few of the cookies lose their defined indentation in the center. I just press the center gently with the end of a wooden spoon or similar kitchen tool to reinforce the indentation of the cookies while they’re still warm. Press carefully to prevent splitting the side of the cookie.
- I begin to make the ganache when the last tray of cookies are in the oven because you want to distribute the ganache between the cookies while it’s still slightly warm. Don’t allow it to set and cool in the saucepan.
- I discovered you can buy crushed candy canes at bulk stores much cheaper than whole candy canes.
- For a less sweet cookie try swapping the white chocolate with dark or semi sweet chocolate.
Recipe FAQs
Swap the white chocolate with dark chocolate for a richer and less sweet alternative.
The white chocolate ganache can seize up if you add cold cream to the already warm and melted chocolate. I've had this happen to me before and I discovered I could resolve the problem by adding boiling water 1 teaspoon at a time and stirring until the chocolate became smooth again.
Thumbprint cookies may spread if the recipe doesn’t have enough flour in it or in some cases if the dough hasn't been chilled long enough.
White Chocolate Candy Cane Thumbprint cookies can crack as you press to indent them when the dough has dried out a bit or has begun to stiffen. To prevent this, I recommend making the indentation immediately after rolling each ball of dough. Press very gently. If it cracks slightly, I just reroll that ball. As it softens and warms up in my hands, I find it solves the problem.
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. Separate layers with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
Yes! These cookies freeze really well. Arrange the baked and cooled cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet. Freeze until solid, then transfer them to an airtight container or freezer bag, placing parchment paper between layers.
More Christmas Recipes You'll Love
If you tried these Candy Cane Thumbprints or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
Recipe
White Chocolate Candy Cane Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- ⅔ cup brown sugar tightly packed
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
White Chocolate Ganache
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 6 oz white chocolate chips or baker's chocolate
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
To Top The Cookies
- 4-5 mini candy canes crushed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare two cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a medium sized bowl, mix flour together with cocoa powder and salt until well combined.2 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour, ⅓ cup cocoa powder, ½ teaspoon salt
- In a separate medium sized bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, one egg and peppermint extract.1 cup unsalted butter, ⅔ cup brown sugar, 1 egg room temperature, 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- Combine wet and dry ingredients.
- Roll the dough into small 2 teaspoon sized balls and arrange on a prepared cookie sheet. Place about 12 cookies per sheet.
- Make a small imprint in the centre of the cookies with your thumb, back of a teaspoon or with the rounded end of a wooden spoon. Bake for 7-8 minutes.
- When you have the last tray of cookies in the oven, begin to warm the heavy cream over low heat in a small saucepan and then add the white chocolate. Once melted, stir in peppermint extract.¼ cup heavy cream, 6 oz white chocolate chips or baker's chocolate, ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- Once the cookies have cooled slightly, add a small dollop of the white chocolate ganache to the centre indentation made in the thumbprint cookies and sprinkle with a few pieces of crushed candy cane. Allow the ganache to cool and set in the cookie. Enjoy!4-5 mini candy canes
Notes
- Measure the flour carefully and accurately. The best way to do this is to spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with the back of a knife.
- Be sure to use baking peppermint extract, not peppermint essential oil.
- When the cookies come out of the oven, sometimes a few of the cookies lose their defined indentation in the center. I just press the center gently with the end of a wooden spoon or similar kitchen tool to reinforce the indentation of the cookies while they’re still warm. Press carefully to prevent splitting the side of the cookie.
- I begin to make the ganache when the last tray of cookies are in the oven because you want to distribute the ganache between the cookies while it’s still slightly warm. Don’t allow it to set and cool in the saucepan.
- I discovered you can buy crushed candy canes at bulk stores much cheaper than whole candy canes.
- For a less sweet cookie try swapping the white chocolate with dark or semi sweet chocolate.
Nutrition
If you make this recipe please leave a comment and give this recipe a rating! I aim to respond to every single comment. I am so grateful when you trust me and try one of my recipe creations in your own kitchen. I love to hear how it went! Let’s connect on Instagram and tag me in your food pics!
‘Til next time,
Meg says
So good at our Christmas parties this year! Thank you!