Red Hot Cookies are sweet, spicy, buttery, and chewy cookies studded with red hot cinnamon candies. A perfect addition to holiday cookie trays alongside favorites like Chocolate Molasses Cookies, Cherry Wink Cookies, and Candy Cane Blossoms.
Quick Look: Red Hot Cookies Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 Minutes
- Cook Time: 12 Minutes
- Total Time: 27 Minutes
- Servings: 12 Cookies
- Calories: 96 kcal per cookie
- Difficulty: Easy, perfect for Christmas.
- Dietary info: Vegetarian, egg-free.
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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!
Looking for more festive treats? Try my Oreo Bark, Cream Cheese Mints, Sugar Plum Candy and Biscoff Truffles.
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Why you'll love this recipe:
- The red hot candies melt slightly and give the cookies beautiful pops of color and flavor.
- They are easy to make with simple ingredients but still feel festive.
- Both kids and adults love them.
- Perfect for cookie trays, gifting and cookie exchanges.
Ingredients & substitutions:
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.
A full ingredient list with exact measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
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.
How to Make Red Hot Cookies
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!
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.
- Leave enough space between the dough balls when baking.
- For extra cinnamon flavor, you can mix the dough with a little bit of ground cinnamon.
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.
FAQs
Not at all. Even kids can enjoy them.
Yes, just adjust the baking time accordingly. Smaller cookies bake faster and larger ones need a few minutes extra.
Absolutely, freeze the dough balls or baked cookies for up to 3 months.
Yes, cinnamon chips will give a similar flavor. The taste and texture will be different.
More holiday recipes:
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Red Hot Cookies
Ingredients
- ¼ Cup Unsalted Butter, softened
- 6 Tablespoons Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Milk
- ½ Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ¾ Cup All Purpose Flour / Plain Flour
- ¼ Teaspoon Baking Soda
- ⅛ Teaspoon Salt
- 2 Tablespoons Crushed Red Hot Candies
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!
Video
Notes
- Do not use cold butter, make sure the butter is softened.
- Do not overbake the cookies for a perfect chewy texture.
- Leave enough space between the dough balls when baking.
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates only.
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