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These Red Hot Cookies have crushed cinnamon candies in the dough, with more on top, and a sweet powdered sugar coating. The cookies are sweet with a little spice and take sugar cookies to the next level!
Recipe Tips
- Soften the butter and cream cheese. When the ingredients are at room temperature instead of cold, they blend more smoothly.
- Chill the dough for 30 minutes. Don’t skip this step! This helps keep the cookies from spreading while baking.
- Crush the red hots into small pieces. I like to put them in a zip-top bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Smaller pieces make it easier to mix throughout the dough and get red hot flavor in every bite.
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients & Base:
- Unsalted Butter: Use ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature. If using salted butter, reduce the added fine salt to ⅛ teaspoon.
- Granulated Sugar: Measure ¾ cup white granulated sugar for clean sweetness and a tender crumb.
- Cream Cheese: Add 1 tablespoon softened block cream cheese. This baker’s trick adds chewiness and helps prevent the cookies from spreading too flat.
- One large egg: Use 1 large egg at room temperature to bind the dough evenly.
- Vanilla Extract: Add 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract to round out the butter and sugar base.
- Almond Extract: Stir in ¼ teaspoon pure almond extract. This small amount adds bakery-style depth that improves the spiciness of the cinnamon candy.
Dry Ingredients & Candies:
- All-Purpose Flour: Measure 1½ cups unbleached plain flour. Spoon and level the flour into your measuring cup to avoid dense dough.
- Baking Powder: Use 1 teaspoonful of baking powder for a gentle lift and a soft dome shape.
- Salt: Add ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt to balance the sugary coating.
- Red Hots Cinnamon Candies: Use ½ cup total, divided into two ¼-cup portions. Roughly crush the first ¼ cup to fold into the dough, and reserve the second ¼ cup whole to press onto the tops. Brach’s Cinnamon Imperials work as an exact 1:1 replacement.
- Powdered Sugar: Place ½ cup confectioners’ sugar in a shallow dish for coating the dough balls before baking.
How To Make Red Hot Cookies
Whip the butter, sugar, and cream cheese, then mix in the remaining dough ingredients and crushed cinnamon candies. After a short chill, roll the dough in powdered sugar, decorate with whole Red Hots, and bake until the edges are set.
- Prep the Pan and Crush Candies: Heat your oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place ¼ cup of the Red Hots candies into a heavy-duty zip-top bag, seal tightly, and crush with a rolling pin into coarse bits. Leave the remaining ¼ cup of candies whole for topping.
- Cream the Butter and Sugars: In a large mixing bowl (or stand mixer bowl), mix the softened butter, granulated sugar, and softened cream cheese together on medium-high speed for 2 minutes, until light, smooth, and fluffy.
- Add Egg and Flavorings: Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract on medium speed until completely smooth and emulsified. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Form the Dough: Pour the dry flour mixture into the wet butter mixture. Beat on low speed just until the dry streaks disappear and a soft, cohesive dough forms.
- Fold and Chill: Add the ¼ cup of coarsely crushed Red Hots to the bowl. Fold gently with a rubber spatula to distribute the candy bits evenly. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Scoop and Roll in Sugar: Place the ½ cup of powdered sugar into a small shallow dish. Using a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop or spoon, portion the chilled dough into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball between your palms to smooth it, then drop it into the powdered sugar and roll until coated.
- Arrange and Top: Place the coated dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches of space between them. Gently press each ball down with your fingers to flatten slightly. Firmly press 2 to 3 whole Red Hots into the center of each cookie top.
- Bake: Bake at 350°F for 9 to 11 minutes. The edges should look set, but the tops should still appear soft and pale. Rest the cookies on the warm baking sheet for 5 minutes to firm up. Transfer the cookies to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Recipe FAQs
They may soften but will not completely melt. That is why I recommend crushing them into small pieces, since larger pieces may stay too crunchy.
The centers should be soft, while the edges will be set. Start checking them at 8-9 minutes, since you don’t want to overbake them; they will become too hard instead of soft and chewy.
Yes. Follow the instructions up to the chill time. Leave it in the fridge until you are ready to use, then continue following the recipe directions. You may need to let the dough sit at room temperature for a few minutes to soften before rolling it out. I recommend making the dough no more than 1-2 days in advance.
High Altitude Adjustments
For altitudes of 5,000 feet or higher, reduce the baking powder to ¾ teaspoon to prevent the cookies from puffing and sinking in the center. If the cookies spread thin on your baking sheet, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of all purpose flour to the dough. Begin checking for doneness at the 8-minute mark.
More Cookie Recipes to Try
If you love these Red Hot Cookies, plenty of other homemade cookie recipes are worth adding to your baking list!
Sprinkle Sugar Cookies: These colorful cookies are soft, buttery, and filled with cheerful sprinkles. They are perfect for birthday parties, holiday celebrations, or whenever you want a fun treat that everyone will enjoy.
Sugar Cookie Bars: Get all the delicious flavor of classic sugar cookies without rolling or cutting out dough. These thick, soft cookie bars are topped with creamy frosting and colorful sprinkles, making them the easy dessert for parties and family gatherings.
Chocolate Chunk Cookies: Loaded with generous pieces of chocolate, these cookies have chewy centers and lightly crisp edges. They are a wonderful choice for chocolate lovers and taste especially good with a cold glass of milk.
Save These Red Hot Cookies for Later!
These Red Hot Cookies are a fun way to turn a nostalgic cinnamon candy into a homemade dessert. The soft cookie dough, sweet powdered sugar coating, and cinnamon candy pieces make each bite different from an ordinary sugar cookie.
If you make these cookies, I would love to hear what you think! Leave a comment and recipe rating below, and save the recipe to Pinterest for your next holiday baking day.
Red Hot Cookies
Equipment
- Measuring cups & spoons
- mixing bowls
- Electric mixer
- whisk
- Rubber spatula
- Zip-top bag
- Rolling Pin
- Small cookie scoop
- baking sheet
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon cream cheese, softened
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup Red Hots cinnamon candies, divided
- ½ cup powdered sugar, for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place ¼ cup of the Red Hots in a zip-top bag, seal, and crush gently with a rolling pin into coarse bits, leaving the remaining ¼ cup whole for topping.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and cream cheese until the mixture is light, smooth, and fluffy.
- Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract until fully incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and beat on low speed just until combined into a soft dough.
- Gently fold the ¼ cup of crushed Red Hots into the dough using a rubber spatula. Cover and chill the dough in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to make it easier to handle.
- Place the powdered sugar into a small shallow bowl. Using a small cookie scoop or spoon, portion the chilled dough and roll into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in the powdered sugar until completely coated.
- Arrange the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, spaced about 2 inches apart. Lightly flatten each ball with your fingers or the bottom of a glass, then press 2 to 3 whole Red Hots firmly into the center of each dough ball.
- Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until the edges are set. Do not overbake. The centers should still look soft and pale.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Storing: Once the cookies have cooled completely, place them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Separate layers with parchment paper to prevent sticking. The cinnamon candies may become tacky over time, particularly in a humid kitchen.
- Freezing: Freeze completely cooled cookies in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months for best texture. Place parchment paper between layers to protect the powdered sugar coating and candy decorations.
- Thawing: Let the cookies thaw in their covered container at room temperature. Keeping the container closed during thawing can help reduce condensation on the candies and powdered sugar.
- Making ahead: Prepare the cookie dough up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerate it in a covered container. When ready to bake, portion the dough, roll it in powdered sugar, and add the whole candies. If the chilled dough is too firm to scoop, let it rest at room temperature briefly.
- Freezing Dough: You can freeze undecorated dough balls for up to 2 months. Thaw them in the refrigerator, then roll in powdered sugar and decorate before baking.
