Cooking With Candy Canes

In this week's SWAT, our food bloggers are cooking up sweets and treats featuring one of Christmas' most iconic flavors.

Candy canes come in a variety of crazy flavors — like bacon (no thanks) — and are perfect for decorating and for Christmas crafts. But in the kitchen, we prefer to use and eat the original. Check out these 19 red and white peppermint treats to get you in the holiday mood! 

"The Candy Cane Eggnog was simple to make and took little to no stove time. The hardest part was waiting for it to cool in the refrigerator overnight," writes Giggle Gobbles and Gulps. For the recipe, click here.

Rural Mom makes her peppermint fudge with white chocolate, marshmallow crème, peppermint extract, and crushed up candy canes. For the full recipe, click here.

Kitchen Simmer melts white chocolate then spoons it into the center of two candy canes shaped like hearts; sprinkle with some crushed candy canes and enjoy. For this recipe, click here.

"I threw a whole bunch of these Peppermint White Chocolate M&Ms all over my candy cane and M&M Peppermint Bark Peppermint Bark. I used crushed candy canes too, of course," describes Take a Bite Out of Boca. Click here for her recipe.

The View From Great Island makes buttery toffee topped with creamy white chocolate and crushed candy canes. Check it out here.

This candy cane topped cake is such an easy and clever way to decorate a holiday-themed cake. "It's beautiful, delicious and you don't need any special decorating skills," writes An Alli Event. "Yippee for me . . . and you!" For this recipe, click here.           

Mon Petit Four writes, "Not only is the actual chocolate macaron part delectable, but the addition of peppermint in the filling is absolutely tantalizing." Bonus: She also explains the technique behind these fickle little meringue cookies. Click here for the recipe.  

"These festive, grain-free chocolate peppermint sandwich cookies are just the thing for gifting, cookie swapping, and plain old snacking from now until the New Year," notes A Calculated Whisk. Click here for the recipe.

The rich and chewy cookies are filled with mint chocolate chips and then dipped in chocolate. To finish, they are sprinkled with crunchy peppermint pieces. For the recipe, click here.

This is a great way to use up those broken candy canes... because there's always one or two in the package that breaks in transit.

For this recipe for Easy Peppermint Cookies, click here.

Chocolatey truffles are tossed in peppermint powder, making for a fun holiday treat. Read the post for a good recipe and a giggle or two. (Preview: "Would calling them Reindeer Poo Truffles make them classier?") Click here for the recipe.

This homemade hot chocolate "will blow your mind," says A Mind "Full" Mom. "Simple, clean ingredients make this drink rich and velvety, and a sweet frozen surprise adds a kick of peppermint flavor and a bit of magic." For this recipe, click here.

Giggle Gobbles and Gulps is back at it again with this peppermint bark eggnog. Call her a "nog aficionado," she likes to throw back this cocktail in shooter form or serve it up in a fancy martini glass. For this recipe, click here.

Popcorn is tossed with melted dark and white chocolate and crushed candy canes for a perfectly sweet treat ideal for holiday snacking and gifting. Click here for this recipe courtesy of A Mind "Full" Mom.

"My hot chocolate is loaded," says Souffle Bombay. "[In addition to] all that delicious whipped cream, it's got candy cane bits, a chocolate drizzle and even mini marshmallows." Click here for the recipe.

Light up your kitchen with holiday cheer complete with Mariah Carey singing in the background and these buttery shortbread cookies topped with candy canes. For this recipe, click here.

Platter Talk tells us, "This red velvet cake roll features a buttercream frosting infused with white chocolate and peppermint. It's garnished with a crown of candy cane bits making this a festive holiday dessert that is fit for a king, a queen, or just about anyone lucky enough to make Santa's nice list." For the recipe, click here.

This peppermint bark is the healthy trifecta: It's raw, vegan, and paleo. Combining the epic pairing of chocolate and peppermint, the bark is made with a soft brownie layer and layered with a crisp and creamy peppermint coating. For this recipe, click here.

Yep, you read right. This recipe only calls for seven ingredients and is whipped together in just two minutes. Check it out here.

With just four ingredients you are on your way to this super easy, yet super delicious fudge. "All you need to do is crush up your candy canes and throw everything else together in a bowl," writes Eva Bakes. "Microwave it until the chocolate chips melt, mix in some crushed candy canes and you're pretty much good to go." 

For this recipe, click here.