Christmas canes are one of the most popular Christmas candies. They can be used to decorate Christmas trees, adorn gift packages or just as a yummy treat. Regardless of why you acquire candy canes over Christmas, after Christmas many of us find that we have quite a few leftover candy canes at our disposal. Fortunately, there are a large variety of things that you can do to use up those leftover candy canes.

Leftover candy canes can be used whole or crushed. While many of the suggestions on this page work best with the traditional peppermint or cinnamon flavored candy canes, they can often still work if you have a large number of non-traditional candy canes laying about the house. So if you find yourself awash in candy canes post-holiday season, read on to find out how to use leftover candy canes.

If you bought a large number of candy canes to decorate your tree, you probably have a lot of whole candy canes to use up. Here are some suggestions:

1. Use a candy cane to stir your hot chocolate, tea, coffee, milkshake or cocktail. The stick will melt a bit and give the beverage a yummy flavor.
2. Dip the straight end of the candy into melted chocolate and then allow to cool. You will end up with homemade reception sticks.
3. Slide large marshmallows over the stick to create kabobs of pure sugar.
4. Create a candy heart for Valentine's Day.
   1. Spray a cookie sheet with vegetable oil and then place 2 whole candy canes on it, arranging them so that they form a heart shape. Bake the candy canes at 250 degrees until they have just started to melt and meld together. Allow to cool and you have a candy heart!
5. Keep whole candy canes around to suck on when you get hungry - peppermint has been known to be an appetite suppressant.
6. Donate them to children's homes, nursing homes or homeless shelters.

Crushed candy canes can be used in countless ways. Recipes can often be spiced up with pieces of the candy and it can be used in other ways as well:

1. Sprinkle pieces of crushed candy cane on top of cookies, brownies, ice cream sundaes or on top of a hot beverage.
2. Bake them into a variety of cookies or other baked items. For example, you can add candy cane pieces to chocolate chip cookies to give them a fun new flavor.
3. Create peppermint smores by rolling the marshmallow in the crushed peppermint and then microwaving before smushing in between two graham crackers and a piece of chocolate.
4. Use them as sprinkles on top of cakes or cupcakes frosting.
5. Bake them into rice crispy treats.

One of the most popular dishes to make with leftover candy canes is candy cane cheesecake. The recipe is simple and the cheesecake making process simple.

Ingredients

1. 1 cup crushed candy canes
2. 1/4 cup sugar
3. Approximately 24 (or 1 1/4 cup) chocolate wafer cookies, crushed
4. 1/4 cup butter
5. 8 ounces of cream cheese, softened
6. 14 ounces sweetened condensed or evaporated milk
7. 2 cups whipping cream
8. Red food coloring (optional)

Baking Instructions

1. In a mixing bowl, combine wafers, sugar and butter.
2. Press the mixture into the bottom and sides of 2 9 inch pie pans.
3. In another large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until it is fluffy, then gradually stir in condensed or sweetened milk.
4. Stir in the pieces of crushed candy cane.
5. Add a couple drops of red food coloring. (Optional)
6. Fold the whipped cream into the candy mixture.
7. Pour the mixture into the pie pans.
8. Cover and freeze for at least 6 hours.
9. Serve!