These Chocolate Blossom Cookies are kiss cookies that are taken to the next level! Still sugary and delicious like the original, these chocolate kiss cookies are also rich and decadent! They're a chocolate lover's dream! If that wasn’t enough, they’re also gluten free, nut free, egg free and can easily be made dairy free (vegan)!
If you love chocolate and kiss cookies, these chocolate blossom cookies are the treat for you! They're soft and chewy with a Hershey kiss in the center that melts in your mouth when they're warm! Chocolate versions of traditional recipes are always my favorite! I love changing up traditional recipes; I even have a Red Velvet Kiss Cookie that is also amazing!
If you're looking for more chocolate versions of some classic recipes, make sure to check out my Chocolate Crumb Cake, Dark Chocolate Sugar Cookies, Chocolate Tea Cake and my Double Chocolate Banana Bread.
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Reasons to Love these Cookies
- Allergy Friendly- These cookies are gluten free, nut free, egg free and can easily be dairy free (vegan)!
- Soft & Chewy Inside- The cookies are thick, soft and chewy!
- Hershey Kiss- They have a Hershey kiss in the center that melts in your mouth when warm! If you want a homemade ganache center, check out my Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies.
- Double Chocolate- There is chocolate in two different ways like in our Eggless Chocolate Cookies!
Ingredient Notes
- Gluten Free Flour- If you also have nut allergies, make sure to use a brand that’s made in a nut free facility. I really love to use this gluten free flour because it’s nut safe but it does contain dairy. It also contains xanthan gum which really helps give baked goods their bounce.
- Vegan Baking Stick/Butter- Only use room temperature. If you use melted, the cookies will spread too much while baking.
- Cornstarch and Water- These are eggless cookies so this mixture helps bind everything together.
- Brown Sugar- I use this instead of granulated for added moisture. You can use light or dark.
- Milk- If there are no dairy allergies or if you’re not vegan, you can use regular whole milk. For non dairy, use a non dairy milk of your choosing.
- Hershey Kisses- The original ones are gluten free and nut free (the flavored ones are not) but if you're allergic to dairy or vegan, make sure to use a gluten free/vegan chocolate kiss or gem. You can also make your own vegan kisses using a Hershey kiss mold and melting vegan chocolate chips into the mold.
See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
How to Make these Vegan
- Use a gluten free flour that’s free from dairy.
- Make sure the brand of sugar you use is vegan.
- Use vegan baking sticks instead of butter.
- Only use a non dairy milk of choice.
- Read the label on your chocolate kisses/gems to ensure they’re gluten free, nut free and vegan or use a vegan chocolate square.
How to Make this recipe with All Purpose Flour
- Use 1 ½ packed cups of regular flour (252 grams).
- Make sure to also use packed cups of cocoa powder.
- Use 1 tablespoon of milk.
- You still need to chill the dough due to the lack of eggs.
This recipe has not been tested with these substitutions and/or variations due to celiac disease and food allergies. If you change any of the ingredients, please let us know how the recipe turned out in the comments below!
How to make Chocolate Blossom Cookies
Here are the step by step instructions to make these cookies!
Step 1: Whisk Together the Dry Ingredients
In a medium bowl, combine the gluten free flour, both cocoa powders, baking soda and salt. Whisk to combine.
Step 2: Make the Cornstarch Water
In a small bowl, using a spoon, mix together the cornstarch and water until thin and watery. It will be thick and tacky at first.
Step 3: Cream the Sugar
In a large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or using a hand held mixer, beat the room temperature butter or vegan butter and the brown sugar until soft and creamy. About 2 minutes.
Step 4: Add in the Other Wet Ingredients
Slowly beat in the cornstarch water, the milk and the vanilla until fully combined. It will appear chunky. That’s normal.
Step 5: Add in the Dry Ingredients
With the mixer on low speed, slowly beat in the gluten free flour mixture a little at a time until just combined. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides and combine.
Step 6: Chill the Dough and Preheat the Oven
Remove dough from bowl, shape into a round flat disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. It needs to harden otherwise the cookies will spread all over the place. You can even chill overnight.
When the dough is almost done chilling, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Unwrap all the Hershey kisses.
Step 7: Scoop the Dough and Drop in Sugar
Remove dough from the fridge and use a small cookie scoop or use your hands to roll dough into 1 inch balls.
Pour the ⅔ cup of granulated sugar into a bowl. Drop each dough ball into the sugar and coat completely.
Step 8: Bake the Cookies
Place the cookies on the baking sheet about 2-3 inches apart.
Pop the extra dough balls into the fridge while these are baking. Bake the cookies in the center rack of the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 minutes.
Immediately reshape the cookies when they come out of the oven and place an unwrapped Hershey kiss into the center of each cookie.
Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 min before transferring to a cooling rack. If you don't do this, the cookies will break apart into a giant mess.
Expert Baking Tips
- Use 2 Types of Cocoa Powder- The 2 types of cocoa powders give the cookies their dark hue. If you only have one type on hand, use natural unsweetened or dutch...just know their color will not be as dark as mine. DO NOT use dark alone; it will make your cookies too dry and bitter.
- Use Room Temperature Butter- Do NOT use softened or melted butter/vegan baking sticks. The cookies will spread out when baking into a giant mess.
- Chill the Dough- If you don’t chill the dough for at least an hour, the cookies will spread and be flat and thin.
- Unwrap the Kisses- Make sure your Hershey kisses or vegan chocolates are unwrapped so that when you take the cookies out of the oven, you can immediately place the chocolate on the warm cookie. If you wait too long and the cookies cool too much, the chocolate will not stick to the cookie.
- Reshape the Cookies- If you want your cookies nice and round, reshape them as soon as they come out of the oven. Either use a spatula to push them back into a circle shape or use a large circle cookie cutter. If using a cookie cutter, place it over the cookies and rotate quickly in a circle.
Recipe FAQS
You can make the dough the night before. Shape into a disc, wrap in plastic and keep in the fridge.
If doing this, there is no need to chill again prior to baking.
Or you can wrap the dough in plastic and freeze the dough for up to 30 days. Thaw the dough in the fridge the night prior to using.
Most gluten free baked goods are best made the same day, but you can make these cookies a day before!
I don’t recommend using a different sugar.
Eggless cookies can be very dry and the brown sugar adds lots of moisture.
Once the cookies have cooled, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
If you want them warm and gooey, heat the cookie in the microwave for a few seconds prior to serving. Be careful not to burn your mouth on the hot chocolate kiss.
Other Chocolate Cookie Recipes You'll Love
Did you try this recipe? Please leave me a ⭐ review below!
Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @laneandgreyfare and follow along on Pinterest, Facebook and YouTube! Enjoy!!!
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Blossom Cookies
Ingredients
- 28 Hershey Kisses unwrapped (for vegan, use vegan chocolate squares)
- 1.5 cups gluten free flour (I use a 1:1 gluten free flour with xanthan gum)
- ½ cup cocoa powder (I used ¼ cup Dutch or Natural Unsweetened and ¼ cup Dark)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter or vegan baking stick, room temperature
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 2 heaping tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons milk of choice
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar for rolling
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, using a spoon, mix together the cornstarch and water until it is thin and watery. It will be thick and tacky at first. Set aside.
- In a large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or with a large bowl using a handheld mixer, beat the room temperature butter or vegan baking stick and 1 cup light brown sugar until soft and creamy. About 2 minutes.
- Then slowly beat in the cornstarch water mixture, milk and vanilla until combined. It will look chunky and that’s normal.
- Slowly add in the gluten free flour mixture a little at a time and beat until just combined. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides and combine.
- Remove dough from bowl, shape into a round flat disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Unwrap all the Hershey kisses.
- Remove dough from the fridge and use a small cookie scoop or use your hands to roll dough into 1 inch balls.
- Pour the ⅔ cup of granulated sugar into a bowl. Drop each dough ball into the sugar and coat completely.
- Place the cookies on the baking sheet about 2-3 inches apart.Pop the extra dough balls into the fridge while these are baking. Bake the cookies in the center rack of the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 minutes.
- Immediately reshape the cookies (if they spread a bit) when they come out of the oven and place an unwrapped Hershey kiss or vegan chocolate into the center of each cookie.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for an additional 5 min after removing them from the oven. If you try to take them off too soon, they will break apart.
- Repeat this process with the remainder of the dough balls.
John
Five stars!
Lee
Thank you!
Nancy DiPaola
looks great. cant wait to try the recipe!
Alicia
Not too sweet and just the perfect amount of dark chocolate goodness! Plus, placing the kiss on top is fun!
Lee
Thank you so so much!