Coffee Candy Cane Shortbread Cookies with M&Ms

A tender, buttery batch of coffee candy cane shortbread cookies featuring espresso powder, crushed candy canes, and festive red and green M&Ms. These cookies are rich, aromatic, and wonderfully seasonal – the perfect addition to any Christmas baking tray.

Hey, folks – I hope you all are doing well!

Today, I’m sharing a cheerful and ultra-festive treat that brings together coffee, peppermint, and chocolate in one colourful cookie. These shortbread cookies have a delightful texture and a cozy flavour profile that feels just right for the holiday season. So, let’s dive into this festive coffee candy cane shortbread.

Why You’ll Love These Coffee Candy Cane Shortbread Cookies

• Festive and fun. Espresso, peppermint, and chocolate come together for a holiday cookie that is both nostalgic and modern.
• Cozy coffee aroma. The espresso powder deepens the flavour without overpowering the peppermint.
• Perfect holiday texture. Buttery shortbread with crisp edges and soft
  centers makes these cookies irresistible.
• Playful and colourful. Crushed candy canes and M&Ms create a joyful Christmas cookie appearance.
• Easy to make. The dough comes together quickly and handles well – ideal for busy December baking.

Flavour and Texture Profile

These coffee candy cane shortbread cookies offer a balanced taste: the coffee adds warmth and depth, the peppermint brings brightness, and the M&Ms add chocolatey sweetness and crunch. The crumb is tender with lightly crisp edges, and the crushed candy canes melt into pleasant pockets of peppermint throughout.

Ingredients You’ll Need for Festive Coffee Candy Cane Shortbread Cookies

To make this coffee candy cane shortbread, you will need a few classic shortbread staples along with festive additions.

• Butter. Creates the rich, tender base that defines shortbread.
• Flour. The main structure; adjust as needed for a soft but workable dough.
• Icing sugar. Ensures a smooth, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
• Espresso powder. Adds depth and warmth to complement the peppermint and chocolate.
• Crushed candy canes. Bring classic holiday flavour and colour.
• Festive M&Ms. Red and green M&Ms add chocolate notes and seasonal appeal.
• Salt. Enhances balance and prevents the peppermint from overpowering the dough.

Possible Additions and Variations

• Chocolate chips. Replace some M&Ms for a deeper chocolate finish.
• Mint M&Ms. Use mint-flavoured M&Ms for a more pronounced mint flavour.
• Vanilla extract. Adds roundness and warmth to the espresso.
• Peppermint extract. For a stronger mint kick – use sparingly.
• Dark chocolate drizzle. Creates an elegant finish and intensifies the chocolate profile.

How to Make Coffee Candy Cane Shortbread Cookies

This recipe can be prepared using either a classic mixer method with a longer chill or a quicker softened-butter method that requires only a brief rest. Both produce tender, buttery cookies with coffee and peppermint flavours – simply choose the approach that suits your timing.

For the mixer method, start with softened butter and beat it with the icing sugar and a pinch of salt until smooth and lightly creamy. Add the espresso powder and mix until fully incorporated. Gently blend in the flour just until the dough begins to come together, then fold in the crushed candy cane and M&Ms. Wrap the dough and refrigerate it for 30 to 60 minutes – or longer – until firm enough to handle but still pliable. After chilling, the dough should shape easily; if it feels sticky, dust it lightly with flour, and if it seems too firm, let it rest briefly at room temperature. Roll the dough into balls or logs, or form simple rounds by hand, then gently press to flatten.

For the no-mixer method, soften the butter in the microwave until very soft but not fully melted, then stir it together with the icing sugar and salt until smooth. Mix in the espresso powder, then add the flour and stir until a soft dough forms. Fold in the crushed candy cane and M&Ms. This version can be shaped right away, though a short 10–15 minute rest improves the texture and makes shaping easier. Once formed, bake the cookies in a 175°C (350°F) oven until the edges are just lightly golden. Allow the cookies to cool fully on the tray or a rack before serving.

Because flour density can vary, you may need slightly more than the amount suggested in the recipe. While 175 g of butter can technically require up to about 250 g of flour (or a flour–starch blend), always start with less and add gradually to avoid dry or floury cookies.

More Festive Holiday Cookie Recipes

Are you looking for more fun holiday cookie ideas, like this coffee candy cane shortbread cookies? Be sure to check more recipes below:

• Christmas Candy Cane Shortbread Cookies with Mint Chocolate
• Clementine Shortbread Cookies with Brandy Glaze
• Festive Orange Cardamom Shortbread with Brandy Glaze
• Orange Clove Christmas Cookies – Festive Spiced Shortbread
• Gluten-Free Rye Shortbread Cookies with Clementine and Cardamom
• Soft Ginger Christmas Cookies with Orange Clove Glaze

I’d love for you to try these Candy Cane Shortbread Cookies with Mint Chocolate Chips. If you give the recipe a go, please share your results in the comments, message me on Instagram, or post your photos with the hashtag #havocinthekitchen. I look forward to seeing your creations and hearing your thoughts!

Cheers!

Coffee Candy Cane Shortbread Cookies with M&Ms

Recipe by Ben | Havocinthekitchen

Coffee candy cane shortbread cookies made with espresso, crushed candy canes, and festive M&Ms – a rich and colourful Christmas shortbread.

Course: Christmas Cookies, Cookies, Christmas, Sweet BakesCuisine: American-inspired, European-inspiredDifficulty: Easy

5.0 from 2 votes

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Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

• 170 g (3/4 cup) butter, soften

• 185 g (1 ½ cups) all-purpose flour
  you may need more – See Notes

• 30 g (3 tbsp.) corn starch
  or replace with more flour

• 5 g (1 tbsp.) espresso powder, or to taste

• 10 g (1 tbsp.) powdered (icing) sugar

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 100 g (about 1 cup) crushed candy cane
  or more, to taste

• 100 g (about 1/2 cup) red & green milk chocolate M&Ms or more, to taste

Directions

• First Method (Requires Mixer and Longer Chilling):
• For this method, you will need softened butter; just remove it from the fridge 1-2 hours prior baking. In a bowl, with a mixer cream the butter, icing sugar, espresso powder, and salt on medium speed, about 2 minutes.
• Gradually stir in the flour and corn starch (if using) and mix until the mixture starts to remain dough. *See Notes
• Stir in the crushed candy cane and M&Ms; do not overmix. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 – preferably 60 minutes – or longer. After chilling, the dough should be pliable, moist, and slightly crumbly yet easy to bring together. You may need to dust it lightly with flour when shaping. If the dough is too firm after chilling, let it sit at room temperature for 5–10 minutes.
• Roll the dough out with a rolling-pin about 6-8 mm thick (about ¼–⅓ inch). You may go with up to 1 cm thick (slightly less than 1/2 inch), but the baking time will increase. If the dough feels too moist, dust with a little of flour. Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Arrange the cookies on parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving some space between each cookie.
  
• Bake for about 10–14 minutes, or until the edges are slightly golden. For softer cookies, bake about 10 minutes; for crispier cookies, bake an additional 2–3 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
• Second Method (No Mixer and Brief Chilling Required):
• Cut the butter into a few large pieces, place in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat for 25–30 seconds or until very soft (partly melted). It should not be fully melted; otherwise the dough will require longer chilling.
  Combine the softened butter with the icing sugar, espresso powder, and salt. Beat with a wooden spoon for 40–60 seconds until well incorporated.
• Stir in the flour and starch and mix just until a dough forms; don’t overmix. Fold in the crushed candy cane and M&Ms. If the dough feels too sticky, dust it with a little flour. If it feels too crumbly or dry (as flour density can vary), adjust by adding a tiny splash of milk or a little more softened butter.
• You do not need to refrigerate the dough, but chilling for 10–15 minutes improves the texture and makes shaping easier. Repeat steps 4 to 6 from the first method.

Notes

• The traditional shortbread ratio is 1 part sugar, 2 parts butter, and 3 parts flour by weight. Because this recipe uses less sugar than classic shortbread, the standard ratio would place 175 g butter at roughly 250–260 g of flour (including any starch to replace the reduced sugar). However, flour density can vary significantly, so I always recommend starting with less and adjusting as needed. Depending on the brand and how compacted the flour is, you may need as little as 215 g of dry ingredients to achieve a soft, pliable dough without it becoming dry or floury.