Candy Cane Cookies with White Chocolate Kisses are the perfect Christmas cookie recipe! A nut-free twist on the favorite Peanut Blossom cookie recipe, these cookies are subtly sweet with a hint of peppermint.
Candy Cane Kiss Cookies
If you are coming over from my sister Jen, Tatertots & Jello, welcome!!! So glad you stopped by today while we are doing a fun virtual Christmas Cookie Gift Exchange.
I am so excited to share these Candy Cane Kiss Cookies with you. I love to make Christmas Cookies. And over the years I have shared a few of my favorites:
- Spicy & Chewy Molasses Cookies (these are my all-time favorite)
- Candy Cane Thumbprint Cookies
- Christmas Cookie Dessert Board
This year I wanted to make something with our favorite candy, Candy Cane Kisses. White chocolate and bits of crunchy candy canes combine for the perfect treat. I knew they would be perfect on top of a simple sugar cookie flavored with just a hint of peppermint.
I adapted this Candy Cane Cookie recipe from this original recipe (from Kitchen Fun With My 3 Sons) and make a few tweaks. So, I added peppermint extract to the dough and made some adjustments to the prep and post-baking to ensure the kisses don’t melt.
I love that this recipe is relatively simple and easy to make. The dough requires no chilling time and the ingredients are pretty straight forward.
Candy Cane Blossom Ingredients
Here is everything you will need to make these cookies. You should have most ingredients in your pantry already. I love recipes that don’t require a trip to the grocery store!
- Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses
- All Purpose Flour
- Granulated Sugar
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Peppermint Extract
- Vanilla Extract
- Unsalted Butter (softened)
- Milk (to moisten the dough if too dry)
- Egg (at room temperature)
How To Make Candy Cane Cookies With White Chocolate Kisses
- Remove all the wrappers from the candy cane kisses. Set the chocolates in a bowl and place in your freezer while you prep the dough.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare your baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper. Place the flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl and whisk until combined to remove any lumps.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer place the softened butter and sugar. Mix until creamy.
- Next, add in the egg, vanilla extract and peppermint extract. Mix until combined.
- Add the flour mixture to the mixer bowl alternating with the milk scraping the bowl in between additions. Continue to mix until the dough is fully combined.
- In a small bowl, place your sanding sugar or sprinkles. Using a small cookie scoop (I like this one), scoop dough and roll in the sugar and then place on your parchment lined cookie sheet 2″ apart.
- Bake in the oven at 350 degrees fahrenheit for 12-14 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on sheet for 3 minutes. Then take your kisses out of the freezer and top each candy cane cookie with a chocolate piece. Now, transfer the cookies to a fresh baking sheet or pan and place in your freezer for 15 minutes to set the cookie and prevent the chocolate from melting and pooling into your cookies.
Tips For Making The Best Candy Cane Cookies
If you have made Peanut Blossoms before, you know the chocolate kiss tends to melt into the cookie, creating a pool of melted chocolate. Now, these Candy Cane cookies are made with white chocolate kisses which have a higher fat content and melt much easier and quicker.
So, to ensure you don’t end up with a big blob of melted chocolate on top of your cookies, here are 2 tips to ensure the best results.
Freeze The Chocolate Kisses
Before you start making the dough, pop the unwrapped candy cane kisses into the freezer. This will lower the temperature of the chocolate and prevent them from melting when placed on the fresh-from-the-oven cookies.
Place the Baked Cookies In The Freezer For 15 Minutes
Once the cookies have come out of the oven and cooled for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, top them with the frozen kisses and then transfer them to a cool baking sheet and place in your freezer for 15 minutes. This will help set the chocolate and prevent any chance of chocolate pooling and puddling onto of your cookies.
How To Store Cookies
Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for 3 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
When freezing cookies, I like to use a good quality container that seals tightly. Avoid using ziplock bags or anything that could cause the cookies to crumble or break. I stack the cookies in the container using parchment paper in between the layers.
How To Wrap Cookies As Gifts
I love gifting these cookies to friends and neighbors for the holidays. I also have a few clever ways you can wrap cookies to present as gifts. Check out these 2 posts for ideas:
Equipment
Ingredients
- 24 Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 eggs
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp milk
- 1 cup sanding sugar
Instructions
- Remove the wrappers from the Hershey's Kisses and place the candy in a bowl. Set in the freezer while you prepare the dough.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place the softened butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix together until creamy.
- Add the egg, vanilla and peppermint extract. Mix until well combined.
- In a small bowl, add the flour, salt and baking soda. Whisk together. Add the flour mixture to the mixer bowl, alternating with the milk. Mix until fully combined.
- Prepare your baking sheet and line it with parchment paper. Scoop dough (see equipment notes for the cookie scoop I recommend)and roll them in your sanding sugar. Place the unbaked cookies 2 inches apart on your baking sheet and bake for 12-14 minutes.
- While the cookies are baking, clear a space in your freezer for the cookies to cool.
- Once done baking, remove the cookies from the oven and let cool on the sheet for 3 minutes. Take the unwrapped kisses from the freezer and place one in the center of each cookie. Transfer the cookies to a pan or cool baking sheet and place in the freezer to set. This will prevent your kisses from melting. Remove from the freezer after 15 minutes.
Christmas Cookie Recipes
Now, be sure to visit Ashley at The Handmade Home who is sharing her Easy Cake Mix Cookies. And be sure to check out all these amazing and delicious Christmas Cookie ideas being shared by my friends below.
Tatertots and Jello: Chewy Soft Christmas Gingerbread Cookies | Modern Glam: Candy Cane Cookies With White Chocolate Kisses | The Handmade Home: Easy Cake Mix Cookies | DIY Beautify: White Shiplap Gingerbread Cottage | Inspiration for Moms: Christmas Monster Cookies | My Sweet Savannah: Bourbon Molasses Gingersnaps | Paint Me Pink: Cranberry Orange Cookies with White Chocolate | She Gave it a Go: Festive Christmas: 3-Step Iced Sugar Cookies | Craftberry Bush: Handpainted Snow Globe Christmas Cookies | Pink Peppermint Design: Delicious Iced Oatmeal Cookie Recipe
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Brendt Blanks
Ashley, your Christmas combo cookie of peppermint and white chocolate is pure perfection! They’re not just delicious looking but also adorable—pinned. Merry Christmas, friend!
Brendt
Melaine Thompson
Pinned! These not only look delicious but they are so festive and pretty!
Norma
Ashley, these cookies look so yummy! I’m going to make them for my son! …. Pinned! He’s going to love them, thank you for the recipe sweet friend. Merry Christmas!
jen hadfield
I can’t wait to make these! I pinned them to my cookie exchange board. Yum!
xoxo