Name: Peppermint Kiss Cookies
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 42 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened; 1 1/2 cups (285g) granulated sugar; 2 large eggs; 1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract; 1/4-1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract; 3 cups (420g) all-purpose flour; 1/2 teaspoon (2g) baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon (2g) cream of tartar; 1/4 teaspoon (1.2g) salt; Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses; Sprinkles

These Peppermint Kiss Cookies are the perfect Christmas cookie. Soft, chewy, perfectly dense sugar cookies are infused with peppermint flavor, coated in festive sprinkles, and topped with minty Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses.

closeup of sugar cookie with red, green, and white sprinkles with other festive cookies in the background

Easy Peppermint Christmas Cookies

You know when you’re at the store and you walk through the holiday aisle, and a bag of Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses accidentally falls into your shopping cart? Ugh, the worst!

When this happens, the only real solution is to find a way to use them. Enter peppermint kiss cookies! This recipe is a holiday adaptation of my classic sugar cookie recipe with the addition of peppermint extract in the dough and a Hershey’s Peppermint Kiss on top. Do they remind you of peanut butter blossoms (also one of my favorite classic Christmas cookies)?

These cookies are quick to throw together or can be prepped ahead of time and frozen so you can get ahead for the holidays! Give them to neighbors as gifts, bring a big plate of them to holiday parties, add them to a Christmas cookie platter, or just keep them for yourself!

peppermint cookies coated in festive sprinkles piled on a plate

What Do These Cookies Taste Like?

These are soft and sugar chewy cookies with a hint of peppermint flavor. The Hershey’s Kiss itself adds a lot of peppermint flavor to the cookie, but I still like to use a touch of peppermint extract in the cookie dough itself.

Peppermint extract can be overpowering, so I use a combination of vanilla and a touch of peppermint. If you prefer a stronger flavor, swap out more of the vanilla extract for peppermint.

Ingredients Needed

I love this recipe because it uses pretty basic pantry staples and comes together in a snap.

Butter – softened to room temperature to be easily incorporated into the dough.
Granulated Sugar
Eggs
Vanilla Extract and Peppermint Extract – when it comes to extracts, a little goes a long way! I recommend starting with less peppermint extract and adding more to taste.
All-Purpose Flour
Baking Soda
Cream of Tartar – plays a key role in making these cookies extra soft and chewy.
Salt
Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses – unwrapped and frozen.
Sprinkles – you’ll roll the dough in sprinkles before you bake the cookies to give them a little something extra. Alternatively, you can use granulated sugar.

Let’s Make Peppermint Kiss Cookies

This Christmas cookie recipe could not be any easier to throw together!

Make the dough. Combine butter and sugar. Beat until smooth, then mix the egg and extracts. Add the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt and beat until a dough forms.
Scoop the dough. Use a medium cookie scoop to portion the dough out into 24-28 balls. Roll each ball in granulated sugar or sprinkles and place on a lined baking sheet.
Bake: Bake in an oven preheated to 350ºF for 11-13 minutes.
Add the kisses: Remove the cookies from the oven, wait 2-3 minutes, then top with a frozen Hershey’s Kiss.
Immediatly chill the cookies: This is a key step in preventing the kisses from melting. Place the baking sheet in the fridge or better yet the freezer (if you have room) so the chocolate doesn’t melt. Once the chocolate has set, store or serve!

sugar cookie dough balls lined on a baking sheet

sugar cookie dough being rolled in red sprinkles

How to Prevent the Kisses From Melting

Unfortunately, this is bound to happen with some of your cookies. Even banging the tray on the side of the fridge can cause these to fall (been there, done that) but there are a few things you can do to prevent this:

Pre-freeze them: The instructions call for you to freeze the kisses ahead of time. The longer the better.
Make space in the freezer (or refrigerator): When the cookies come out of the oven, you’re going to transfer them to the freezer or refridgerator right away so make the space! The surface area should be flat.
Transfer warm cookies to a room temperature of cold baking sheet: Once the cookies are pulled from the oven, you’ll let them sit for a couple minutes, then transfer them to a room temperature or cold baking sheet, place the kiss on top then chill.
Work quickly: The chocolate will start to soften as soon as it comes into contact with the cookies, so be quick!

three peppermint kiss cookies leaning on one another

Don’t Forget These Tips!

Don’t over-bake. Take the cookies out when the center is no longer gooey, but still slightly under-baked. They’ll continue to bake on the cookie sheet after you take them out.
Make extra! You can make ahead and freeze both the cookie dough and the baked cookies. This is a great way to get ahead on holiday baking!
The dough can be rolled in granulated sugar, colorful sanding sugar, or nonpariel sprinkles. I like to get festive colors and do some of each! If you are planning to freeze these, I don’t recommend using nonpariels, as some brands will melt and the colors will run when the cookies thaw.

overhead shot of peppermint cookies topped with Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses

Storing Cookie Dough and Baked Cookies

Cookie dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before you bake it. Make sure you pre-scoop the dough and cover the tray with cling wrap or place it in an airtight container. When you’re ready to bake, bring the dough to room temperature and proceed with the recipe as instructed.

Once the chocolate is set, these cookies will last in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for 2 months.

Freezing Cookie Dough and Baked Cookies

Cookie dough can be frozen for up to 2 months in advance. Pre-scoop the dough, flash freeze it in a single layer on a baking sheet for 15-30 minutes to harden, then transfer the dough balls to an airtight container. I recommend placing a piece of parchment paper between the layers so they don’t stick together. When you’re ready to bake, thaw to room temperature, roll in sprinkles or sugar, and bake as instructed.

Baked cookies can be frozen for up to 2 months. If you plan to freeze the baked cookies, I recommend using sanding sugar instead of nonpareil sprinkles. Those tend to melt when condensation forms and can make a mess.