Chocolate Peppermint Blossoms have a soft, rich chocolate cookie with a sugar exterior and a red and white striped Hershey’s peppermint kiss pressed on top. They are the white chocolate candy cane cousins of Peanut Butter Blossoms and are perfect for cookie exchanges and cookie plates.
- Ingredients
- Let’s make chocolate peppermint blossom cookies!
- Storage and freezing
- Tips & variations
- More Favorite Christmas Cookies
- Chocolate Peppermint Blossoms Recipe
Whenever I’m invited to a cookie exchange, these little beauties are always at the top of my list when I’m considering what to make. They are super simple, which means I don’t have to spend hours messing around with decorating or sprinkles. But they still look beautiful and festive with the red and white stripes!
Plus, the peppermint & chocolate combinations is classic for Christmas but often underrepresented at cookie exchanges!
If peppermint and chocolate is your ultimate holiday flavor combo, then we should definitely be friends. Some of our other favorite peppermint recipes are Peppermint Bark Caramel Corn , Peppermint Macarons , and Peppermint Marshmallows on a brownie with hot fudge on top!
The chocolate peppermint blossoms are one of my kids’ favorite Christmas cookies to make because there are so many jobs for them. They enjoy unwrapping the peppermint Hershey’s kisses, rolling the balls of chocolate cookie dough into spheres, then in the sugar, and most important of all, pressing the kisses into the warm cookies.
The way the peppermint Hershey’s kiss starts to melt slightly on top is my favorite part! It’s a little trickier to achieve than standard peanut butter blossoms, which use milk chocolate kisses that hold their shape better as they melt.
If you press the peppermint kiss into the hot cookies immediately after removing them from the oven, chances are that your kisses won’t hold their shapes at all and will turn to puddles in the center of your cookies. Delicious, mint-flavored puddles, mind you, but they won’t look quite as nice.
If that happens, just call them chocolate thumbprint cookies and no one will be the wiser.
But if you want the cute little kiss shape to remain, you need to wait at least 4 minutes before pressing the kisses into the tops of each cookie. At that point, they still have plenty of residual heat to barely melt the kiss on the bottom, but it won’t compromise the integrity of the kiss shape.
Ingredients
- Butter: I use salted butter in almost all of my baking because it’s what I always keep on hand.
- Sugar: A combination of granulated sugar and brown sugar is classic in cookies. You will also need a little extra granulated sugar for rolling balls of cookie dough in for that sparkly exterior with a slight crunch.
- All-purpose flour: I recipe tested the amount of flour to get it just right so the cookies wouldn’t flatten right out and maintain a little puffiness while staying soft.
- Cocoa powder: I used regular unsweetened cocoa powder in this recipe, but you could use Hershey’s Special Dark or other similar cocoa powder for a darker base if you wanted.
- Egg: Just one for binding.
- Baking soda: This ingredient gives a little lift to the cookies so they puff slightly and stay soft.
- Vanilla extract: A little vanilla extract really adds to the flavor of cookies. Have you ever tried making a batch of cookies without it? The flavor just feels flat and boring. Vanilla adds depth.
- Salt: Just a bit for these!
- Unwrapped Candy Cane Kisses: If Hershey’s ever discontinues these I would be so sad! I always stock up on at least 2-3 bags as soon as they come out in the stores every season!
Let’s make chocolate peppermint blossom cookies!
- Beat the butter and sugar: Use a stand mixer or your hand mixer to beat the butter and sugars together until they are creamy and smooth. This usually takes around 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat again until combined, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl
- Add dry ingredients: Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt and mix again until combined. The dough will be a soft one, but it should still be manageable even without refrigerating it first.
- Roll into balls, then roll in sugar: I use a small cookie scoop to ensure even sized balls, then roll them between the palms of my hands so they are smooth before tossing them around in a bowl of sugar to coat the outsides. Space them a couple inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake, wait, then top with unwrapped kisses: These cookies don’t take long to bake at all! Just 7-8 minutes so they say soft and even slightly underbaked. They should start looking puffy and look set around the edges so you know when they are done. Wait 5 minutes, then gently press a peppermint kiss into each cookie.
Storage and freezing
- Chocolate peppermint blossoms are best eaten within 2-3 days but will still be good for up to about 5 days if kept in an airtight container on the counter.
- They freeze well too! Just transfer them to a freezer-safe container for freeze for 2-3 months. Let thaw on the counter before enjoying.
Tips & variations
- Let them firm up: We prefer these still warm when the kiss is almost molten, but if you are taking these to a cookie exchange, let them sit for at least a couple of hours after baking to give the candy cane kisses time to firm up again before plating. If the kisses are still warm, they will squish easily and mar their picture perfect points and stripes.
- More mint!: The mint-iness is subtle and comes only from the kisses themselves. If you want to boost the mint flavor, I recommend adding ½ teaspoon of mint extract to the cookie dough along with the vanilla extract.
- Chocolate on chocolate: If you would rather do a chocolate, on chocolate version, just use regular Hershey’s Kisses. You don’t need to wait 5 minutes to press them into the cookies when they come out of the oven in this case.
- Rolo cookies: Turn these into Rolo cookies by using them same chocolate dough and wrapping it around a Rolo, then baking. The Rolo will melt in the oven for a caramel center that’s delicious!
More Favorite Christmas Cookies
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Mexican Wedding Cookies
- Jam Thumbprint Cookies
- Fresh Cranberry Shortbread Bars
Cookies
Easy Peanut Butter Blossoms
Cookies
Chocolate Thumbprint Turtle Cookies
Cookies
Toffee Pecan Shortbread Cookies
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Chocolate Peppermint Blossoms
Ingredients123
- ▢ 3/4 cup salted butter softened
- ▢ 1/2 cup granulated sugar + 3 tablespoons for rolling
- ▢ 1/2 cup brown sugar
- ▢ 1 large egg
- ▢ 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ▢ 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (188g)
- ▢ 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
- ▢ 24 unwrapped Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until creamy and light, about 2-3 minutes. ¾ cup salted butter, ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup brown sugar
- Add the egg and vanilla and beat again, scraping the sides of the bowl. 1 large egg, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt, mixing until combined. It’s a very soft dough, but I have found that it doesn’t require chilling. 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour, ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- Use a small cookie scoop to scoop the dough into 24 balls. Roll them between the palms of your hands to make nice, round spheres, then roll them in the remaining sugar in a shallow dish to coat the outside of each cookie.
- Place the balls of dough a couple inches apart on the prepared baking sheets and bake for 7-9 minutes, just until puffy and barely set, but very, very soft. Slightly underbaking is key to maintaining the soft texture of these cookies.
- Wait 4-5 minutes before pressing a peppermint kiss into the center of each cookie, then wait another 2-3 minutes before using a spatula to transfer them to a wire cooling rack. Placing the peppermint kisses earlier will result in them melting into a puddle in the center of the cookies. 24 unwrapped Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses
Notes
- Store the chocolate peppermint blossoms in an airtight container on the counter for up to 5 days.
- If you want to up the mint factor of these cookies, try adding ¼ to ½ teaspoon peppermint extract to the cookie dough at the same time that you add the vanilla extract.
Nutrition
Thumbprint Cookies are a buttery shortbread bite-size delight filled with your favorite jewel-colored jams, then drizzled with a simple vanilla glaze. They make a fun and tasty addition to any holiday cookie plate!
If you are looking to round out your Christmas cookie plates, be sure not to miss my Chocolate Crinkle Cookies , Soft & Chewy Molasses Cookies , and Perfect Peanut Butter Blossoms .
I adore shortbread cookies and look forward to making cranberry shortbread bars and toffee pecan shortbread cookies every year.
It’s the perfect canvas for showcasing other flavors in a crumbly, buttery cookie that practically melts in your mouth.
And it’s not as sweet as most cookies, which is why it goes so well with the fruity jam baked in the center of each little one- or maybe two-bite cookie.
These thumbprint cookies are no exception and one of my favorite traditional Christmas cookies. The easy shortbread dough comes together quickly and little helpers love rolling the dough into balls, then making the thumbprint to hold a dollop of jam.
And speaking of jam, you can use any jam flavor you like! I grabbed raspberry, blueberry, and apricot jam from my fridge for these thumbprint cookies and all were absolutely delicious.
But I just bought a jar of cloudberry jam from Ikea and will try that when I make these again closer to Christmas! And strawberry, boysenberry, and peach jam are also yummy choices.
The glaze is optional and thumbprint cookies are good with and without the glaze, but I love the way it dresses up these cookies and makes them just a bit more special.
How to Make Thumbprint Cookies
- Mix the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy in a stand mixer.
- Add egg yolk and vanilla, beating until combined and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Add flour, cornstarch, and salt. At first it might seem like the dough isn’t going to come together because there isn’t much liquid for binding, but if you keep mixing it will form a nice dough that is perfect for shaping into balls.
- Scoop out small amounts of dough and roll into 1 tablespoon size balls, then place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Use your thumb or the back of a ½ teaspoon measuring spoon to make an indentation in the center of each cookie. Some people get hung up on thumbprint cookies with no cracks, but I find that’s pretty hard to avoid. You can press the dough back together a bit before filling with jam and baking, but I actually think it adds charm and a homemade quality to the cookies that I like.
- Fill with about ½ teaspoon of jam. If the jam is thick, you may need to warm it just a bit in the microwave until you can stir in, but you don’t want to get it too hot.
- Bake until barely browned around the bottom edges of the cookies, but definitely don’t overbake. 9-11 minutes in a 375°F oven is perfect for me.
Do I need to chill the dough?
I have found that this dough is easy to work with right after mixing without chilling it in the fridge first.
You should be able to roll the balls of dough between the palms of your hands without any difficulty, even with unchilled dough. Because the cookies are small and have little liquid in them, they don’t spread much while baking, so chilling is unnecessary.
How to Store Thumbprint Cookies
Jam thumbprint cookies can be stored in an airtight container on the counter at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
For longer storage, you can freeze the cookies for up to 3 months. Just let them thaw on the counter for 30-60 minutes before eating.
More Christmas Cookies You’ll Love
- Mexican Wedding Cookies [aka Russian Tea Cakes]
- Homemade Iced Oatmeal Cookies
- The Best Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe
- Oatmeal Rolled Sugar Cookies
- Best Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
- Toffee Pecan Shortbread Cookies
- Peppermint Macarons
- Chocolate-Dipped Almond Biscotti
- Greek Baklava Recipe
- Double Chocolate Nutella Sandwich Cookies
- Soft & Chewy Gingerbread Men Cookies
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Jam Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients123
Cookies
- ▢ 1 cup salted butter softened
- ▢ 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- ▢ 1 large egg yolk
- ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla
- ▢ 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- ▢ 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
- ▢ 1/2 cup jam or preserves raspberry and apricot are our favorites but you can use any you like
Glaze
- ▢ 1 cup powdered sugar
- ▢ 1-2 Tablespoons heavy cream or milk
- ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter and sugar and mix on medium-high speed using the paddle attachment for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. 1 cup salted butter, 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- Mix in the egg yolk and vanilla, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. 1 large egg yolk, 2 teaspoons vanilla
- Add the flour, cornstarch, and salt and mix again until everything comes together in a nice dough. It may seem crumbly at first, but just scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl and keep mixing until the dough comes together. 2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, ½ teaspoon salt
- Shape the dough into 1-tablespoon size balls and arrange 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Gently press in the center of each cookie with your thumb or the back of a ½ teaspoon measuring spoon to create and indentation. Fill with your favorite jam, warming the jam first for about 10 seconds so it is stirrable. ½ cup jam or preserves
- Bake for 9-11 minutes until set and just barely starting to turn golden around the bottom edges. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes.
- While the cookies cool, prepare the glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar, cream or milk, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Transfer to a ziplock bag and snip off one corner. Drizzle the glaze over cookies, then let set for 1-2 hours until the glaze has set up. 1 cup powdered sugar, 1-2 Tablespoons heavy cream or milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Notes
- These cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 1 week, or frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Chocolate Thumbprint Turtle Cookies have a rich cocoa cookie base that is rolled in chopped pecans and filled with soft caramel. Drizzle with a little melted chocolate for a tasty, nutty treat that’s perfect for your next cookie exchange, holiday party or simply just because!
I’m obsessed with turtle desserts. It’s that combination of caramel, chocolate, and nutty sweet pecan crunch that gets me every time.
These decadent cookies never fail to impress and are the chocolate, caramel, pecan counterpart to the classic Jam Thumbprint Cookies . If you have also love desserts loaded with chocolate, caramel, and nuts, be sure to try my Easy Caramel Pecan Brownies , Carmelitas , or Chocolate Salted Caramel Whoopie Pies !
My mom used to make the easiest ever ice cream pie with a graham cracker crust, vanilla ice cream, then drizzles of chocolate magic shell, caramel, and chopped pecans. It’s so easy that it feels like cheating but I keep meaning to post it on here because it’s perfect for dinner parties since you make it in advance and it looks so impressive.
These chocolate thumbprint turtle cookies have the same classic turtle flavor combination of deep, chocolatey chocolate with rich, gooey caramel, and crunchy pecans in a cookie form that is always the store of a cookie plate or cookie exchange.
And they are really fun and easy to make!
What are Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies?
These chewy turtle cookies are a delicious take on a fun and traditional turtle candy . While you don’t have to shape the cookies into tiny turtles, the flavor components are all there. The caramel, nutty crunch and chocolate all help this turtle cookie recipe to shine.
How to make Chocolate Thumbprint Turtle Cookies
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add in the egg yolk, milk, and vanilla.
- Stir in the flour, cocoa powder, and salt until combined. Chill the dough for 1 hour in the fridge.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg white until it’s frothy. Prepare another shallow bowl with chopped pecans.
- Divide your dough into 20 evenly-sized pieces and roll into balls. Roll each ball in the frothy egg whites, then into the chopped pecans, pressing the nuts to cover the cookie dough really well. Place on the prepared baking sheet and press a finger or the back of a ½ teaspoon measuring spoon into the center of each ball to form an indentation.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, just until set. Be careful not to overbake.
- While cookies are still hot, using the measuring spoon to press the indentation again so there is a good space for the caramel to go.
- Combine the caramel and water in a microwave-safe bowl and melt them by heating in 20-30 second intervals and stirring in between about 1-2 minutes total. Pour melted caramel into the depression in each cookie.
- Melt the semisweet chocolate with shortening in another microwave-safe bowl in 20-second intervals, stirring between each burst of heat, just until melted, about 1-2 minutes.
- Transfer the melted chocolate to a ziploc bag and make a small snip off one corner. Drizzle the chocolate over the cookies, then let set before serving.
How Do You Store Chocolate Thumbprint Turtle Cookies?
After the cookies have completely set, you can place them inside an airtight container at room temperature for storage. You can also place them in the fridge if you’d like to enjoy them chilled as well, but be warned that the caramel will firm up significantly.
It’s pretty soft caramel, so I don’t think anyone would break a tooth on it, but it would all come off the cookie with your first bite, giving you a chewy mouthful of caramel and cookie.
If you plan on stacking them to get them to fit inside a container, you may want to use a small sheet of wax paper between the layers to prevent the cookies from sticking to each other.
Can You Freeze Chocolate Thumbprint Turtle Cookies?
Yes, you can these turtle cookies! Freezing them not only helps to keep you from eating an entire batch in one sitting but it can also prolong the shelf-life as keeping them in the freezer will keep them fresh for up to 2 months.
This is also a great tip for when you plan on making these impressive holiday cookies and want to get the cookies done in advance.
More Cookie Recipes You’ll Love
- Toffee Pecan Shortbread Cookies
- Dulce De Leche Stuffed Cookies
- Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Lemon Sugar Cookies
- Raspberry Chocolate Chunk Cookies
- Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Oatmeal Rolled Sugar Cookies
- Fudgy Chewy Chocolate Brownie Cookies
- Chocolate Andes Mint Cookies
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Chocolate Thumbprint Turtle Cookies
Ingredients123
Cookies
- ▢ 1/2 cup salted butter
- ▢ 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- ▢ 1 large egg separated
- ▢ 2 Tablespoons milk
- ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ▢ 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ▢ 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
- ▢ 1 cup pecans finely chopped
Caramel
- ▢ 3/4 cup Kraft Caramel Bites or 16 unwrapped caramel squares
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon water
Chocolate Drizzle
- ▢ 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chopped
- ▢ 1 teaspoon shortening
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Beat butter and sugar until light, about 2-3 minutes. ½ cup salted butter, 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- Add egg yolk, milk, and vanilla. 1 large egg, 2 Tablespoons milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Stir in flour, cocoa powder, and salt until combined. Chill dough for 1 hour in the fridge. 1 cup all-purpose flour, ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Whisk egg white in a bowl until frothy. Prepare another shallow bowl with chopped pecans.
- Divide dough into 20 evenly-sized pieces and roll into balls. Roll each ball in the frothy egg whites, then in the chopped pecans, pressing the nuts in to cover the cookie dough really well. Place on prepared baking sheet and press a finger or the back of a ½ teaspoon measuring spoon into the center of each ball to form an indentation. 1 cup pecans
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, just until set. Be careful not to overbake.
- While cookies are still hot, using the measuring spoon to press the indentation again so there is a good space for the caramel to go.
- Combine the caramel and water in microwave-safe bowl and melt by heating in 20-30 second intervals and stirring in between, about 1-2 minutes total. Pour melted caramel into the depression in each cookie. ¾ cup Kraft Caramel Bites or 16 unwrapped caramel squares, ½ teaspoon water
- Melt semisweet chocolate with shortening in another microwave-safe bowl in 20 second intervals, stirring between each burst of heat, just until melted, about 1-2 minutes. ½ cup semisweet chocolate, 1 teaspoon shortening
- Transfer the melted chocolate to a ziplock bag and make a small snip off one corner. Drizzle the chocolate over the cookies, then let set before serving.
Notes
- Once the chocolate drizzle has set, you can freeze these cookies for up to 2 months in a freezer-safe ziploc bag. Just thaw completely on the counter before serving.
Nutrition
Chocolate Peppermint Blossoms
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup salted butter softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar + 3 tablespoons for rolling
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (188g)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 24 unwrapped Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until creamy and light, about 2-3 minutes. 3/4 cup salted butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar
- Add the egg and vanilla and beat again, scraping the sides of the bowl. 1 large egg, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt, mixing until combined. It’s a very soft dough, but I have found that it doesn’t require chilling. 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Use a small cookie scoop to scoop the dough into 24 balls. Roll them between the palms of your hands to make nice, round spheres, then roll them in the remaining sugar in a shallow dish to coat the outside of each cookie.
- Place the balls of dough a couple inches apart on the prepared baking sheets and bake for 7-9 minutes, just until puffy and barely set, but very, very soft. Slightly underbaking is key to maintaining the soft texture of these cookies.
- Wait 4-5 minutes before pressing a peppermint kiss into the center of each cookie, then wait another 2-3 minutes before using a spatula to transfer them to a wire cooling rack. Placing the peppermint kisses earlier will result in them melting into a puddle in the center of the cookies. 24 unwrapped Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses
Notes
- Store the chocolate peppermint blossoms in an airtight container on the counter for up to 5 days.
- If you want to up the mint factor of these cookies, try adding 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract to the cookie dough at the same time that you add the vanilla extract.
Nutrition
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