How to Make a Candy Cane

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: September 15, 2021

Candy canes are essential treats for the holiday season. While they are readily available in the supermarket, homemade candy canes add an extra special touch to holiday celebrations. Delight friends and family with traditional red and white striped canes or surprise them with different festive shapes and color combinations.

Ingredients

Traditional Striped Candy Canes

¹⁄₃ cup (79 ml) water
3 cups (600 g) granulated sugar
1 cup (240 ml) corn syrup
½ teaspoon (3.5 g) cream of tartar
2 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons (12 ml)peppermint oil
1 teaspoon (4.9 ml) red food coloring

Makes about 12 canes

Candy Cane Lollipops

Homemade candy cane dough
5 lollipop sticks
½ cup (75 g) white chocolate chips
Sprinkles (optional)

Makes 5 lollipops

Candy Cane Hot Chocolate

5 homemade candy canes
5 oz (150 g) chopped semisweet or milk chocolate
Whipped cream

Makes 4 servings

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:
Preparing Candy Cane Dough

1
Preheat the oven to 200 °F (93 °C). Keep the oven on during the whole process. This way, you can always put the dough back in the oven for a few minutes if it becomes too hard to work with.^{[1]
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2
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Choose 2 large, flat baking sheets. Lining them with parchment will help to prevent the candy mixture from sticking to the surface.^{[2]
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- You can also use silicone baking sheet liners or a generous coating of cooking spray if you don't have parchment paper.
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3
Heat water, sugar, corn syrup, cream of tartar, and salt in a saucepan. Add ¹⁄₃ cup (79 ml) water, 3 cups (600 g) sugar, 1 cup (240 ml) corn syrup, ½ teaspoon (3.5g) cream of tartar, and a pinch of salt to a saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. Stir the mixture continuously to prevent it from sticking to the pot.^{[3]
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4
Stir the mixture until it reaches 295 °F (146 °C). Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pot. When the candy thermometer reads 295 °F (146 °C), stop stirring the mixture.^{[4]
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- Be sure the bulb of the thermometer is not touching the bottom of the pot or your temperature readings will be too high.
- If any sugar crystals form in the pot, use a pastry brush to gently brush them off the sides of the pot.
5
Pour the liquid onto a baking sheet and mix in the peppermint oil. Spray a bench scraper with cooking spray and put on heat-retardant gloves. Pour all of the liquid out onto one of the baking sheets. Sprinkle the dough with 2 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons (12 ml) peppermint oil. Use the bench scraper to mix the oil into the dough. As you are mixing, scrape the bottom layer of the mixture to the top to cool it down and keep the dough uniformly pliable.^{[5]
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- If you don't have heat-retardant gloves, wear thin winter gloves with three layers of plastic gloves on underneath.
6
Cut the dough in half and put one half in the oven. Liberally oil a sharp paring knife. Slice the dough into two equal halves. One half will be the white part of the candy cane, and the other half will be the red. Pick up one half with gloved hands and transfer it to the second baking sheet. This will be the red part of the candy cane. Store it in the oven to keep it warm and pliable until you are ready to dye and shape it.^{[6]
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7
Pull the remaining dough into ropes until it becomes shiny and opaque. Spray your gloves with vegetable oil to prevent sticking and protect your hands from the heat. Take the remaining half of the dough and grab it with one hand on each side. Pull it as if you're trying to make a rope. Fold the rope in half and twist it together. Then, pull it out again into a long rope. Keep doing this until the candy turns opaque and glossy. Then, put it back on the baking sheet and into the oven to keep it warm.^{[7]
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- This step also transforms the clear dough into the trademark white candy cane color.
- If the dough starts to become too stiff to handle, put it back in the oven for a couple of minutes until it is soft enough to shape again.
8
Add 1 tsp (4.9 ml) red food coloring to the other half of the dough. Take the other half of the dough out of the oven. Sprinkle the red food coloring over the dough. Grab your well-oiled bench scraper and fold the coloring into the dough until it is evenly distributed. Place it back on the baking sheet and into the oven. The red half of the dough does not need to be stretched.^{[8]
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- If you want a richer red color, add more food coloring a few drops at a time until you reach the shade you want.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:
Shaping Traditional Striped Candy Canes

1
Form each half of the dough into a log and cut them into 5 pieces. After you've pulled one half of the dough to make it white and colored the other half red, put both halves of the dough in the oven for 5 minutes to soften. Then, take both halves out. Wearing your gloves, roll and pull each half of the dough into a long log the length of the baking sheet. Cut each log into 5 equal pieces with an oiled paring knife.^{[9]
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- You can also use oiled kitchen shears to cut the dough.
2
Twist a red and a white piece together to form a long, striped rope. Remove one white and one red piece of dough and place them side-by-side on an oiled surface. Put the other logs of red and white dough back in the oven to stay soft. Put your chosen pieces together and pull them into a long rope, gently twisting them into one another to form the stripes. Stretch and twist until you reach the desired thickness and striped pattern.^{[10]
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3
Cut the twisted rope into 8 in (20 cm) pieces and shape into canes. Slice the striped rope into pieces with your paring knife. Shape the top of each piece into a cane.^{[11]
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4
Repeat the candy cane shaping with the remaining mixture. Continue to take one white and one red piece out of the oven at a time. Twist, cut, and shape them until you've formed candy canes with all the dough. Put the dough pieces back into the warm oven for a couple of minutes at any stage if they become hard and difficult to shape.^{[12]
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5
Let the canes cool for at least 20 minutes. Leave the candy canes on your work surface until they cool to room temperature and harden. Once set, they're ready to share.^{[13]
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- Store your candy canes in an airtight container until you are ready to eat them. They will keep for up to 3 months.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:
Trying Unique Candy Cane Creations

1
Make candy cane heart lollipops. Instead of shaping your warm dough into traditional candy canes, form the pieces into hearts. Arrange 5 lollipop sticks on a baking sheet and place one heart on top of each. Melt ½ cup (75 g) white chocolate chips in a pot and pour the mixture to fill the center of each heart. Let the hearts set for at least 20 minutes.^{[14]
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- Use your fingers to even out the chocolate if necessary.
- Add sprinkles to the center of each heart for an extra festive touch.
- Leave out the lollipop sticks and just make candy cane heart candies.
- Use milk or dark chocolate for the center of the heart for a different flavor.
2
Add a candy cane twist to your hot chocolate. To do this, heat 4 cups (0.95 l) milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Add 5 oz (150 g) chopped semisweet or milk chocolate. Wait until the chocolate melts completely, then pour into four mugs. Top each mug with whipped cream and crushed homemade candy cane. Place a homemade candy cane in each cup.^{[15]
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3
Make candy cane spoons to stir some peppermint into a hot drink. To do this, you'll need to buy silicone spoon molds in the baking aisle of your local grocery store or online. Crush your homemade candy canes into small bits. Fill the spoon molds with the crushed candy and bake at 300 °F (149 °C) for 10 minutes. Take them out of the oven and let them cool for at least 20 minutes. Once they are at room temperature, carefully peel them out of the molds.^{[16]
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- The easiest way to crush your canes is to put them in a plastic bag and hit them with a kitchen mallet.
- If one of the spoons breaks when you are taking it out of the mold, simply add a little more crushed candy cane and pop it back in the oven for a few minutes.
- For solid-colored candy cane spoons, add the color you want to the candy cane dough and then press the dough into the silicone molds. Then, let them cool and harden.
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Community Q&A

Question

I want to make candy cane spoons using the same kind of method, how can I shape it?

Community Answer

I have never done this, but I imagine that following the instructions and then rolling the curve into a spiral and flattening it might work.
Question

Can I make a candy cane lollipop?

Community Answer

Yes. Simply twist the candy-cane to get the spirals, but don't make it as thin, and don't curve the end. Then stick a lollipop stick into the bottom.
Question

How do I make the not-red part white?

Community Answer

You don't add anything to the white. You make the white part red with food coloring. Use a recipe for homemade candy canes.
Question

Where do I get the powered sugar?

HumanBeing

Top Answerer

A large supermarket or grocery store should stock powered sugar. You may find it labelled as "icing sugar" in your location.
Question

Can I use plates instead of pans?

HumanBeing

Top Answerer

You cannot boil sugar and water on a plate. Use sauce pans as directed. Plates are not designed to be used on a stove or cooker.
Question

When do I add baking powder, peppermint extract, and milk?

Community Answer

Baking powder and milk are not ingredients in this recipe. Peppermint oil is added in step 5.

Warnings

Boiled sugar is scalding hot––wait until it has cooled sufficiently before handling, or you will get burned.

Thanks!
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Things You'll Need

Traditional Striped Candy Canes

Baking sheet
Parchment paper
Cooking spray
Saucepan
Wooden spoon for stirring
Bench scraper
Heat resistant gloves
Paring knife
Boxes for packaging if giving as gifts––it's recommended that you line them with wax or parchment paper to prevent sticking