Candy Cane Blossoms are a tasty, festive holiday thumbprint cookie! Sugar cookie dough is enhanced with colored sugars and minty candy cane Kisses.

Add these Candy Cane Cookies to your holiday baking list!!

Overhead view of Candy Cane Blossoms on a white ceramic tray.

Why You Must Make

  • This recipe is a festive twist on the popular Peanut Blossom that’s a peanut butter cookie topped with a chocolate kiss.
  • Treats with a mint flavor profile are perfect for Christmas, especially when they’re cookies that are covered with red and green sugar!
  • These make an impressive presentation when piled on a cookie tray! They’re great for cookie exchanges and holiday hostess gifts.

Katie has been hinting around about these Candy Cane blossoms for weeks. She saw these on Pinterest and made sure I pinned them, too. I’m not sure what her ulterior motive was, for me to buy a bag of Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses or for me to make these cookies. Don’t these candy cane blossoms just shout Christmas?!!!

How to Make

If you’ve ever made Peanut Blossoms, you know the drill! But if you’re new to this kind of cookie, here are the basics.

  1. Preheat the oven and line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Unwrap the Kisses so they’re ready to go.
  3. Make the cookie dough. Chill for about 30 minutes if it’s too sticky to roll.
  4. Shape into 1-inch balls.
  5. Roll in colored sugar and place on cookie sheet.
  6. Bake as directed.
  7. Allow the cookies to cool for about 2-3 minutes, then press a Kiss into the middle of each cookie.
  8. Remove the cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Candy Cane Blossoms on a square white plate

Recipe Tips

  • There is no mint flavoring in the cookie dough, so you can top with any variety of Hershey’s Kisses you’d like.
  • Roll in different colored sugars for different occasions.
  • I like using a cookie disher to scoop out evenly sized dough balls. Having the same-sized cookies gives a more professional-looking result. But they’re delicious even if the sizes vary a bit.
  • Roll the dough between your palms to help make nice round balls. Then roll in colored sugar which can be red, green or a combination!
  • Use a parchment-lined baking sheet for two reasons. First, the parchment prevents the cookies from sticking to the pan. Also, it makes for easy cleanup!
  • Pro-Tip: Waiting 3 minutes before adding the Kisses worked perfectly. I tried a few after one minute and the Kiss melted and lost its iconic shape.
  • Pro-Tip: You can also chill your Kisses so they don’t melt as quickly after inserting them into the cookies

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Blossom Cookies?

Typically, blossoms are sugar cookie or peanut butter cookie dough rolled in sugar, baked, and then topped with a chocolate candy Kiss. Peanut blossoms are the iconic blossom cookie, but I’ve also made Rolo blossoms using a chocolate caramel candy instead of a Kiss.

How Do You Store Hershey’s Kiss Cookies?

These cookies should stay fresh for 3-4 days if kept in an airtight container at room temperature. They’ll also freeze well for up to 2 months. To freeze, separate layers with either parchment or waxed paper.

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Candy Cane Blossoms on a holiday cookie tray with Pinwheel Cookies.

A couple of my Best Christmas Cookies on a holiday tray for our annual neighborhood cookie exchange.
This post was first shared in December 2012. Photos and text were updated in 2019.

Easy Christmas cookies with a candy cane kiss in a white creamic bowl

Candy Cane Blossoms Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Yield 4 dozen

A holiday twist on thumbprint cookies! Recipe adapted from Hershey's

Ingredients

  • ½ cup butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 cups flour
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • Red and Green decorative sugar
  • 48 Hershey's Kisses, Candy Cane flavor

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350º. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
  2. Unwrap the Kisses and set aside.
  3. Cream butter and sugar, then add egg and vanilla and mix till well blended. Mix in milk, then add dry ingredients and mix till combined.
  4. Chill, covered with plastic, for 30-60 minutes if too sticky to roll.
  5. Shape into 1-inch balls. Roll in colored sugar and place on cookie sheet.
  6. Bake for 8-10 minutes or till cookies are set and very lightly browned. Allow to cool for about 2-3 minutes, then press a Kiss into the middle of each cookie. Remove cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Notes

If you can't find candy cane kisses, white chocolate kisses would be another tasty option.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

24

Serving Size:

2 cookies

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 156Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 77mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 1gSugar: 14gProtein: 2g

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