80 Leftover Candy Cane Recipes to Try This Holiday Season (2024)

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80 Leftover Candy Cane Recipes to Try This Holiday Season (14)

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! The holiday season is here and what could be more festive than candy canes? While it’s fun to buy candy canes to fill stockings and decorate your Christmas tree, there’s almost always candy canes leftover. And did you know there are plenty of goodies you can make using this minty Christmas treat? Before throwing away your leftover candy canes, check out 80 candy cane recipes to make this holiday season!

4 Tips for Baking with Candy Canes

1. Crush Up Your Candy Canes
Candy canes have to be crushed up to be used in recipes like cookies, fudge and cheesecake. Some recipes require small candy cane pieces, while clothes require fine candy cane powder. To crush up your leftover candy canes, first use your hands to break them into pieces, then place them in a sealed Ziploc bag on a cutting board. Use a hammer or meat mallet to crush them into small pieces or powder.

2. Make a Simple Syrup
Candy cane simple syrup can be used for everything from cookies to cakes, milkshakes, co*cktails and coffee. All you have to do is place 12 regular size candy canes into one cup of water and bring to a boil. Stir constantly until the candy canes are completely dissolved. Let cool and refrigerate.

3. Use Them As a Topping
Not everyone likes to infuse candy cane into their baked goods and that’s okay! If you still want the addition of candy canes without baking it into your batter, sprinkle small pieces of candy canes on top!

4. Infuse Vodka
Candy canes dissolve easily in vodka, so it’s easy to make peppermint flavoured vodka you can use in candy cane co*cktails! Pour your favourite plain vodka into a mason jar and stuff it with candy canes. Let it sit for 48 hours to a week to fully absorb the flavour.

20 Cookie Candy Cane Recipes

1. Candy Cane Cookies | Lauren’s Latest
2. Buttery Peppermint Cookies | The Kitchen Magpie
3. White Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies | Liv for Cake
4. Candy Cane Crinkle Cookies | The Slow Roasted Italian
5. Candy Cane Sugar Cookies | Cookies & Cups
6. Frosted Peppermint Brownie Cookies | Cooking Classy
7. Chocolate Dipped Peppermint Shortbread Cookies | The Rustic Foodie
8. Dark Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies | Liv for Cake
9. Candy Cane Snowball Cookies | Well Plated
10. Crushed Candy Cane Chocolate Chip Cookies | Food Network
11. Peppermint Buttercream Cookie Sandwich | Epicurious
12. Chewy Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies | Minimalist Baker
13. White Chocolate Chip Candy Cane Cookies | Just So Tasty
14. Leftover Candy Cane Cookies | Walking on Sunshine Recipes
15. Gluten Free Candy Cane Cookies | GF Jules
16. Candy Cane Cloud Cookies | Just a Pinch
17. Candy Cane and Cocoa Cookie Pie | People.com
18. Candy Cane Crumble Nutella Cookies | A Pretty Life
19. Lindor Candy Cane Cookies | Lindt the Season
20. Flourless Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies | Healthy Gluten-Free Family

20 Fudge Candy Cane Recipes

1. Peppermint Bark Fudge | Baker by Nature
2. Candy Cane Fudge | All Recipes
3. Microwave Candy Cane Fudge | Tablespoon
4. Vanilla Peppermint Fudge | The Girl Who Ate Everything
5. White Chocolate Vanilla Candy Cane Fudge | Shugary Sweets
6. Creamy and Smooth Candy Cane Fudge | Art and the Kitchen
7. Chocolate Peppermint Fudge | Swirls of Flavor
8. Candy Cane Chocolate Swirl Fudge | Sally’s Baking Addiction
9. Quick and Easy Peppermint Fudge | Food Network
10. Candy Cane Chocolate Fudge | All She Cooks
11. Peppermint Bark Fudge | Sugar Spun Run
12. Creamy and Crunchy Candy Cane Fudge | Spaceships & Laser Beams
13. 5-Ingredient Candy Cane Fudge | 12tomatoes
14. Candy Cane Peppermint Bark Fudge with Cotton Candy Puffs | Sugar and Charm
15. Easy Candy Cane Fudge | DIY Candy
16. 3-Ingredient Candy Fudge | Kleinworth & Co.
17. Vegan Candy Cane Fudge | Woman in Real Life
18. Candy Cane Oreo Fudge | My Incredible Recipes
19. Candy Cane Cake Batter Microwave Fudge | Sweet C’s Designs
20. Candy Cane Swirled Fantasy Fudge | The Cafe Sucre Farine

20 No Bake Candy Cane Recipes

1. Candy Cane Cookie Dough | Chop Happy
2. No Bake Candy Cane Fudge | Cookies and Cups
3. No Bake Candy Cane Crunch Pie | Fresh April Flours
4. No Bake Candy Cane Mint Brownies | I Love Vegan
5. Double Chocolate Candy Cane No Bake Cheesecakes | Hersheys
6. No Bake Candy Cane Truffles | Spoon University
7. No Bake Candy Cane Pie | Strawberry Blondie Kitchen
8. No Bake Candy Cane Cheesecake | The Baking Explorer
9. No Bake Candy Cane Pudding Cups | The Leaf
10. No Bake Chocolate Peppermint Balls | Happy Healthy Mama
11. No Bake Candy Cane Cookie Bites | Fave Gluten Free Recipes
12. No Bake Peppermint Cheesecake | Yummiest Food
13. Chocolate Peppermint No Bake Cookies | The Shirley Journey
14. Easy Homemade Candy Cane Bark | What the Fork
15. No Bake Frozen Peppermint Cheesecake | Food.com
16. Keto Candy Cane Pie | This Mom’s Menu
17. No Bake Candy Cane Cake Pops | Spangler Candy
18. Candy Cane Cookie Dough Truffles | Inside Bru Crew Life
19. No Bake Candy Cane Cheesecake Cookies | Easy and Delish
20. No Bake Chocolate Peppermint Protein Balls | Veggies Don’t Bite

20 Drink Candy Cane Recipes

1. White Chocolate Candy Cane co*cktail | Sugar and Cloth
2. Candy Cane co*cktail with Homemade Candy Cane Infused Vodka | Boulder Locavore
3. Strawberry Mint Candy Cane co*cktail | Martha Stewart
4. Peppermint White Christmas | Freutcake
5. Chocolate Candy Cane Martini | The Weary Chef
6. Peppermint Milkshake | The Crepes of Wrath
7. Baileys Candy Cane co*cktail | Amy Latta Creations
8. Candy Cane Punch | Mitch & Match Mama
9. Candy Cane Cranberry co*cktail | Jenny Steffens
10. Peppermint White Russian | A Beautiful Mess
11. White Hot Chocolate Candy Cane Martini | Crazy for Crust
12. Peppermint Alexander co*cktail | Blender Babes
13. Candy Cane Hot Chocolate | Yummly
14. Vodka Candy Cane co*cktail | The Spruce Eats
15. Candy Cane Mimosa | Liquor.com
16. Candy Cane White Chocolate Peppermint Mocha | Baking Mischief
17. Candy Cane Frozen co*cktail | Imperial Sugar
18. Boozy Candy Cane Shake | Ann’s Entitled Life
19. White Chocolate and Candy Cane Eggnog | CBC
20. Cozy Homemade Peppermint Mocha | Pinch of Yum

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Are these candy cane recipes getting you excited for Christmas? Don’t throw out your leftover candy canes – use them to make these delicious recipes!

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80 Leftover Candy Cane Recipes to Try This Holiday Season (15)

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80 Leftover Candy Cane Recipes to Try This Holiday Season (16)

Kate

Kate is a freelance writer with a background in fashion, beauty and wellness. When she’s not trying out new recipes, taking a hot yoga class, or curled up with a good book, you can find her blogging about lifestyle tips and entrepreneurialism at Layered Indulgence.

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80 Leftover Candy Cane Recipes to Try This Holiday Season (2024)

FAQs

What to do with too many candy canes? ›

Use a whole candy cane as a stirrer for hot chocolate or spiked hot chocolate. Or, sweeten your drinks with a peppermint simple syrup made from broken candy canes, a little sugar, and water. Fold crushed candy canes into a meringue before baking—it'll give the meringue a minty flavor and pink hue.

How many candy canes are made each holiday season? ›

1.76 BILLION candy canes are produced every year. 3. December 26th is National Candy Cane Day.

Can you make anything out of candy canes? ›

We're going crazy for candy canes! Crush them up to make cookies or add them to a cake or ice-cream for instant festive flavour.

What is the story about the making of the candy cane? ›

One popular tale traces it back to a German choirmaster seeking a solution to keep children calm during Christmas Eve services. The candy's crook symbolized shepherds, while the red and white stripes embodied the purity of Christ.

Can candy canes be frozen for later use? ›

Freezing is a popular method for keeping candy over long periods of time.

What is the number one candy holiday? ›

Answer-Halloween followed by Easter Christmas and Valentine's Day.

What color were candy canes originally? ›

Candy canes were originally solid white, but during the turn of the 20th century stripes started to appear. Prior to the late 19th century, Christmas cards of that period show nothing but plain white candy. Some believe the stripes came from the candy maker Bob McCormack in the 1920s.

What is the religious meaning of the candy cane? ›

Cane: Is like the staff used by the shepherds in caring for sheep. Jesus is our “Good Shepherd.” The Color Red: Is for God's love that sent Jesus to give his life for us on the cross. The Stripes: Remind us of Jesus' suffering-his crown of thorns, the wounds in his hands and feet; and the cross on which he died.

How unhealthy is a candy cane? ›

These candies can be hazardous from many sides. See, candy canes are made entirely out of sugar. Sugar, as a general rule of thumb, is a problem for teeth because it fuels the bacteria living on your teeth. Over time, these bacteria turn into acids and break down the teeth causing cavities or worse problems.

What does cream of tartar do in candy canes? ›

Cream of tartar helps give the candy canes their more white color and softer texture so this ingredient isn't always used but is definitely preferred.

Are candy canes good for your throat? ›

The menthol in peppermint is known to be an effective decongestant to open up nasal passages. 8,9 It's also soothing to the throat can calm dry cough. Plus a sweet treat tastes extra good when you aren't feeling your best.

What does an upside down candy cane mean? ›

First, he used a hard candy because Christ is the Rock of Ages. This hard candy was shaped so it would resemble a “J” for Jesus or, turned upside down, a shepherd's staff. He made it white to represent the purity of Christ.

What do red stripes mean on the candy cane? ›

The color red represents the blood of Christ that was sacrificed on our behalf for our salvation. The pattern of the candy cane stripes are not an accident, either. The three small stripes represent the scourging Jesus received on the Road to Gethsemane.

What is the oldest candy cane company in the US? ›

Doscher's Candies is an American candy manufacturer, and the oldest producer of candy canes in the United States. It is known for being the oldest continually operating candy company in America.

Can I save candy canes for next year? ›

"Things like candy canes or ribbon candy are good for well over a year, up to five years possibly. The sugar creates a matrix that holds it all together," said Allured. This is as long as you store it in a cool, dry place: "Humidity is the enemy."

What liquid will dissolve a candy cane? ›

The heat in hot water makes the molecules move faster, which is why the hot water dissolves the candy cane faster than the cold water.

What can I do with too much candy? ›

Freeze it.

Thaw it out when you need snacks for a car trip or movie night or treats for birthday party goodie bags. You can also “recycle” it by saving it for Christmas stockings, Easter baskets or birthday piñatas — or even keep it in the deep freeze until next Halloween.

Can you melt down candy canes? ›

Yes, you can microwave candy canes. Simply place your candy canes in a microwave-safe bowl and heat on 50% power for 1 minute, check then repeat. I find the melt time varies by brand so experiment until you find the right amount of time for your candy cane.

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