Christmas Candy Cane Kiss Cookies

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy .

I have been making these Candy Cane Kiss Cookies every December and I swear they are the most festive things to ever come out of my oven.

They look like Christmas confetti in cookie form and every time I pull them out of the oven I feel like I should be in one of those cheesy holiday movies.

The cookie itself is soft and chewy with a little minty crunch inside and then there is that cute peppermint kiss on top that melts just a little and turns all creamy and sweet.

Kids lose their minds over these. Adults too honestly.

I have caught people trying to snatch extras when they think I am not looking.

INGREDIENTS :

1 cup unsalted butter softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 half teaspoon peppermint extract
2 and a half cups all purpose flour
1 half teaspoon baking powder
1 fourth teaspoon salt
1 half cup crushed candy canes
24 Hershey Candy Cane Kisses unwrapped
Red and white sprinkles if you want to get extra fancy

Why I Love These Ingredients

Butter makes the dough rich and soft. Sugar keeps it sweet and helps the cookies get that slight chew. Egg holds everything together.

Vanilla keeps the peppermint from being too strong and gives it that warm bakery smell. Flour and baking powder do their usual cookie magic.

Salt is tiny but makes a big difference. The crushed candy canes give these little minty sparks in every bite.

Then that kiss on top turns creamy and pepperminty and makes the whole thing feel like a present.

How I Make Them

First thing I do is preheat my oven to three hundred fifty and line my baking sheet with parchment so I do not have to scrape anything later.

Then I grab my mixer and beat the butter and sugar together for a couple minutes until it looks fluffy like frosting.

I crack in the egg and pour in the vanilla and peppermint and mix again until it is smooth.

In a separate bowl I whisk the flour with the baking powder and salt.

I slowly add that into the wet mix on low so I do not cover my whole kitchen in flour.

Once it looks like cookie dough I stop mixing. No need to overthink it.

For the candy canes I toss six or so into a plastic bag and smack them with a rolling pin until they are tiny bits.

I fold those into the dough with a spatula so they are spread out nice and even.

I scoop out dough balls about the size of a tablespoon and roll them smooth with my hands.

If I am feeling extra I roll them in red and white sprinkles before placing them on the baking sheet. I space them out so they do not crash into each other while baking.

They bake for eight to ten minutes. I pull them out when the edges look set but the centers are still a little soft.

Right away I press a peppermint kiss into the center of each one. The warmth softens the candy just enough so it sticks perfectly.

I let them sit on the sheet for five minutes before moving them to a rack.

How I Serve Them

I usually pile them high on a bright cookie platter and slide them right in the center of the table. They look like little Christmas ornaments you can eat.

They go great with hot cocoa or even coffee if you want to sneak one in the morning.

Sometimes I wrap a few in clear bags with a red and white ribbon and hand them out like little edible presents.

Leftovers

I keep them in a container on the counter for about five days.

If I make a big batch I freeze some for later by laying them in layers with parchment so the kisses do not get smashed.

To warm one up I pop it in the microwave for five seconds and it tastes like it just came out of the oven.

My Cookie Tricks

I always make sure the butter is actually soft before mixing.

Candy canes should be crushed pretty fine or you will get hard chunks.

I start checking at eight minutes so I do not dry them out.

When I press the kisses in I do it gentle so I do not crack the cookie. If the dough feels sticky I chill it for a few minutes and it behaves better.