Hershey Kiss cookies are an absolute family favorite with endless variations but when it comes to the holidays, nothing quite beats the beautiful red velvet color and flavor of these Christmas-inspired treats using peppermint kisses!
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❤️ Why you'll love it
- These Christmas cookies are absolutely stunning - the bright red and white of Hershey’s candy cane kisses make them really stand out, adding to the festive atmosphere!
- Make the chocolate cookie dough ahead of time and store in the refrigerator or freezer to simply assemble and bake when ready.
- These chewy chocolate cookies are ideal for a cookie exchange party or to be gifted to friends and family this time of year.
🧾 Ingredients
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- Hershey's Peppermint Kisses or whatever kind you prefer. Hershey Hugs work well, too.
- All purpose flour, either bleached or unbleached.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder - my preference is Hershey's Special Dark.
- Baking soda
- Kosher salt is what I use but if you use regular table salt you'll need less.
- Butter
- Granulated sugar - I prefer pure cane sugar.
- Eggs
- Buttermilk
- Vanilla extract
- Red food coloring
- Red sugar crystals
🔪 Instructions
- Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
- Blend the butter and sugar in an electric stand mixer. Mix in the egg, followed by the food coloring, buttermilk, and vanilla extract.
- Mix in the flour mixture until the cookie dough is well combined and ready to be chilled in the refrigerator.
- Assemble the chilled cookie dough into balls rolled in red sugar crystals and then bake for 8-10 minutes at 375℉.
- Allow the baked cookie to firm up for a few seconds before pressing a slight dent in their centers to place the peppermint kisses. Serve the cookies once the chocolate has set in the fridge.
🥄 Equipment
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You'll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.
- Silicone mats - these are indispensable in the kitchen, used to prevent baked goods from sticking as well as creating delicate icing or chocolate decor. They also last for a long time!
- Cookie scoop - this helps to create uniform sized cookies that will bake evenly.
🥫 Storage
Store these chocolate blossom cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
You can also freeze these for up to 3 months.
📖 Variations
- Melt some white chocolate and drizzle it over the baked and assembled chocolate peppermint crinkle blossom cookies.
- Replace the candy cane Hershey kisses with any flavor of kisses you enjoy the most, especially if adapting this recipe for a different holiday season or party theme.
- Add peppermint extract into the sugar cookie dough instead of vanilla extract.
💭 Tips
Expert Tip: Use a cookie scoop to create uniform-sized cookies so that they will bake evenly.
- Save yourself time with preparation by assembling the cookies into 1-inch balls, rolled in red sugar and then stored in the freezer to be baked later.
- The red coloring in the cookie dough can stain your hands. Wear latex gloves to prevent this.
- Make sure to either line your baking tray with parchment paper or use a silicone mat so that the cookie bottoms don’t stick. Spraying the tray with oil is not advised since the cookies could absorb the extra grease and spread.
- Don’t add the kisses to the tops until they have cooled slightly otherwise they could melt. You want the cookies to be just warm enough still that the kisses stick to the indented center without actually melting the entire chocolate.
👩🍳 FAQs
Yes, you can. These cookies are essentially a sugar cookie base so you can use store-bought refrigerated sugar cookie dough.
You can use your thumb to make a slight indent or the back of a teaspoon. The important thing to keep in mind is not to over-flatten your cookies otherwise they'll spread while baking.
Absolutely! Store the sugar cookie dough in the fridge 1-2 days before baking. You can also freeze after baking.
📚 Related recipes
Making tasty cookies with Hershey’s kisses is super easy and fun!
Why not make a batch of classic Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies, Peppermint Blossom Cookies, or Orange Kiss-Me Cookies!
🍽️ Serve with...
Serve these Peppermint Blossom Cookies on a cookie platter alongside some other favorite Christmas cookies such as Soft Snickerdoodles, Santa's Whiskers, and Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies.
📞 The last word
When I was a kid magic happened all around me all the time but I've found as I've grown older I've had to be a participant in the magic rather than just an observer of it.
The wide eyed wonder of the child is replaced with the deep satisfaction of the adult as we create that magic for our kids and grandkids. Most of the time for me going through the motions turns into the real thing.
Usually I find that spark of elusive magic, that joy of Christmas, when and where I least expect it.
Give yourself the gift of joy this year. Do one thing a day that brings you happiness.
If it's making red velvet cookies then make all kinds of red velvet cookies! I guarantee these will brighten up any cookie tray!
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Red Velvet Peppermint Kiss Cookies
Print SaveEquipment Needed
Ingredients
- 36 Hersheys Peppermint Kisses
- 1 ½ cups flour
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 tablespoons dark cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon red food coloring
- 1 teaspoon buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Red Sugar Crystals
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl.
- Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, blend together butter and sugar until mixture is well blended -- about 3 minutes.
- Mix in egg.
- Add in food coloring, buttermilk, and vanilla extract.
- Mix on low until well blended.
- Leave mixer on low speed and slowly add in the flour mixture.
- Mix until combined.
- Chill for 30 minutes or more.
- While the dough is chilling unwrap the kisses and set them nearby.
- Roll 1 rounded tablespoon of the dough into a ball.
- Roll the ball in the red sugar crystals and place on a baking sheet lined with Silpat.
- Bake in about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven.
- Allow the cookies to firm up for a few seconds.
- Lightly press 1 peppermint kiss into the center of each cookie.
- Allow Kisses to set or put in the fridge for the chocolate to firm up before storing or serving.
- Store in an airtight container.
Notes
- Shape the dough into rounds, roll in the sugar, and then freeze for later. When ready to bake just put the frozen balls on a cookie sheet and bake as directed.
- The baked cookies freeze well, too.
- The cookies will likely leave red food color stains on your hands when you are shaping them.
- Use any flavor Kisses you like!
- Melted white chocolate drizzled over the top is a nice finish to these cookies.
- A sprinkle of powdered sugar over the top is nice, too.
- Be careful not to crowd the cookies on the baking sheet.
- Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper or silpat to help keep the cookies from sticking.
Nutrition Facts
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We'll never share your email or send you spam. Pinkie swear.First published December 7, 2019. Last updated December 3, 2021 for better instructions, tips, and readability. New images coming soon!
Shawn
These look perfect for Christmas!
Marye Audet
Thank you! 🙂
Nicole Taggart
i;m not in the mood for Christmas, but I am in the mood for theses cookies
Marye Audet
LOL!