These sweet and crunchy Peppermint Kiss Cookies taste like the holidays in one bite! They're the perfect Christmas cookies, made with real candy canes crushed and folded into the sugar cookie dough. Make a double batch to share at your holiday cookie exchanges or to add to your Christmas cookie tray. They're always a hit!
This is the best Christmas cookie recipe! They have all the fun of our favorite peanut butter blossoms, except there's no peanut butter flavor. Instead, they have a candy cane cookie dough base with real peppermint extract and candy cane pieces. They're topped off with peppermint kisses on top of the cookies! Save a few for yourself to enjoy with a big mug of our Peppermint Hot Chocolate. So good!
Why You'll Love These Peppermint Kiss Cookies
- Perfect for the holidays. The combination of peppermint and chocolate makes this the perfect Christmas cookie. The real candy cane pieces take the cookie dough to the next level! They're always a hit at cookie exchanges, yet are easy enough to make with the kids for your own holiday cookie tray.
- Customizable. Technically, these peppermint sugar cookies can be made with any type of Hershey's kisses! I love them with the Hershey's peppermint kiss, but they'd also be wonderful with dark chocolate kisses or the mint truffles. Just be sure to choose kisses that work well with a peppermint flavor!
- Crowd-pleasing. The candy cane stripes will immediately catch your guests' attention this holiday season. These candy cane kiss cookies really are the star of any holiday cookie platter! They're the perfect festive treat.
Ingredient Notes
To make these delicious Peppermint Kiss Cookies, you will need the following ingredients (full measurements in recipe card below):
- all-purpose flour - spoon the flour into your measuring cups and level it to get the right amount of flour every time.
- salt - salt will highlight all the delicious flavors in these cookies, making them even more tempting.
- baking powder - this will give the cookie dough a little lift and a puffy texture.
- butter - always use softened unsalted butter at room temperature.
- white sugar - white sugar adds sweetness without hiding the candy cane flavor.
- egg - use room temperature egg for best results.
- extracts - use a combination of vanilla extract and peppermint extract for a fragrant, minty aroma that smells amazing!
- crushed candy canes - the little broken pieces of candy cane add that iconic red and white color, a minty flavor, and a little crunch to the cookie dough. Feel free to use peppermint candies instead.
- hershey's peppermint kisses - unwrap each Hershey's kiss before placing them in the center of the just-baked cookie dough balls.
You will also need multiple large baking sheets, parchment paper, two large mixing bowls, and a hand mixer.
How to Make the Best Peppermint Kiss Cookies
- Prep. Prepare a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
- Combine wet ingredients. In a separate large mixing bowl, add the butter and sugar, then beat with an electric hand mixer until fluffy and pale looking, about 3 minutes. Add in the egg, vanilla, and peppermint, then beat again until combined and fluffy.
- Add dry to wet. Add the dry ingredients into the wet, then beat again with the hand mixer until well-combined. Add in the crushed candy canes, then quickly beat again until distributed.
- Roll cookie balls and chill. Spoon out small balls of cookie dough, just less than 1 tablespoon each, and roll between your hands to make a perfect ball. Add to the prepared baking sheet, then place into the fridge for an hour to rest.
- Bake. Preheat the oven to 375F. Prepare 1-3 more baking sheets with parchment paper. After an hour, divide the dough balls onto the separate parchment-lined baking sheets, about 12 dough balls per baking sheet. Place into the oven to bake for 11 minutes (it is best to bake in batches for even cooking).
- Add peppermint kiss. Remove the cookies from the oven, allow to cool for 5 minutes, then press an unwrapped Peppermint Kiss into the center of each cookie. Allow to cool completely before enjoying.
Recipe Variations
- Use different kisses. Although this recipe uses Hershey's candy cane kisses, you can easily use the mint truffle, dark chocolate, or any other Hershey kisses that pair well with mint!
- Roll in sprinkles. After rolling the cookie dough balls, you can roll them in red, white, and green sprinkles or just some regular sugar. They'll have a little extra texture and a beautiful color that pops on any Christmas cookie tray.
- Add more chocolate. We love the minty flavor of these sugar cookie blossoms, but you could easily add more chocolate! Add mini chocolate chips to the cookie dough, or choose a chocolate Hershey's kiss instead of candy cane kisses. You can also add cocoa powder to the cookie dough for chocolate peppermint blossom cookies!
- Drizzle melted chocolate. After baking, let cookies cool completely, then drizzle them with melted chocolate. Sprinkle even more crushed candy canes or holiday sprinkles on top for a festive look!
How to Serve
These Peppermint Kiss Cookies are delicious served on their own, or paired with some of my favorite Christmas cookie recipes including:
- M&M Christmas Cookies
- Spritz Cookies
- Eggnog Cookies
- Hot Chocolate Cookies
- Christmas Shortbread Cookie Bites
- Gingerbread Cookies
These cookies would be a perfect addition to the best holiday cookie box! They're the perfect festive cookies for gifting all winter long.
For more cookie recipes, see our 30+ Christmas Cookies.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Press the kisses after baking. It's so tempting to add the kisses before baking, but don't! The Hershey's candy cane kisses melt very quickly and will become a puddle in the oven. Press them into the freshly baked cookies, and they'll meld together just right.
- Chill the dough. Chilling your cookie dough is crucial to get the perfect cookie texture! It will also allow the dough to relax and stay very tender.
- Cool before storing. Let these Hershey's kiss cookies cool on a wire rack at room temperature until completely cooled before you transfer them to a storage container. Otherwise, the warm cookies will produce steam, which will make the cookies become stale quickly.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
How to Store
Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for approximately 1 week. If you are stacking them in a cookie tin or other container, separate each layer with a piece of wax paper.
How to Freeze
Allow the candy cane kiss cookies to cool completely at room temperature, then store the extras in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Let them thaw before eating. You can also freeze the cookie dough in a freezer-safe container. Let the dough thaw in the fridge before baking like normal, and store the kisses separately.
FAQ
Although it can help to use a stand mixer, a hand mixer will work just fine for these simple cookies! Just make sure to use fully softened butter and cream it very well with the sugar. If you do use a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment, not the whisk.
Baked cookies can typically be frozen for approximately three months. Be sure to let them cool completely, then store them in a freezer bag or container. You can also freeze the unbaked cookie dough (even the rolled dough balls) following the same tips. Be sure to thaw the dough in the fridge before baking.
Although we normally add brown sugar to cookies for its wonderfully rich flavor and chewy texture, it can detract from the mint flavor in cookie recipes. Instead, we recommend using regular white sugar for any type of mint cookies, including Peppermint Snowball Cookies or Candy Cane Cookies, unless the cookies also contain molasses or chocolate.
More Cookie Recipes
- 50 Best Cookie Recipes
- Lofthouse Cookies (Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies)
- Lemon Drop Cookies (Anginetti)
- Chai Cookies
- Lemon Curd Cookies
- Monster Cookies
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Recipe
Peppermint Kiss Cookies
- Total Time: 1 hour 26 minutes
- Yield: 32 cookies
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These sweet and crunchy Peppermint Kiss Cookies taste like the holidays in one bite! They're the perfect Christmas cookies, made with real candy canes crushed and folded into the sugar cookie dough. Make a double batch to share at your holiday cookie exchanges or to add to your Christmas cookie tray. They're always a hit!
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups (270 grams) all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅔ cup (150 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup (150 grams) white sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
- ¼ cup candy canes, crushed (about 3 candy canes)
- 32 Hershey’s Peppermint Kisses, unwrapped
Instructions
- Prepare a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, add the butter and sugar, then beat with an electric hand mixer until fluffy and pale looking, about 3 minutes. Add in the egg, vanilla, and peppermint, then beat again until combined and fluffy.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet, then beat again with the hand mixer until well-combined. Add in the crushed candy canes, then quickly beat again until distributed.
- Spoon out small balls of cookie dough, just less than 1 tablespoon each, and roll between your hands to make a perfect balls. Add to the prepared baking sheet, then place into the fridge for an hour to rest.
- Preheat the oven to 375F. Prepare 1-3 more baking sheets with parchment paper. After an hour, divide the dough balls onto the separate parchment-lined baking sheets, about 12 dough balls per baking sheet. Place into the oven to bake for 11 minutes (it is best to bake in batches for even cooking).
- Remove the cookies from the oven, allow to cool for 5 minutes, then press an unwrapped Peppermint Kiss into the center of each cookie. Allow to cool completely before enjoying. Tip: If you want the Kiss to retain a ‘perfect’ shape, place the cookies into the freezer right after pressing the Kisses into them. Allow to sit in the freezer for 10 minutes.
Notes
How to store: Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for approximately 1 week. If you are stacking them in a cookie tin or other container, separate each layer with a piece of wax paper.
How to freeze: Allow the candy cane kiss cookies to cool completely at room temperature, then store the extras in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Let them thaw before eating. You can also freeze the cookie dough in a freezer-safe container. Let the dough thaw in the fridge before baking like normal, and store the kisses separately.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Chill Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 11 minutes
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
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