Chocolate Peppermint Kiss Cookies

These chocolate peppermint kiss cookies are sure to be a new holiday favorite! With a fudgy chocolate cookie base and adorable striped peppermint kiss candies, these are a MUST this holiday season.

These Candy Cane Kisses Cookies are Holiday Perfection

These chewy chocolate peppermint cookies are a fun holiday treat that you need to make as soon as possible. These peppermint chocolate blossom cookies place candy cane kisses on top of a fudgy chocolate brownie cookie base…pure bliss.

Make this Christmas cookie recipe to bring to your next holiday gathering, to share at a cookie exchange, or to enjoy with a glass of milk with your family for a Christmas movie marathon!

Create the ultimate holiday chocolate lovers cookie tray by pairing these chocolate cookies with candy cane kisses on a cookie plate with Chocolate Cherry Crinkle Cookies, Chocolate Mint Squares, and Death by Chocolate Cookies!

Ingredients for Chocolate Peppermint Kiss Cookies

• Candy cane kisses. This is what brings the peppermint flavor to your cookies. And makes these cookies cute and festive. Make sure to buy them early in the season, they often sell out (at least in my area).
• Red and white sugar for rolling. Using both sugars really amps up the cuteness level on these cookies! I highly recommend adding in the red decorating sugar in addition to your granulated sugar in this recipe.

A full list of ingredients and their measurements are included in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

How to Make Peppermint Kiss Chocolate Cookies

In a large bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer), beat together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until creamed (a uniform, light, and fluffy mixture). Add in the eggs and vanilla and stir until incorporated.

Slowly add in dry ingredients (baking soda, cocoa powder, and flour) and stir until a uniform dough has been created.

Scape down the sides of your bowl with a rubber scrapper as needed during mixing.

When your dough is ready, cover the bowl with plastic-wrap and chill the cookie dough for at least 30 minutes (up to overnight).

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Scoop 1 tablespoon-sized portions of chilled dough, roll into balls, and roll each ball in a blend of red decorating sugar and granulated sugar until fully coated.

Place 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Immediately after removing from the oven, gently push a candy cane kiss into the center of each cookie. Allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Tips For Making Peppermint Kisses Cookies

• Do not over bake your cookies. It’s easy to overbake chocolate cookies because you can’t tell when the edges are browning as easily. These cookies are at their best when they are JUST baked and chewy. If the edges are set and the tops are beginning to look dry (not super shiny), give them a little poke. If the cookies don’t sink in a lot, they are ready to come out.
• Have your peppermint kisses unwrapped and ready to go. You want to have your kiss candies unwrapped and ready to place on top of your 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.
• Midwest chilling tip: embrace and use the cold winter weather! If you live in a place that is cold when you make these chewy chocolate cookies with candy cane kisses, you can chill your dough outside! Find a flat surface, ensure your dough is covered well, and let mother nature chill your dough for you.
• Use a cookie scoop to get all of your cookies to be the same size. While not a necessity, a cookie scoop is a super helpful tool that I use a lot in my kitchen. A small cookie scoop is the perfect size for this chocolate peppermint kiss cookies recipe.

Variations of Peppermint Kiss Cookies

• Use a different sugar (or sugar mixture) for rolling. You have several options for sugars to roll your cookie dough balls in:
  • In lieu of a red decorating sugar and granulated sugar mixture as noted in the recipe card, you could also use red and white sanding sugar.
  • If you do not have a red decorative sugar, just using granulated sugar will work too.
  • Make it into a more classic crinkle cookie base and roll your dough balls first in granulated sugar and then in powdered sugar (see this Chocolate Cherry Crinkle Cookies recipe for an example). This will give your cookies a different look (more “snowy”), that will still be cute for the holidays.

Storing Chocolate Candy Cane Kisses Cookies

These chocolate brownie cookies with peppermint kisses can be frozen before or after baking.

How to Freeze Before Baking

Chill the cookie dough as directed in the recipe card. After the dough has been chilled, scoop and roll the dough into balls and chill them again in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Once the cookie dough balls are cold and solid, place them into a large freezer bag.

Freeze the cookie dough for up to 3 months. When it’s time to bake the cookies, remove the dough balls from the freezer and thaw on the counter for at least 30 minutes. Then roll in the red and white sugar mixture as instructed in the recipe. Bake as directed.

How to Freeze After Baking

Ensure cookies are completely cool prior to freezing. Store baked cookies in a a freezer bag or air-tight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Separate layers of cookies with parchment paper (this helps prevent them from sticking together). When ready to enjoy, thaw cookies in the refrigerator or on the counter at room temperature.