3 Hacks for Unwanted Candy Canes

How to Make Candy Cane Dust

Ready to get minted? To make this versatile holiday “dust,” grab all the candy canes you have on hand and pull out your food processor. Pulse the candy canes in the food processor until they turn into a fine dust. Store the “dust” in an air-tight container until you’re ready to use it.

Hack #1: Candy Cane-Trimmed Hot Cocoa

Give your hot cocoa fun, festive flair by lining the edges of your mug in crushed candy canes. All you need is some fresh candy cane dust and white chocolate chips.

Place the white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat in 10-second intervals, stirring in between, until the chocolate has melted. Dip the rim of your mug into the white chocolate, then into the candy cane dust. Fill your mug with hot cocoa and sip away. A splash of peppermint schnapps wouldn’t hurt either. But that’s just our opinion.

Hack #2: Peppermint Cookies

Candy cane dust can replace sprinkles in almost any given scenario, but most importantly at this time of year, on cookies. Give chocolate or sugar cookies a red-and-white dusting by dipping freshly frosted cookies in the crushed candy canes.

Hack #3: Minty Marshmallow Sticks

You can’t have cocoa without marshmallows. That just wouldn’t be right. But you don’t have to settle for boring old white marshmallows this Christmas.

Grab some jumbo marshmallows and insert a wooden skewer into each one. Using melted white chocolate (hey! We melted some of that for the peppermint-rimmed cocoa mugs!), dip the marshmallows into the chocolate, then into the candy cane dust. Let the white chocolate on the marshmallows harden, then store them in an airtight container until you’re ready to use them. Next time you pour a mug of cocoa, toss a minty mallow in there too. Pro tip: a bouquet of these also makes a cute gift when paired with cocoa mix.

These are just a few ways to use candy cane dust, but we know you’ve got ideas of your own. Be sure to tag us in any of your candy cane dust adventures!