Chewy, spicy Red Hot Cookies are the perfect way to add some heat to your holiday celebration! They’re simple to make and sure to be a hit with cinnamon candy lovers.
I had a jar of leftover red hot candies from Christmas and decided to toss them in my sugar cookie dough. The result was delicious and I know you’re going to love them too!
Aimee’s Recipe Notes
Taste & Texture- spicy hot cinnamon flavor in a sugar cookie dough with a chewy texture from the melted candies.
Ease to Make- these are based off my easy drop sugar cookies. So they’re quite easy to make.
Top Tip- As you mix the cookie dough it will seem dry and crumbly. Keep blending and it will come together in a nice dough ball.
Most cinnamon treats—think Cinnamon Sugar Muffins and Snickerdoodles—have cozy, warm flavor. But cinnamon also has the ability to be HOT, which is the flavor in these Red Hot Cinnamon Cookies.
If you want to spice up your Valentine’s Day (in a PG way, of course!) red hot cinnamon cookies will do the trick.
They’re literally made with red hot candies, which add not only heat, but also some irresistible chewiness to the cookies. (And color too!)
Simple Ingredients
The full ingredient list is in the recipe card at the bottom of the post, but here are some highlights.
- Unsalted butter – Soften the butter to room temperature before you get started. This helps it blend smoothly into the rest of the dough. My guide on how to soften butter has tips to do it quickly in case you forgot to take it out of the refrigerator in time!
- Egg yolks – Using egg yolks instead of the whole egg adds richness and makes the cookies chewier. You can freeze or refrigerate the whites for another recipe if you’d like. Maybe try my Chocolate Meringue Cookies?
- Vanilla extract – Use pure vanilla extract, not imitation. Real vanilla has more depth. You can use my tips on how to make homemade vanilla extract too!
- All-purpose flour – Lightly spoon this into the measuring cup to make sure you don’t use more than you need.
- Red hot candies – These red hot cookies are a great way to use up holiday sprinkles so you can buy fresh red hots next Christmas. Crush these before you get started. I find that putting them in a zip-top bag and using a rolling pin to smash them is easiest.
How to Make Red Hot Cinnamon Cookies
Make the Dough:
- Start by crushing the red hot candies in a ziploc bag.
- The dough will be dry, so keep beating until the dough comes together in a ball, then fold in the red hots.
Bake:
- Tap the tops of each cookie before popping into the oven. I do this on my drop sugar cookies after baking, but for today’s recipe I do it before baking. Otherwise they’re too sticky after baking.
- Cool the cookies on the pan for 5 minutes, then finish cooling on a parchment-lined wire rack. (The parchment will keep the candies from sticking to the wire.)
Tips and Tricks
- The red hot candies will melt in the oven, and some might ooze out the sides of the cookies. You can use the back of a spoon to push them back into the cookies and reshape them.
- Transfer cooled cookies to an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to one week.
- You can also store baked cookies in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in refrigerator overnight.
- Red hot cinnamon cookie dough is great for freezing! See my guide on how to freeze cookie dough.
More Valentine’s Day Recipes
- For more Valentine’s Day treats, check out these 25 Valentine’s Day Desserts. You can’t go wrong with my Easy Chocolate Truffles either!
- Make a batch of these Valentines Hot Cocoa Bombs to create a sweet mug of cocoa this holiday.
- For a simple, cloud like cookies, my Soft Chocolate Chip Ricotta Cookies are a less sweet option!
- Let’s make it easy this holiday with my Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies. Simple and affordable.
- Ready to impress? This Chocolate Hazelnut Tart is a little more work, but so worth the effort!
- My Raspberry Truffles are a bite of pure bliss with the sweet raspberry filling in a chocolate shell.
- Try these heart shaped Strawberry Hand Pies for a festive Valentine’s dessert this year.
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Red Hot Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup red hot candies, crushed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with sugar for 2-3 minutes until fully combined. Add in egg yolks and vanilla extract, beat until fluffy.
- Add flour, baking powder, and kosher salt. The mixture will be crumbly, continue beating until a cookie dough ball forms. Add in red hot candies and stir until combined.
- Using a 2 Tablespoon cookie scoop, drop cookie dough onto prepared cookie sheet. Lightly tap the tops of each cookie with a spatula, to prevent the cookies from doming. This will give you evenly baked cookies.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes until edges are just starting to brown. Remove from oven. Use the back of a spoon to push the melted red hots and mis-shapen cookies back into place.
- Let cool on pans for about 5 minutes, then cool completely on a parchment paper lined wire cooling rack.
Notes
- The red hot candies WILL melt in the oven. Use the back of a spoon to push any that are mis-shapen back into the cookie after baking.
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
- Freeze baked cookies in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in refrigerator ovenight.
- If freezing cookie dough prior to baking, use my tips and tricks in my guide on how to freeze cookie dough.
