Cherry Blossom Cookies

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Wonderfully cute and bite-sized, these Cherry Blossom Cookies are the perfect Christmas and Valentineโ€™s Day dessert. The secret to their gorgeous color and delightful flavor? Maraschino cherry juice.

Lots of cherry Kiss cookies.

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    Why Youโ€™ll Love These Cherry Cookies

    • Fruity and sweet. These chocolate cherry blossoms are full of chopped maraschino cherries and cherry juice, plus a touch of almond extract. If youโ€™ve never paired those two flavors before, youโ€™re missing out. They are the sweetest (pun intended) combination! And, when you add a chocolate kiss on top, these cookies somehow taste even better.
    • Soft and chewy. Many versions of this cookie donโ€™t use any egg, but this one uses an egg yolk. It adds extra moisture and chewiness, plus it binds everything together a little more. Between the egg yolk and the fruit, these cookies stay moist and fresh, and get better on day 2 and 3 since the moisture and flavors set in even more.
    • Automatic crowd-pleasers. These cherry blossom cookies are so festive and pretty. With a chocolate kiss in the center, they have a slightly fancy look with little effort! Theyโ€™re also made in about an hour (plus some cooling time for the chocolate to firm up), making them easy and perfect for sharing and gifting!
    Bitten into cherry kiss cookie.

    What Youโ€™ll Need

    Hereโ€™s a quick look at what youโ€™ll need to make cherry blossom cookies along with my notes. Check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for a printable list.

    • Butter โ€“ Unsalted butter is used. Be sure itโ€™s at room temperature so that your ingredients combine properly.
    • Powdered sugar โ€“ This is also called confectionersโ€™ sugar or icing sugar, and it contributes to the cookieโ€™s tender texture.
    • Egg yolk โ€“ To bind the ingredients together and give you a chewier cookie.
    • Salt โ€“ Skip it if youโ€™re using salted butter. But, be sure to add salt somewhere, since it adds to and amplifies the sweet flavors in your cookies.
    • Maraschino cherry juice โ€“ Please donโ€™t skip this, itโ€™s the whole reason these are โ€œcherryโ€ kiss cookies.
    • Almond extract โ€“ Feel free to substitute it for additional vanilla extract.
    • Vanilla extract
    • Red food coloring โ€“ Pink food coloring works too. I used regular food coloring, but gel icing color would also work.
    • All-purpose flour
    • Maraschino cherries โ€“ Chopped.
    • Kisses โ€“ I used Hersheyโ€™s kisses.

    How to Make Cherry Blossom Cookies

    Hereโ€™s a quick look at how to make these gorgeous cookies. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions.

    • Prepare the baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
    • Cream the butter. In a large bowl, beat the butter and powdered sugar using a stand mixer over medium speed. Beat them until light and fluffy, then add the egg yolk.
    • Add the food coloring. Incorporate the salt, extracts, and cherry juice. Continue beating until well combined. The mixture should be completely pink.
    • Fold in the cherries. Add the flour and mix until a loose dough comes together. Scrape the sides of the bowl to make sure youโ€™re combining all of the ingredients. Use a wooden spatula to gently fold in the chopped cherries.
    • Roll the dough. Use measuring spoons to scoop out 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough at a time. Use your hands to gently roll it into a ball. Repeat this for all the dough. Place the balls of dough on the prepared baking sheet, leaving 2โ€ณ of space between them.
    • Bake. Pop the cookies into the oven for 8-10 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges and bottom. Remove them from the oven. Carefully press a chocolate kiss into the center of each cherry blossom cookie. Set them aside to cool.
    Cherry kiss cookies on a silicone baking sheet.

    Tips for Success

    • Measure your ingredients properly. I have a whole post on measuring dry ingredients. I always recommend a food scale, but without one, the tips in that post are really helpful.
    • Donโ€™t over-mix. Once you add the flour, make sure not to over-mix the dough otherwise your cherry kiss cookies will turn out tough and rubbery.
    • Donโ€™t over-bake. Theyโ€™re done when they are just starting to brown on the edges. Ovens can vary a bit, so you may need to adjust a minute here or there, but keep in mind that even once out of the oven, theyโ€™ll finish baking with their residual heat.
    • Let them cool. Allow the baked cookies to rest in the baking tray for at least 10 minutes before removing them. This way youโ€™ll help prevent them from crumbling. You also want to give the kisses time to cool completely. Theyโ€™ll soften from the heat of the cookies after you add them.
    Lots of cherry kiss cookies on a flat surface.

    Proper Storage

    • Room temperature. These cherry blossom cookies should be stored in an airtight container, away from the heat, for up to 5 days.
    • Fridge. If you refrigerate them they can last up to a week, just make sure to keep them away from onions and other foods with strong odors. Leave them at room temperature before eating them so they can soften up a bit.
    • Freezing unbaked cookies. If youโ€™d rather make the dough in advance but bake the cookies later, you can freeze the balls of dough for 30 minutes, and then place them in a freezer-friendly bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months. When youโ€™re ready to bake, arrange them on the baking sheet and let them thaw for 15 minutes. Bake for 15-20 minutes, keeping an eye on the oven.
    • Freezing baked cookies. Flash freeze them for about an hour, then layer them with parchment paper in an airtight container, or add them to a freezer bag. They should freeze well for up to 3 months.
    Print
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    Lots of cherry kiss cookies on a flat surface.
    Recipe

    Cherry Blossom Cookies

    • Author: Lindsay
    • Prep Time: 30 minutes
    • Cook Time: 8 minutes
    • Total Time: 38 minutes
    • Yield: 30
    • Category: Cookies
    • Method: Oven
    • Cuisine: American

    Description

    Wonderfully cute, these cherry chocolate blossom cookies are the perfect holiday treat. The secret to their flavor? Cherry juice.


    Ingredients

    • 1 cup (224g) unsalted butter, room temperature
    • 1 cup (115g) powdered sugar
    • 1 large egg yolk
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 1 tablespoon maraschino cherry juice
    • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 6 drops red food coloring, optional
    • 2 1/4 cups (293g) all-purpose flour
    • 3/4 cup chopped maraschino cherries
    • 30 milk chocolate kisses


    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 350ยฐF. Line a cookie sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and set aside.
    2. Add the butter and powdered sugar to a large mixer bowl and beat on medium speed until well combined and smooth.
    3. Add the egg yolk and mix until well combined.
    4. Add the salt, cherry juice, almond extract, vanilla extract, and food coloring and mix until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
    5. Add the flour and mix just until the dough comes together. Stir in the chopped cherries.
    6. Make scoops of 1 1/2 tablespoons of cookie dough and roll them into balls. Place on prepared cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
    7. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden. Remove from oven and immediately press a chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

    Notes

    • To store. These cherry blossom cookies should be stored in an airtight container, away from the heat, for up to 5 days. If you refrigerate them they can last up to a week, just make sure to keep them away from onions and other foods with strong odors. Leave them at room temperature before eating them so they can soften up a bit.
    • To freeze unbaked cookies. If youโ€™d rather make the dough in advance but bake the cookies later, you can freeze the balls of dough for 30 minutes, and then place them in a freezer-friendly bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months. When youโ€™re ready to bake, arrange them on the baking sheet and let them thaw for 15 minutes. Bake for 15-20 minutes, keeping an eye on the oven.
    • To freeze baked cookies. Flash freeze them for about an hour, then layer them with parchment paper in an airtight container, or add them to a freezer bag. They should freeze well for up to 3 months.

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 1 cookie
    • Calories: 141
    • Sugar: 8.5 g
    • Sodium: 53.4 mg
    • Fat: 7.9 g
    • Carbohydrates: 16.3 g
    • Protein: 1.5 g
    • Cholesterol: 23.3 mg

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    9 Comments
    1. Dawn

      This is much better than the Taste of Home version. The only adjustment I made was that I tripled the cherry juice and it was much more flavorful. Iโ€™m hoping this will be a hit at holiday concerts.

    2. Phyllis

      Hi, I plan on make theseโ€ฆthey look awesome. Just one questionโ€ฆ.

      when do you add the almond extract?
      Thank you!

    3. Betsy

      Iโ€™m looking forward to trying this, but wondering about substituting Amarena cherries for Maraschinos for more true cherry flavor. Would you still use the same proportions? They seem likely to come out much darker in color as well.

      1. Lindsay

        You could certainly try that. I havenโ€™t used those cherries before, but I assume the same proportions would be ideal. And yes, theyโ€™d likely be darker in color. I hope you enjoy them!

    Lindsay
    About Lindsay

    Iโ€™m the baker, recipe developer and photographer behind Life, Love and Sugar. I love sharing trusted recipes with helpful tips to give you great results.

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