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Easy Hershey’s Red Velvet Blossoms Cookies — Soft, Festive & Valentine-Perfect

These Red Velvet Blossom Cookies are soft, sweet, chocolatey, and beautifully festive. They’re flavored with a hint of cocoa, tinted with warm red color, rolled in sparkling sanding sugar, and finished with a Hershey’s chocolate kiss in the center. The result is a cookie that’s pretty to look at and even more delicious to eat — soft inside, lightly sweet outside, and chocolatey in every bite. Perfect for Valentine’s Day, Christmas cookie trays, birthdays, party platters, bake sales, or cozy nights in. They’re easy to make, bake quickly, and always bring smiles.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
bake time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 18 cookies
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 7 tablespoons butter salted or unsalted, softened
  • ½ cup brown sugar packed
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon red gel food coloring
  • ¼ cup red sanding sugar for rolling
  • 18 Hershey’s chocolate kisses unwrapped

✨ Kitchen Essentials You’ll Love

Quick picks I trust for better results, faster prep, and easier cleanup.

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    Lodge Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet

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    Instant Pot Duo Plus 9-in-1 Electric

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  • 🔥

    CHEFMAN Digital Air Fryer XL 10L

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Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

Equipment

  • Mixing bowls
  • Hand mixer or stand mixer
  • Rubber spatula
  • Measuring spoons & cups
  • Baking sheet
  • Parchment paper
  • Small bowl for rolling sugar

Method
 

Step 1: Preheat & Prepare
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
  2. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 2: Cream Butter & Sugars
  1. Beat butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar for 2–3 minutes, until creamy and smooth.
Step 3: Add Egg Yolk & Vanilla
  1. Add egg yolk and vanilla extract.
  2. Mix until fully combined.
Step 4: Add Dry Ingredients
  1. In a separate bowl, whisk together:
  2. flour
  3. cocoa powder
  4. baking powder
  5. salt
  6. Add to the wet ingredients and mix just until a soft dough forms.
Step 5: Add Color
  1. Mix in red gel food coloring until the dough is evenly tinted.
Step 6: Shape & Coat
  1. Scoop dough into small balls (about 1 tablespoon each).
  2. Roll each ball in red sanding sugar to coat.
Step 7: Bake
  1. Place on baking sheet with space to spread lightly.
  2. Bake 8–11 minutes, until they are set around the edges but still soft in the center.
Step 8: Add Hershey’s Kiss
  1. Immediately press a Hershey’s kiss into the center of each warm cookie.
  2. Cool completely so the chocolate holds its shape.

Notes

🧊 Storage
Store at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Freeze cookies (without the kiss) for up to 3 months.
To freeze dough, shape into balls and freeze raw — bake from frozen.
🥄 Variations
Pink Velvet Blossoms:
Use pink gel coloring instead of red.
Double Chocolate:
Substitute chocolate kisses with dark or white chocolate kisses.
Sparkle Sugar Mix:
Roll in a blend of red + white sanding sugar.
Peppermint Twist:
Use Candy Cane Hershey’s Kisses during holidays.
Heart-Shaped Kisses:
Use Hershey’s seasonal hearts for Valentine’s flair.
❓ 10 FAQs
Can I use liquid food coloring?
Yes, but gel gives richer red color.
Can I use unsalted butter?
Yes — add a small pinch of extra salt.
Why only the egg yolk?
It keeps the cookies soft and tender.
Can I add more cocoa?
Yes — add up to 2 tablespoons total for deeper chocolate flavor.
Can I skip sanding sugar?
Yes — the cookies still bake beautifully.
Why press the kiss on while warm?
The heat sets the chocolate into the cookie center.
Can I make them bigger?
Yes — add 1–2 minutes baking time.
Can I freeze them already dipped?
Yes — freeze flat, then container store.
What if my dough is dry?
Add ½ teaspoon milk to soften.
Are these good for gifting?
Yes — they look beautiful and hold shape well.
🏁 Conclusion
These Red Velvet Blossom Cookies are soft, sweet, chocolate-kissed, festive, and absolutely charming. Easy to bake, lovely to share, and impossible not to smile about — the perfect cookie for celebrations, gifting, or cozy moments.
Soft. Sparkly. Chocolatey.
A cookie that always makes the day sweeter.