These Soft & Chewy Sugar Cookie Blossoms are the ultimate easy holiday treat! A tender, buttery vanilla sugar cookie dough is rolled in sparkling sugar and topped with a Hershey's Kiss. Best of all, there is no dough chilling required which means you can have these festive cookies ready to eat in under 20 minutes.
Move over Peanut Butter Blossoms because there is a new holiday favorite in town. These Sugar Cookie Blossoms are soft, buttery, and perfectly chewy, topped with a melty chocolate kiss for the sweetest festive touch. They are a fun twist on the classic blossom cookies but made with a tender vanilla sugar cookie base instead. Festive, easy, and made with simple pantry staples, these cookies are perfect for Christmas trays, gifting, cookie exchange, or anytime you want a pretty, bite sized treat.
With crisp edges, soft centers, and a sparkling sugar coating, these cookies bake up beautifully every single time. They come together in one bowl, require simple pantry ingredients, and can be customized with sprinkles, colored sugar, or seasonal chocolate kisses. These are the kind of cookies everyone reaches for first!
For more Christmas cookies try my peppermint chocolate chip cookies, maple pecan cookies or cranberry pistachio shortbread cookies.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- No Chill Time Required: Unlike cut-out sugar cookies, this dough is ready to bake immediately. You can go from mixing bowl to eating warm cookies in under 20 minutes.
- Allergy Friendly: This is a fantastic nut-free alternative to the traditional peanut butter blossom, making it safe for school parties.
- Soft & Chewy Texture: These cookies stay soft for days thanks to the perfect balance of butter and sugars.
- Customizable: Roll them in red and green sugar for Christmas, pastels for Easter, or keep them classic with sparkling white sugar.
Ingredient Notes
- Unsalted Butter: Make sure your butter is softened to room temperature so it creams properly with the sugar. If you use salted butter, simply omit the extra salt in the recipe.
- Granulated Sugar: You will need this for the dough and extra for rolling the dough balls before baking.
- Light brown sugar: helps the cookies to stay chewy and soft.
- Egg: Use a large egg at room temperature to help the dough bind together.
- Vanilla Extract: Use high-quality pure vanilla extract. Since this is a sugar cookie, the vanilla flavor really shines through.
- Almond Extract: Optional here but it adds to the classic sugar cookie flavor.
- All-Purpose Flour: Measure this using the “spoon and level” method (spoon flour into the cup and level it off) to avoid dense cookies.
- Baking Soda & Baking Powder: The combination gives the cookie a little lift and a soft, tender crumb.
- Hershey's Kisses: I used the holiday sugar cookies kisses to add to the sugar cookie flavor but you can Milk chocolate, dark chocolate or even peppermint kisses but feel free to use any flavor you like. Unwrap them before you start baking!
- Coating Sugar: I like to use color sanding sugar. but you can use plain granulated sugar as well. You can use Christmas sprinkles or non pareils as well.
Substitutions & Variations
- Festive Rolling: Instead of plain granulated sugar, roll the dough balls in colored sanding sugar, nonpareils, or holiday sprinkles.
- Chocolate Variety: Switch out the standard hershey Kisses for Hershey's Hugs (white and milk chocolate swirl), Dark Chocolate, or even Peppermint Kisses for a holiday kick.
- The “Shortcut” Method: In a rush? You can use a pouch of store-bought sugar cookie mix. Just ensure you roll the dough in sugar and press the kiss on top after baking.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here is how to make this holiday sugar cookie blossoms recipe. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Cream Butter and both Sugars: In a large bowl (or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment), beat the softened butter and both sugar together on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.
Add Wet Ingredients:Add the egg ,vanilla extract and almond extract (if using) . Beat until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed just until the flour is thoroughly incorporated. Do not overmix.
Scoop and Roll: Place the sanding sugar (or sprinkles) in a small shallow bowl. Using a small cookie scoop (about 1 tablespoon size), scoop the dough and roll it into a smooth ball between your palms. Roll the ball in the colored sugar until fully coated.
Bake:Place dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, spaced about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes.The cookies should look puffy and just barely set around the edges. Do not let them brown!
The “Blossom” Step: Remove the cookies from the oven. Wait for 1-2 minutes and press a chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie. The cookie will crack slightly around the edges.This is the classic blossom look!
Cool: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely so the chocolate can firm up again.
Expert Tips & Tricks
- Don’t Overbake: These cookies are meant to be soft. If you bake them until they are golden brown, they will be crunchy once cooled. Pull them out when they still look slightly underdone.
- Freeze the Kisses: As mentioned in the instructions, putting your unwrapped chocolates in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before using them helps prevent them from melting into a puddle when they hit the hot cookie.
- Uniform Size: Use a cookie scoop. This ensures all cookies bake at the same rate and look uniform on your serving platter.
- The “Squish”: Press the kiss down gently but firmly. You want it deep enough to stick, but not so deep that it pushes through the bottom of the cookie.
Recipe FAQs
This usually happens if the cookie is too hot or the chocolate kiss is too warm. I find that freezing the kisses for at least ten to fifteen minutes before using them really helps. Make sure you press them into the cookies immediately after baking, and avoid touching or adjusting the chocolate until it has fully set.
Yes! You can make the dough and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days before baking. You may need to let it sit on the counter for 10 minutes to soften slightly before scooping.
Yes, but be careful! Peppermint kisses (and white chocolate Hugs) have a lower melting point than milk chocolate. If using these, wait about 2-3 minutes after taking the cookies out of the oven before pressing them in.
Storage & Freezing
Storage: Store cooled sugar cookie blossoms in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. If you are stacking them, place a sheet of wax paper between layers to prevent the chocolate tips from breaking.
Freezing:
- Freezing Dough: You can roll the dough into balls (without the sugar coating) and freeze them in a ziplock bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge, roll in sugar, and bake as directed.
- Freezing Baked Cookies: You can freeze the fully baked cookies for up to 2 months. Thaw on the counter before serving. Note that the chocolate may “bloom” (develop white spots) after freezing, which changes the look but not the taste.
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Recipe
Sugar Cookie Blossoms
Equipment
- 2 large baking sheets
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- ½ cup (100 grams) Granulated white sugar
- ¼ cup (55 grams) Light brown sugar
- 1 egg at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon pure almond extract Optional
- 1 ¾ cups (210 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup colored sanding sugar (or holiday sprinkles)
- 32 HERSHEY'S KISSES Sugar Cookie Candies Unwrapped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cornstarch.
- In a large bowl or a bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter, white sugar, and light brown sugar until light and creamy.
- Add the egg, vanilla extract and almond extract(if using). Mix until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until a soft dough forms.
- Use a small cookie scoop or a spoon to portion out 1 tablespoon sized rounds of dough. Roll the dough in your hands to smooth out and toss each cookie dough piece in the sanding sugar(or sprinkles) .
- Space the cookies out 2" apart on the prepared pans and bake in the preheated oven for 9-10 minutes or until the cookies are puffed edges are barely set.
- Let the cookies cool for 2 minutes and press a Hershey's kiss into the center of each warm cookie.
- Let the cookies cool fully before serving.
Notes
- If your kitchen is too warm, place the baking sheet into the fridge or freezer briefly after pressing the candies into the cookies. This helps prevent the chocolate from melting and keeps the blossoms looking neat.
- Place the unwrapped Hershey's Kisses in the fridge or freezer while the cookies are baking. This helps prevent them from melting when pressed into the warm cookies.
- Do not overbake! The cookies will continue setting as they cool.
- Optional: Chill the dough 20-30 minutes for thicker cookies.
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