Enjoy melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness with these Chocolate Minty Melts, mint chocolate crinkle cookies topped with chocolate kisses that melt into little knobs of chocolate.
Are you looking for a cookie that’s simple, deliciously addictive, and a little bit different than what’s typically on the Christmas cookie plate? Then it’s time you baked up a batch of Chocolate Minty Melts, our family’s favorite mint chocolate crinkle cookies that get a little kiss of chocolate for garnish.
Not only are the easy to make, but they freeze beautifully, making them the perfect addition to your holiday celebrations.
These cookies are actually a result of a happy accident. I was baking up our Christmas Cookies and decided to experiment. In mixing up this recipe for Chocolate Mint Snow Top Cookies, mint chocolate crinkle cookies, I decided to tweak it some more. I took the basic dough, thickened it with a tad more flour, simplified it with cocoa, and then put a mint chocolate Hershey kiss in the center.
I assumed that the kiss would hold its shape when I baked it. Obviously, I don’t regularly bake with Hershey’s kisses, because they did not. The first batch had half melted kisses in the center. Kind of like lopsided party hats.
I quickly googled “peanut butter blossoms” and Facebooked my woes only to discover that you’re supposed to put the kiss on after baking. Well, that still resulted in half-melted kisses in the center anyway.
Since I don’t like to look at ugly cookies, I played around some more. I poked the little kiss tip into the pool of melted chocolate and found that I liked the look better. I got out my offset spatula and set out to smoothing the tops of all the kisses. Crisis averted and a new cookie discovered. Par-tay!
Now to be clear, if you can’t find the Mint Chocolate Kisses, similar to what was available in 2010 and you use regular kisses, the chocolate may seize and refuse to spread into a beautiful little button of chocolate. For best results, add the kisses as soon as you pull the cookies from the oven. They will melt in just a minute, allowing you to spread the chocolate into a purty li’l button.
How do you make chocolate crinkle cookies?
Also known as chocolate crackle cookies or chocolate earthquake cookies, these gems are made from a chocolate cookie dough rolled in powdered sugar before baking. The rising and expansion of the cookie in the oven causes the cookie to bust out of its sugar coating, leaving little crinkles or cracks in the white powdered sugar exterior.
Can I freeze chocolate crinkle cookies?
Absolutely! In fact, we think that the taste best cold from the freezer. Since these Chocolate Minty Melts have little knobs of chocolate in the center, I recommend letting them soften just a tad so you don’t break a tooth.
To freeze, layer the baked and cooled cookies in an airtight container, separating the layers with parchment or waxed paper.
How long do chocolate crinkle cookies last?
Stored in an airtight container, these cookies will last about 4 days at room temperature and several months in the freezer.
Do I have to use mint chocolate kisses?
No. If you can’t find the mint variety, you can use regular chocolate kisses. The end result will just be a tad less minty.
How do I make these cookies affordably?
Here are some of the strategies you can use to make Chocolate Mint Crinkle Cookies more economical:
- Stock up on ingredients when they are on sale. When I find regular kitchen staples on sale, I buy a lot. I’m currently using a price book to track prices and that’s saving me money. For this recipe, keeping an eye on the price of flour and butter can help keep the price down.
- Buying in bulk – It’s rare that I would buy just one bag of flour. Instead I stock up when I see a sale. I also have gotten into the habit of buying cases of flour from Bob’s Red Mill. I practice the same bulk buying for spices and other baking ingredients.
How I make easy Mint Chocolate Crinkle Cookies?
This recipe really couldn’t be easier than it is, but having the right kitchen tools can really make your time in the kitchen more enjoyable. Over time, I’ve honed my collection so that they are perfect for my needs.
Here are the tools that I use for this recipe:
- stainless steel mixing bowl – I’m not sure you have too many of these.
- Silicone spatula/spoon – I have two or three of these – so convenient!
- parchment paper – I hate washing pans. Parchment paper makes clean up a breeze.
- sheet pans – These heavy-duty rimmed baking sheets have been a game-changer!
Enjoy melt-in-your mouth deliciousness with these Chocolate Minty Melts, mint-infused chocolate crinkle cookies topped with chocolate kisses.
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup cocoa
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 6 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
- Hershey chocolate mint kisses wrappers removed
- powdered sugar for rolling
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat mats.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cocoa, and salt; set aside.
In another mixing bowl, beat the butter with a mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the sugars until well combined. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and mint extract. Stir in the flour mixture.
Cover and chill the dough for about 30 minutes.
Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and roll the balls in powdered sugar. Place the balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until the tops are crackled. Press the chocolate kisses into the center of each cookie ball immediately.
While the chocolate is still warm and melty, smooth the tops of the chocolate kisses with an offset spatula. Cool completely.
Cool 2 minutes on cookie sheet. Transfer to wire racks.
To store: place the cookies in layers separated by waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Regular chocolate kisses can be used instead of the chocolate peppermint kisses.
Who wants a Chocolate Butterhorn?
We are making these right now!! Been waiting for this recipe so I guessed what ingredients I might need! I was right!
When I make peanut butter kisses you bake the cookie for 8 or so minutes first and then add the kisses before baking the final 2-3 minutes. The kisses maintain their shape that way!!! Give it a try 🙂
OOOOoooooo, those look so yummy!
I’m going to add these to my cookie baskets for sure! Thanks!
i add my kissses when the cookies come out of the oven, then pop them in the freezer for a min or two. (Just don’t forget them in there! We discovered a plate of cookies tonight that we forgot yesterday when we were baking!)
Stop it now! You’re SO making me drool on my keyboard. I think I know what we’re doing tomorrow afternoon….
These look sooooo good! We’re planning to bake some cookies today, and I briefly thought about changing which ones…but I don’t have any Kisses. *Sigh* Maybe next week!!!
I have the same problem every year with the kiss melting. This year my kisses were frozen and the result was perfect looking cookies! I had stocked up on a Hershey kiss sale so they were stored in the freezer. Doing this for sure next time as well.
I’m thinking that this might also be good with a Hershey Cherry Kiss. Even if the cookie’s not chocolate.
I printed out this recipe this morning and have a question: the first paragraph of the directions mentions “beat in melted chocolate…” Am I not seeing it, or is there something missing about melted chocolate? Thanks!
It was a typo. I took my old recipe and tweaked it and didn’t edit it properly. The directions should now be correct on this post. Sorry for the confusion!
@Jessica Fisher, Thanks for updating the recipe! I am making these cookies right now! I only have regular kisses so mine won’t be so minty. But I am sure they will be good. 🙂
What happens with the brown sugar? I don’t see it in the instructions -so I wasn’t sure if it should be in there or not! Thanks!
It’s fixed. I must have been asleep when I edited the recipe. Sorry.
@Jessica Fisher, I just left out the brown sugar since I had already mixed the batter up. I think they turned out great – and so did my family!
I put the kisses on after I baked the cookies, hoping they would keep their shape (even though you had said yours melted). And, of course, you were right – they did melt. I had made the peanut butter blossoms last week and although the plain kisses get soft when you put them on the cookie after baking, they don’t melt away like the mint. When you eat a mint kiss, you can tell they are much softer to begin with that a regular kiss. I think that’s why they just melt away.
Anyway, great recipe Jessica!
Hmmm, looks so good! Since I’m not a big fan of minty, I’ll just eliminate the peppermint and hopefully they still turn out!
@Miranda, YUM! YUM! I made these yesterday without the peppermint and they still tasted fabulous! What a great recipe, Jessica. Even my mom wants the recipe ;). Merry Christmas!
I just made these today and they are so yummy! I didn’t have any Hershey’s kisses, so I crushed some peppermint candy canes and sprinkled on top of the cookies and they came out great!
I would love to try these cookies. Until I read the comments though, I thought the mint Kisses was a typo. I cannot find them anywhere!!! I tried the grocery store and Walgreens. Does anyone know if Walmart has them? Somewhere else? Help, please.
@Pamela J, I bought them at Walmart.
@Jessica Fisher,
Are you sure these are the Chocolate Mint Kisses and not the Mint Truffle Kisses? I didn’t see any at Target today, but I’ve been missing them for the past few years. If Wal-mart has them, my wallet is going to empty out quickly.
To be honest, I didn’t read the bag very carefully. It said Mint and Hersheys. The inside of the candy is green if that helps. So, it could quite possibly be a mint truffle. 😉
Those look awesome! I just started my holiday baking and I’m looking forward to hopefully trying new recipes for this holiday season.
We just made these cookies yesterday, and they are as good as they look. I’m so glad that I doubled the recipe! Here are some pictures of my children enjoying cookies, the older two children. We’re mean parents and don’t let our children have cookies and such until they turn one. Poor Rachel is only 10 months old.
http://nikkis-notes.blogspot.com/2010/12/baking-cookies.html
I’ve made these twice…so good! I used the candy cane kisses and regular milk choc kisses. (couldn’t find the mint choc ones…will be on the lookout) I rolled some with powdered sugar and some with regular sugar coating…all delicious! Thanks for the great recipe!
I went to 3 different stores looking for the mint kisses and had to settle for junior mints. Can’t wait to try these tomorrow!
These are my husband’s new FAVORITE cookies! I added them to my Christmas cookie list this year since he loves anything with chocolate and mint. I made half with candy cane kisses and half with mint truffle kisses (dark chocolate with green on the inside). They are both delicious. I’m pretty sure I will be making them frequently.