• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Free Email Series!

5 Time and Stress Saving Cooking Secrets

Free email series of my best tips!

Visit my other Site: Pancake Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Free Email Series!

    5 Time and Stress Saving Cooking Secrets

    Free email series of my best tips!

  • Visit my other Site: Pancake Recipes

Rachel Cooks®

Easy Healthy-ish Recipes

  • Recipe Index
  • Popular
    • Instant Pot Pinto Beans
    • Green Beans with Bacon
    • Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
    • Roasted Sugar Snap Peas
    • Beef Stew Seasoning
    • Chili Seasoning Recipe
    • Thousand Island Dressing
    • Poppy Seed Dressing
    • Copycat Panera Squash Soup
    • Chocolate Chip Blondies
    • Instant Pot Pork Loin Roast
    • Frosé
    • Best Chocolate Cake
    • Dill Vegetable Dip
    • Instant Pot Jasmine Rice
    • Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs
  • Learn to Cook
    • All The Basics
    • Crostini
    • Delicata Squash
    • Butternut Squash
    • Kabocha Squash
    • Spaghetti Squash
    • Guacamole
    • Croutons
    • Snap Peas
    • Baked Potatoes
    • Baked Bacon
    • Homemade Spaghetti Sauce Recipe
    • Simple Syrup
    • Pickled Red Onions Recipe
    • Toasted Pine Nuts
    • Roasted bone-in Chicken Breasts
    • Poached Chicken
    • Roasted Whole Chicken
    • Easy Cheese Sauce

Dinner Made Easy:

Slow Cooker

5 Ingredients

Grilling

Make Ahead

Sheet Pan

Tacos

Pizza

Home Recipes by Type Desserts Cookies & Bars
FF Freezer Friendly

Chocolate Peppermint Kiss Cookies

4.30
/5
18 mins
116 Comments
Jump to Recipe
By: Rachel GurkPosted: 12/19/2012Updated: 01/21/2022

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

These peppermint kiss cookies are easy to make and the chocolate and peppermint combination is a holiday classic! 

Five cookies on decorative Christmas plate. Text overlay reads "Chocolate Candy Cane Kiss Cookies."
Table of Contents
open
  • 1 About These Cookies
  • 2 What You’ll Need
  • 3 How To Make This Recipe
  • 4 Make It Your Own
  • 5 Storage Tips
  • 6 Note about these Chocolate Peppermint Kiss Cookies
  • 7 More Yummy Treats
  • 8 Get the Recipe: Chocolate Peppermint Kiss Cookies

Can we just talk about these kisses for a minute? They are Hershey’s Holiday Candy Cane kisses and they are marvelous. I was skeptical at first, thinking they might be overly sweet. They are sweet but I was totally won over by the little crispy bits of peppermint candy in each bite.

Have you ever had those melt away mints that come in pastel colors with the little white “candies” on the bottoms of them? I’m sure they have a name; they are served at parties and weddings frequently. They’re totally addicting and these kisses taste just like them. I’m hooked. Pair them with a rich chocolate cookie and I’m a happy camper.

About These Cookies

I start with the same cookie base as chocolate cherry thumbprints because really, it is just that good, rich and chocolatey. It doesn’t take any fancy ingredients. It’s a pretty simple cookie which uses basic pantry ingredients.

Paired with the creamy deliciousness of the candy kisses–you’ll want to send these cookies away on gift platters to friends and family, just to get them out of the house.

If you’re a chocolate with mint fan, be sure to try these peppermint chocolate sugar cookies, too.

Several Candy Cane Kiss chocolates, both wrapped and unwrapped, on black background. 

I’ll run through the recipe here and give you extra tips to help out. As always, you’ll find the printable recipe card near the bottom of the post with measurements, instructions, and nutrition information.

What You’ll Need

  • All-Purpose Flour: I haven’t tested these with whole wheat flour but I’m pretty sure that would work too. It may be a bit heartier in flavor.
  • Cocoa Powder: Unsweetened cocoa powder is found in the baking aisle of the grocery store. It is high in antioxidants. If it contains hard lumps, press it through a fine strainer before adding it to the flour mixture.
  • Salt: Just a pinch of fine salt keeps the cookies from tasting flat.
  • Unsalted Butter: Make sure the butter is softened, or at room temperature. If all you have is salted butter, omit the salt in the recipe.
  • Sugar: Use regular granulated white sugar that is normally used for baking.
  • Egg: You’ll need one large egg.
  • Pure Vanilla Extract: To add flavor.
  • Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses: Each 10 oz. bag contains 70-75 kisses. Depending on how large you make your cookies, you’ll need 40-45. The remaining kisses are a bonus for you to eat or share!

How To Make This Recipe

Begin by unwrapping the candies. If you have helper elves, this is a good job for little fingers. Expect a few candies to disappear though.

Get the oven preheating and line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper.

Mix together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt in a medium sized bowl. In a larger bowl, combine the butter and 1 cup of the sugar. Save the other half cup to roll the cookie dough balls in.

When the butter and sugar mixture is fluffy and light, add the egg and vanilla extract. Beat until combined, then slowly add the flour mixture. Mix just until blended together.

Form balls of dough, about one inch in diameter, and roll the balls in the remaining sugar. The sugar will give the cookies a happy little sparkle. Bake the cookies until they look set but not moist, about eight minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and immediately press a candy kiss lightly into the center of each cookie. Don’t press too hard! There should be a cookie base under the candy.

Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet before transferring them to an airtight container.

Make It Your Own

Hershey’s Kisses come in lots of different flavors and all of them are great on this chocolate cookie base.

Storage Tips

Cookies will keep at room temperature as long as it is fairly cool for up to one week. They’ll keep in the freezer for at least one month.

Note about these Chocolate Peppermint Kiss Cookies

After some feedback that these did not turn out well, I re-tested the recipe a couple of different ways. They turn out perfectly for me the way they are written. They are not mushy and they don’t spread too much (they barely spread at all until you put the kiss in). They are a soft, brownie-like cookie.

The dough should be thick but easy to handle and not overly sticky. Make sure you note that the sugar is divided. One cup goes into the dough, and the remaining half cup is used for rolling.

I’m happy to answer any questions or troubleshoot if you contact me.

I did make one change in the recipe. In the original recipe, I added the kisses 5 minutes into the baking time and returned to the oven for another 3 minutes. Although this does work, the top of the kiss turns a light brown color. I like the appearance of the cookies better when the kisses are added at the end. 

Make sure that you have the kisses unwrapped and ready to go so you can put them on top of the cookies immediately after they come out of the oven. Once the cookies have cooled and firmed up, it is difficult to add the candy kiss.

Closeup of one cookie, bitten in half, on black background.

More Yummy Treats

Lofthouse Cookies – flavor & frosting options!

Easy Christmas Tree Rice Krispie Treats (with Video!)

Gingersnap Cookies with White Chocolate and Cranberries

Brigadeiros (Brazilian Fudge Balls)

Browse All

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Recipe

Get the Recipe: Chocolate Peppermint Kiss Cookies

4.30 from 199 votes
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 8 mins
Total Time: 18 mins
40 servings
Print Rate Recipe
Prevent your screen from going dark
These peppermint kiss cookies are easy to make and the chocolate and peppermint combination is a holiday classic!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 pkg. (10 oz.) package Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses (with foil wrapping removed)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare baking sheets by lining with parchment paper or silicone sheets.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder and salt.
  • Using an electric mixer and a large bowl (or a stand mixer), beat butter and 1 cup of sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Turn mixer to low and gradually add flour mixture until combined.
  • Put the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar in a small bowl. Form dough into approximately 1-inch balls and then roll in sugar to coat. Place one inch apart on prepared baking sheets.
  • Bake for 8 minutes or until cookies are set but still look moist. Remove from the oven and lightly press in candy cane kisses into the center of each cookie.
  • Cool completely on the cookie sheets on wire racks before removing to an airtight container to store.

Notes

  • Make sure that you have the kisses unwrapped and ready to go so you can put them on top of the cookies immediately after they come out of the oven.
  • Yield depends on size of cookies. 
  • If desired, substitute a different type of Hershey’s Kisses.
  • Each 10 oz. bag of candy kisses contains 70-75 kisses (so you’ll have extra to eat!).

Nutrition Information

Calories: 97kcal, Carbohydrates: 13g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 16mg, Sodium: 17mg, Potassium: 21mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 148IU, Calcium: 4mg, Iron: 1mg

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Author: Rachel Gurk

Shop this post

AirBake Natural Aluminum Insulated Cookie Sheet
Parchment Paper Sheets
KISSES Holiday Candy Cane Mint Candies, 10 Ounces
Did You Make This?Be sure to upload a photo & tag me at @RachelCooksBlog. I love seeing what you made!
Share A Photo! Tag on Insta Rate It
Holiday Quick-Start Guide

Get my Holiday

Quick-Start Guide!

Free email series of my best tips!

FREE BONUS!

You May Also Like...

  • Two frosted cookies, pink and white, pink with a bite taken out.
    Lofthouse Cookies - flavor & frosting options!
  • Star shaped chocolate peppermint sugar cookies on white background.
    Peppermint Chocolate Sugar Cookies (no chill!)
  • White Chocolate Peppermint M&M Cookies
  • Two frosted cookies, pink and white, pink with a bite taken out.
    Lofthouse Cookies - flavor & frosting options!
Stack of funfetti cookies on a red background.
Previous Post
Holiday Funfetti Shortbread Cookies
Close up of a water chestnut that is wrapped in bacon and covered in sauce.
Next Post
Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts

Reader Interactions

Leave a Review Cancel reply

Recipe Rating




The maximum upload file size: 1 MB. You can upload: image. Drop files here

  1. Simone Lindsay says

    December 24, 2022 at 7:45 pm

    1 star
    I am a very good cook and baker. This recipe was so disappointing. I did everything correct. The cookies were very runny/flatened. Too much butter in the recipe. The peppermint kisses were melting too much. Would not recommend it! A

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      January 3, 2023 at 10:50 am

      Thanks for the feedback. These come out perfectly for me every time, along with many other readers.

      Reply
  2. Kristine says

    December 19, 2022 at 1:52 pm

    5 stars
    Excellent recipe! My cookies came out perfect, just as you wrote it. They will go into my Christmas cookie file for years to come. Thank you!

    I’m wondering if all the negative comments come from people that use margarine instead of real butter?

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      December 19, 2022 at 2:11 pm

      I’m so happy you like them! And you could be right about the margarine!

      Reply
  3. Wendy says

    December 13, 2022 at 10:03 am

    Hi Rachel, I was wondering if you think I could add the Andes peppermint chips to the dough I stead of the kiss?

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      December 14, 2022 at 8:33 am

      My concern is that the dough wouldn’t come together well with the addition of peppermint chips to the dough. I haven’t tested it though, so I can’t say for sure. Let me know if you give it a try!

      Reply
  4. Sarah says

    December 11, 2022 at 3:33 pm

    3 stars
    I dislike when recipes use cups instead of grams for baking because there’s no way of knowing if you’re using the same amount of flour as the person who made the recipe. I always use the King Arthur scoop & level method. For me, these cookies just fell apart when I added the kisses. Maybe it was the flour or possibly the silpat baking sheet. We ate the crumbly pieces with a spoon but they didn’t hold up to making it into my cookie gift boxes.

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      December 12, 2022 at 8:00 am

      Thank you for the feedback.

      Reply
  5. Sue Z. says

    December 28, 2021 at 4:24 pm

    5 stars
    This has become my go-to favorite Christmas cookie recipe. Thanks, Rachel, they come out perfect every time!

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      January 3, 2022 at 10:28 am

      So glad to hear it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!

      Reply
  6. Lesley says

    December 19, 2021 at 5:37 pm

    4 stars
    I found these Peppermint Kisses melt a WHOLE lot faster than normal Chocolate Kisses. I also found the back time to be 10 minutes before these were really set. I made the error of putting them right on a cooling rack and lost one with each batch so cooled last batch on cookie sheet but the kisses take a while to cool so like putting them in the frig after a bit. Otherwise the time involved is way more than I want to spend. Good cookie though, much better chocolate cookie than the last recipe I tried.

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      December 21, 2021 at 3:23 pm

      So glad you liked them!

      Reply
  7. Christy says

    December 19, 2021 at 4:25 pm

    5 stars
    Made these according to directions and they were wonderful! Fabulous taste and texture. They were a hit!! Thank you, Rachel!

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      December 21, 2021 at 3:22 pm

      So glad to hear it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!

      Reply
Older Comments

Primary Sidebar

Welcome!

Hi, I'm Rachel! Life can be complicated, cooking shouldn't be! I believe that you can put a delicious meal on the table without stressing. It's possible, and I'm here to help. Have a seat at my table...let's chat, eat, and have fun! Read more...

Air Fryer Instant Pot 30 Minutes One Pan Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Slow Cooker Vegetarian 5 Ingredients

Trending

Cooked salmon fillet on a grey-toned plate with cooked asparagus spears. The salmon is being flaked with a fork.

Air Fryer Salmon – easy and delicious!

Pizza pasta being scooped from a pan with a wooden spoon.

Pizza Pasta – 1 pan, 20 minutes

Image of a giant bowl of spaghetti with turkey meatballs.

Baked Turkey Meatballs

Asparagus Panzanella Salad

Seasonal

Beef and vegetable stir fry in a black wok.

Beef Stir Fry With Vegetables

Hot honey chicken sheet pan dinner with honey being drizzled on.

Hot Honey Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner

Sweet and sour shrimp lettuce wrap garnished with green onion.

Sweet and Sour Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

BBQ Chicken burrito bowl with avocado and sour cream.

BBQ Chicken Bowl

Opens in a new window Opens an external site Opens an external site in a new window
Free Bonus!

5 Cooking Secrets to Save Time & Stress

Free email series of my best tips and recipes!

Featured On:

Back to Top
  • About
  • Contact
  • Press
  • Work with Me
  • Privacy
  • Accessibility
© 2023 Rachel Cooks®
Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled