Terms of UseHow to Make a Candy Cane Explore this Article methods Ingredients 1 Preparing Candy Cane Dough 2 Shaping Traditional Striped Candy Canes 3 Trying Unique Candy Cane Creations Other Sections Questions & Answers Video Tips and Warnings Things You'll Need Related Articles References Article Summary Co-authored by wikiHow Staff
Last Updated: November 12, 2025
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This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff. Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. This article has been viewed 114,945 times.
Candy canes are essential treats for the holiday season. While they are readily available in the supermarket, homemade candy canes add an extra special touch to holiday celebrations. Delight friends and family with traditional red and white striped canes or surprise them with different festive shapes and color combinations.
Ingredients
Traditional Striped Candy Canes
1⁄3 cup (79 ml) water
3 cups (600 g) granulated sugar
1 cup (240 ml) corn syrup
½ teaspoon (3.5 g) cream of tartar
21⁄2 teaspoons (12 ml)peppermint oil
1 teaspoon (4.9 ml) red food coloring
Makes about 12 canes
Candy Cane Lollipops
Homemade candy cane dough
5 lollipop sticks
½ cup (75 g) white chocolate chips
Sprinkles (optional)
Makes 5 lollipops
Candy Cane Hot Chocolate
5 homemade candy canes
5 oz (150 g) chopped semisweet or milk chocolate
Whipped cream
Makes 4 servings
Steps
Method 1 Method 1 of 3:
Preparing Candy Cane Dough
1 Preheat the oven to 200 °F (93 °C). Keep the oven on during the whole process. This way, you can always put the dough back in the oven for a few minutes if it becomes too hard to work with.
2 Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Choose 2 large, flat baking sheets. Lining them with parchment will help to prevent the candy mixture from sticking to the surface.
You can also use silicone baking sheet liners or a generous coating of cooking spray if you don't have parchment paper.
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3 Heat water, sugar, corn syrup, cream of tartar, and salt in a saucepan. Add 1⁄3 cup (79 ml) water, 3 cups (600 g) sugar, 1 cup (240 ml) corn syrup, ½ teaspoon (3.5g) cream of tartar, and a pinch of salt to a saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. Stir the mixture continuously to prevent it from sticking to the pot.
4 Stir the mixture until it reaches 295 °F (146 °C). Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pot. When the candy thermometer reads 295 °F (146 °C), stop stirring the mixture.
Be sure the bulb of the thermometer is not touching the bottom of the pot or your temperature readings will be too high.
If any sugar crystals form in the pot, use a pastry brush to gently brush them off the sides of the pot.
5 Pour the liquid onto a baking sheet and mix in the peppermint oil. Spray a bench scraper with cooking spray and put on heat-retardant gloves. Pour all of the liquid out onto one of the baking sheets. Sprinkle the dough with 21⁄2 teaspoons (12 ml) peppermint oil. Use the bench scraper to mix the oil into the dough. As you are mixing, scrape the bottom layer of the mixture to the top to cool it down and keep the dough uniformly pliable.
If you don't have heat-retardant gloves, wear thin winter gloves with three layers of plastic gloves on underneath.
6 Cut the dough in half and put one half in the oven. Liberally oil a sharp paring knife. Slice the dough into two equal halves. One half will be the white part of the candy cane, and the other half will be the red. Pick up one half with gloved hands and transfer it to the second baking sheet. This will be the red part of the candy cane. Store it in the oven to keep it warm and pliable until you are ready to dye and shape it.
7 Pull the remaining dough into ropes until it becomes shiny and opaque. Spray your gloves with vegetable oil to prevent sticking and protect your hands from the heat. Take the remaining half of the dough and grab it with one hand on each side. Pull it as if you're trying to make a rope. Fold the rope in half and twist it together. Then, pull it out again into a long rope. Keep doing this until the candy turns opaque and glossy. Then, put it back on the baking sheet and into the oven to keep it warm.
This step also transforms the clear dough into the trademark white candy cane color.
If the dough starts to become too stiff to handle, put it back in the oven for a couple of minutes until it is soft enough to shape again.
8 Add 1 tsp (4.9 ml) red food coloring to the other half of the dough. Take the other half of the dough out of the oven. Sprinkle the red food coloring over the dough. Grab your well-oiled bench scraper and fold the coloring into the dough until it is evenly distributed. Place it back on the baking sheet and into the oven. The red half of the dough does not need to be stretched.
If you want a richer red color, add more food coloring a few drops at a time until you reach the shade you want.
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Method 2 Method 2 of 3:
Shaping Traditional Striped Candy Canes
1 Form each half of the dough into a log and cut them into 5 pieces. After you've pulled one half of the dough to make it white and colored the other half red, put both halves of the dough in the oven for 5 minutes to soften. Then, take both halves out. Wearing your gloves, roll and pull each half of the dough into a long log the length of the baking sheet. Cut each log into 5 equal pieces with an oiled paring knife.
You can also use oiled kitchen shears to cut the dough.
2 Twist a red and a white piece together to form a long, striped rope. Remove one white and one red piece of dough and place them side-by-side on an oiled surface. Put the other logs of red and white dough back in the oven to stay soft. Put your chosen pieces together and pull them into a long rope, gently twisting them into one another to form the stripes. Stretch and twist until you reach the desired thickness and striped pattern.
3 Cut the twisted rope into 8 in (20 cm) pieces and shape into canes. Slice the striped rope into pieces with your paring knife. Shape the top of each piece into a cane.
4 Repeat the candy cane shaping with the remaining mixture. Continue to take one white and one red piece out of the oven at a time. Twist, cut, and shape them until you've formed candy canes with all the dough. Put the dough pieces back into the warm oven for a couple of minutes at any stage if they become hard and difficult to shape.
5 Let the canes cool for at least 20 minutes. Leave the candy canes on your work surface until they cool to room temperature and harden. Once set, they're ready to share.
Store your candy canes in an airtight container until you are ready to eat them. They will keep for up to 3 months.
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Method 3 Method 3 of 3:
Trying Unique Candy Cane Creations
1 Make candy cane heart lollipops. Instead of shaping your warm dough into traditional candy canes, form the pieces into hearts. Arrange 5 lollipop sticks on a baking sheet and place one heart on top of each. Melt ½ cup (75 g) white chocolate chips in a pot and pour the mixture to fill the center of each heart. Let the hearts set for at least 20 minutes.[1]XResearch source
Use your fingers to even out the chocolate if necessary.
Add sprinkles to the center of each heart for an extra festive touch.
Leave out the lollipop sticks and just make candy cane heart candies.
Use milk or dark chocolate for the center of the heart for a different flavor.
2 Add a candy cane twist to your hot chocolate. To do this, heat 4 cups (0.95 l) milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Add 5 oz (150 g) chopped semisweet or milk chocolate. Wait until the chocolate melts completely, then pour into four mugs. Top each mug with whipped cream and crushed homemade candy cane. Place a homemade candy cane in each cup.[2]XResearch source
3 Make candy cane spoons to stir some peppermint into a hot drink. To do this, you'll need to buy silicone spoon molds in the baking aisle of your local grocery store or online. Crush your homemade candy canes into small bits. Fill the spoon molds with the crushed candy and bake at 300 °F (149 °C) for 10 minutes. Take them out of the oven and let them cool for at least 20 minutes. Once they are at room temperature, carefully peel them out of the molds.[3]XResearch source
The easiest way to crush your canes is to put them in a plastic bag and hit them with a kitchen mallet.
If one of the spoons breaks when you are taking it out of the mold, simply add a little more crushed candy cane and pop it back in the oven for a few minutes.
For solid-colored candy cane spoons, add the color you want to the candy cane dough and then press the dough into the silicone molds. Then, let them cool and harden.
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Community Q&A
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Question I want to make candy cane spoons using the same kind of method, how can I shape it? Community Answer I have never done this, but I imagine that following the instructions and then rolling the curve into a spiral and flattening it might work. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 0 Helpful 6
Question Can I make a candy cane lollipop? Community Answer Yes. Simply twist the candy-cane to get the spirals, but don't make it as thin, and don't curve the end. Then stick a lollipop stick into the bottom. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 1 Helpful 6
Question How do I make the not-red part white? Community Answer You don't add anything to the white. You make the white part red with food coloring. Use a recipe for homemade candy canes. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 5 Helpful 9
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Video
Tips
Candy canes need to be stored in an airtight container or wrapped in cellophane to prevent softening over time. Thanks Helpful 48 Not Helpful 10
Instead of using the classic red food coloring, create variety by changing colors: green and purple for a Grinchy Christmas, or black and white for a nightmare Christmas decoration Jack Skellington would be proud of. Thanks Helpful 31 Not Helpful 19
You're not limited to the usual hook design. Feel free to turn the candy "cane" into any shape you can think of: perhaps a candy pretzel, a candy spring, candy reindeer antlers––whatever strikes your fancy! Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
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Warnings
Boiled sugar is scalding hot––wait until it has cooled sufficiently before handling, or you will get burned. Thanks Helpful 26 Not Helpful 8
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Things You'll Need
Traditional Striped Candy Canes
Baking sheet
Parchment paper
Cooking spray
Saucepan
Wooden spoon for stirring
Bench scraper
Heat resistant gloves
Paring knife
Boxes for packaging if giving as gifts––it's recommended that you line them with wax or parchment paper to prevent sticking
Candy Cane Spoons
Silicone spoon molds
Kitchen mallet
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Co-authored by: wikiHow Staff wikiHow Staff Writer This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff. Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. This article has been viewed 114,945 times. 2 votes - 70% Co-authors: 39Updated: November 12, 2025 Views: 114,945Article SummaryX
To make a candy cane, start by heating water, sugar, corn syrup, cream of tartar, and salt in a saucepan over medium-high heat until it reaches 295 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, pour the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and mix in some peppermint oil. Once the mixture cools and a dough forms, cut it in half and add red food coloring to one half and stretch the other half until it turns white. Next, cut up each half into small pieces and twist a red and white piece together and shape the rope into a cane. Finally, let the candy cane cool for at least 20 minutes. To learn how to make candy cane lollipops, scroll down!Did this summary help you?YesNo
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Co-authored by: wikiHow Staff wikiHow Staff Writer This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff. Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. This article has been viewed 114,945 times. 2 votes - 70% Co-authors: 39 Updated: November 12, 2025 Views: 114,945 Article SummaryX
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558 
1 Preheat the oven to 200 °F (93 °C). Keep the oven on during the whole process. This way, you can always put the dough back in the oven for a few minutes if it becomes too hard to work with. 
2 Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Choose 2 large, flat baking sheets. Lining them with parchment will help to prevent the candy mixture from sticking to the surface. 
3 Heat water, sugar, corn syrup, cream of tartar, and salt in a saucepan. Add 1⁄3 cup (79 ml) water, 3 cups (600 g) sugar, 1 cup (240 ml) corn syrup, ½ teaspoon (3.5g) cream of tartar, and a pinch of salt to a saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. Stir the mixture continuously to prevent it from sticking to the pot. 
4 Stir the mixture until it reaches 295 °F (146 °C). Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pot. When the candy thermometer reads 295 °F (146 °C), stop stirring the mixture. 
5 Pour the liquid onto a baking sheet and mix in the peppermint oil. Spray a bench scraper with cooking spray and put on heat-retardant gloves. Pour all of the liquid out onto one of the baking sheets. Sprinkle the dough with 2 1⁄2 teaspoons (12 ml) peppermint oil. Use the bench scraper to mix the oil into the dough. As you are mixing, scrape the bottom layer of the mixture to the top to cool it down and keep the dough uniformly pliable. 
6 Cut the dough in half and put one half in the oven. Liberally oil a sharp paring knife. Slice the dough into two equal halves. One half will be the white part of the candy cane, and the other half will be the red. Pick up one half with gloved hands and transfer it to the second baking sheet. This will be the red part of the candy cane. Store it in the oven to keep it warm and pliable until you are ready to dye and shape it. 
7 Pull the remaining dough into ropes until it becomes shiny and opaque. Spray your gloves with vegetable oil to prevent sticking and protect your hands from the heat. Take the remaining half of the dough and grab it with one hand on each side. Pull it as if you're trying to make a rope. Fold the rope in half and twist it together. Then, pull it out again into a long rope. Keep doing this until the candy turns opaque and glossy. Then, put it back on the baking sheet and into the oven to keep it warm. 
8 Add 1 tsp (4.9 ml) red food coloring to the other half of the dough. Take the other half of the dough out of the oven. Sprinkle the red food coloring over the dough. Grab your well-oiled bench scraper and fold the coloring into the dough until it is evenly distributed. Place it back on the baking sheet and into the oven. The red half of the dough does not need to be stretched. 
1 Form each half of the dough into a log and cut them into 5 pieces. After you've pulled one half of the dough to make it white and colored the other half red, put both halves of the dough in the oven for 5 minutes to soften. Then, take both halves out. Wearing your gloves, roll and pull each half of the dough into a long log the length of the baking sheet. Cut each log into 5 equal pieces with an oiled paring knife. 
2 Twist a red and a white piece together to form a long, striped rope. Remove one white and one red piece of dough and place them side-by-side on an oiled surface. Put the other logs of red and white dough back in the oven to stay soft. Put your chosen pieces together and pull them into a long rope, gently twisting them into one another to form the stripes. Stretch and twist until you reach the desired thickness and striped pattern. 
3 Cut the twisted rope into 8 in (20 cm) pieces and shape into canes. Slice the striped rope into pieces with your paring knife. Shape the top of each piece into a cane. 
4 Repeat the candy cane shaping with the remaining mixture. Continue to take one white and one red piece out of the oven at a time. Twist, cut, and shape them until you've formed candy canes with all the dough. Put the dough pieces back into the warm oven for a couple of minutes at any stage if they become hard and difficult to shape. 
5 Let the canes cool for at least 20 minutes. Leave the candy canes on your work surface until they cool to room temperature and harden. Once set, they're ready to share. 
1 Make candy cane heart lollipops. Instead of shaping your warm dough into traditional candy canes, form the pieces into hearts. Arrange 5 lollipop sticks on a baking sheet and place one heart on top of each. Melt ½ cup (75 g) white chocolate chips in a pot and pour the mixture to fill the center of each heart. Let the hearts set for at least 20 minutes.[1] 
2 Add a candy cane twist to your hot chocolate. To do this, heat 4 cups (0.95 l) milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Add 5 oz (150 g) chopped semisweet or milk chocolate. Wait until the chocolate melts completely, then pour into four mugs. Top each mug with whipped cream and crushed homemade candy cane. Place a homemade candy cane in each cup.[2] 
3 Make candy cane spoons to stir some peppermint into a hot drink. To do this, you'll need to buy silicone spoon molds in the baking aisle of your local grocery store or online. Crush your homemade candy canes into small bits. Fill the spoon molds with the crushed candy and bake at 300 °F (149 °C) for 10 minutes. Take them out of the oven and let them cool for at least 20 minutes. Once they are at room temperature, carefully peel them out of the molds.[3] 
Community Answer I have never done this, but I imagine that following the instructions and then rolling the curve into a spiral and flattening it might work. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 0 Helpful 6 
Community Answer Yes. Simply twist the candy-cane to get the spirals, but don't make it as thin, and don't curve the end. Then stick a lollipop stick into the bottom. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 1 Helpful 6 
Community Answer You don't add anything to the white. You make the white part red with food coloring. Use a recipe for homemade candy canes. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 5 Helpful 9