Red Hot Cookies

Red Hot Cookies – Sweet, spicy, buttery, and chewy cookies studded with red hot cinnamon candies. A perfect addition to holiday cookie trays!

What are red hot cookies?

Red hot cookies is a soft, chewy, delicious, spiced cookie loaded with red hot candies which are small, red colored cinnamon candies. The candies are sweet and spicy and adds a spicy and cinnamon flavor and a pop of color to the cookies.

These sweet and spicy treats are super simple to make with simple ingredients and don’t require chilling the dough. It’s a fun way to add a spicy twist to traditional cookie recipes, and they are perfect for Valentine’s Day and Christmas!

Ingredients & substitutions:

You can get the ingredient measurements and instructions from the recipe card below.

Flour – Provides a structure to the cookie. I have used all purpose flour or plain flour in this recipe.

Sugar – White sugar or light brown sugar can be used.

Butter – Do not replace it with anything. I used unsalted butter, skip salt if you are using salted butter. Make sure the butter is softened at room temperature.

Red Hots -These are tiny, sweet, spicy candies, known for their deep cinnamon flavor. Adds a bright red color and cinnamon flavor to the cookies. You can use any similar candies in this recipe.

Vanilla – Enhances the flavor of the cookies. Use a good quality vanilla extract. Can be replaced with vanilla bean paste.

Milk – Binds the ingredients together and adds moisture. You can swap it with oat milk or almond milk.

Baking Soda – Helps the cookies rise. Do not skip this.

Salt – Skip if you are using salted butter.

Serving suggestions:

They can be served with any hot beverage.

Add them to your Christmas cookie platter along with other favorite cookies, like chocolate crinkles, snowball cookies, and santa’s whiskers.

Storage suggestions:

Store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They’ll stay fresh for up to 5 days.

You can also freeze the unbacked cookie dough or baked cookies. Place them in a ziplock bag or airtight container for up to 3 months.

Variations:

Fold in some pecans, walnuts, white chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips along with red hots for added flavor and crunch.

You can also decorate the them with a simple frosting to add a festive touch.

Drizzle the baked and cooled cookies with melted chocolate or glaze to add sweetness.

Top the dough balls with more crushed cinnamon candies for intense cinnamon flavor.

You could also add ground cloves, nutmeg, or cinnamon for a spicier cookie.

Tips & Notes:

Slightly crushing the candies before adding them to the dough can help spread the flavor more evenly, while still leaving some chunks with a burst of cinnamon.

Do not use cold butter, make sure the butter is softened.

Do not overbake the cookies for a perfect chewy texture.

Step by step instructions:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C (350F) and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

In a small mixing bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda and keep it aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together softened unsalted butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add in vanilla extract and milk.

Mix until well combined.

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until just combined. Do not overmix the dough.

Add slightly crushed red hot candies.

Gently mix everything until combined.

Divide the dough into 12 round balls, using about a tablespoon of dough for each ball. Place them on the lined baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie.

Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes at 180 degrees C. Transfer them to a cooling rack and let them cool completely. Serve & enjoy!

More holiday recipes:

• Chocolate Covered Pretzels
• Chocolate Molasses Cookies
• Red Hot Cinnamon Apples
• Nutellotti
• Sweet Potato Pizza Bites
• Honey Sriracha Brussels Sprouts
• Persimmon Kale Salad
• Cherry Winks
• Peppermint White Chocolate Cookies
• Candy Cane Blossoms

How to make red hot cookies recipe video below: