Easy Peppermint Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies Recipe (2024)

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Easy Peppermint Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies Recipe (1) Lindsay

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These Peppermint Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies are soft, chewy Christmas chocolate cookies topped with peppermint Hershey kisses – one of my favorite little holiday candies! They are delicious and will make you the hit of your holiday cookie exchange!

If you like thumbprint cookies as much as I do, you should also try these delicious Peanut Butter Blossoms!

Easy Peppermint Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies Recipe (2)

Table of Contents

  • How to make Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
  • Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies with Hershey Kisses
  • Get the Recipe
Easy Peppermint Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies Recipe (3)

There are few things that I’ve been loving more than peppermint for the holidays. When I was pregnant last year, all of sudden I craved all things peppermint and that hasn’t really gone away. I’m still totally in love with peppermint flavored things for Christmas!

So when I decided to make a chocolate thumbprint cookie, I knew they needed to be topped with the candy cane Hershey kisses. I think of all the little peppermint candies out there, those might be my fave. Such great flavor and I love the little crunchy things in them. So good!

Naturally when you combine a delicious chocolate cookie with a delicious peppermint kiss, you’ve got a fabulous cookie on your hands that’s totally worthy of your cookie tray!

Easy Peppermint Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies Recipe (4)
Easy Peppermint Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies Recipe (5)

How to make Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

To get started making these little drops of Christmas cookie heaven, you’ll want to cream the butter and sugar together until it’s lighter in color and fluffy in texture. I used both regular and brown sugar in these cookies. I often find that brown sugar offers a deeper flavor and more moisture and they definitely add to these chocolate thumbprint cookies.

Next up you’ll add your egg and vanilla extract, then the dry ingredients. When the cookie dough is ready to go, roll it into large tablespoon sized balls, then roll the balls in a little sugar. After placing the ball onto a cookie sheet, press a little indent into the center of the cookie – a “thumbprint”. It will fill back in a good bit when baking, but it’ll give you a spot to add your hershey kiss later.

The cookies bake for just 6-7 minutes and once they are done, you can add your peppermint kiss.

Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies with Hershey Kisses

The final Peppermint Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies are not only pretty, but delicious! So wonderfully soft to bite into, with the crunch of the hershey kisses. I love the chocolate and peppermint flavor combination – just perfect!

Easy Peppermint Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies Recipe (6)
Easy Peppermint Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies Recipe (7)

You might also like:
Candy Cane Cookies
Peppermint Cheesecake Brownie Trifle
Chocolate Peppermint Shortbread Cookies
Peppermint Chip Layer Cake
Peppermint Espresso Brownie Cheesecake
Chocolate Peppermint Biscotti
Peppermint Chocolate Pancakes
Peanut Butter Blossoms

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Easy Peppermint Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies Recipe (8)

Recipe

Peppermint Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.7 from 7 reviews

  • Author: Lindsay
  • Prep Time: 45 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
  • Yield: 26-28 cookies
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

Peppermint Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies are soft, chewy Christmas chocolate cookies topped with peppermint Hershey kisses. Perfect for cookie exchanges!

Ingredients

  • 10 tbsp (140g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup (112g) brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 1/2 cup (104g) sugar, plus 3 tbsp for rolling
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cups (163g) all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup (57g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2628 Candy Cane Hershey’s Kisses

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C). Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
2. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a medium sized bowl. Set aside.
3. Cream butter and sugars (minus the 3 tablespoons of sugar for rolling) together until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
4. Mix in egg and vanilla extract.
5. Add the dry ingredients and mix until well incorporated and thick.
6. Roll one tablespoon sized balls of cookie dough. (NOTE: If you make larger balls of cookie dough, the cookies will spread more.)
7. Put the 3 additional tablespoons of sugar into a small bowl and roll each ball of cookie dough in it, coating the ball fully, then place the cookie dough balls on the lined cookie sheet.
8. Bake the cookies for 6-7 minutes.
9. Remove the cookies from the oven and press an unwrapped hershey kiss into the top center of each cookie. Allow cookies to cool for 2-3 minutes, the remove to cooling rack to cool completely.

Notes

The cookie dough can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 3 days. While you don’t have to refrigerate the cookie dough before baking, I do find that if you refrigerate it for about 24 hours first, the cookies bake even more soft, thick and chewy.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 Cookie
  • Calories: 92
  • Sugar: 6.7 g
  • Sodium: 70.1 mg
  • Fat: 4.9 g
  • Carbohydrates: 11.9 g
  • Protein: 1.2 g
  • Cholesterol: 17.5 mg

Categories

  • Christmas
  • Cookies
  • Holidays
  • Recipes
  • Sweets and Treats

Enjoy!

Easy Peppermint Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why are my thumbprint cookies falling apart? ›

The dough should be chilled for at least 30 minutes, so that you can shape it into balls and indent without falling apart. Check that your oven temperature isn't too high.

How do you keep thumbprint cookies from spreading? ›

Storing your dough in the fridge helps to harden the fat and prevent your cookies from spreading. Allow it to chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Why are my thumbprint cookies cracking when putting thumbprint? ›

Thumbprints crack if the dough is too cold or pressed to aggressively. I recommend using your index finger and pressing firmly but make the indent slowly.

Why are they called thumbprint cookies? ›

Thumbprint Cookies originally got their name from bakers who pushed their thumb down into the cookies, creating a small indentation in each one.

Should you refrigerate thumbprint cookies? ›

No. After baking, thumbprint cookies do not need to be refrigerated. To store them, simply save in an airtight container at room temperature. You can store them in the refrigerator if you prefer, but it's not necessary.

What is the secret to thick cookies? ›

A low proportion of sugar relative to flour reduces spread, keeping the cookies thick. A high proportion of mix-ins helps thicken the dough. Blending chocolate chip styles creates a more dynamic flavor. Overnight refrigeration hydrates the flour, again helping the cookies stay thick.

What makes cookies fluffy and not flat? ›

Try using baking powder instead of baking soda. Baking soda encourages spreading while baking powder puffs the cookies up. If your recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of baking soda, you would use 3 to 4 teaspoons of baking powder.

What is the shelf life of Thumbprint Cookies? ›

When does Thumbprint Cookies expire? When does Thumbprint Cookies expire? Thumbprint cookies, whether homemade or store-bought, generally maintain their best quality for up to 1 to 2 weeks at normal room temperature.

Can I freeze dough for thumbprint cookies? ›

Absolutely! Thumbprint cookies will either have their indentions made before or after baking. If that occurs before baking, you can do that before they're frozen so that they're ready to go when you're ready to bake them.

How long can thumbprint cookie dough be refrigerated? ›

Most cookie dough can be refrigerated, well-wrapped, for 3-5 days before baking. If you want to make it farther in advance, freeze the dough. You can either freeze the entire brick of dough or divide it into portions for quick baking.

Do you need an electric mixer to make cookies? ›

Cookie dough can be mixed by hand or with an electric mixer. Take butter or margarine from refrigerator 10-15 minutes before using or cut into 1-inch pieces so it will blend more easily and evenly with other ingredients.

What are Elvis cookies? ›

The Elvis: Peanut Butter, Banana and Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies.

What are the oldest cookies in the world? ›

Pizzelles are the oldest known cookie and originated in the mid-section of Italy. They were made many years ago for the “Festival of the Snakes” also known as the “Feast Day of San Domenico” in the village of Colcullo in the Italian region of Abruzzo.

What is the old name for cookies? ›

While the English primarily referred to cookies as small cakes, seed biscuits, or tea cakes, or by specific names, such as jumbal or macaroon, the Dutch called the koekjes, a diminutive of koek (cake)...

What ingredient makes a cookie crumbly? ›

There are several reasons why the cookies may have become dry and crumbly but the two most likely are that either the cookies were baked for too long or too much flour was added to the dough.

Why did my cookies rise and then fall? ›

Dough that's too airy.

The goal, usually, is to only incorporate the two ingredients without reaching the "light and fluffy" stage. When you mix the butter and sugar together at high speed or for too long, you'll aerate the dough excessively, causing the cookies to rise—and then fall—in the oven.

How do you make cookies stick together? ›

Binding agents are the liquid in the recipe that hold the cookie together. Examples of binding agents are eggs, milk, honey, and fruit juice. Cookies with more eggs will rise more and spread less. If you want a crispier cookie, you can replace a whole egg with just an egg white.

Why are my cookies broken? ›

Wrong butter temperature

Butter that is too soft or melted will make it hard for your cookies to hold their shape. On the other hand, incorporating cold butter into a mixture of dry ingredients is troublesome and difficult. Here's a hack: Cut your butter into cubes before letting them soften at room temperature.

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