If you love chocolate and peppermint, you've come to the right place. If not? Well, I'm not sure we will be able to communicate, you know? Here, check out my sugar cookie blossoms - they are a similar cookie in a non-chocolate version.
But for these chocolate peppermint kiss cookies, a love of chocolate is definitely required. They start with a brownie base and add in peppermint flavor.
And since this is a holiday-ish cookie, an easy button is required. To keep it simple, the cookie dough starts with a box mix, and revisions are made from there. It's like a cake mix hack, only for brownies - LOVE IT!
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Why I Love this Recipe
Chocolate and Peppermint: so delicious together. And brownies are basically the greatest way to enjoy chocolate. If you feel the same, this one's for you.
The cafeteria where I used to work had the greatest chocolate crinkle cookies. They were crunchy on the outside, fudge-y in the middle, and covered in powdered sugar. They might be the number one thing I miss about working …. LOL.
This recipe has a brownie cookie bottom that is so close to what I remember, with the addition of peppermint in the cookie dough AND in the kiss.
And of course, the all-important easy button. By starting with a box mix, these cookies are so easy to mix up. Which is what we all need this time of year!
Ingredients Needed
**Be sure to scroll to the recipe card for detailed quantities and directions**
How to make these Chocolate Peppermint Kiss Cookies
In order to keep our cookies and the kisses in the right shape, it helps to get everything cold first.
The first step is to unwrap the peppermint kisses. Place them in a bowl, cover it and freeze for a couple hours. I did this the day before.
Then, the brownie batter. Mix the dry batter with crushed peppermint candy and some cocoa. Then add in the wet ingredients: chocolate syrup, water, oil and egg. Once the batter is well combined, cover the bowl and refrigerate it for at least an hour. This is great to do in the morning and just place it in the fridge til later when you're ready to bake.
When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350F and line your baking sheet(s) with parchment paper.
Make one-inch balls of dough, roll each in powdered sugar, and set on the prepared baking sheet. In theory, you should use a cookie scoop for this step in order to get uniform sized pieces of dough. However, I find that a challenge with very firm refrigerated dough. So, I typically scoop it myself using a small spoon. When I do this, I always end up with larger pieces and therefore fewer cookies. But bigger cookies never seem to be a problem. 😀
Bake the cookies for 9 to 11 minutes, until the edges are set. Let the cookies cool for 4 to 5 minutes. I like to cool them right on the baking sheet for a couple minutes, then slide the entire piece of parchment paper with cookies onto the counter for a couple more minutes.
Then, place a cold peppermint kiss into the center of each warm cookie. Let the cookies cool completely before moving or serving.
Expert Tips
Cold dough and cold kisses really make a difference in the final shape of your cookie, so do not skip the cooling step.
Using a cookie scoop will yield about 48 evenly-sized cookies. However, I once broke a cookie scoop when using it on rock-solid cold dough. (different recipe) So now I shy away from that. When I use a teaspoon, I tend to be a little more generous in my scoop size, so end up with about 30-36 cookies.
Chocolate + Peppermint = ❤️
I love the chocolate and peppermint combination, so of course I like to find more ways to enjoy it. That's why I have a chocolate peppermint martini, it captures those flavors in a fun cocktail! It tastes a little bit like a liquid Thin Mint cookie LOL.
And speaking of Thin Mints (the BEST Girl Scout cookie!!), you can also make Thin Mint Brownies for another way to capture and enjoy that iconic taste. Brownies and Thin Mints - the best of both worlds!
More Holiday Cookies and Treats to Love
📖 Recipe
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Chocolate Peppermint Kiss Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 box brownie mix 13x9 size
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- ¼ cup crushed peppermint candy
- 3 Tablespoons water
- 2 Tablespoons chocolate syrup
- 1 egg
- 1 Tablespoon canola oil
- Powdered sugar - for rolling
- 48 candy cane flavored kisses
Instructions
- Unwrap the candy cane kisses and place in a bowl. Cover and place in the freezer.48 candy cane flavored kisses
- Combine the brownie mix, cocoa, and crushed peppermint candy. Then add the water, chocolate syrup, oil, and egg. Mix until well blended. Cover and refrigerate at least an hour to make the dough firm enough to roll.1 box brownie mix, ¼ cup cocoa powder, ¼ cup crushed peppermint candy, 3 Tablespoons water, 2 Tablespoons chocolate syrup, 1 Tablespoon canola oil, 1 egg
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Shape the dough into one-inch balls. Roll each ball in powdered sugar to coat, then place on the prepared baking sheet.Powdered sugar - for rolling
- Bake 9 to 11 minutes, until set. Cool cookies 4-5 minutes, either on the baking sheet or by sliding the parchment paper onto the kitchen counter.
- Press a cold peppermint kiss into the center of the still-warm cookies. Then, cool completely.48 candy cane flavored kisses
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
ann e
anyone know the ratio of ingredients in a brownie mix? I don't have any here, but I have everything that's in it, so I'd rather just throw my own together..
Sula
Sorry, I haven't tried it without a box mix. I might have to put that on my list for research 🙂
Amy
is it cocoa or cocoa powder?
Amy
nm..answered my own question
Sula
cocoa powder 🙂
Dennis Littley
whats not to love about these cookies, my family devoured them!
Sula
They really are popular whenever I bring them anywhere!
Emily Flint
The crushed peppermint candy in the cookies is such an awesome addition! And the peppermint kiss on top makes these my new favorite cookie!
Sula
They are pretty addicting!
Andréa Janssen
They look so delicious. Yummie!
Sula
Enjoy!
Laura
They turned out really nice. I shared them in a cookie exchange.
Sula
Oh yes, these are perfect for a cookie exchange!
Kyleigh
The cutest christmas treat!!
Sula
Cute and delish!
King
Baking these for a holiday party cookie bakeoff. I'm not competitive but I'm pretty much the best at everything. these stood out to me in looks, taste, and festive looks. I'd chill the dough covered for at least 2 hours before rolling it in the powdered sugar. I used about a 2 tbsp cookie scoop and the dough broke it so I used my hands for the rest and it was still sticky. I got about 22 cookies so less than recipe said but not a deal breaker. Just means more unwrapped candy cane kisses for me. 😉
Sula
I just made a batch of these 2 days ago and my cookie scoop is definitely smaller than 2 tablespoons, I think it holds one tablespoon. I got either 37 or 38 cookies in that batch. And I'm sorry about your cookie scoop, I had that happen to me once with a different recipe when I refrigerated the dough so long that it got super cold and hard.