Peppermint Kiss Cookies

Peppermint Kiss Cookies are soft, chewy homemade peppermint sugar cookies, speckled with red sugar and topped with a striped candy cane Hershey’s Kiss.

They’re much easier than my peppermint candy cane cookies or rolled and decorated holiday sugar cookies. Mix the dough, roll it into balls, bake, and press a Kiss into each warm cookie.

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Why You’ll Love These Peppermint Kiss Cookies

• No chilling. This dough goes straight from the mixer to the oven.
• Peppermint in the cookie, not just on top. Vanilla and peppermint extract both go into the dough, so every bite tastes like a candy cane.
• They look like candy canes. Red sugar crystals in the dough give each cookie pink and red speckles.
• Fun for all ages. Rolling the balls and pressing in the Kisses are easy jobs to hand off to anyone who wants to help.

Ingredients for Peppermint Kiss Cookies

• Unsalted butter: softened to room temperature, so it creams into the sugar.
• Granulated sugar: I’ve used ultrafine baking sugar too, and both work.
• Egg yolks: two large yolks and no whites. This is what makes these cookies extra rich.
• Vanilla and peppermint extract: real vanilla (or my homemade vanilla extract) and peppermint extract. Use peppermint, not “mint” extract, which usually includes spearmint and doesn’t taste like a candy cane.
• All-purpose flour, baking powder and salt.
• Red decorating sugar: the coarse, sparkly kind. It holds its color in the oven and adds sweetness and crunch.
• Candy cane Kisses: the red and white striped Hershey’s Kisses, about 30 of them. Look for them in the holiday candy aisle.

Full amounts are in the recipe card below.

How to Make Peppermint Kiss Cookies

You’ll need two bowls and a baking sheet.

Step 1: Cream the Butter and Sugar

Beat the softened butter and sugar in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. I prefer a stand mixer for this dough.

Step 2: Add the Egg Yolks and Extracts

Beat in the egg yolks, vanilla and peppermint extract for about a minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Step 3: Mix In the Dry Ingredients

Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl, then mix them into the butter mixture until a thick dough forms. You may need to finish mixing by hand.

Step 4: Fold In the Red Sugar

Stir the red decorating sugar in by hand at the very end, and keep the mixing to a minimum so the color doesn’t spread through the dough.

PRO TIP: Unwrap all of the Kisses before the first pan comes out of the oven, so they’re ready the moment you need them.

Step 5: Roll and Bake

Roll the dough into 1-tablespoon balls (about 18 g each) and set them 2 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Bake at 350°F for 9 to 10 minutes, just until they’re set but before they start turning brown. They firm up as they cool.

Step 6: Press In the Kisses

Wait 2 to 3 minutes, then gently press a Kiss into the center of each cookie. Move the cookies to a wire rack to cool.

Common Peppermint Kiss Cookie Problems

Here’s what usually goes wrong with these, and how to fix it.

• The Kisses melted into puddles. The cookies were still too hot when the Kisses went in.
• The Kisses won’t stick. The cookies cooled too long and firmed up. Press the Kisses in while the cookies are still warm and soft.
• The cookies spread flat. The butter was too soft or the kitchen is warm. Chill the dough for a bit before rolling it into balls.

★★★★★

“These are a hit! I love peppermint all year round and I found these and had to make them. So delicious.” – Alli

Making Peppermint Kiss Cookies Ahead

Baked cookies keep in an airtight container, and they freeze well.

A reader asked whether the dough can be frozen. I haven’t frozen this dough myself yet, but if I did, I would wrap the whole block of dough tightly in plastic wrap and freeze it, then thaw it in the refrigerator before rolling and baking.

For a Christmas cookie tray, pair them with homemade peppermint bark, chocolate peppermint swirl cookies, cherry almond thumbprint cookies and walnut spiced rum balls.

Why does this recipe use only egg yolks?

Leaving out the whites keeps the dough thick and the cookies soft and chewy. Egg whites add water, which makes cookie dough softer and more likely to spread.

Can I use regular milk chocolate Kisses?

Yes, any Hershey’s Kiss works. The candy cane Kisses match the peppermint in the dough and look the most festive, but milk chocolate or dark chocolate Kisses taste great with peppermint too.

Can I use cake flour?

Yes, cake flour works in this recipe too.

More Peppermint and Christmas Treats

Love peppermint recipes? Be sure to make these too.

Peppermint Candy Cane Cookies

Peppermint Bark Recipe

Homemade Peppermint Patties

Cherry Almond Thumbprints