Hershey’s Red Velvet Blossoms Cookies are soft, festive, and absolutely IRRESISTIBLE! These easy red velvet cookies feature a buttery dough with hints of cocoa and vanilla, rolled in sparkly red sanding sugar, and topped with a classic Hershey’s chocolate Kiss in the center. Perfect for Valentine’s Day, Christmas, or any celebration!
Love More Desserts Recipes? Try My Peanut Butter Blossoms or this Fudgy Football Brownies next.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Soft, chewy, and beautifully festive, these Hershey’s Red Velvet Blossoms Cookies are a sweet twist on a classic favorite. With rich red velvet flavor and a creamy Hershey’s Kiss in the center, they’re as pretty as they are delicious. Perfect for holidays, parties, or gifting, they add a touch of elegance to any cookie tray.
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Hershey’s Red Velvet Blossoms Cookies
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 18 cookies
Description
Easy red velvet cookies made with butter, cocoa powder, and red food coloring, rolled in festive red sanding sugar, and topped with Hershey’s chocolate Kisses. Perfect for Valentine’s Day, Christmas, or any celebration! These soft, chewy cookies require no chilling and come together in just 25 minutes.
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
- 7 tablespoons butter (salted or unsalted), softened
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg yolk
- ¼ teaspoon red food coloring gel
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For Coating and Topping:
- ¼ cup red sanding sugar (for coating)
- 18 Hershey’s chocolate Kisses
Instructions
Turn your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Unwrap all your Hershey’s Kisses now—seriously, do it before you start baking. You need to work fast when those cookies come out of the oven, and fumbling with foil wrappers while your cookies cool is not the move.
Throw your butter and both sugars in the mixer and beat them until they’re smooth—takes about two minutes. Scrape down the sides, then add your egg yolk, vanilla, and food coloring. Mix until everything’s combined and you’ve got this gorgeous red color going on.
Now dump in your flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Mix just until you don’t see dry flour anymore. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky, which is exactly what you want.
Put your red sanding sugar in a small bowl. Use a tablespoon to scoop out dough—I usually get 18 cookies from this batch. Roll each scoop into a ball with your hands, then roll it around in that red sugar until it’s completely covered. Set them on your baking sheet with some space between them.
Bake for 10 minutes. The second you pull that pan out of the oven, start pressing Kisses into the center of each cookie. Work quickly but gently—you want them nestled in there but not squashing the whole cookie flat. Let them sit on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before you move them to a cooling rack. This part is important because they’re super delicate when they’re hot.
Notes
- Use gel food coloring, not liquid! Gel gives you that vibrant red color without adding extra moisture to your dough. Wilton makes the best red gel food coloring in my experience.
- Room temperature butter is your friend. Make sure your butter is softened but not melted. It should leave a slight indent when you press it with your finger.
- Don’t overbake! These cookies might look slightly underdone at 10 minutes, but they’ll continue cooking on the hot baking sheet. Overbaking will make them dry instead of soft and chewy.
- Work quickly with the Kisses. Have them unwrapped and ready before you even start baking. The second those cookies come out, you need to add the Kisses while they’re hot.
- The dough is super easy to work with – no adjustments needed! If it seems slightly sticky, that’s normal. It rolls beautifully between your palms.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredient List
For the Cookies:
- 7 tablespoons butter (salted or unsalted), softened
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg yolk
- ¼ teaspoon red food coloring gel
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For Coating and Topping:
- ¼ cup red sanding sugar (for coating)
- 18 Hershey’s chocolate Kisses
Friendly Notes:
- I always use salted butter because that’s what I have on hand, but unsalted works great too
- Wilton gel food coloring is my go-to—gives you that punch of color without watering down the dough
- Regular sugar works if you can’t find sanding sugar, just know they won’t sparkle quite as much
- White chocolate Kisses are amazing if you want that cream cheese frosting vibe
Why These Ingredients Work
The brown sugar is doing most of the heavy lifting here for texture. It keeps these cookies soft and adds this subtle molasses flavor that plays really well with the cocoa. Just one tablespoon of cocoa powder might seem stingy, but trust me on this—red velvet isn’t supposed to taste like a chocolate cookie. It’s more about the butter and vanilla with just a whisper of chocolate.
Using only the egg yolk instead of the whole egg is what makes these so tender. Whole eggs would puff them up and make them cakey, which nobody wants. And that gel food coloring? Game changer. I used liquid once and had to add so much that my dough turned into soup. Gel gives you color without moisture.
The sanding sugar isn’t just decoration. It adds this nice crunch that contrasts with the soft cookie, plus it helps them not stick to each other if you’re stacking them in a container.
Essential Tools and Equipment
You’ll need:
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Large mixing bowl
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Large baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Tablespoon for scooping dough
- Cooling rack
How To Make Hershey’s Red Velvet Blossoms Cookies
Step 1: Prepare Your Workspace
Turn your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Unwrap all your Hershey’s Kisses now—seriously, do it before you start baking. You need to work fast when those cookies come out of the oven, and fumbling with foil wrappers while your cookies cool is not the move.
Step 2: Make the Cookie Dough
Throw your butter and both sugars in the mixer and beat them until they’re smooth—takes about two minutes. Scrape down the sides, then add your egg yolk, vanilla, and food coloring. Mix until everything’s combined and you’ve got this gorgeous red color going on.
Now dump in your flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Mix just until you don’t see dry flour anymore. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky, which is exactly what you want.
Step 3: Shape Those Beauties
Put your red sanding sugar in a small bowl. Use a tablespoon to scoop out dough—I usually get 18 cookies from this batch. Roll each scoop into a ball with your hands, then roll it around in that red sugar until it’s completely covered. Set them on your baking sheet with some space between them.
Step 4: Bake and Add the Kisses
Bake for 10 minutes. The second you pull that pan out of the oven, start pressing Kisses into the center of each cookie. Work quickly but gently—you want them nestled in there but not squashing the whole cookie flat. Let them sit on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before you move them to a cooling rack. This part is important because they’re super delicate when they’re hot.
You Must Know
Timing is everything with the Kisses. If you wait even two minutes after pulling the cookies from the oven, they’ll have firmed up too much and the Kisses will crack the tops instead of nestling in nicely. Have them unwrapped and ready to go.
Also, those 10 minutes on the baking sheet aren’t optional. I tried moving them sooner once and half of them fell apart. They need that time to set up.
Personal Secret: I use a cookie scoop that holds exactly 1 tablespoon so all my cookies are identical. Means they all bake at the same rate and nobody fights over who got the biggest cookie.
Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks
Your butter should be soft enough that you can press your finger into it, but it shouldn’t be greasy or melted. I usually leave mine on the counter for about 30 minutes before I start baking.
Don’t overmix once you add the flour. Mix just until the streaks disappear and then stop. Overmixing makes tough cookies, and nobody has time for that.
The cookies will look slightly underdone when you pull them out at 10 minutes. That’s normal. They keep cooking on the hot pan, and this is what keeps them soft instead of dry.
If your first batch spreads too much, your butter might have been too warm. Stick the remaining dough in the fridge for 10 minutes before rolling the next batch.
Flavor Variations / Suggestions
Holiday Versions:
- Green sanding sugar and mint Kisses for Christmas
- Black sugar and dark chocolate Kisses for Halloween
- White or pink sugar with strawberry Kisses for baby showers
Chocolate Options:
- Dark chocolate Kisses if you want more intense chocolate
- Hershey’s Hugs for that swirled look
- Caramel-filled Kisses for something different
Change Up the Base:
- Swap cocoa powder for more flour and use almond extract for a totally different cookie
- Add ½ teaspoon espresso powder to make the chocolate flavor pop more
Make-Ahead Options
I make the dough up to two days ahead all the time. Just cover it tight and stick it in the fridge. Let it sit out for 15 minutes before you roll it—cold dough is harder to work with.
You can also freeze the dough balls. Roll them, freeze them on a baking sheet for an hour, then toss them in a freezer bag. They keep for three months. Bake them straight from frozen, just add a minute or two to the baking time.
Baked cookies store great too. I keep them in an airtight container on the counter for up to five days, or freeze them for three months. They thaw in about 30 minutes on the counter.
Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips
Red velvet is all about balance. It’s not a chocolate cookie—it’s a vanilla-butter cookie with hints of cocoa. That’s why we only use one tablespoon. If you want more chocolate flavor, these aren’t the cookies for you.
Sanding sugar looks so much prettier than regular sugar, but if you can’t find it, use what you’ve got. Just avoid superfine sugar because it won’t give you any texture.
These are best at room temperature or slightly warm. If they’ve been stored, pop one in the microwave for 5 seconds. Just enough to warm it up without melting the Kiss.
The dough is incredibly forgiving. It doesn’t dry out, it doesn’t get sticky, it just works. This is one of those rare recipes where you don’t need to make adjustments.
Serving Suggestions
I pack these in clear bags tied with ribbon for teacher gifts and neighbor plates. They’re almost too pretty to eat. Almost.
They’re perfect for cookie exchanges because they hold up well and look impressive. I’ve also served them on a tiered stand at baby showers—the red works for girls, and if you use different colored sugar, you can do any theme.
Serve them with hot chocolate, coffee, or cold milk. My kids like them after school with a glass of chocolate milk. I like them with my coffee after everyone’s in bed and the house is finally quiet.
How to Store Your Hershey’s Red Velvet Blossoms Cookies
Room Temperature: Keep them in an airtight container for up to five days. They stay soft as long as the container’s sealed tight.
Refrigerator: You can refrigerate them for up to a week, but I don’t usually bother. Room temperature storage works better for texture.
Freezer: Freeze baked cookies in a container with parchment paper between the layers. They’ll keep for three months and thaw in 30 minutes on the counter.
Reheating: Microwave for 5-10 seconds if you want them warm. Any longer and the Kiss will melt into a puddle.
Allergy Information
Contains:
- Wheat
- Dairy
- Eggs
- Soy
Substitutions:
- Use 1:1 gluten-free flour for gluten-free cookies
- Vegan butter and dairy-free chocolate Kisses work for dairy-free
- Try 1 tablespoon aquafaba instead of the egg yolk for egg-free
Fair warning—substitutions will change the texture somewhat, but they’ll still taste good.
Questions I Get Asked A Lot
My cookies spread too much – what happened?
Your butter was probably too soft. It should be softened but still hold its shape. Also make sure your baking sheet is cool before you put the dough on it—a hot pan will melt the dough before it even hits the oven.
Do I have to use an egg yolk, or can I use the whole egg?
Stick with just the yolk. Whole egg makes them puffy and cake-like. The yolk gives you that dense, chewy texture that makes these cookies so good.
The chocolate Kiss melted – did I do something wrong?
It should soften a bit but not completely melt. Your oven might be running hot, or you might have baked them too long. Try dropping the temperature by 25 degrees or checking them at 9 minutes next time.
💬 Tried this recipe? Leave a comment and rating below! I want to know how yours turned out! Did you try different colored sugar? Different Kisses? Drop a comment and let me know.
