New and improved! Easy Peppermint Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies are delicious buttery chocolate treats that are baked to perfection and topped with a colorful red and white chocolate peppermint kiss.
They are the perfect addition to your holiday cookie and candy baking trays. I love to include them on my Christmas trays with Chocolate Covered Cherries, Buckeye Balls, Spritz Cookies and Butter Cookies.
Well it is baking season again. I just love this time of the year with all of its festive fun. Christmas cookies are a super fun tradition in our house and with a little planning it can be done without loosing your mind. Most baked cookies are super freezer friendly and with just a few hints you can master the art of freezing cookies. These cookies are so easy, delicious and super freezer friendly. This recipe calls for white chocolate peppermint kisses and they do go fast this time of year so plan accordingly. There is also dough chilling time so allow time for that in your schedule as well.
Why this recipe works!
- These fun and festive cookies are perfect for the holiday season. They will complement any cookie or candy tray beautifully.
- These scrumptious treats freeze very well. Therefore they can be prepared in advance, frozen and then brought out to thaw just in time for all the festivities.
- These cookies are a cinch to make. Even the novice chef can handle these cuties with just a little measuring, mixing and rolling.
How do you freeze Peppermint Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies?
The cookies should be fully cooled before freezing. Carefully pack the cookies in doubled Ziploc freezer bags and place them in sturdy gladware containers. When defrosting take them out of the containers frozen and place on serving trays or platters uncovered until they defrost. Then store in airtight containers. Never allow them to defrost in the plastic and the containers. The condensation that builds in there will ruin the cookies.
How do you make Peppermint Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies?
First throw the peppermint kisses in the freezer for about 2 hours before you start the rest of the recipe. Using a mixer cream the butter and both sugars with until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time and mix just until incorporated. Then mix in the vanilla extract.
Now in a medium bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Add the dry mixture to butter mixture in 3 parts. Blend after each addition just until combined scraping down the side of the mixer bowl as needed. Remove the bowl from the mixer, cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours up to overnight.
The dough will be kind of sticky so butter your hands and roll the dough into a little less than 1 inch balls. Place on cookie sheets covered with parchment paper or silicone mats. Bake for about 7-8 minutes. While the cookies are baking unwrap the frozen kisses. Allow the cookies to cool for 3 minutes only and then gently press 1 peppermint kiss into the top of each cookie. Move to cookie cooling racks being very careful not to the touch the chocolate as it may be soft.
Recipe notes and helpful tips
- Always preheat the oven and load your cookies on the middle rack in the center of the oven.
- Cover your baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- For best results freeze the kisses two hours before starting the recipe. This will help keep the kisses from melting when you place them on the top of the cookies.
- I really like Land O Lakes butter. It is the only butter I use for my cookie baking anymore.
- The dough works best when chilled for 3 hours up to overnight.
- When we took this recipe back to the test kitchen (also known as Beth’s kitchen) we found that the vanilla extract tasted better. However feel free to use peppermint extract instead but cut it down to 3/4 teaspoon so it is not overpowering.
- Gently press the kiss into the top of the cookie creating a small indentation.
- These cookies can be frozen for four to six weeks. I don’t like to go much further than that because of the white chocolate kiss. Simply double wrap in freezer bags and place in a sturdy container. The dough can be double wrapped and frozen for two months.
- If you have time do a test run with one or two cookies. It really helps to establish optimum baking time.
This post was originally published November 14, 2019 and was republished November 28, 2020 with a new and improved recipe, along with new photos.
PrintPeppermint Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
Fun holiday peppermint chocolate thumbprint cookies topped with a white chocolate peppermint kiss. These Christmas cookies are family friendly, easy to make and so delectable.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 23 minutes plus 3 hours chilling time
- Yield: 28 cookies 1x
- Category: dessert
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened (preferably Land O Lakes)
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or 3/4 teaspoon peppermint)
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened baking cocoa
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 28 –30 frozen peppermint kisses
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Cream butter and both sugars with mixer until light and fluffy. Turn mixer to low and add egg yolks one at a time and mix just until incorporated. Mix in vanilla extract.
- Whisk together flour, baking cocoa, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a medium bowl. Add the dry mixture to butter mixture in 3 parts. Blend on low after each addition just until combined; scraping down the side of mixer bowl as needed. Remove bowl from mixer, cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours up to overnight.
- Butter hands and roll dough into a little less than 1 inch balls. Place on cookie sheet with 1-2 inches between cookies.
- Bake for 7-8 minutes. Allow to cool for 3 minutes only. Press 1 peppermint kiss into the top of each cookie. Carefully move to cookie cooling racks without touching the peppermint kiss as it may be soft.
Notes
- Always preheat the oven and load your cookies on the middle rack in the center of the oven.
- Cover your baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- For best results freeze the kisses two hours before starting the recipe. This will help keep the kisses from melting when you place them on the top of the cookies.
- I really like Land O Lakes butter. I have started using it for all of my cookies.
- The dough works best when chilled for 3 hours up to overnight.
- When we took this recipe back to the test kitchen (also known as Beth’s kitchen) we found that the vanilla extract tasted better. However feel free to use peppermint extract instead but cut it down to 3/4 teaspoon so it is not overpowering.
- Gently press the kiss into the top of the cookie creating a small indentation.
- These cookies can be frozen for four to six weeks. I don’t like to go much further than that because of the white chocolate kiss. Simply double wrap in freezer bags and place in a sturdy container. The dough can be double wrapped and frozen for two months.
- If you have time do a test run with one or two cookies. It really helps to establish optimum baking time.
Keywords: how to make chocolate thumbprint cookies, cocoa thumbprints, can you freeze chocolate thumbprint cookies
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Jessica
I forgot to put a second stick of butter in eek! They have been in the fridge overnight already. Would you suggest I start all over or can I add in the other stick of butter after all other ingredients have already been combined?
Beth Pierce
That is a hard call Jessica. I think before I threw the dough away and started over I would try to beat that butter in. Soften the butter first and cook 1-2 cookies as a test run. That is such an easy mistake. Been there done that!
Emily
These tasted amazing, especially straight out of the oven when the kiss was slightly melted. The next day, the kiss was really solid and hard to eat with the cookie…any advice about that?
★★★★★
Beth Pierce
No sorry that is kind of the way they turn out. Kind of like blossom cookies.
Xina
Can you freeze the dough? I was going to make a double batch but only make half for now.
Beth Pierce
Yes you can. It would even been helpful to shape them into balls and flash freeze. Once frozen transfer to a Ziploc freezer bag. Store in a really cold part of the freezer. Thaw on parchment covered baking sheets in the fridge. That way they are all in their places when you bake them.
Laura Reese
We loved these cookies! Perfect holiday flavors.
★★★★★
Long
These look soooooooooo pretty! I am totally making these at some point! Just one question, does th indent you add before baking change the way it bakes or looks? I just wanted to let you know that these cookies are so cute! Thank you!
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much! I don’t add any indent before baking. I just gently place the kiss on top cooking pressing maybe an 1/8 of an inch.
Mary
Do you think these would be ok to ship?
Beth Pierce
I have never shipped them but I think they would be fine!!
Ghulam Mohyudin
Good to know that works too! I learn so much from you as well! Keep it up great post.
★★★★★