Gooey Chocolate Candy Cane Butter Cookies
Chocolate Candy Cane Gooey Butter Cookies

Today is the start of something epic, my friends. And I don’t use that word with wild abandon like the rest of the internet does. When I say epic, I mean it.

Today I’m sharing with you the first of twelve (count ’em, 12!) Christmas cookie recipes I have for you. That’s right, over the next 12 days, I’m going to be sharing with you a new Christmas cookie recipe each day. I’ve been working so hard developing and testing cookie recipes over the past few months, and I am so excited to show them all to you. It is a really incredible bunch of treats! I am really proud of this group of recipes. I know it strays a little bit from my typical schtick of healthy balance to bombard you with a dozen cookie recipes in a row, but I’m too excited about all of these delicious, sugary treats to hold back. And I promise I’ll share a salad recipe or two in January.

Gooey Chocolate Candy Cane Butter Cookies

Why am I overloading you with Christmas cookies? Well, it’s simple really. Holiday baking is such a special thing for me. Every year, I work hard to create nice tins and baskets of holiday goodies for my friends and family. We don’t have the kind of cash it takes to hand out hefty gift cards or expensive booze to our mail carrier or dog sitter, but what I can do is give them some tasty holiday treats to thank them for all they do for us throughout the year!

I know it’s nothing novel to pack together tins of Christmas cookies for your loved ones, but I still think it’s a nice sentiment.

Gooey Chocolate Candy Cane Butter Cookies

I’m kicking off this cookie parade with one heck of a bang. If you’ve never made gooey butter cookies before, they’re exactly what they sound like – ooey, gooey, rich, and buttery. They’re kinda like a cross between a chewy cookie and fudge. Or imagine your favorite flourless chocolate cake in cookie form. These are definitely not cookies for people who like crunchy, crispy cookies (do those people exist?). I think the original version of this recipe comes from butter-queen Paula Deen, and has been adapted about a million different ways. But almost all of those adaptations use boxed cake mix.

Even though I’m overwhelming you with desserts for the next two weeks, I still have to stay true to my homemade roots, so I decided to make up my own version of butter cookies without the cake mix. It isn’t quite as quick as dumping a cake mix in the mixer, but it is just as ooey and gooey as the original. And chances are, you have all the ingredients you need in your pantry to make these right now.

Gooey Chocolate Candy Cane Butter Cookies

If you’re looking to keep these cookies free of artificial colors and flavorings, I recommend looking for organic candy canes at your local supermarket. I was able to find some last year at my regular grocery store, and I know they carry them at both Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s in our area. Unfortunately, since they don’t use synthetic red dye for the stripes, they aren’t quite as bright and vibrant as your regular candy canes, but they are still delicious and very cute!

Make sure to come back tomorrow for the next cookie in the series. Two words. Chewy. Gingerbread.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Candy Cane Gooey Butter Cookies

Chocolate Candy Cane Gooey Butter Cookies

Yield: 24 cookies
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Additional Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 8 minutes

Part cookie, part fudge, Chocolate Candy Cane Gooey Butter Cookies are a rich and decadent way to celebrate the holidays.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 stick butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
  • 6 candy canes, crushed, divided
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°.
  2. In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the cream cheese and butter, scraping the sides as necessary. Add in the sugar, and beat until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs and peppermint extract.
  4. Mix in the dry ingredients in three additions, making sure to mix thoroughly after each addition. Fold in 1/2 cup of the crushed candy canes. Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes.
  5. Once dough is chilled, form into one-inch balls and roll in powdered sugar. Place on an ungreased baking sheet, about two-inches apart. Bake in preheated oven for 7-8 minutes, or until the cookies just begin to crack and crinkle on top. Let cool for 2-3 minutes on the cookie sheet, then press 1/4 teaspoon of crushed candy canes on the top of each warm cookie. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1 cookie
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 186Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 149mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 1gSugar: 17gProtein: 2g

At Wholefully, we believe that good nutrition is about much more than just the numbers on the nutrition facts panel. Please use the above information as only a small part of what helps you decide what foods are nourishing for you.

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15 Comments

  1. Just made these for the first time. They are seriously ooey-gooey. Very delish! I had chocolate cream cheese on hand that I needed to use up, so I substituted that instead of plain cream cheese. They look exactly as the picture shows, except I added a little green, red and white sugar sprinkles in with my candy cane for some extra sparkle ๐Ÿ˜‰ I made a double batch, but I would maybe add a wee bit more peppermint extract next time to make it a little more minty. Will definitely make again! thanks for sharing ๐Ÿ™‚

  2. I wanted to make these but in your ingredients it lists 1 egg
    Then in the instructions it says add in the eggS and peppermint extract
    Seems like it should be more than one egg
    Which thing is accurate?

  3. What yummy looking cookies! And your photos are gorgeous too! I am spreading some foodie love for you on Pinterest, Yummly, and SU! Now I just need to make these!

  4. One day I will be as organized of a blogger as you are and have Christmas recipes completed months and months before Christmas! My idol! These cookies are incredible and love that they don’t use a cake mix!

  5. Holy yum! No shame in excessive holiday baking..I think we all do it haha! And cookies are my favorite so I will definitely be stalking your blog the next 11 days! ๐Ÿ™‚ and pinning this for sure!!

    1. You mean if you press them when the candy is cool? Then yes, I think they’d fall off. But they stay on nicely if you press them in when the cookie is still warm and soft. ๐Ÿ™‚

  6. I love this. I’m always looking for new cookie recipes to throw in with the tried and true family recipes!