Aberdeen took the lead in the 15th minute with a good move engineered on the training ground after being awarded a soft free-kick. Scott Severin flighted the ball to the far post where Andrew Considine nodded it back into the six yard box for Russell Anderson to head into the empty net.
Killie were level three minutes later with a well worked free-kick of their own. Kris Boyd drilled a fierce shot past the wall which Ryan Esson could only parry, and Simon Ford turned quickly and nodded past the prone keeper.
And the Ayrshire side were ahead within a minute. Russell Anderson lost his footing at a crucial moment allowing Kris Boyd to power into the area. His brilliant back-heel then set up Danny Invincibile to chip over Esson to send the home fans into rapture.
Jimmy Calderwood changed his team formation at the interval, replacing Considine with Chris Clark, but his side went further behind within two minutes of the restart. Frazer Wright was making his home debut and he battled well at the far post when Allan Johnston seemed to sky a right-wing cross. The ball broke kindly to Boyd, who volleyed into the roof of the net from 10 yards.
Aberdeen thought they had found a way back into the match in the 52nd minute when Anderson headed home another free-kick, but was ruled out by the offside flag.
The Dons defence was shaky all afternoon and they were sliced open again for Killie's fourth in the 56th minute. Gordon Greer played a simple ball down the left for Boyd to collect on halfway and he charged unopposed into the area and rifled in a fierce shot which Esson did well to push out. Invincibile collected the rebound and teed up Boyd, who placed the ball in the corner of the net for his ninth of the season.
Stevie Crawford pulled one back in the 71st minute with a delightful curling shot from wide on the left when keeper Graham Smith was deceived by Scott Muirhead's dummy run.
Aberdeen's comeback seemed right on course when referee Craig Toner awarded a penalty when Barry Nicholson went down under Wright's challenge, but Smith guessed right and brilliantly saved Darren Mackie's poor effort.