Red and white sugar and a candy kiss give these Candy Cane Kiss Cookies a festive holiday look. These sparkly chocolate kiss cookies will be the first treat to disappear off your holiday cookie tray this year.
I don't know about you, but I just love this time of year. I think it has something to do with all the cookies and fudge and candy that is always sure to be anywhere we go.
Yes, my sweet tooth gets a workout more than normal during the holidays. Thank goodness for weight and cardio workouts to keep me in check.
One thing that is an absolute must during the holidays is a cookie baking marathon. Just make sure you do NOT wrap your cookies in ziplock bags or saran wrap and put them on a tray INSIDE the oven.
Yes, that happened to us one year. We spent all day making peppermint snowball cookies, peppermint Oreo cookies, peppermint Oreo bark, and these Christmas kiss cookies.
We had to be somewhere later in the afternoon, so I bagged up the cooled cookies in a few Ziplock bags and left a few that were still cooling on the cookie sheets. I then proceeded to place all of the above items inside the oven.
You see, we had a dog who liked to steal goodies, so I thought I was being smart by hiding the trays and bags from her.
It turns out I'm not as smart as I think because we got home, and I decided to make a batch of peppermint brownie truffles that night. I turned the oven on and started to work on the cookie dough.
In a few minutes the smell of burning plastic had me running to the oven in a hurry and then a lot of crying may have happened.
Ever since then I have been a compulsive oven checker. I turn the oven on and open the door every.single.time now!
Ingredients Needed
Most of these ingredients are probably already in your pantry or fridge. So, just run out and buy a bag or two of the kisses and some colored sugars, so you can get baking.
- Butter - Set it out ahead of time, so it is easier to mix the cookie dough.
- Sugar - A mixture of granulated sugar and brown sugar sweetens the dough.
- Egg & Greek Yogurt - Adds moisture and binds the ingredients together.
- Baking Soda - Provides the lift as the cookies bake.
- Cocoa Powder - I like to use Hershey's dark cocoa powder to give these cookies a dark look.
- Flour - Thickens the dough. See how to measure flour correctly, so your cookies turn out right every time.
- Toppings - red and white sanding sugars and Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses give the kiss cookies a pretty holiday look.
How to Make Candy Cane Kiss Cookies
Make Cookie Dough
Beat the butter and sugars until the mixture is creamy. Add the egg and yogurt and mix it again.
Stir together the flour, baking soda, and cocoa powder. Slowly beat this into the butter mixture. Refrigerate the dough for 2 hours.
Scoop out 36 dough balls. Roll each one into a round shape. The dough is sticky, so you will need to spray your hands with nonstick baking spray to keep it from sticking to you while you roll the dough.
Bake & Decorate Cookies
Roll each dough ball in the sanding sugars and place on a baking sheet and bake. Remove and let the cookies cool on the tray for a few minutes.
Transfer the cookies to a sheet of parchment on your counter and top each one with an unwrapped candy cane kiss. The heat from the cookies will cause the kisses to "melt" and get soft.
Do not move the cookies until everything has cooled and the kiss has set back up again.
Storage Recommendations
Keep the cooled cookies in a tightly sealed container on the counter for 3-4 days. The chocolate kiss cookies can also be frozen in a freezer safe bag or container for 1-2 months. Thaw overnight on the counter.
More Easy Holiday Cookies
- Easy Red Velvet Blossoms
- Mint Truffle Kiss Cookies
- Orange Cardamom Cookies
- Shortbread Bar Cookies
- Peppermint Crunch Chocolate Cookies
- Peppermint Mocha Cookies
- Mint Chocolate Pudding Cookies
- Molasses Crackle Cookies
- Peppermint Meltaways
- Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Recipe
Candy Cane Kiss Cookies
These chocolate Candy Cane Kiss Cookies are rolled in red and white sugar and then topped with a candy kiss. They will be one of the first cookies to disappear off your holiday cookie tray.
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt
- ⅔ cup dark cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- coarse red and white sanding sugar
- 36 Candy Cane Kisses, unwrapped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Unwrap the kisses and place in a bowl in the freezer.
- Beat the butter and sugars until creamy. Add the yogurt and egg and beat again.
- Stir together the cocoa powder, baking soda, and flour. Slowly beat into the butter mixture. Refrigerate the dough for 2 hours.
- Roll the dough into 36 balls and roll in the red and white sugar. The cookie dough will be very sticky. Place on a baking sheet.
- Bake for 8-9 minutes. Cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes. Place on a cooling rack on the counter.
- Press a frozen kiss into the top of each cookie. Do not move the cookies until they are completely cool and the kiss has set back up.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 36 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 130Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 45mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 0gSugar: 16gProtein: 1g
Nutrition facts are an estimate and are not guaranteed to be accurate. If you need special diet advice, please see a registered dietician.
*The post and recipe for these Chocolate Candy Cane Kiss Cookies was originally published on December 2013. It was updated and republished December 2018.
Susan
So very disappointed in this recipe! Ridiculously sweet...overly chewy texture. Components are tasty but the candy completely overwhelms the cocoa flavor. And while the sanding sugar adds to the appearance it just adds more sickening sweetness. The grandkids will eat them but I won’t make again.
Jocelyn
I am so sorry to hear you didn't care for these cookies. They have been made multiple times in our house, and I have taken them to parties over the years where they get rave reviews. I test and try each recipe to make sure it is approved before sharing online. That being said, everyone does have very different tastes, and if you are not used to eating a lot of sugar, then they will be sweet to you.
Bianca
Can I leave out the red and white sugars., and just roll them plain.
Jocelyn
You can roll them in regular sugar, but the red and white is so much prettier. 😉
Jackie
Can I use regular yogurt or does it have to be Greek yogurt?
Jocelyn
The Greek yogurt is better because it is thicker. You can also use sour cream if you have that on hand.
Jo Ann B
I used the sour cream and frankly prefer it. The cookies came out perfectly.
Mallory Lanz
Chocolate peppermint flavored cookies are my favorite!
Jennifer
I made these cookies for a holiday party and everyone LOVED them!!!
Lauren
The more sparkles, the better! These are so much fun!
Jamielyn
Adding these to my cookie plate this year! Yum!
Kristyn
Everything about these cookies screams delicious, festive, & cute! Chocolate & peppermint is the best combination!
Peggyvball
I'm a rookie baker. I've made the dough and now I have sticky dough - as you said it would be. I'm not sure how to roll these into a ball. Should I have flour and roll them in flour? No, I just rolled them without anything! 🙂 I didn't have time to get the special sugar but I used regular sprinkles and they came out wonderful!!! Thank you sooo much for this wonderful recipe - they look and taste great!
Jocelyn
Haha! Yes, this dough is very sticky. I'm glad you saw my comment about it and didn't roll them in extra flour. The sugar on them is all they need!
Sarah
I was really excited to make these but I only have unsweetened Hersey's chocolate will that work?
Jocelyn Brubaker
Do you mean for the cocoa powder? This particular recipe needs cocoa powder. If you add any more liquid ingredients it will be too runny.
sarah
Yes, sorry! I meant unsweetened cocoa powder. Wasn't sure if I'd need to add more sugar since it's unsweetened
Jocelyn Brubaker
That is exactly what you need 🙂 No extra sugar needed. I did use the dark cocoa powder, so if you use regular they won't be quite as dark. But they will still taste absolutely delicious!
sarah
Great! Thank you! And thanks for your quick responses!!! Can't wait to get home to bake 🙂
Melissa
So, I forgot to buy Greek yogurt. Any ideas on a substitution??
Jocelyn Brubaker
Sour cream would work too if you have that. I hope you are able to make these...they were so good!
Kristen Duke
I love the candy cane kisses and these cookies look so fun with the red and white sugar!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Thank you so much Kristen!!!
Alice
I been following your blog for a while now, and I really wanted to try these to give away as Christmas presents. However, I've never had much luck baking cookies, but I thought I'd give it a shot. They turned out great - just like your pictures! They taste great too. I did add an extra step to your instructions. After I rolled them in sugar, I froze them for 20 minutes to keep them from spreading too thin, which worked perfectly. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Jocelyn Brubaker
I am so excited to hear that you tried these cookies! And I am even more excited to hear yours turned out like the picture 🙂 The freezer tip does work great for keeping cookies from spreading thin, although I have never had these go too thin yet.
Katrina @ In Katrina's Kitchen
Oh I have had my fair share of ruined cookies! I sure would be extra sad if these cuties got messed up. They are adorable!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Thanks Katrina!!! Thank goodness this happened years ago when I just made plain cookies and plain chocolate covered pretzels...I would die if it happened now with as much time as I spend on my baking!
Renee @ Awesome on $20
These cookies are so cute. Normally, I'm not a Hersey's Kiss fan, but the candy cane ones are irresistible. I'd love to try these cookies.
Jocelyn Brubaker
Not a Kiss fan? Hhhhmmm I'm not sure about that...you redeemed yourself by adding that you liked the candy cane ones 😉 I hope you give these cookies a try for sure!
Ashley @ Kitchen Meets Girl
The peppermint kisses are my favorite! I love how you rolled these in the red and green sugar - so pretty and sparkly!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Thank you Ashley! Those are one of my fav kisses too!!!
Cheryl Pottorf
I Love the kisses also. Is there a substitute for the yogurt?
Jocelyn
Sour cream can also be used for the yogurt. I hope you enjoy the cookies!
Julianne @ Beyond Frosting
What a fun kiss cookie! I love the colored sugar!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Thank you Julianne!
Chels R.
OMG-I love how they sparkle!!! So cute, my kids are going to flip out for them.
Jocelyn Brubaker
Thank you so much Chels! The shimmer is what makes me smile the most on these cookies...that and the kiss!
Norma | Allspice and Nutmeg
You got me with the peppermint. My favorite. Pinning!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Glad I could reel you in with the peppermint 🙂 thank you for the pin love!
Kelly @ old blue silo
Ugh! I hate it when I leave something the oven and forget about it 🙁
A month or so ago, I had a few loaves of bread rising with plastic wrap over them and I forgot to take the wrap off before I put them in the oven!! I was so depressed because I don't make bread very often and I needed it for a blog post.
P.S. Back to the cookies.. they look amazing! I am sure they taste as good as they look 🙂
Jocelyn Brubaker
Oh no!!! That is so sad about the bread...especially maddening when you need it for something too!