Candy Cane Shortbread Cookies (red dye-free)

These Candy Cane Shortbread Cookies are only made with 4 ingredients and are super fun to make for the holidays! The gluten-free, vegan shortbread is made with gluten-free baking flour, plant-based butter, naturally sweetened with maple syrup and are colored naturally with red beet powder keeping these cookies dye-free! They are extra delicious served with a glass of cold plant-based milk or hot cocoa.

Candy cane cookies aren’t a new creation, I’ve seen them all over the place- and rightly so because they are so fun! My candy cane cookies, however, are not only gluten-free and vegan, but also are red dye-free. While I do like the vibrancy red food coloring brings to Christmas goodies, I don’t like the potential harmful effects of consuming food dyes. I kind of like the more pastel, muted red color anyway 🤗.

I have a whole dye-free recipe collection on my blog, be sure to check out more dye-free recipes!

What Are Shortbread Cookies?

Traditionally shortbread is a biscuit-type cookie made with flour, butter, and sugar. Shortbread cookies have a more crumbly texture than sugar cookies. Shortbread cookies also do not contain any baking powder or baking soda and are often made with just a few ingredients.

Ingredients

Gluten-free flour. I used a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour in these cookies. You will need 2 cups of flour.

Butter. Plant based stick butter worked perfectly for these shortbread cookies. I like the Miyoko’s brand stick butter.

Maple Syrup. The sweetener of choice in these cookies is maple syrup. I wanted to keep them naturally sweetened and with a lower glycemic index compared to white table sugar or cane sugar. Because maple syrup is a liquid sweetener, I’m not sure what ratio of sugar you would use as an alternative.

Beet powder. Beet powder is a great red food coloring option that is artificially dye-free. Beetroot powder, as it’s named, is made from dried, ground beets. It has become increasingly popular not only for its coloring effects, but also as a dietary supplement that contains beneficial beet nutrients to your diet. I like this one.

Optional Ingredients

Powdered sugar. Dusting the candy cane cookies with powdered sugar after they are cool is a nice finishing touch. It’s optional, but looks extra festive.

Sparkling sugar. You may choose to roll the cookie dough in sparkling sugar prior to baking if you’d like.

How To Make Candy Cane Shortbread Cookies

While it may seem a bit intimidating to make these candy cane cookies, I promise they are super easy to make. My 7 year old son even made one! 😉

First, beat the butter and maple syrup together in a stand mixer using the paddle attachment (or alternatively using a hand beater or whisk) until smooth and creamy. Add the flour and beat until a cookie dough forms, scraping down the sides as needed. Turn the dough out onto a piece of parchment paper or cutting board. Roll the dough into a ball and then split the dough in half. Add half of the dough back into the stand mixer and add 1 teaspoon of red beet powder. Mix on low speed until the powder is fully incorporated into the dough and the dough is a soft red-ish pink color.

Wrap both halves of dough in plastic wrap and chill the dough in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll 1 tablespoon of the non-colored dough evenly into a log about 10 inches in length. Next, roll 1 tablespoon of the beet colored dough out into a log the same length.

Gently twist the dough pieces together.

Bend the dough to create a hook at the top making a candy cane shape.

Place the candy cane cookie on the baking sheet and repeat this process until all the dough is used up. Bake the cookies in the oven for 18-20 minutes.

Let the cookies cool completely and dust with powdered sugar if desired.

Cookie Variations

I made these cookies 3 times trying to figure out which way I liked them best. This recipe makes pretty large sized cookies, so you can feel free to modify them as you’d like.

Size. These candy cane cookies are about the size of your hand, so they’re fairly large. If you prefer smaller cookies, you can use 1/2 tablespoon of cookie dough or even as little as 1 teaspoon. Just keep in mind, the smaller the cookies, the easier they will break because they are shortbread cookies after all.

Shape. I have made these cookies in the candy cane shape as well as candy cane cookie sticks or candy cane cookie twists and they’re all great!

Sugared. I also made these cookies rolled in sparkling sugar and then baked in the oven and of course there’s added sugar, butter the sparkling sugar adds more sweetness if these maple sweetened shortbread cookies just aren’t sweet enough for you.

Peppermint. I decided not to flavor these cookies with peppermint, butter if you would like to add peppermint to either the red dough or white dough you may! Start with a very small amount of peppermint extract, you definitely don’t want too much.

Do These Cookies Taste Like Beets?

No! The beet powder is so minimal you won’t even taste it. My hubby is NOT a fan of beets so I didn’t tell him that I colored the dough with beet powder and he didn’t even know 😉 .

My Favorite Way To Enjoy These Cookies

My favorite way to enjoy these Candy Cane Shortbread Cookies is sprinkled with powdered sugar and dunking them in some dairy-free milk or hot cocoa! These cookies kind of remind me of biscotti and they would also be great with a cup of coffee.

Let me know what you think about these Candy Cane Shortbread Cookies down below in the comments section as well as giving it a five rating  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ so that others can discover an easy and fun dye-free holiday cookie recipe! Be sure to tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest if you make them.

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