Chocolate Peppermint Kiss Cookies

These chocolate peppermint kiss cookies are rich, decadent, and festive - everything you could ever want from a Christmas cookie. With the combination of a fudgy brownie texture and the iconic kiss cookie shape, these cookies are so irresistible you'll never want to gift them or leave them out for Santa. So be prepared to make a double batch and while you're at it check out the rest of my recipes listed in this Christmas Cookie Gift Box!

For more winter cookie recipes, try Frosted Eggnog Cookies, Snowflake Sugar Cookies, Soft Gingerbread Cutout Cookies, and Peppermint Mocha Cookies.

Ingredient Notes

• All-Purpose Flour: You'll need 1 ⅓ cup of flour, but as always I HIGHLY recommend weighing your flour to exactly 160g. 
• Cocoa Powder: I always recommend using dutch process cocoa powder, but you could use unsweetened cocoa powder instead. 
• Leavener: You'll need just baking soda to give these cookies a bit of rise. 
• Unsalted Butter: Bring your butter to room temperature quickly by warming it in the microwave for 10 seconds. 
• Sugars: You'll need both brown sugar (light or dark) and granulated sugar.
• Egg: Bring your egg to room temperature quickly by placing it in a bowl of warm water.
• Peppermint Extract: Peppermint extract is very potent, be VERY careful with it! I went with ¼ teaspoon for a more subtle peppermint flavor, but if you love peppermint you could add an additional ¼ tsp.
• Kisses: You'll need about 20 kisses total. I opted for half peppermint kisses and half regular chocolate kisses. 

See recipe card for full information on ingredients and individual quantities.

Step by Step Instructions

Here are step by step photos and instructions on how to make this chocolate peppermint kiss cookie recipe! For the full ingredient list and method, see the recipe card at the end of this post.

STEP 1: Mix dry ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

STEP 2: Mix wet ingredients. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla, and peppermint extract until fully combined.

STEP 3: Combine wet and dry. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined.

STEP 4: Chill. Cover the bowl and chill the cookie dough in the fridge for at least one hour or overnight.

STEP 5: Prep. When you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Unwrap the 20 kisses and place in the freezer until ready to use.

STEP 6: Scoop and freeze. Scoop the cookie dough with a small (1 tbsp) cookie scoop and roll each in the 50g (¼ cup) of granulated sugar. Place the cookie dough on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart and freeze for 10-15 minutes.

STEP 7: Bake. Bake the cookies for about 8-10 minutes or until puffed and cracked.

STEP 8: Assemble. Take the cookies out of the oven and immediately, yet gently press a kiss into each of the cookies. Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet before removing.

Expert Baking Tips

• I always recommend using dutch process cocoa powder, but you could use unsweetened cocoa powder instead.
• Peppermint extract is very potent, be VERY careful with it! I went with ¼ teaspoon for a more subtle peppermint flavor, but if you love peppermint you could add an additional ¼ tsp.
• Once the cookies come out of the oven and a kiss is pressed into each, leave them on the baking sheet to cool COMPLETELY before removing. If they are moved too soon, the kisses will lose their shape.

All of the recipes on this blog are carefully developed with gram measurements so you can easily recreate them in your own kitchen with success. Volume measurements are extremely inaccurate and leave room for significant errors. Not all measuring cups are made equally, so your one cup of flour will be different from my one cup of flour. By providing precise measurements in grams (aside from minor ingredients, which are given in tsp/tbsp), you can make these recipes accurately and with less cleanup! All you need is this kitchen scale. 

If this still isn't enough to convince you, I have provided volume measurements in the recipe card. If you are interested in understanding the conversions, this is the best conversion chart.

But trust me, once you try baking in grams you'll never turn back!

Happy baking! x