Table of Contents: Valentine’s Day Kiss Cookies

Valentine’s Day Kiss Cookies

There’s magic in pressing a chocolate kiss into a warm cookie – a ritual that turns simple ingredients into edible love letters. Discover why generations cherish these festive treats.

When February rolls around, my kitchen transforms into a love-struck bakery – all because of these irresistible VALENTINE’S DAY KISS COOKIES. Imagine a rich chocolate cookie base hugging a melt-in-your-mouth Hershey’s Kiss, all dressed in festive red and pink sprinkles. These aren’t just desserts; they’re edible memories in the making.

What makes these HERSHEY KISS COOKIES extraordinary? It’s the alchemy of brown sugar’s chewiness meeting cocoa’s depth, finished with that iconic chocolate center. Unlike peanut butter blossoms (their popular cousin), these double-chocolate delights feel extra indulgent. They’re perfect for:

Valentine’s Day classroom parties
Romantic dessert plates with champagne
Care packages for college kids
“Bake together” family date nights

By Any Other Name Would Taste as Sweet

These cookies wear many hats in recipe boxes nationwide! You might know them as:

Chocolate Kiss Blossoms (our top related keyword!)
Hershey’s Kiss Thumbprints
Double Chocolate Valentine Cookies

Gathering Your Sweetheart Ingredients

Rustic wooden board with heart-shaped Valentine's Day Kiss Cookies decorated with red sprinkles

1/2 cup butter (cool room temperature – yields perfect texture)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar (packed – use dark for deeper flavor)

1 large egg (cold from fridge)
2 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate (melted – microwave in 15-sec bursts)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch-processed preferred)
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder (fresh for maximum lift)
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (*See vital note below)
¾ cup Valentine’s Day nonpareil sprinkles (red/pink mix – use jimmies if preferred)
34 Hershey’s Kisses (unwrapped – freeze 10 mins for easier handling)

*Flour Measuring Tip: Spoon flour into measuring cup and level with knife. Packed flour causes dry cookies!

Crafting Your Love Letters in Dough Form

Butter & Sugars Embrace: Beat butter (must be cool but softened – indents when pressed but holds shape), granulated sugar, and brown sugar until fluffy (~3 mins). This creates air pockets for tenderness.
Wet Team Unites: Mix in egg, melted chocolate (slightly cooled), and vanilla. Chef’s Trick: Melt chocolate in microwave with 1 tsp butter to prevent seizing.

Dry Ingredients Date: Whisk cocoa, baking powder, salt, and flour in separate bowl. Gradually add to wet mix until just combined. Do not overmix (causes tough cookies).
Chill Out: Cover dough and refrigerate 1 hour. This prevents overspreading and deepens flavors. Busy Baker Hack: Make dough 3 days ahead!
Sprinkle Dip: Pour sprinkles into shallow dish. Roll dough into 1″ balls, roll in sprinkles. Place 2″ apart on parchment-lined baking sheets.

Bake with Love: In preheated 350°F oven, bake 9-11 mins (tops crack slightly when done). While baking, unwrap chocolates.

Total Time: 1 hour 25 mins (includes chilling) | Yield: 34 cookies | Calories: ~128 each

Why These Kisses Taste Like Magic

This VALENTINE’S DAY KISS COOKIES recipe triumphs through science and sentiment:

Brown Sugar Magic: Adds moisture and chew missing in traditional peanut butter blossoms
Double Chocolate: Melted chocolate in dough + cocoa powder = deep flavor
Baking Powder Lift: Creates perfect “dimple” for the Hershey’s Kiss

Chill Factor: Relaxed dough spreads less for thicker cookies

Advanced Pro Tips:

For glossy cookies: Brush dough balls with whisked egg white before sprinkles
Salty-sweet twist: Flake Maldon salt on cookies post-baking
Conversion hack: Turn into kiss-stuffed brownies by pressing dough into a pan

Preserving Your Sweetheart Cookies

Storage: Keep in airtight container with wax paper between layers (sprinkles bleed!). Stays soft 1 week at room temp.

Freezing: Freeze baked cookies (without kisses) up to 3 months. Add kisses after thawing and reheating 5 mins at 300°F. Alternatively, freeze dough balls in ziplock bags – bake from frozen adding 2 mins.

Reviving Stale Cookies: Place in container with bread slice overnight – the cookies absorb moisture!

Close-up of hand pressing Hershey's Kiss into warm cookie with festive heart sprinkles — Fig.2 – The Moment of Chocolate Truth

Timing is everything! Remove cookies when edges are set but centers still look slightly underdone (about 9 mins). Immediately press unwrapped Hershey’s Kisses firmly so it sinks halfway down. As cookies cool on the sheet (5 mins), the chocolate sets perfectly. Use a light twisting motion for even insertion – but don’t push to the bottom!

What Are Kiss Cookies Made Of?

Our Valentine’s version combines butter, both granulated and brown sugar, egg, vanilla, melted semi-sweet chocolate, cocoa powder, leavening agents, flour, festive sprinkles, and Hershey’s Kisses. Unlike peanut butter blossoms using peanut butter dough, these feature double chocolate. The nonpareil sprinkles add crunch while sealing in moisture.

The critical 30-second window: within 60 seconds of removing cookies from the oven. Hot cookies soften the chocolate base slightly, creating a seamless bond upon cooling. If cookies cool too much, warm chocolate kisses briefly with a hairdryer before pressing. Work in small batches if needed – never add kisses before baking!

How Do You Store Kiss Cookies?

Store cooled cookies between parchment paper layers in an airtight container for 5-7 days. Avoid refrigeration (makes chocolate weep). For gifting, place in cellophane bags with ribbon – the sugar coating prevents sticking. Chocolate may bloom over time (harmless white coating) but still tastes divine. To refresh, microwave 3 seconds per cookie.

These VALENTINE’S DAY KISS COOKIES aren’t just treats – they’re edible memories waiting to happen. Whether baking with grandkids for their first classroom exchange or surprising your partner with a midnight snack, that melted chocolate-and-crunchy-sprinkle moment never loses its magic. Share your cookie stories (and photos!) below – we love seeing your kitchen love stories unfold!