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These gingerbread kiss cookies are everything I love about Christmas baking! Soft, warmly spiced gingerbread cookies rolled in sugar and topped with a chocolate Hershey’s Kiss. What’s not to love?!
Think classic gingerbread meets chocolate blossom cookies, with a little chai-inspired twist! Molasses keeps the centres soft and chewy, while ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, and a few other cozy spices bring all that holiday flavour. They’re easy to make, fun to decorate, and just the thing for Christmas cookie exchanges, holiday dessert trays, or sneaking one (or three!) straight from the cooling rack.
And if you’re already in full Christmas baking mode, why not whip up a batch of homemade eggnog to sip alongside them? Because a little holiday cookie-and-eggnog situation sounds pretty good to me!
Ingredients for Gingerbread Kiss Cookies
These soft gingerbread cookies get their cozy flavour from molasses and a blend of warm, chai-inspired spices. Add a little sugar for rolling and a chocolate Kiss on top, and you’ve got yourself a Christmas cookie worth making! Here’s what you’ll need:
- Unsalted Butter: Softened butter gives the cookies a tender texture and helps everything cream together smoothly.
- Granulated Sugar: Adds sweetness to the dough. You’ll also need extra sugar for rolling the cookies before baking.
- Dark Brown Sugar: Adds moisture, richness, and a deeper molasses flavour that pairs beautifully with the spices.
- Molasses: The key to that classic gingerbread flavour and soft, chewy texture. Use unsulfured molasses, not blackstrap, which has a much stronger, more bitter taste.
- Egg: Helps bind everything together and gives the cookies structure.
- Vanilla Extract: Rounds out the warm spices and adds a little extra sweetness.
- All-Purpose Flour: Gives the cookies structure while keeping the centres soft and tender.
- Baking Soda: Helps the cookies rise and develop their signature soft, slightly puffy texture.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and brings out the flavour of the spices.
- Ground Ginger: The star of the gingerbread show! Adds that familiar warm, slightly spicy kick.
- Cinnamon: Brings cozy sweetness and complements the ginger and molasses.
- Cardamom: The secret to that chai-inspired flavour! It’s warm, fragrant, and slightly citrusy, giving these cookies something a little different.
- Ground Cloves and Nutmeg: A little of each adds depth and rounds out the spice blend without overpowering it.
- Black Pepper: Optional, but recommended! Just a pinch adds a subtle warmth that really brings the chai spices together.
- Hershey’s Kisses: The finishing touch! Classic milk chocolate Kisses work beautifully, but dark chocolate, white chocolate, or hot cocoa flavours are fun alternatives. Just make sure they’re unwrapped and ready to go before the cookies come out of the oven.
Find the full ingredient list and exact measurements in the recipe card below.
Tips for Perfect Gingerbread Kiss Cookies
These gingerbread blossoms are pretty straightforward, but a few little tricks will help you get those soft, chewy centres and perfectly placed chocolate Kisses every time!
- Don’t skip chilling the dough. Give it at least 30–45 minutes in the fridge before baking. This helps prevent spreading and keeps the cookies thick enough to hold their chocolate Kisses. If the dough starts getting warm between batches, pop it back in the fridge.
- Keep the dough balls about 1 inch. You want them big enough to hold a Hershey’s Kiss without the chocolate taking over the entire cookie. Roll them evenly so they bake at the same rate.
- Use parchment paper and a cool baking sheet. Skip greasing the pan, which can encourage spreading. And if you’re baking in batches, let your baking sheet cool completely before adding more dough.
- Roll in sugar, but don’t flatten! A generous coating of granulated or sparkling sugar gives the cookies a lightly crisp, sparkly exterior. Leave the dough balls round so they puff up naturally in the oven.
- Don’t overbake. Pull the cookies out when the edges are just set and the centres still look slightly soft and puffy, about 9–10 minutes. They’ll continue to firm up as they cool, so resist the urge to leave them in longer!
- Press the Kisses in while the cookies are warm. Have your chocolates unwrapped and ready before the cookies come out of the oven. Gently press one into the centre of each cookie immediately after baking, then let the chocolate set completely before moving or stacking them.
How to Store and Freeze Gingerbread Kiss Cookies
These gingerbread kiss cookies are great for making ahead, especially when your Christmas baking list is getting a little out of control! Here’s how to keep them soft, fresh, and ready for the holidays.
- At Room Temperature: Store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container for 3–4 days. Make sure the chocolate Kisses have fully set before stacking. You can also tuck a slice of sandwich bread into the container to help keep the cookies soft.
- Make Ahead: Prepare the dough 1–2 days in advance and keep it tightly covered in the fridge. If it’s too firm to scoop, let it sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes before rolling and baking.
- Freezing Baked Cookies: Freeze completely cooled cookies in a single layer until firm, then transfer to a freezer-safe container with parchment between layers. They’ll keep for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
- Freezing Cookie Dough: Roll the dough into balls and freeze on a baking sheet until solid. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge until workable, roll in sugar, and bake as directed.
Frequently Asked Questions
more christmas cookies to bake next
One batch of Christmas cookies is never enough, right?! If you’re filling up cookie tins, planning a holiday cookie exchange, or just looking for another excuse to turn on the oven, here are a few more festive treats to try!
- Grinch Thumbprint Cookies. Buttery, colourful, and oh-so-cute.
- Hot Chocolate Cookies. Rich, chocolatey, and loaded with gooey marshmallows.
- Grinch Crinkle Cookies. Soft, festive, and beautifully crinkled.
- Rudolph Cookies. Fudgy chocolate cookies with adorable reindeer faces.
- Cookie Mix in a Jar. A sweet homemade gift for cookie lovers.
Made this recipe? ⭐️ If you tried it, leave a star rating in the recipe card! It helps other home cooks know it’s worth making (and makes my day, too!).
Gingerbread Kiss Cookies
Video
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter (softened)
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup dark brown sugar (packed)
- ⅓ cup unsulfured molasses
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1.5 tsp ground ginger
- 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp ground black pepper (optional)
For Finishing
- sparkling sugar or granulated sugar (for rolling)
- 24-28 Hershey’s Kisses (unwrapped, milk chocolate or your favourite flavour)
Instructions
Make the Cookie Dough
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar with an electric hand mixer until smooth and creamy, about 1–2 minutes.
- Beat in the molasses, egg, and vanilla extract until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, and black pepper (if using).
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until a thick, soft dough forms. Cover the dough and refrigerate for 30–45 minutes to help prevent spreading.
Shape and Bake
- Preheat to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Shape the chilled dough into approximately 1-inch balls, then roll each one in sparkling or granulated sugar to coat. Arrange on the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between cookies. Don't flatten.
- Bake for 9–10 minutes, until the cookies are puffy and the edges are just set. The centres should still look slightly soft.
Add the Chocolate Kisses
- Immediately after removing the cookies from the oven, gently press one unwrapped Hershey's Kiss into the centre of each warm cookie.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack. Let cool completely until the chocolate Kisses have firmed up before storing or stacking.
Notes
Nutrition
Don’t skip the good stuff —
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