These Red Velvet Blossoms Cookies Cookies are soft, cocoa-kissed, and topped with a smooth chocolate kiss. Each bite melts with buttery sweetness and a pop of holiday color. They’re quick to make, beautifully festive, and always a hit at Christmas cookie swaps. You only need one bowl and a few pantry staples to whip up these bright red beauties. Whether you bake them for gifts or family dessert trays, these cookies will bring cheerful color and cozy joy to your holiday table.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Red Velvet Blossoms Cookies
Festive holiday appeal
Nothing says Christmas like a tray of red velvet cookies sparkling with sugar. These treats add a beautiful, cheerful pop of red to any cookie platter. Their velvety texture and chocolatey center feel indulgent, yet they’re simple enough for everyday holiday baking.
Simple ingredients and quick bake time
You’ll love how this recipe uses basic pantry ingredients and bakes in just 10 minutes. There’s no chilling or complicated steps involved. Just mix, roll, bake, and top with a kiss. It’s the perfect last-minute bake for busy days.
Kid-friendly and customizable treat
Kids love helping roll the dough in red sugar and pressing the chocolate kisses on top. You can easily switch the sanding sugar color or chocolate type to fit any celebration. It’s a fun, hands-on recipe for the whole family.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Key baking ingredients
You’ll need butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. These create a soft, chewy base with a hint of cocoa.
Food coloring and decorative sugar
Red gel food coloring gives these cookies their signature hue, while red sanding sugar adds sparkle and crunch. You can substitute with coarse granulated sugar if needed.
Chocolate kiss options
Classic milk chocolate kisses work perfectly, but white chocolate or dark chocolate varieties taste amazing too. Try peppermint or caramel kisses for a holiday twist.
How to Make Red Velvet Blossoms Cookies
Preparing the dough
Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, cream together softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and smooth. Then mix in the egg yolk, vanilla, and red food coloring.
Shaping and coating the cookies
Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt to the wet mixture. Stir gently until combined. Scoop 1 tablespoon of dough per cookie, roll each into a ball, and coat evenly in red sanding sugar.
Baking and adding the chocolate kiss
Arrange the dough balls on the baking sheet, spacing them slightly apart. Bake for 10 minutes until set but still soft. Right after baking, press a chocolate kiss gently into the center of each cookie.
Cooling and setting tips
Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes so the chocolate firms slightly. Then transfer them carefully to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
Baking Tips for Perfect Blossoms
Achieving the right texture
For soft, tender cookies, avoid overbaking. They should still look slightly underdone when removed from the oven. They’ll firm up as they cool.
Preventing cracks or spreading
Use room-temperature butter and don’t overmix the dough. Also, rolling in sugar helps the cookies keep their shape and adds a lovely crunch.
Best timing for pressing the kiss
Press the chocolate kiss into the cookie immediately after baking while it’s warm enough to soften the chocolate slightly but not melt it completely.
Variations and Festive Customizations
Different sanding sugar colors
Try green or gold sugar for a multi-colored Christmas batch. For Valentine’s Day, use pink or white sugar instead of red.
Chocolate flavor swaps
Switch up the flavor with caramel, peppermint, or white chocolate kisses. You can even use dark chocolate for a richer cookie.
Seasonal presentation ideas
Arrange cookies in clear jars tied with red ribbons or gift boxes lined with parchment. They make charming homemade gifts for friends and neighbors.
Storage and Make-Ahead Instructions
Room temperature and refrigeration
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, refrigerate them for up to a week.
Reheating for softness
If your cookies firm up, microwave them for about 8 seconds to bring back that fresh-from-the-oven softness.
Freezing considerations
You can freeze unbaked dough balls for up to 2 months. When ready, bake directly from frozen, adding 1–2 extra minutes of bake time.
Other recipes you may enjoy
- Gingerbread cheesecake cookies for holiday baking
- Easy Christmas fudge recipe for gifting and sharing
- Christmas tree cake truffles as festive no-bake treats
- Cranberry orange snowball cookies for holiday cookie platters
- Christmas sprinkle cookies for colorful holiday baking
- The best fudgy chewy brookies for Christmas dessert tables
Conclusion or Final Thoughts
Red Velvet Blossoms Cookies bring together rich cocoa, sweet vanilla, and creamy chocolate in every bite. They’re festive, easy, and full of holiday joy. Bake a batch for your next Christmas party or cookie swap — they’re sure to disappear fast. For more baking ideas and festive inspiration, visit my Pinterest page and start planning your sweetest holiday yet!
Red Velvet Blossoms Cookies
Equipment
- Baking sheet Line with parchment paper
- Mixing bowl For creaming and mixing
- electric mixer Hand or stand mixer
- Measuring spoons and cups
- Cooling rack
Ingredients
- 7 tbsp softened butter (salted or unsalted)
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp red gel food coloring
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ cup red sanding sugar
- 18 Hershey’s chocolate kisses
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cream butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth and fluffy.
- Add egg yolk, vanilla extract, and red food coloring. Mix until well combined.
- Stir in flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Mix just until a soft dough forms.
- Scoop about 1 tablespoon of dough per cookie and roll into balls. Coat each ball in red sanding sugar.
- Arrange on the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, until cookies are just set.
- Immediately press a chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie while still warm.
- Cool cookies on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
