18 Festive Candy Cane Desserts You'll Want To Make Every Year

When we think about holiday baking, no ingredient inspires us more than the humble candy cane. There are so many delicious ways to riff on its fresh, pepperminty flavor and eye-catching, red-and-white swirled design. This roundup of recipes features a wide variety of options—treats that look like candy canes, treats that use candy canes and ones that are packed with candy cane flavor—which means there's truly something for everyone.

There's no better complement to candy canes than chocolate. When you're ready to serve your molten chocolate cakes, simply sprinkle crushed candy canes over the top for a beautiful holiday garnish.

To set off the sweetness there's an interesting additional ingredient: a touch of coffee in the crust. For best results, like other cheesecakes, these squares should be chilled overnight so they set completely and slice cleanly.

A two-for-one treat, these candy cane-studded chocolate chip cookies are a welcome addition to any holiday cookie plate or tin.

This treat is actually two milkshakes in one. One part is a white chocolate shake, the other is pink peppermint. Pour them one at a time into your glasses, freezing in between each pour. Garnish with whipped cream, white chocolate chips, and candy canes for a holiday treat!

Ree uses a tube of refigerated crescent dough and candy canes to make a seriously magical holiday treat that's fit for everything from holiday brunch to movie night snacking.

These cakey, old-fashioned cookies are a breeze to make. Just be sure you don’t overmix your ingredients; it can make the cookies tough. If you stop as soon as the batter starts to come together, your finished treats will be perfectly soft and tender.

Turn candy canes into an extra-special treat by molding them into spoons and topping with chocolate and other goodies.

With peppermint extract in the cookies and icing (and crushed candy canes on top) these buttery spritz taste every bit as festive as they look.

These candy pops are easy to make. Simply soften the candy canes to attach them to the sticks and fill with white chocolate and sweet holiday decorations.

Biscotti are the perfect cookie to have on hand during the colder months when you’re sipping lots of hot beverages because they’re great for dunking. During December, we like to bake a batch of pepperminty ones—and add a little Yuletide spirit to our coffee or cocoa break!