Christmas Kiss Cookies – A Festive Treat for the Holidays

These Christmas kiss cookies are an adaptation of the classic peanut butter blossom recipe. Instead of a peanut butter base, this recipe uses sugar cookie dough.

The chocolate kiss in the center of the cookie gives it the signature look, and the red and green sprinkles dress up the cookie for the holidays.

These cookies are easy to make: prepare and chill the dough, roll it in sprinkles, bake, and press a chocolate kiss in the center when the cookie is still warm. The result is a soft, chewy cookie with a festive touch that is perfect for a Christmas dessert table or a holiday cookie swap.

Keep reading to learn how to make these festive Christmas cookies with Hershey kisses.

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Ingredients for the Christmas kiss cookies recipe

Baked Cookies Day is December 18. Let’s make a holiday cookie to celebrate. You’ll need these ingredients:

• ¾ cups of unsalted butter at room temperature (1 ½ sticks)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup of granulated sugar
• 2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 36 candy kisses, unwrapped (I used both regular chocolate kisses and peppermint ones)
• Betty Crocker chocolate cookie icing tube
• Sugar crystals and sprinkles in holiday colors

You’ll also need a mixer, a baking sheet, and a silicone mat.

Directions for making these holiday kiss cookies

Start by preheating the oven to 350º F (180º C). Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat.

This recipe uses a basic sugar cookie dough. You can make a big batch of it and freeze it into logs ahead of time if you wish. Then you’ll have it on hand to use for other Christmas cookie recipes.

Place the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk them to combine and set the dry ingredients aside.

Put the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on a medium speed for 2 minutes until they are light and fluffy.

Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix in the vanilla extract. Beat well until a stiff dough forms.

Place the dough on a sheet of Saran Wrap and put it in the fridge to cool for at least an hour. If you wish, you can make it the night before and cool the dough overnight.

Remove the dough from the fridge. Take spoonfuls of the dough and form them into balls about 1 ¼ inches in size. Roll the balls of dough in festive sprinkles or sugar crystals.

Bake the dough for 10-12 minutes until the cookies are soft. Don’t let them get too crispy, or it will be hard to add the candy kisses later.

Place the cookies on a wire rack. Use a small bottle top to make an indentation in the middle of each cookie while it is still warm. This will flatten the cookie slightly.

Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes.

Next, you need to add the candy kisses to the cookies. Be patient, though. If you add them too soon, the chocolate will melt. Let them cool for at least 10 minutes.

To be sure the candy kisses stick to the cookies, use a tube of chocolate frosting to hold them in place.

Add a dab of chocolate under each kiss, and then place them in the indentation you just made in the cookie balls. 

One nice thing about this recipe is that it is so versatile. You can decorate the cookies for Christmas using holiday sprinkles and peppermint kisses, the way we have done here. 

Then, when the holidays are done, you can make them year-round without the sprinkles, and they will be a favorite in your house, as they are in mine.

Tasting the Christmas kiss cookies

These holiday cookies with kisses have a bit of a crunch when you bite into them. The delicious milk chocolate kiss gives just the right amount of richness without making the cookie too sweet.

This holiday cookies recipe makes a perfect homemade cookie gift. I made a few batches of them, because I know they won’t last long at my house!

Share this Christmas kiss cookies recipe on X

If you enjoyed making these holiday kiss cookies, why not share the recipe with a friend? Here is a post to get you started:

More holiday cookie recipes to try

The holidays are here! Let’s make some other holiday treats:

• Candy cane kiss cookies – This peppermint kiss cookie recipe is a favorite at my house.
• Walnut crescent cookies – Make these vanilla cookies, using crescent roll dough.
• Holiday-shaped brownie – These festive brownie pops are chewy and delicious.

Pin this recipe for Christmas cookies with candy kiss centers

Would you like a reminder of this Hershey kiss cookies recipe for Christmas? Pin this image to one of your boards on Pinterest so that you can easily find it later.

Admin note: This recipe for kiss Christmas cookies first appeared on the blog in December of 2015. I have updated the post to add all new photos, a printable recipe card, and a video for you to enjoy.

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Yield: 36 Christmas kiss cookies

Holiday Kiss Cookies - Hershey Kiss Christmas Cookies

Print

These deliciously festive holiday sugar cookies are rolled in sprinkles and topped with a sweet candy kiss. Make them for your next cookie exchange. They will be a real hit!

Prep Time 1 hour

Cook Time 10 minutes

Additional Time 40 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes

Ingredients

• ¾ cup of unsalted butter at room temperature (1 ½ sticks)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup of granulated sugar
• 2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• 36 candy kisses, unwrapped
• 2 tablespoons of Betty Crocker chocolate cookie Icing
• 3 tablespoons of sugar crystals and sprinkles

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350º F (180º C).
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and set it aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar over medium speed for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, and then beat in the vanilla extract.
5. Mix well until a stiff dough forms - about 2 minutes.
6. Place the dough on a sheet of Saran Wrap and put it in the fridge for at least an hour or overnight to cool.
7. Remove the dough from the fridge.
8. Take spoonfuls of the dough and form them into balls about 1 ¼ inches in size.
9. Roll the balls of dough in festive sprinkles or red and green sugar crystals.
10. Bake 10-12 minutes until the cookies are soft-baked. Don't let them get too crisp, or the kisses will be hard to add.
11. Move the cookies to a wire rack.
12. Use a small bottle top to make an indentation in the middle of each cookie to flatten it slightly.
13. Let the cookies cool for at least 5 minutes.
14. Add a dab of chocolate frosting to the bottom of each candy kiss and place it in the center of the cookie.
15. Enjoy!
16. Store the cookies in an airtight container.

Notes

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases but the price is the same for you.

• 
  KitchenAid Artisan Series 5 Quart Tilt Head Stand Mixer with Shield
• 
  Wilton Holiday Sprinkles Assortment, 6.8 oz.
• 
  Betty Crocker Milk Chocolate Cookie Icing, 7-ounces (Pack of6)

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

36

Serving Size:

1 cookie
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 125Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 22mgSodium: 54mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 0gSugar: 10gProtein: 2g

Nutritional information is approximate due to natural variation in ingredients and the cook-at-home nature of our meals.

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