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.
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
I had tried a different recipe that didn’t turn out well but this one turned out great. I’m not a big gingerbread fan and still loved these. I added the snickerdoodle Kisses which I thought complemented the cookie nicely
I made these for an annual holiday cookie swap and followed Sally’s explicit directions exactly. The pre-freezing to set the white and red Hershey’s hugs was key. As she says, the dough doesn’t have to be refrigered and the end result, they looked just like the photo provided. I can’t wait to hear what the girls think once they taste them!!
I can always rely on Sally to provide all the tips and tricks to ensure a great result!!
So Good!!! These cookies are fantastic. Our family loves the warm gingerbread taste and the slightly soft texture. Best of all, they don’t require chilling, so are quick to make. Warning: Make 2 batches because they will disappear fast!
So delicious! I absolutely love ginger and molasses so I take full advantage of this time of year. These cookies were full of those flavors! I was skeptical that they would be as good without the candy because chocolate makes everything better, but I agree that the kiss is not necessary, though younger people seem to enjoy it. I was surprised that my 8-year-old and 10-year-old nephew and niece liked these cookies because ginger and molasses can be an acquired taste, but I think the chocolate helped so that’s why I wouldn’t necessarily omit it, though you could do some without to save a few calories or to prevent distraction from the great spice that is this cookie. This will be a go-to for next Christmas!
Would I be able to use Maple syrup instead of molasses?
Hi Jennifer! Molasses is a key ingredient for these gingerbread blossoms and we don’t recommend any substitutions.
These were delicious. I’ll be adding them to my cookie trays
Do you think these would work with King Arthur Gluten-Free all purpose flour? Typically a one to one substitute works well for me but I don’t have much experience with molasses.
Hi Cari, we haven’t texted gluten free flour in these cookies but let us know if you do!
perfect!
I made the Gingerbread Blossoms. They are so pretty and taste really good. Will be taking to a family party. I love your recipes.
Delicious! I chilled my unwrapped Hugs in the refrigerator and did the freezer chill step to keep everything in good form.
I made these but instead of a hersey’s kiss I filled the duvet with salted caramel that I had left over from caramel apple cheesecake pie. These were fantastic.
SOOOOO good – with or without the Hershey kiss. Great raves from those we shared them with!
Are these the same as the old recipe?
Hi Kara! This is a brand new recipe – we do have a few other gingerbread/molasses cookies on our website, these soft molasses cookies are a favorite!
Would this recipe work for a thumb print type of cookie? I wanted to fill them with lemon filling.
Hi Kim, we haven’t tried them that way, but don’t see why it wouldn’t work! Let us know if you give it a try!
It absolutely worked! I baked them and immediately after pulling them out of the oven, I used the back side of my rounded teaspoon to make the intention!
And they are so good!
I’ve made so many of your recipes, Sally, and loved them all. However, while these cookies tasted delicious, the dough was too dry and the cookies cracked while being baked. My family will love them, but I wouldn’t gift them. Should they perhaps have less flour or another egg? I’m 99.9% sure I followed the recipe accurately.
Hi Susan, thank you so much for the kind words and I really appreciate you baking so many of my recipes. I’m glad the flavor was still a hit, even though the texture wasn’t what you hoped for. When gingerbread cookie dough seems dry or cracks excessively, it’s almost always due to too much flour, which can happen very easily if flour is scooped directly from the bag instead of spooned and leveled. Even a few extra tablespoons can make the dough feel stiff and cause cracking as the cookies bake. Spooning and leveling or using a kitchen scale if you have one is key.
I absolutely love this recipe! I made them 5 days ago (still good in sealed Tupperware) & doubled the recipe & they came out great! They didn’t get eaten up quickly because I’m giving them as gifts (I threatened my household with bodily harm if they ate the portion I had reserved for that!). I did have to make some oven adjustments as my oven is temperamental. My family said that the recipe was definitely a keeper! Thank you so much!!
These are absolutely delicious!!
Loved these! My husband and I had a baking date night and made these. We were using dark pans and found 11 minutes at 325 was perfect for our oven. So soft! So flavorful!
I made these the other day and WOW are they delicious. The small heat you get from the ginger is a perfect balance to the sweetness.
Hello Sally! Is this recipe comparable to your Soft Gingersnap Molasses cookies that used to be on the blog (it was one of the OG recipes!)? I have treasured that recipe for years and am sad to not be able to find it anymore! Thanks so much!
Hi Teresa! It’s actually the same exact recipe! Just with a hershey kiss added at the end. 🙂
Wonderful, thank you so much Sally!
These look so good! If I want to make it ahead and freeze the dough balls, should I roll them in coarse sugar before freezing them, or when frozen right before baking?
Hi Beatriz, you can roll them in coarse sugar right before baking.
My gingerbread kisses cracked but I didn’t notice that in your pics. Did I do something wrong. I’m sure they will still taste good!
Hi meme, 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.
I made the dough and baked a few cookies following the instructions. I found the chocolate kiss and the coarse sugar to be too sweet for my taste. For the remaining dough I added chopped candied ginger but still rolled the dough balls in sparkling sugar and omitted the chocolate kiss. Very good base dough for customising.
Made these yesterday for a present to some friends today and my husband is certainly a little sad he doesn’t get to eat all these himself! I added a pinch of white pepper to the spices to give it that extra kick and by happy accident used snickerdoodle kisses on top and they were a great addition!
Thank you for sharing this recipe! A do have a question. Mine came out of the oven nice and high, but after five minutes of cooling down they collapsed and are now flat. Any idea what may have caused this?
I’m glad you gave the recipe a try! Sinking and crinkling is normal as ginger/molasses cookies cool, but if they collapsed significantly, it’s often a sign that the cookies were either slightly under-baked or the dough was a bit too warm going into the oven. Try extending the bake time by 1–2 minutes next time so the centers are just set. You could even chill the cookie dough for about 30 minutes, which will help too. Also, you can double check that your baking soda is fresh. This can affect how much lift the cookies get (and how much stays!). I hope any of this helps, and I’m happy to troubleshoot more if you’d like!
One must have an excellent dentist !
only blackstrap molasses available where I live, is there an alternative recipe or substitute
Hi Marion, you can use blackstrap molasses if needed, but it’s quite bitter and most don’t care for the taste in baked goods. Unfortunately, there isn’t a great substitute for molasses to give you the same classic gingerbread taste.
I really want to make a Gingerbread Something this month. This (plus the other) Gingerbread recipes call for 2 ingredients I cannot buy, molasses and ground cloves.
Molasses – can I make these without it? Or I’ve read a substitute is dissolving sugar or brown sugar in water. What do you think?
Cloves – can I leave it out or increase another spice?
Thank you!
Hi Elizabeth! Molasses is really essential to classic gingerbread flavor and texture: it adds moisture, deep sweetness, and color. Unfortunately, dissolving granulated or brown sugar in water won’t fully mimic those qualities, so I don’t recommend that substitution for this particular recipe. If you can find treacle where you live, that’s the closest alternative and works beautifully in most gingerbread-style cookies. It’s strong, so you could even use half treacle and half golden syrup or honey. As for the cloves, you can absolutely leave them out. The cookies will still be wonderfully spiced. You don’t need to increase anything else to compensate, though you may add an extra pinch of cinnamon or ginger if you’d like.
Hi!
I saved this link for the Soft Gingersnap Molasses Cookies I make every year and it seems to have changed – is that recipe still available? This one seems similar without the chilling – is that correct?
Thanks!
That’s correct! They are the same!
We made these and loved them.
I do have a question about your flour measurement. We go on the basis that a cup of AP flour is 5 oz. At 28 g/oz, that comes out to closer to 425 g, not the 375 g you list. I used 400 g to split the difference and the cookies were fine. Do you start with grams and convert to cups or start with cups and convert to grams. Looking at other recipes makes me think you are using 25 g/oz. Can you clear up the confusion?
Hi Scott, I’m so glad you tried these and loved them! Great question about the flour measurement. I always develop and test my recipes using grams first, and then I convert those weights into cups for readers who prefer volume. In my kitchen, 1 cup of all-purpose flour consistently weighs about 125g, which is also around the standard used by many baking resources. That breaks down to roughly 4.4 oz per cup, which is why the gram amounts in my recipes are lower than what you’d get using a 5-oz cup. Flour weight can vary quite a bit depending on how it’s measured, the brand, humidity, and even scooping technique, so grams will always give the most accurate and consistent results. I’m glad your batch still turned out well with the amount you used, and I hope this explanation helps clear up the confusion!
Turns out that the 5 oz per cup that I was using is not as universal as I thought. King Arthur and you both use about 4.4 oz/cup (120-125 g/cup), whereas America’s Test Kitchen uses 5 oz/cup (142 g/cup).
Used 375 the second time I made it and they were pretty much the same. I guess the amount of flour wasn’t as critical as I thought. Sorry for the confusion.