These gingerbread blossoms capture so many of the things we love this time of year—warm spice; cozy molasses; a soft, chewy texture; and a melty chocolate kiss (or white chocolate hug!) in the center. They’re quick, simple, and festive; plus, there’s no cookie dough chilling required!
When you want a treat that’s quick and easy, as well as crowd-pleasing, these gingerbread blossoms fit the bill… and with a little holiday sparkle, to boot! The dough mixes up in minutes, doesn’t need time to chill(!!!), and bakes into soft, puffy gingerbread pillows ready to crown with chocolate.
Think of this gingerbread blossom cookie recipe as a new take on holiday-favorite spiced soft molasses cookies, with the chocolatey appeal of peanut butter blossoms.
Here’s Why You’ll Love Gingerbread Blossoms
- No dough chilling required (see more no-dough-chilling cookie recipes)
- Simple, beginner-friendly baking recipe
- Soft in centers with crisp sugared edges
- Generously spiced
- Festive & pretty
- Freezer-friendly—freeze now to enjoy later!
Grab These Ingredients
- Flour: All-purpose flour is the base of this cookie recipe.
- Baking Soda: For rise and spread.
- A Generous Amount of Spices: Ginger, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg.
- Salt: Salt adds flavor and balances the sweetness.
- Butter: Creamed butter forms the base of these soft cookies. If you’re a beginner baker, here’s more on how to cream butter and sugar properly. Be sure to start with proper room-temperature butter—it’s cooler than you think!
- Brown Sugar: I prefer dark brown sugar here, for the extra molasses flavor, but you can use light if that’s what you have.
- Molasses: Use unsulphured or dark/robust molasses; blackstrap is too bitter and overpowering for these.
- Egg: An egg binds everything together.
- Vanilla Extract: For flavor.
- Hershey’s Kisses (or white chocolate Hugs): the crown jewel of blossom cookies!
You’ll also need to roll the dough balls in sugar before baking. For this, you can use regular granulated sugar, but I like using coarse sugar for extra crunch and sparkle. In the photos, I used this sparkling sugar, but something like Sugar In The Raw works, too.
A Few Step-by-Step Photos
Whisk the dry ingredients together, then combine the wet ingredients together. Combine the wet and the dry ingredients. The dough will be thick:
Roll cookie dough into balls. Use about 1.5 Tablespoons of dough per cookie. A medium cookie scoop works perfectly here.
For sparkle and crunch, generously roll each cookie dough ball in coarse sparkling sugar (what I used in these photos) or regular granulated sugar.
These cookies need about 12 minutes in the oven.
Finally, Seal With a Kiss
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then lightly press a Hershey’s Kiss or Hug in the center of each slightly cooled-but-still-warm cookie. And then, here is my trick:
Briefly freeze the gingerbread blossoms to prevent the chocolate kiss candy from melting into a puddle.
Make sure you clear a space in your freezer before you begin, because you’ll want to do this quickly! If your freezer doesn’t have room for a large baking sheet, transfer the slightly cooled cookies to a smaller tray or plate before topping with the chocolate. This is the same process I use when I make candy cane kiss cookies, too.
Just a short stint in the freezer flash-cools the cookies, so you can enjoy them sooner.
Warm cookies will melt the chocolate kiss candy into a puddle. That’s why I recommend transferring the cookies to a smaller tray and flash-freezing them for 10 minutes. This quick chill helps the chocolate keep its shape.
Absolutely. Make the dough up to 3 days in advance and store tightly covered in the refrigerator. Let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before scooping and rolling.
I do not recommend it. Blackstrap is quite bitter, too thick, and will dry out these cookies. Use unsulphured or “dark/robust” molasses.
Even More Molasses & Gingerbread Cookies
Molasses/gingerbread cookies were an enormous part of my childhood. My mom and I baked her soft gingersnaps together nearly every December—I even published her recipe in Sally’s Baking Addiction cookbook. Over the years, I’ve published many variations, both on my website and in my cookbooks. Have you tried any of these yet?
- Seriously Soft Molasses Cookies: Soft, chewy, and sugar-coated, these classic molasses cookies are a must-make every holiday season.
- Gingerbread Cookies: The timeless roll-out original, ready for your cookie cutters and decorating fun.
- Gingerbread Latte Cookies: Dunk in espresso-speckled white chocolate for a creamy gingerbread latte experience… in a cookie!
- Gingerbread Cookie Bars: No-chill, no-roll, no-fuss gingerbread cookie bars are such a fan-favorite that I included them in my New York Times best-selling book, Sally’s Baking 101.
- Crisp Molasses Cookies: If you’re looking for a crunchy gingersnap cookie, this one’s for you—they actually snap when you break them!
- Chocolate Ginger Cookies: An elevated twist on my classic molasses cookies. You’ll appreciate the added cocoa flavor and how they are beautifully finished with dark chocolate and crystallized ginger.
- Iced Gingerbread Oatmeal Cookies: One of my personal favorites, with the added chewy texture of an oatmeal cookie, plus icing on top!
This recipe is part of my annual cookie countdown called Sally’s Cookie Palooza. It’s the biggest, most delicious event of the year! Browse dozens of cookie recipes over on the Sally’s Cookie Palooza page.
Gingerbread Blossoms
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 30 cookies
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These soft gingerbread blossoms feature the nostalgic flavors of warm spice and cozy molasses, with a melty chocolate kiss—or white chocolate hug—nestled in the center. This no-chill dough comes together quickly and bakes into perfectly spiced holiday cookies that disappear quickly!
Ingredients
- 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 and 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar (I use dark)
- 6 Tablespoons (128g) unsulphured or dark molasses (I prefer Grandma’s brand; do not use blackstrap)
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- for rolling: 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar or coarse sparkling sugar
- 30 Hershey’s Kisses or Hugs, unwrapped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar together on medium-high speed until creamy and combined, about 3 minutes. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on how to cream butter and sugar.) Add the molasses, egg, and vanilla extract and beat until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine. The mixture may look a bit curdled and separated; that’s ok.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined. The dough is thick.
- Scoop and roll cookie dough into balls, a scant 1.5 Tablespoons (30g) of dough each. Roll each in granulated sugar or coarse sugar, and arrange at least 2 inches apart on the baking sheets.
- Bake cookies for 12 minutes or until edges appear set.
- Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes.
- Set the chocolate: Using a thin spatula, carefully transfer the cookies to a smaller tray or plate that will fit in your freezer. Press a chocolate kiss candy into the center of each, then place the plate(s) of cookies in the freezer for 10 minutes to quickly set the chocolate.
- Remove the cookies from the freezer and serve.
- Cover leftover cookies tightly and store at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Let the chilled cookie dough sit out at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before scooping and rolling. Baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature, if desired, before serving. Unbaked cookie dough balls (before rolling in sugar) freeze well for up to 3 months. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, preheat the oven, then roll in granulated sugar. Bake as directed. Read my tips and tricks on how to freeze cookie dough.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Silicone Spatula | Cookie Scoop | Coarse Sugar | Cooling Rack
- Coarse Sugar: In step 5 when you coat the dough balls, you can use regular granulated sugar, but I like using coarse sugar for extra crunch and sparkle. In the photos, I used this sparkling sugar, but something like Sugar In The Raw works, too.
- Chocolate Kisses/Hug Candies: Regular chocolate Kisses hold their shape best. White chocolate Hugs are softer and melt more quickly, so the quick freeze step in step 8 is especially important.
- Can I Make These Plain Without the Chocolate Center? Yes. Simply bake as directed and skip step 8. Or, instead of a Hershey’s Kisses, you can press a few chocolate chips, white chocolate morsels, or butterscotch chips in the center.
Reader Comments and Reviews
These are delicious as they are beautiful!! Perfect in every way. The shape. The flavor. Just a 10/10 for me. Made some with kisses and some without. Wish I could have shown pix.
I just made these. The warmth of the spices was the taste of Christmas. I used different flavors of kisses. My husband had one and was impressed with softness, crunch and the flavor.
I love these! They are wonderfully spiced and smell great. I think I made about 25 on my first try, and 2 of them spread, even though I chilled the dough. How can I rectify it?
These are amazing cookies!! There perfectly spiced and go great with the chocolate. And I love that there no chill too! Will definitely be making them again!
These were so easy * amazing! I did use the black strap molasis- worked wonderfully! Thanks for this amazing treat. They are soooo good!
The cookie dough makes a delicious, soft molasses-y gingerbread cookie. But I found the coarse sugar almost added too much of a crunch. And then the white chocolate hug just didn’t add anything. The individual components are all good but the combo kind of fell short for me.
I made these today and my husband loved them even though they were were quite tall and cracked when the came out of the oven – not smooth and round like your photo. What did I do wrong/how do I to fix this for next time?
Thanks
PS I made your banana muffins and took them to a family get together – my 5 year old granddaughter asked who made them and then said “Oh, Nana please make more and could you please give the recipe to my Mom?” LOL
Hi Debbie, how sweet is that! Did the dough seem a little dry? How did you measure the flour? Make sure to spoon and level (instead of scooping) to avoid packing in too much flour into your measuring cups – or use a kitchen scale. You can read more about properly measuring baking ingredients in this post.
Grandma’s molasses is 15g per tablespoon, so 6T comes out to about 90g instead of 128, yes?
Also if I want to chill the cookie dough balls before baking, should I roll them in sugar before or after chilling? Thanks!
Hi Wendy, molasses is heavier than water, and most brands (including Grandma’s) weigh about 20–21 grams per Tablespoon when we weigh it. So 6 Tablespoons is closer to 120–126 grams, which is right in line with the 128g listed in the recipe. (Labels sometimes round their nutrition numbers, which is why you may see 15ml on the jar, but the weight is higher.) If you’d like to chill the dough, roll them in sugar before chilling. The sugar helps keep the dough balls from sticking together, and it adheres more evenly before the dough firms up.
Can these cookies be made with gluten free flour?
Hi Denise, we haven’t tested it, but let us know if you do!
These are delicious and easy to make! I made the dough ahead and baked them two days later when I had the time. I ran out of kisses so just put a few dark chocolate chips in the tops of a few and they were perfect too. They are sparkly and so tasty. I love the crunch of the outer sugar and the chewier inside. These will definitely be on my Christmas cookie rotation. Thank you Sally for another great cookie recipe.
Really enjoyed these! Like a delicious, ginger molasses cookie with a perfectly set Hershey’s kiss. What a genius idea!
Hi..I have a question. If I make these with just a few chocolate chips on the top, are they more freezer friendly then freezing with a chocolate kiss?
Hi Judy, if you skip the chocolate kiss and just add a few chocolate chips on top, the cookies do tend to freeze a bit more cleanly. The shape of the kiss can sometimes crack or shift (or even fall off!) as the cookies thaw. You can freeze them either way, though.
I made these for a gingerbread themed party and they were a perfect addition. I used snickerdoodle Hershey’s kisses and had no issues with melting!
Hi! I live in the UK, where molasses isn’t easily available. Can I substitute with black treacle?
Hi Yamini, black treacle is a good substitute for molasses in these cookies. It’s slightly stronger and a touch more bitter, but it works wonderfully in gingerbread recipes and gives that same deep color and rich flavor. If you prefer a slightly milder taste, you can use a mix of half treacle and half golden syrup, but using 100% treacle will work just fine.
These are packed with Christmasy flavor and they are easy to make. No chilling the dough so they can be made quickly. They are sparkly and they look great with the kiss in the center. I made them this afternoon as an afterthought for a small gathering this evening and everyone loved them. I noticed one reviewer said they were dry but mine definitely were not. I always measure ingredients with a scale. Mine cost ten dollars and is worth so much more. Once you get used to using a scale you’ll realize how much easier it is than other methods. When people ask me what the number one thing is that causes baked goods to fail, I always mention measuring flour. People commonly use much more flour than the recipe calls for.
Hi. I have a family member who can’t have any dairy. Can I use vegan butter or refined coconut oil in these as a substitution?
Hi Brooke, we haven’t tested either of those swaps. A vegan butter would be your best bet, but results may vary. Let us know if you try!
Hi Sally! I just attempted to make these yesterday but they came out a bit dry. The only two things I did different that I could think caused an issue are that I do not own a stand mixer, only a hand mixer and I used light brown sugar as that’s what I had on hand. When I mxied the dry and wet ingredients together the dough became super crumbly. I was able to use a sillicon spatula and kind of push down on the dough to make it hold together. But when making the balls to put on the tray they were falling apart until I really worked on rolling them in a ball. They came out of the oven a bit dry – not terrible – my husband doesnt mind them but I would love to get any advice on what you think it may be! I only made 12 and still have extra dough in my fridge. Could I add anything to revive it?
Hi Deborah, we’re happy to help troubleshoot. How did you measure your flour? Be sure to spoon and level (or use a kitchen scale) to ensure the flour isn’t over measured. If there is too much flour soaking up the wet ingredients, the cookies will be dry. There unfortunately isn’t much you can do to the dough at this point, but an easy fix for your next batch!
These are my new favorite Christmas cookies! I found snickerdoodle Hershey kisses and they complement these perfectly! 10/10.
The coarse sugar (in which the dough balls have been rolled in before baking) got almost all dissolved after baking 🙁
When I sprinkle a bit of it on the baked cookies, it does not stick. What would you suggest? Thanks!
Hi Valentina, what brand of coarse sugar did you use? Were they large granules? If they are on the smaller side, they may dissolve more. Make sure they are generously coated before heading into the oven.
Day 2 of cookie paloosa wooohooo my 5 year old gave this cookie a 10/10.
We do this every year and love making all the cookies for the holiday season.
I needed some of these recipes that were easy to use. thank you
Hi Sally,
Is this the same recipe as the Soft Gingersnap Molasses Cookies (with the optional white chocolate chips in the center)? I’m having trouble finding that recipe again and it’s one of my favorites!
Yes! Same base recipe. Instead of a kiss candy, top with a few white chocolate chips in the center.
This looks so good I can’t wait to make it!
I love recipes that look good, thanks for sharing.
Another easy winner! Made this morning following the recipe and turned out delicious!!
Very beautiful photos! Thanks for the recipe!
I think I will try freezing the candy kisses before putting them on the warm cookie just to make sure they don’t melt. This is a perfect cookie for holiday parties!
Why do you state in your recipe not to use blackstrap molasses?
Hi Rhonda! We find the flavor of blackstrap molasses can be too intense for some people’s taste, but you can use it if you prefer!
Sounds wonderful! And my daughter just purchased Snickerdoodle Kisses which will go well with these Gingerbread Blossoms. Thank you!
These look delicious-I’ve always loved blossom cookies.
Question. Can you bake the cookies first then press a chocolate kiss in while the cookie is still warm? I’ve seen this done with other recipes.
Hi Nancy, yes, that’s how the cookies are baked in this recipe. Then I recommend flash-freezing so the kiss does not melt.