Cherry Blossom Cookie

I’ve been making these Cherry Blossom Cookies for years, and they’re always one of the first to disappear from a cookie tray. They have that soft, buttery bite and just the right hint of cherry. My favorite part is pressing a melty chocolate Kiss into the middle of each cookie, making every bite a perfect mix of cherry and chocolate. This cookie recipe always feels special, whether I’m baking for a holiday cookie exchange or sending a sweet Valentine’s Day treat.

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Love festive cookies? My Candy Cane Kiss Cookies are another favorite in my kitchen – sweet, minty, and perfect for gifting. You can also try my Peppermint Snowball Cookies for even more holiday baking inspiration.

Ingredients Notes

• Maraschino cherries – Use jarred cherries with stems removed. Fresh cherries can be substituted if finely chopped and well drained.
• All-purpose flour – Regular flour works best, but a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend can be used if needed.
• Salt – Balances the sweetness in the shortbread-style cookie dough.
• Unsalted butter – Preferred for controlling salt, but salted butter works too; reduce added salt slightly.
• Powdered sugar (also called confectioners sugar) – Creates a soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Granulated white sugar can be used for a slightly crispier cookie.
• Maraschino cherry juice – Adds classic cherry flavor. For a stronger taste, a few drops of cherry essence or extract can be used instead.
• Almond extract/essence – Enhances the cherry flavor. Use all vanilla extract if you prefer no almond taste.
• Vanilla extract – Rounds out the flavor and sweetness of the cookie dough.
• Red or pink food coloring – Optional, adds a soft pink color to the dough without affecting moisture. You can skip it and roll cookies in pink sugar crystals instead for a festive pop of color.
• Granulated sugar or sanding sugar – Used to roll the cookie dough balls for texture and sparkle.
• Hershey’s Kisses chocolate candies – The classic topping, or try white chocolate or specialty Kiss flavors for variety.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How to Make Cherry Blossom Cookies

1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Cherries: Drain the maraschino cherries, pat dry, finely chop, and toss with a little flour to help distribute evenly in the cookie dough.
3. Dough: Whisk together the flour and salt in a small bowl. In a large bowl, beat the butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Add the cherry juice, almond extract, and vanilla extract, then mix in the dry ingredients until fully combined.
4. Color: Add a few drops of red food coloring, if desired, for a soft pink dough. Stir in the chopped cherries until evenly distributed.
   
5. Shape: Scoop the dough into balls, roll in granulated sugar or colored sanding sugar, and place on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
   
6. Bake: Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.
7. Finish: Immediately press a Hershey’s Kiss into the center of each cookie. Allow the cookies to cool completely before serving or storing.
   

Make Ahead & Storage Instructions

• Store: Keep cherry blossom cookies in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
• Reheat: Reheating isn’t necessary, but cookies can be gently warmed in the microwave for about 5 seconds if you prefer a softer chocolate center.
• Freeze: Freeze baked cookies (without the Hershey’s Kisses) in a sealed, freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Add the chocolate after thawing to keep the tops neat and glossy.
• Make Ahead: The cherry cookie dough can be made up to 2 days in advance. Store it tightly covered in the refrigerator, then scoop and bake when ready.

More Blossom Cookies You’ll Love

If you love this cherry blossom recipe, try these other fun and festive desserts made with a Hershey’s Kiss in the center.

• Strawberry Kiss Cookies – Soft, pink strawberry cookies with a sweet chocolate center.
• Birthday Cake Kiss Cookies – A colorful twist with sprinkles and vanilla flavor.
• Peanut Butter Blossoms – The classic peanut butter and chocolate combo everyone loves.
• Christmas Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies – A festive version perfect for holiday cookie trays.

If you’ve tried this Cherry Blossom Cookie Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it turned out in the comments below.

3 from 1 vote

Cherry Blossom Cookies

Author — Jennifer Fishkind

Serves — 36

These Cherry Blossom Cookies is a soft, buttery treat with sweet cherry and almond flavor, finished with a chocolate Hershey’s Kiss. Perfect for holiday cookie trays, festive gatherings, and cookie exchanges.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Ingredients

 

• ▢ ¾ cup finely chopped maraschino cherries from a 12-ounce jar of cherries that have been drained, reserving 1 ½ tablespoon juice for the dough
• ▢ 2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour divided (2 cups in the dough mixture and 2 tablespoons to mix into the chopped maraschino cherries)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
• ▢ 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
• ▢ 1½ tablespoons maraschino cherry juice from the jar of maraschino cherries
• ▢ ½ teaspoon almond extract
• ▢ ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 4 drops red food coloring optional – for a slightly pink cookie dough
• ▢ ¼ cup granulated sugar to roll the cookie dough balls in before baking
• ▢ 36 Hershey’s Kiss chocolate candies unwrapped

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
• Drain the jar of maraschino cherries, reserving 1 ½ tablespoons of the juice, then pat the cherries dry with a paper towel.
  ¾ cup finely chopped maraschino cherries
• Finely chop the cherries, add to a small bowl and toss to coat with 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour. This helps ensure the cherries evenly distribute into the dough when mixed. Set aside.
  2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• Add the remaining 2 cups of all-purpose flour and salt to a separate bowl and set aside.
  ½ teaspoon salt
• In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and powdered sugar, using a handheld mixer on medium speed, for 1-2 minutes or until smooth and fluffy.
  1 cup unsalted butter, 1 cup powdered sugar
• Add the reserved 1 ½ tablespoons cherry juice, almond extract, and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Beat again until fully incorporated.
  ½ teaspoon almond extract, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 1½ tablespoons maraschino cherry juice
• Slowly add the flour mixture to the bowl, mixing on low speed just until all the flour is fully incorporated. The dough will be stiff. If adding red food coloring to the dough, start with 2-3 drops, mix to incorporate, adding an additional 1-2 drops if desired to achieve a pink cookie dough color.
  4 drops red food coloring
• Using a rubber spatula, stir in the reserved chopped maraschino cherries until well distributed into the cookie dough.
• Using a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop a level amount of dough and gently roll into a smooth ball in the palm of your hands.
• Roll the smooth ball in the granulated sugar just to lightly coat before placing onto a prepared cookie sheet. Repeat until all the cookies have been scooped and rolled in the sugar. Place the cookies 1 ½ – 2 inches apart on each cookie sheet. 12-15 cookies should easily fit onto a large (approximately 12×16 inch) baking sheet.
  ¼ cup granulated sugar
• Bake the cookies in the center of the oven for 10-12 minutes or just until lightly golden around the bottom edges of the cookies.
• Remove the cookies from the oven and gently press a single Hershey’s Kiss chocolate candy into the center of each warm cookie being careful not to push it too far into the cookie but just enough to slightly spread the cookie and for the candy to not fall off the top once cooled and set.
  36 Hershey’s Kiss chocolate candies
• Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before plating and serving.

Jenn’s Notes

Storage:

• Store: In a single layer in an airtight container for up to 4 days at room temperature.
• Reheat: Not necessary, but cookies can be gently warmed for 5 seconds in the microwave if you want a softer chocolate top.
• Freeze: Freeze baked cookies (without Kisses) in a sealed container up to 2 months. Add chocolate after thawing to keep them neat.
• Make ahead: Dough can be prepared up to 2 days ahead and kept in the refrigerator before baking.

Tips:

• Chop cherries finely and evenly for best distribution.
• Chill dough briefly if it feels sticky before rolling.
• Allow cookies to cool completely so the chocolate firms up before storing or stacking.
• For soft, buttery cherry cookies, remove them as soon as the edges turn lightly golden.

 

Nutrition Info

Calories: 120kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 37mg | Potassium: 11mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 160IU | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 0.4mg

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