Candy Cane Kiss Cookies

Name: Candy Cane Kiss Cookies
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 22 min
Ingredients: ½ cup butter, softened (one stick); ½ cup sugar; ½ cup brown sugar; 1 teaspoon vanilla; 1 large egg; 2 cups flour ((290 grams)); ½ teaspoon baking soda; ¼ teaspoon salt; ¼ cup crushed candy canes ((about 3 candy canes)); 24 Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses ((unwrapped))

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Candy Cane Kiss Cookies are made with Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses and are the perfect holiday cookie! Don’t miss this festive and easy-to-make Christmas treat that’s great for cookie exchanges or your holiday dessert table.

Candy Cane Kiss Cookies piled on a white plate.

Be the star of the treat exchange with this cute and tasty Christmas cookie. This fun recipe gets its mild peppermint flavors with the addition of crushed candy canes and Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses.

If you love holiday cookie baking, don’t miss these delicious Italian Almond Ricotta Cookies. And for another fun twist on a cookie, Lemon Amaretti Cookies can’t be beat!

And for another delicious tested and perfected cookie, be sure to try my Oatmeal Raisin Cookies recipe or my fan-favorite Limoncello Ricotta Cookies!

Table of Contents

Why This Recipe Works

This cookie recipe has been tested and perfected! After years of making them for the holidays, they truly are the one of my most requested holiday treats.

The secret to getting the ideal texture and flavor for this cookie is using crushed candy canes instead of peppermint extract – which can sometimes be overwhelming. Plus, the crushed candy canes give the cookie the perfect texture.

Topping off the cookie with a Hershey’s Candy Cane Kiss gives the recipe both a festive holiday look as well as a delicious peppermint treat. This makes it perfect for holiday cookie exchanges too.

When you bite into the cookie you get the combination of the soft cookie with candy cane pieces and a bit of the white chocolate from the kiss. It really is the perfect peppermint cookie!

Recipe Ingredients

This is a fairly simple cookie to make. The base of the cookie consists of your typical ingredients: flour, sugars, butter, egg, vanilla, baking soda, and salt.

overhead photo of the all of the ingredients on a wood cutting board.

The two necessary ingredients for these cookies are:

Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses
Crushed Candy Canes

If you can’t find Candy Cane Kisses, you could always substitute regular Hershey Kisses. Also, crushed candy cane is fairly easy to find during the holiday season. But, you can always crush your own candy canes using a rolling pin and ziplock bag.

How to make Candy Cane Kisses Cookies

This recipe comes together fast and can be made in one bowl. All you need to make them is a baking sheet, mixing bowl, hand mixer, and rubber spatula. It helps to have a small cookie scoop as well to ensure that all of the cookies are the same size.

The first step is to use the handheld mixer to beat together the butter and sugar. Second, add in the egg and vanilla, and mix until combined.

Then, add in the flour, baking soda, and salt, and mix until well combined. The mixture will be crumbly. Next, add in the candy cane pieces.

Grid full of process steps showing how to make the cookies.

Use your rubber spatula to fold the candy cane pieces into the dough. You will see (in step 5) as you work the dough it starts to come together. Then, use your cookie scoop to measure out the dough. Roll into balls and place on the baking sheet.

Steps 5, 6, 7, and 8 of making the Candy Cane Kiss cookies.

Bake the cookies in a preheated oven for about 10-12 minutes. The cookies will not change in color much. Then, remove them from the oven and immediately place a Hershey’s Candy Cane Kiss on the top of the warm cookie.

Be careful not to press the kiss too far into the cookie. You want to just lightly press it on top. Otherwise the kiss will melt and lose its shape. To prevent the kiss from melting and to speed up the cooling process, you can place the cookies in the refrigerator or freezer.

Continue to cool the cookies on the baking sheet. Move to a wire baking rack to cool completely when set enough to move.

Candy Cane Kiss cookies on a white plate.

Recipe Expert Tips

Use room temperature butter and eggs to make a smooth dough.
To crush the candy canes, place unwrapped candy canes in a ziplock bag and hit with a rolling pin.
No candy canes? Substitute any peppermint-flavored candy to yield about ¼ cup crushed candy total.
Have the Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses unwrapped and ready to go once the cookies come out of the oven.
Press the kisses into the cookies using a twisting motion and once the kisses are in the cookies, don’t touch them!
To speed up cooling time, place the cookies in the refrigerator.

Recipe FAQs

How do I keep the kiss from melting onto the cookie?

To keep the kiss from melting onto to your cookie, don’t press the kiss too far into the warm cookie. Refrigerate or freeze the cookie immediately to prevent the kiss from any further melting.

How do I store peppermint cookies?

Peppermint cookies have the tendency to give everything around them a minty flavor. So it’s best to store them separate from other cookies or treats. I like to keep mine in a ziplock bag in the refrigerator or freezer.

Looking for more holiday cookies? Don’t miss the crowd-pleasing cookies that will make you the star of the cookie exchange.

Hope you love this recipe for Candy Cane Kiss Cookies. Be sure to comment below if you try it! And be sure to follow me on Facebook and Instagram for more delicious holiday recipes!