Gingerbread Kiss Cookies
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These Gingerbread Kiss Cookies are soft, perfectly spiced and so easy to make. They’re perfect for Christmas!
These Gingerbread Kiss Cookies are a festive twist on my Sugar Cookies with Hershey Kisses. They’re flavored with molasses, brown sugar, cinnamon and plenty of ginger! Each cookie is topped with a Hershey’s Kiss, the dough requires no chill time and they bake up in just 8 minutes. They’re easy to make and perfect for Christmas!
Looking for more gingerbread cookies to bake this holiday season? Try my Small Batch Gingerbread Cookies, Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies or Embossed Gingerbread Cookies!
Why You’ll Love These Gingerbread Kiss Cookies
- They’re ready in under 30 minutes.
- No chill time. Just scoop and bake the dough right away!
- They’re nut free!
- They’re soft, chewy and full of gingerbread flavor.
- They’re kid friendly – kids will love unwrapping the kisses, rolling the dough in sugar and placing the chocolate on each cookie!
Ingredient Breakdown
All-purpose flour – this gives the cookies structure.
Baking soda – helps the cookies spread.
Ginger and cinnamon – provides flavor. Feel free to alter the spices to your taste.
Butter – provides flavor and structure. I always recommend using unsalted butter but salted butter works if that’s all you have on hand, just be sure to omit the 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Do not use cold or melted butter.
Brown sugar – sweetens and softens cookies. I used dark brown sugar for extra molasses flavor but light brown sugar will work too!
Unsulphured molasses – adds flavor, sweetness and makes the cookies soft. Do not use blackstrap molasses because it’s too bitter.
Egg – helps bind the ingredients.
Vanilla extract and salt – enhances flavor. Always use pure vanilla extract instead of imitation for best flavor.
Hershey’s Kisses – the star of these cookies! I used the classic milk chocolate kisses but you can use whichever flavor kisses you like best!
How To Make Gingerbread Kiss Cookies
1. In a small bowl whisk all-purpose flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
2. Use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to cream softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add the molasses, egg and vanilla extract until just combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl.
4. Add the dry ingredients all at once then mix on low speed until just combined. The dough will be soft but not sticky.
5. Using a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop dough then roll in granulated sugar and place on a lined baking sheet (be sure to adjust the baking time if your cookies are smaller/larger).
6. Bake cookies at 350°F for 8 minutes then immediately press a Hershey’s Kiss into the center of each cookie. Let cookies cool on a wire rack before eating. Store Gingerbread Kiss Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Pro Tips For Gingerbread Kiss Cookies
- Weigh your ingredients using a kitchen scale! Measuring ingredients by volume is not accurate.
- Don’t over mix the dough! Only mix until the dry ingredients are just combined. Over mixing = more gluten development which means tough cookies. We don’t want any tough cookies here!
- Bake one tray at a time on the middle oven rack. This ensures that there is even heat circulation.
What Kind of Molasses Is Best For Gingerbread cookies?
The best kind of molasses to use for gingerbread cookies if unsulphured molasses. I usually use Grandma’s Molasses – either original or robust will work. Do not use blackstrap molasses because it’s too bitter.
My Favorite Cookie Tools
- Kitchen scale I love this scale, I’ve been using it for years!
- Stand Mixer
- Baking sheets
- Parchment Paper
- Cookie Scoop – 1 tablespoon
If you try this recipe then please leave a rating/comment below to let me know how you liked it and feel free to ask any recipe questions you may have! 🙂
Gingerbread Kiss Cookies
Equipment
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Baking sheets
- Cookie scoop (I use a 1 tablespoon scoop)
Ingredients
- 240 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp ginger
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 113 g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 100 g (1/2 cup) brown sugar
- 60 g (1/4 cup) unsulphured molasses
- 1 egg
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 38 Hershey’s Kisses unwrapped
- 100 g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar, for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- In a small bowl whisk all-purpose flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- Use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to cream softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the molasses, egg and vanilla extract until just combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl.
- Add the dry ingredients all at once then mix on low speed until just combined. The dough will be soft but not sticky.
- Using a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop dough then roll in granulated sugar and place on a lined baking sheet (be sure to adjust the baking time if your cookies are smaller/larger).
- Bake cookies for 8 minutes then immediately press a Hershey's Kiss into the center of each cookie. Let cookies cool on a wire rack before eating.
Notes
- Weigh your ingredients using a kitchen scale! Measuring ingredients by volume is not accurate.
- Butter: I recommend using unsalted butter. You can use salted butter, just be sure to omit the 1/4 tsp salt.
- Store Gingerbread Kiss Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Nutrition: the provided nutritional information is an estimate per serving. Please read my Nutrition Disclaimer for more information.
