Cocoa Blossom Cookies

Why Make This Recipe

These chocolate blossom cookies with Hershey kisses are quickly becoming a family favorite! They are perfect for a Christmas cookie exchange, neighbor gifts, Valentine's Day, or just any day you need a little treat. They are full of rich chocolate flavor and the texture is almost brownie-like.

The dough is super soft and sticky so it does require some chill time which allows the flavors to develop, the dough to become workable, and helps the cookies keep their soft, fudgy interior.

If double chocolate cookies are your thing, then you'll definitely want to add our bakery-style double chocolate cookies, peanut butter cup cookies, and our caramel rocky road cookies to your baking to-do list!

Ingredient Notes

• Butter. Butter adds flavor, moisture, and the fat keeps these cookies moist and fudgy. Make sure the butter is room temperature. You can use salted or unsalted butter.
• Sugar. Granulated, white sugar sweetens these cookies.
• Egg. We are using a large egg to help bind the cookies and give them a good texture.
• Vanilla. Vanilla adds flavor.
• Flour. Use white, all-purpose flour for the body of these cookies.
• Cocoa Powder. Use unsweetened cocoa powder. I recommend a high-quality natural cocoa powder.
• Cornstarch. A little cornstarch helps keep these cookies soft.
• Salt. A little salt brings out the flavors and balances the sweetness.
• Hershey Kisses. For a classic cocoa blossom cookie use Hershey's milk chocolate kisses, but feel free to experiment with other flavors for fun!

How to Make this Recipe

1. Mix dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, cornstarch,  and baking soda so there are no lumps.
2. Cream butter and sugar. Cream together the butter and sugar for 1 minute. Add in the egg and vanilla and continue whipping for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is smooth, light, and fluffy.

3. Combine. Add the dry ingredients to the whipped butter mixture. Mix on low until a soft dough forms and there are no streaks of dry ingredients in the chocolate blossom cookie dough.
4. Chill. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, up to 3 days.

5. Scoop and Roll. Preheat the oven 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Scoop 1 ½ tablespoons of dough and roll into a ball.  Roll the cookie dough ball in granulated sugar and then generously powdered sugar. Place on a greased or lined baking sheet.

6. Bake. Bake cookies for about 6 minutes.
7. Top it off. Remove the cookies from the oven and let cool for 2-3 minutes before placing an unwrapped Hershey kiss in the center of the cookie.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Expert Tips

• Measure the dry ingredients carefully. Flour and cocoa powder compact while they sit, so it is easy to get too much of either. Too much flour or cocoa powder will make your chocolate blossom cookies dry. Be sure to stir up the flour or cocoa powder and spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off. Or use a kitchen scale (weight of ingredients included in recipe card). If you need further guidance, check out our post on How to Measure Flour.
• Use good quality cocoa powder. High quality cocoa powder really does make a difference in flavor and texture of the cookies. For these chocolate blossom cookies I recommend a good natural cocoa powder.
• Don't overmix the dough. Once the dry ingredients are fully incorporated into the chocolate cookie dough, stop mixing! Too much mixing can cause gluten to develop, resulting in a tough cookie.
• Chilling is necessary.  You might be wondering do I really need to chill the dough? YES! The chill time helps these,  cookies develop flavor and allows time for the dough to set up and hold their shape, giving them that wonderful fudgy texture.
• Don't over bake. These cookies don't need a super long bake time, so don't over bake them! The texture is best on them when a crust forms on the outside and the inside is fudgy and soft.

Recipe Variations

• Make them Hot Cocoa Kiss Cookies. To make them hot cocoa kiss cookies, place a whole or half marshmallow on top of the cookie after they come out of the oven and then press the kiss on top of the marshmallow.
• Make them Triple Chocolate Blossoms. Remove the cocoa blossom cookies from the oven, let cool for 3 minutes, and place a dollop of chocolate frosting in the center of the cookie (use our favorite chocolate buttercream recipe or your favorite!) and then press the Hershey kiss in the center.
• Change the flavor. Make them orange or peppermint flavored. To make them orange add 2 teaspoons of orange zest. To make them chocolate peppermint flavored add ½-¾ teaspoon of peppermint extract.
• Roll them in Something Different. Instead of rolling the cookie dough in powdered sugar you can roll them solely in granulated sugar chocolate jimmies (sprinkles), or colorful nonpareil sprinkles!
• Swap the Milk Chocolate Kiss. Swap the traditional milk chocolate Hershey kiss for a white chocolate peppermint kiss, mint truffle kiss, caramel kiss, cherry cordial kiss, caramel kiss, hugs,  or even a Rolo. If using something with a soft filling I recommend freezing them for about 10 minutes before placing on the warm cookies.

How to Store this Recipe

Once cool, these cookies are best stored in an airtight container at room temperature. They are best eaten within 3 days.

The cocoa blossom cookies can also be frozen. Place in an airtight container or freezer bag. Bring to room temperature before eating. They are best used within 3 months.

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