December 16, 2024

Chocolate Peppermint Kisses Cookies

This chocolate peppermint kisses cookies have a holiday flair with the peppermint kiss and sprinkles and they’re super easy to make!

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Chocolate peppermint cookies rolled in sprinkles with a peppermint kisses on top of each cookie sitting on a wire cooling rack. A hand is reaching for one of them.

Though my secret ingredient Peanut Butter Blossoms are a classic holiday cookie in our household, they’re also a year-round treat for us. The classic combination of peanut butter and chocolate make them something that we can enjoy all the time. But peppermint kisses are a seasonal item, only popping up at the store during the holiday season. And when I see them, I can’t help but grab a bag! And that means I make these chocolate peppermint kisses cookies!

Like the peanut butter blossoms, these cookies have a chocolate kiss in the center of them, but with a festive red and white striped peppermint white kiss instead of the original chocolate! And since the kisses are peppermint flavored and the combination of mint and chocolate is a classic one (which I adore as evident by my peppermint striped cookie, mint chocolate chip cookie, white chocolate peppermint cookies with sea salt, and peppermint Texas sheet cake) I added a touch of peppermint extract in the chocolate cookie dough, as well as a roll in red and green sprinkles before you bake them, make these holiday cookies even more joyful to make and serve.

Chocolate peppermint cookies rolled in sprinkles with a peppermint kisses on top of each cookie sitting on a wire cooling rack.

How to make these cookies

Though they look like they might be complicated to make, these holiday cookies are actually easy to make. Make a basic peppermint chocolate cookie dough by creaming together butter, sugar, white sugar, baking powder, salt, vanilla extract, peppermint extract, and a touch of instant espresso (which helps boost the chocolate flavor). Cream until the sugary butter mixture clings to the side of the bowl.

Add the eggs, one at a time, then the flour and cocoa. Shape into balls of dough, then roll in holiday sprinkles.

Left image is a ball of cookie dough in a bowl of red and white sprinkles. Right image is the prepared and decorated cookie dough balls on a baking pan.

Bake and once done, immediately press a peppermint kiss in the middle of the still warm cookie. The heat from the cookie will melt the bottom of the kiss slightly, adhering it to the cookie. Let cool completely before storing or serving.

Left image is baked peppermint cookies on a baking sheet. Right image is a hand placing a peppermint kiss on a warm cookie.

What sort of cocoa to use

This cookie dough uses Dutch-processed cocoa, which is an alkalized cocoa with a darker color and more mellow chocolate flavor. Hershey’s special dark cocoa is a very commonly available Dutch-processed cocoa but there are others available at well stocked grocery stores like Guittard’s Cocoa Rouge (in the red canister) or Ghirardelli’s Dutch-process cocoa (the purple bag).

Two spoonfuls of different cocoa powder on a marble surface, with darker Dutch-processed cocoa in front, and natural cocoa powder in back.

I used Dutch-process cocoa not only for the more mellow flavor, which works well with the peppermint, but also for the dark rich color. But if all you have is natural cocoa, you can swap the same amount of cocoa for the Dutch-process. However, you should also omit the baking powder and use 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda instead. Natural cocoa is acidic and will react with the baking soda to leaven the cookie. Expect the resulting cookie to look slightly lighter in color and taste different than those made with Dutch-process cocoa. But it will still be fun and tasty!

A large oval plate filled with chocolate peppermint kisses cookies. There is a glass of milk; a small bowl of red, white and green sprinkles; and a red and white striped cloth napkin next to the plate.

How to store

These cookies store well, though the kisses on top do make it a little more challenging to store in layers. I recommend storing them in a single layer, in an air tight container for 3 to 4 days at room temperature. You can also freeze them for up to 2 months, but again, I would recommend freezing them in a single layer in a container, otherwise the fragile tips of the peppermint kisses might snap off. They’ll still taste great, but won’t look quite as nice.

A large oval plate filled with chocolate peppermint kisses cookies. There is a glass of milk and a red and white striped cloth napkin behind the plate.

Other holiday cookies

Chocolate peppermint cookies rolled in sprinkles with a peppermint kisses on top of each cookie sitting on a wire cooling rack. The text on the image says "Chocolate Peppermint Kisses Cookies."

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5 from 7 votes