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These peppermint kiss cookies are what you bake when you want an easy Christmas cookie that still looks cute on a tray. You mix a simple chocolate dough, roll it into balls and bake until the edges are set. As soon as the pan comes out of the oven, press a peppermint Hershey kiss into each cookie and let everything cool until the candy firms up again. It’s a relaxed recipe perfect to make if you’re in a festive mood that you can throw together on a weeknight, and the two dozen cookies you get are just right for sharing at work, school or a small get together.
These peppermint kiss cookies are sweet, soft chocolate cookies topped with a peppermint Hershey kiss in the center for an easy chocolate mint Christmas treat.
You might also like strawberry kiss cookies, chocolate cherry blossom cookies, spring pretzel bites, and candy cane hot chocolate.
Why You’ll Love It
Chocolate mint combo: You get a soft cocoa cookie base with a creamy peppermint center in every bite.
Fun to finish: Pressing the kisses into warm cookies feels a bit like decorating but it’s fast and simple.
Good sharing batch: The yield is about two dozen cookies so you have enough to pass around without drowning in leftovers.
Chocolate Peppermint Kiss Cookies Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Salted butter: Soft butter gives you a smooth dough and a tender crumb. If you only have unsalted butter, add a small pinch of salt so the chocolate flavor doesn’t taste flat.
White granulated sugar: Sweetens the dough and helps the cookies set around the edges.
Light brown sugar: Adds a light caramel note and keeps the centers moist so they don’t dry out.
Egg: Binds the dough so it holds together and bakes in tidy rounds.
All-purpose flour: Provides structure so the cookies keep their shape and hold the candy on top.
Cocoa powder: Brings the chocolate flavor. Use a cocoa you already like, as it carries most of the base taste.
Baking powder: Gives a little lift so the cookies bake up soft instead of dense.
Baking soda: Works with the rest of the ingredients to keep the texture light.
Peppermint Hershey kisses: Pressed into the hot cookies so they soften, grab onto the top and cool into a creamy mint center.
How to Make Peppermint Blossom Cookies
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Cream the butter and sugars: Beat softened butter with the white and brown sugar until the mixture looks smooth and slightly fluffy.
Add the egg: Mix in the egg until the color lightens and everything looks even.
Add dry ingredients: Stir in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cocoa on low speed until the dough comes together with no dry pockets.
Shape the cookies: Roll the dough into small balls with your hands and arrange them on a baking sheet with a little space between each one.
Bake the tray: Bake cookies until they’re set around the edges and the tops look dry rather than glossy.
Add the kisses: Press a peppermint kiss into the center of each hot cookie, then leave the tray alone until the candy firms back up and the cookies cool completely.
Substitutions and Variations
Cocoa choices: You can use natural unsweetened cocoa powder, Dutch process cocoa or a mix. Dutch process gives a deeper, smoother chocolate taste while regular cocoa keeps things a bit sharper.
Different kiss options: If you can’t find peppermint Hershey kisses, use regular chocolate kisses or another seasonal flavor that holds its shape. Hershey’s candy cane kisses are fun and festive. The look changes but the basic cookie still works.
Boosting the mint: If you want stronger peppermint, add a very small splash of peppermint extract to the dough. Go easy because mint can turn harsh if you’re heavy handed!
Gluten-free option: Swap the all-purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend that’s designed for cookies. Mix the dough just until it comes together so the cookies stay soft instead of crumbly.
Another flavor: A few drops of vanilla extract or almond extract would add another dimension to the taste.
Dairy-free option: Try a plant-based baking stick in place of butter and top the cookies with a dairy-free chocolate button or square instead of a kiss. You’ll still get a soft chocolate cookie with a melty center!
Extra crunch or sparkle: Before baking, you can roll the dough balls in granulated sugar or crushed candy canes if you want a little crunch and shine on the outside, or drizzle with melted semi sweet chocolate chips or other melted chocolate chips. White chocolate chips would be good too.
Serving Suggestions
With a hot drink: Enjoy a slow cooker pumpkin spice latte or Christmas coffee with your cookies.
With a Christmas cocktail: Serve a Santa’s hat cocktail or chocolate cake martini with them.
With other festive bites: Christmas cakesicles, festive marshmallow pops or, if you want a savory option, pesto puff pastry Christmas trees would pair nicely.
How to Store Peppermint Kiss Chocolate Cookies
Store: Keep peppermint kiss cookies in an airtight container at room temperature once the kisses have set again. They’ll keep for up to a week. If they start to dry out, you can tuck a small piece of bread into the container, as that tiny bit of moisture will help keep the cookies soft for longer.
Freeze: First freeze cooled cookies in a single layer, then move them to a container or bag once they’re firm so they don’t stick together.
Thaw: Let frozen cookies thaw inside the container at room temperature so any moisture stays on the outside.
Reheat: Warm a couple of cookies briefly in the microwave or a low oven if you want a softer texture, watching so the candy doesn’t collapse. About 10 seconds in the microwave should do it.
Top Tips
Start with properly softened butter: You want butter that yields when you press it but isn’t greasy or half melted so it creams cleanly with the sugar and gives a good texture.
Best baking sheet: These cookies aren’t going to spread too much, so you can line them pretty close together. I fit 15 on my 9 x 13-inch baking sheet.
Keep the dough just mixed: Stop stirring as soon as the flour and cocoa disappear so you don’t beat the dough into something tough.
Unwrap kisses before baking: Have the kisses ready to go so you can press them in as soon as the cookies come out of the oven while the tops are still hot. The kisses stick best when applied before the cookies have a chance to cool very much.
Let the tray sit: Leave the cookies on the pan until the kisses look set again so the candy holds its shape when you move or stack them. Wait until your kisses have set again to store your cookies.
Peppermint Kiss Cookies FAQs
The cookies were probably very hot or the room was warm, so the candy softened more than you expected. Next time you can let the tray sit for a short moment before adding the kisses and cool the cookies in a cooler spot.
Yes, you can prepare it earlier and chill it, then let the duogh sit out until it’s soft enough to roll. Shape the balls just before baking and press in the kisses as soon as the cookies come out of the oven.
Chocolate Peppermint Kiss Cookies Recipe
Peppermint Kiss Cookies
Equipment
- Cookie Scoop or Small Spoon
- Baking Sheet 9 x 13-Inch
Ingredients
- ½ Cup salted butter, softened
- ½ Cup white granulated sugar
- ½ Cup light brown sugar
- 1 egg, large
- 1 ½ Cup all-purpose flour
- ½ Cup cocoa powder
- 1 Teaspoon baking powder
- ½ Teaspoon baking soda
- 12 pepperming Hershey kisses
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Add the butter and sugars to a large mixing bowl.
- Use an electric hand mixer to cream the ingredients together for about 2 minutes, or until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Whisk in the egg for about a minute, or until it is fully incorporated with the creamed sugar.
- Gently whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cocoa powder, making sure there are no clumps of dry flour in your cookie dough.
- Use a small spoon to divide your cookie dough into 24 balls. Roll each ball in your hands until smooth and then place them on a large baking sheet.
- Bake for 11 minutes.
- As soon as your cookies come out of the oven, top each one with a Hershey kiss.
- Let the cookies cool for about 10 minutes and then move them to a wire cooling rack. Your Hershey kisses will melt down as the cookies cool but will set back up after about 30 minutes to an hour on the counter.
Notes
Best baking sheet: These cookies aren’t going to spread too much, so you can line them pretty close together. I fit 15 on my 9 x 13-inch baking sheet.
Keep the dough just mixed: Stop stirring as soon as the flour and cocoa disappear so you don’t beat the dough into something tough.
Unwrap kisses before baking: Have the kisses ready to go so you can press them in as soon as the cookies come out of the oven while the tops are still hot. The kisses stick best when applied before the cookies have a chance to cool very much.
Let the tray sit: Leave the cookies on the pan until the kisses look set again so the candy holds its shape when you move or stack them. Wait until your kisses have set again to store your cookies.
Nutrition
Peppermint kiss cookies are the sort of recipe you’ll reach for when you need something seasonal that doesn’t ask for much brain power. The base is just a straightforward chocolate cookie dough, and the kisses do most of the work on the mint and the look. You can play around with cocoa types, switch up the candy on top or lean into gluten-free and dairy-free tweaks, and the method still stays easy. Bake a batch of candy cane kisses cookies when you’re filling tins or planning a cookie swap, and you’ll end up with a plate of chocolate mint cookies that people recognize, grab and love.
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Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
