These Chocolate Peppermint Kiss Cookies are a delightful holiday treat featuring a rich chocolate base with a hint of peppermint flavor, topped with a festive Hershey's Kiss candy. These cookies are a perfect blend of indulgent chocolate and refreshing mint, making them a perfect choice for holiday gatherings or your cookie exchange.
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Easy Peppermint Kiss Cookies
Think fudgy brownie meets holiday cookie with a peppermint twist. And that’s a thought I want to hold on to. These Peppermint Kiss Chocolate Cookies are so tasty and easy to make.
The base is decadent chocolate dough with subtle peppermint flavors. Out of the oven a bright, striped peppermint kiss is imprinted on the top of each cookie. They are truly irresistible!
If you’re not the most skilled baker, these cookies are definitely a good option for you. They require no special prepping methods and you don’t even need to chill the dough!
If you love chocolate & peppermint combo, make these White Chocolate Dipped Peppermint Cookies. Or try the classic peanut butter blossom (sans Hershey Kiss) instead! These Ricotta Chocolate Chip Cookies are a unique holiday cookie you might like, too!
Recipe Ingredients
- Nut Butter - Cashew or almond butter. You want the no stir kind, it needs to be super creamy. This recipe was tested 3 times – to achieve the best texture, cashew butter/almond butter is the best as it creates the fluffy, crinkle texture. Do not use peanut butter, because the flavor comes through too strongly and does not go well with the peppermint.
- Peppermint Extract - It's a pretty mild minty flavor, but just enough to be recognized. Make sure to use peppermint extract; do not use mint extract.
- Cocoa Powder - Depending how rich of a chocolate flavor you want, you could instead use cacao or alternatively, jet black cocoa.
- Flour - I used all purpose and have not tried any alternatives.
- Peppermint Hershey Kisses - You can usually find Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses during the holiday season at your local grocery store. Most stores have a holiday baking section, which is where I always find them.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
- Try adding a teaspoon of espresso powder to the base. It enhances the chocolate flavor of the cookie.
- Add texture to the cookie base with chopped walnuts or pecans.
- Make them more festive by rolling in holiday sprinkles or crushed candy canes instead of sugar.
- Reach for any Hershey kiss flavor. Sugar Cookie, Hot Cocoa, or Hershey’s Hugs (the ones with white creme inside).
How to Make Hershey Kiss Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to cream butter (room temperature) and cashew butter together.
2. Mix until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the brown sugar, sugar, peppermint extract and vanilla. Beat again until fluffy. Add in the egg and milk. Beat again.
3. Pour all of the dry ingredients in with the wet ingredients: baking soda, salt, cocoa powder, and flour. Use the hand mixer to beat everything together. It will be thick but soften up as everything becomes mixed. Once the dry ingredients are combined, switch from the hand mixer to a rubber spatula. Continue to fold the batter until it’s a shiny, chocolatey color.
4. Use a cookie scoop to scoop cookies. Shape into a ball with your hands and dip each of the cookie dough balls into a bowl of sugar.
5. Place each chocolate peppermint cookie on the baking sheet, lined with parchment paper. Bake for 9-12 minutes or until the centers are set. DO NOT OVERBAKE. While cookies are baking, unwrap the peppermint kisses.
6. Immediately after removing the cookies from the oven, press a candy kiss in the center of each cookie. Remove from the baking sheet after 2-3 minutes and onto a wire cooling rack. Enjoy!
Pro Tip
- You MUST press the Hershey kiss into the cookie immediately after removing it from the oven. This allows the kiss to melt into the cookie and ensure it stays together!
- For best results, use a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop. This guarantees a consistent, perfect cookie size every time (and anything larger will result in it too big of a cookie in proportion to the Hershey Kiss). If you prefer smaller cookies, use a ½ tbsp cookie scoop.
- Before starting, unwarp the hershey’s kisses from the wrapper and put them in a bowl. Place in the freezer until ready to use. This helps the kisses keep their shape when you press them into the warm cookie!
- DO NOT OVERBAKE. These will lose moisture as they continue baking. Oven times will vary based on altitude, but err on the side of underbaking so they become chewy instead of dry cookies!
Storage and Freezing
These can be stored in an airtight container either on the counter or the refrigerator if you like a chewy, chilled cookie. In your storage container, add a piece of bread (I like to use the end piece of a loaf). The cookies will draw out the moisture from the bread and keep your cookies soft.
You can also freeze these cookies baked or unbaked.
- To freeze unbaked dough, scoop, roll in the sugar and place on a cookie sheet as if you’re going to bake them. Place the entire cookie sheet in the freezer for 3-4 hours until each dough ball is frozen (this’ll prevent them from sticking together). Then, place in a Ziplock or airtight container until ready to bake. You can bake the dough balls from frozen for 2-3 extra minutes.
- To freeze baked cookies, allow them to cool completely before adding to a freezer bag or airtight container. I recommend layering parchment paper between each cookie stack. This will prevent the cookies from freezing altogether.
Recipe FAQs
No! This recipe can be made in under 20 minutes! Love it.
Your butter needs to be softened for at least 24 hours. Because a lot of cookies use softened butter, just keep a few sticks on the counter during the holiday season so it’s ready to use when needed.
Make these Pretzel Hershey M&M Bites! LINK Or I also love to fill a mason jar with the remaining bags of candy to have little treats around the house to cure my sweet tooth during the holiday season.
More Recipes You'll Love
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Recipe
Chocolate Peppermint Kiss Cookies
Equipment
- Hand Mixer
- Rubber Spatula
- Large mixing bowl
- Measuring cups and spoons
- 1 tbsp cookie scoop
- large baking sheet
- parchment paper
- Wire rack
Ingredients
- ½ cup softened butter, 1 stick
- ¾ cup creamy cashew or almond butter
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup white sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- ½ tbsp milk
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 pinch salt
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 1 ⅓ cup all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup white sugar, for rolling
- 18 Peppermint Hershey Kisses
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to cream butter (room temperature) and cashew butter together.
- Mix until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the brown sugar, sugar, peppermint extract and vanilla. Beat again until fluffy.
- Add in the egg and milk. Beat again.
- Pour all of the dry ingredients in with the wet ingredients: baking soda, salt, cocoa powder, and flour. Use the hand mixer to beat everything together. It will be thick but soften up as everything becomes mixed.
- Once the dry ingredients are combined, switch from the hand mixer to a rubber spatula. Continue to fold the batter until it’s a shiny, chocolatey color.
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop cookies. Shape into a ball with your hands and dip each of the cookie dough balls into a bowl of sugar.
- Place each chocolate peppermint cookie on the baking sheet, lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 9-12 minutes or until the centers are set. DO NOT OVERBAKE.
- While cookies are baking, unwrap the peppermint kisses.
- Immediately after removing the cookies from the oven, press a candy kiss in the center of each cookie. Remove from the baking sheet after 2-3 minutes and onto a wire cooling rack.
- Let come to room temperature and enjoy!
Nutrition
Video
Notes
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I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. It’s my passion to create dishes that can be shared with others. Tell me something you loved or just say hi!
Courtney Paige says
I love these cookies! So tasty and easy to make.
Katrina McLean says
We had these at a Christmas party and my husband loved them so much he took all the leftovers 😋♥️ these were a crowd favorite
Sydney Van Acker says
omg my favorite new version of the blossom cookies. LOVE THESE