Red Hot Cookies are soft, chewy sugar cookies with a buttery flavor and a pleasant cinnamon crunch thanks to crushed cinnamon candies mixed into the dough.
Red Hot Sugar Cookies
These cookies combine a classic sugar cookie base with finely crushed cinnamon candies for a spicy-sweet bite. They stay soft and chewy while offering a subtle crunchy texture from the candies. They’re especially festive for Valentine’s Day and easy to prepare ahead of time.
Ingredients in Red Hot Sugar Cookies
The recipe uses everyday pantry staples. See the recipe card for exact measurements and baking times.
- All-purpose flour – spooned & leveled
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Unsalted butter – softened
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- Red Hot candies (or similar cinnamon candies), finely crushed
- Cornstarch – helps make the cookies tender and slightly puffy
How to Make Red Hot Cookies
These are essentially sugar cookies with crushed cinnamon candy folded into the dough. Because sugar cookies can spread during baking, chilling the dough for at least one hour is important to maintain a puffy, chewy texture.
Start with room-temperature ingredients so they combine smoothly without overworking the dough. Begin by creaming the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and creamy. Add the egg and vanilla, beating until well combined.
Whisk the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, and cornstarch) in a separate bowl, then add them to the wet mixture until a soft dough forms. Finely crush the cinnamon candies in a food processor or by using a rolling pin inside a sealed bag; avoid large chunks so the cookies bake evenly and remain pleasant to chew.
Once the candies are folded into the dough, scoop the dough into balls (a #40 cookie scoop, about 1.6 tablespoons, works well), roll each ball in granulated sugar, and place them on a tray to chill in the refrigerator for one hour. Skipping the chill time will cause the cookies to spread too much.
After chilling, arrange the dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat and bake at 350°F for 11–13 minutes. Remove from the oven and gently flatten each cookie with the back of a spoon if you prefer a slightly flatter top. Sprinkle additional crushed candies on top while the cookies are still warm if desired. Let cookies cool on the sheet for about 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Tools That Make Baking Easier
These tools help streamline the process but are optional:
- Cookie sheet
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Hand mixer
- Food processor (for crushing candies)
- Cookie scoop
- Silicone baking mat or parchment paper
- Wire cooling rack
📖 Recipe
Red Hot Cookies
Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing bowls
- Hand mixer
- Food processor (or method to crush candies)
- Cookie scoop
- Silicone baking mat or parchment
- Cookie sheet
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ¼ cup Red Hot candies, crushed
- Granulated sugar for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until smooth.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cornstarch.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until a soft dough forms.
- Finely crush the cinnamon candies (reserve a small amount to sprinkle on top if desired) and fold them into the dough.
- Scoop the dough into 2-inch balls (about a #40 scoop), roll each ball in granulated sugar, and place on a tray. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
- Arrange chilled dough balls on a parchment- or silpat-lined baking sheet and bake for 11–13 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and gently flatten slightly with the back of a spoon if you like. Sprinkle with reserved crushed candies while warm, if using.
- Allow to cool on the sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Store in an airtight container.
Notes
Chilling the dough is required to prevent excessive spreading and to keep the cookies puffy and chewy.
Nutrition (estimate)
Per cookie: about 116 kcal, 17 g carbohydrates, 5 g fat, 1 g protein. Values are estimates and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes.
© Mama Needs Cake