Candy Cane Hershey Kiss Cookies

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An easy recipe for Candy Cane Hershey Kiss Cookies. These festive cookies are perfect for the holidays with a slight peppermint flavor from the kisses.

3 hershey kiss cookies on a cake stand with milk in the background

Candy Cane Hershey Kiss Cookies will be the star of your next holiday cookie tray! They are so cute and festive without having to do all the work of decorating cookies, only for them to become a “Pinterest fail”.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve done that, because I am not artistic like that! My decorated cookies always turn out horribly ugly.

So, if you’re looking for a festive cookie to serve at a holiday dinner, give as a gift, or add to your holiday cookie tray, these Hershey Kiss Candy Cane Kiss Cookies are perfect!

The idea for these cookies came from the classic peanut butter blossoms I used to eat as a kid. Even though I don’t love peanut butter, I’ve always loved those cookies!

If you love this cookie recipe, give these Sugar Cookie Cups a try next!

3 candy cane hershey kiss cookies on a small white cake stand

There’s so many recipes for peanut butter blossoms out there, and honestly how many different ways can you make such a classic cookie? One night while I was making my favorite stuffed peppers recipe (so random, I know!) I thought I could do things a little differently and make these cookies more unique. So here we have Candy Cane Hershey Kiss Cookies!

HERSHEY’S CANDY CANE KISSES

Oh my gosh these are SO ADDICTING it’s not even funny. I’ll be honest, I only ordered them (yes, I ordered chocolate kisses from Amazon) specifically for these cookies. I thought they were so cute and would make these the best holiday cookies ever.

a close up of a hershey kiss cookie on a baking sheet

Well, I was right these little chocolates turned my Hershey’s Kiss Cookies into the best Christmas cookies ever!

The peppermint chocolate kisses have a very subtle peppermint flavor and the perfect amount of crunch from the tiny peppermint balls inside of them. Everyone will love these, even if they aren’t die hard peppermint fans.

You can also find candy cane kisses at Target, grocery stores, and drug stores like CVS around the holidays.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS COOKIE RECIPE

These are my favorite holiday make-ahead cookies. They’re perfect for cookie swaps or if you just want to bring cookies in for your coworkers. Hey, that’s a really great way to make some new friends!

Hershey Kiss Cookies freeze well so you can make a large batch and thaw them when you’re ready to have 1…or 2…or maybe 5 IDK I’m not judging!

3 hershey kiss cookies on a cake stand and a hand reaching for one

How do I know they are the best holiday cookies? Because they are the first to go on my cookie tray every year! And because they are the cutest cookies ever.

If you’re not one for decorating festive “Pinterest perfect” cookies (like me), these Candy Cane Hershey Kiss Cookies are the best way to still participate in the “cute holiday cookie” theme without getting frustrated trying to make a perfect Santa out of a cookie and icing.

HOW TO MAKE CANDY CANE HERSHEY KISS COOKIES

The cookie dough is rolled into balls, coated with a bit of granulated sugar, and baked to perfection.

The warm cookies are then topped with a Hershey’s Kiss (if you’re baking with kids, this is a good step for them to help with!). The cookies are placed in the refrigerator for a few minutes to help set the chocolate so it doesn’t melt into the cookie.

1. Prepare the dough. Sift all of the dry ingredients into a medium sized mixing bowl. Then beat the butter and sugars together in a large bowl until they are light and fluffy. Add the almond butter, vanilla and the egg and mix until fully combined. Next, slowly mix in the dry ingredients (about 1/4 cup at a time) until fully combined, the dough should be thick, so don’t over mix it.

a hand rolling cookie dough balls in sugar and a bowl of candy cane kisses

2. Chill the dough. Place the dough in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes. This is a good time to preheat the oven to 350F.

3. Form the cookie dough balls. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and using a #40 cookie scooper, form the dough balls and roll them in granulated sugar. Place the dough balls on a baking sheet with parchment paper.

4. Chill the cookie dough balls. Place the dough balls in the freezer for 3-5 minutes. This step is optional, but if you really want your cookies to be thick and chunky, definitely don’t skip this step!

dough balls on a baking sheet with a bowl of candy cane kisses

5. Bake the cookies and top them with a kiss. Place the cookies in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until set and they start to crack at the top. Remove them from the oven and let them cook for 5-10 minutes, then press a kiss into each cookie and place the cookies in the refrigerator for a few minutes to set the chocolate.

a hand pressing a candy cane hershey kiss into a cookie

To sum that all up:

  1. Prepare the dough
  2. Chill the dough
  3. Form the cookie dough balls
  4. Chill the cookie dough balls
  5. Bake the cookies and top them with a kiss

SOME QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE ABOUT THIS HERSHEY KISS COOKIE RECIPE

DO I HAVE TO CHILL THE DOUGH?

I definitely recommend chilling the dough in all steps of this cookie making process if you want your cookies to be thick and chunky. Otherwise they will spread out thin.

CAN I USE A DIFFERENT HERSHEY’S KISS FLAVOR?

You can use whichever Hershey’s Kiss flavor you like, but I love these peppermint kisses for the holidays!

a hand holding a candy cane hershey kiss to put on top of a cookie

I’ve made kiss cookies with milk chocolate kisses, dark chocolate, and even caramel filled!

CAN I USE COOKIE BUTTER INSTEAD OF ALMOND BUTTER?

I wanted to use cookie butter in this recipe so badly but it just didn’t work out well for me. The dough was too soft and spread way too thin when the cookies were baking.

CAN HERSHEY KISS COOKIES BE FROZEN?

To freeze these Hershey Kiss Cookies, arrange them in a single layer in a freezer safe storage container. Then seal the container into a freezer bag for additional protection against freezer burn and odors.

To thaw the cookies, place them in a single layer on a plate uncovered at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours before eating.

WANT TO TRY THIS CANDY CANE HERSHEY KISS COOKIE RECIPE?

PIN IT to your holiday cookie recipes, dessert recipes, or Christmas cookie recipes board to save it for later!
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hershey kiss cookies pinterest long pin
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5 from 4 votes

Candy Cane Hershey Kiss Cookies

An easy recipe for Candy Cane Hershey's Kiss Cookies. These festive cookies are perfect for the holidays with a slight peppermint flavor from the kisses.
Prep Time40 minutes
Cook Time12 minutes
Total Time52 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 25 cookies
Calories: 153
Author: Jordan

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a medium sized mixing bowl.
  • In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Then add the almond butter, vanilla and egg, and mix for 1-2 minutes until fully combined. Slowly mix in the dry ingredients, about 1/4 cup at a time.
  • Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes. While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 350 F.
  • Using a cookie scooper, form balls with the cookie dough and roll each ball in sugar. Place the dough balls on a plate in the freezer for 5-10 minutes. The more chilled the dough is, the less likely the cookies are to spread out. Then place the dough balls on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the tops begin to crack.
  • Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool for 5-10 minutes. Press a Hershey's kiss into the center of each cookie. Place the cookies in the refrigerator for 2-5 minutes to set the chocolate so it doesn't melt into the cookie.
If you tried this recipe, please leave a review letting me know how it was!

Notes

*Nutrition information is approximate and was calculated using a recipe nutrition label generator.
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Nutrition

Calories: 153kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 142mg | Potassium: 52mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 236IU | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is approximate and was calculated using a recipe nutrition label generator.
Tried this recipe?I’d love to see your dish, mention @jzeats or tag #jzeats!
5 from 4 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




4 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I made these with king arthur gluten free measure to measure flour, as well as substituted cashew butter with 2 Tbs of cocoa. They turned out great! I also froze the kisses while the dough was cooling which allowed me to place on the cookies right after they came out of the oven. They melted just enough to really stick to the cookie and still keep their shape. Definitely a new fave! Love the texture of the sugar on the outside too.

    1. I’m so glad you loved them and thank you for letting me know about your substitutions!

  2. Lizet Bowen says:

    5 stars
    Yum! I love candy cane. I’ll add this recipe to my cookie box.

    1. Thank you Lizet! Can’t wait to hear what you think ๐Ÿ™‚