Cherry and chocolate is a dessert match made in heaven! And cherry blossom cookies exploit that dessert chemistry with a tart, tangy, and chocolatey richness.

Cherry blossom cookies lined up in a row on the counter. Next to the cookies is a bowl of maraschino cherries and a pile of unopened hershey kisses.

Cherry Blossom Cookie Recipe

Cherry blossom cookies are a fun twist on the typical kiss cookie. Stuffed with chopped maraschino cherries and crowned with a Hershey’s kiss, these delightful cookies will leave your taste buds wanting more. And the cherry (or kiss) on top? The vibrant reds throughout the cookie make it look so cute (yes, cookies can be cute). This is the type of cookie that looks and tastes like it was a lot of work, but it really was so easy.

A counter full of cookies, a bowl of maraschino cherries and unopened hershey kisses. The image is focused on one cookie that is propped up on another.

What Ingredients are in Cherry Blossom Cookies?

Salted butter – If you’re using unsalted butter, be sure to add an extra pinch of salt to your dough! Make sure to take the time to soften your butter prior to baking these cookies.
Granulated sugar
Egg yolk
Maraschino cherry syrup – I literally just used the syrup that was in the jar with the maraschino cherries that I chopped up to put in the cookies.
Almond extract – Just a tiny bit of almond extract to bring out the cherry flavoring.
All purpose flour
Baking soda
Salt
Chopped maraschino cherries – These can usually be found by the ice cream toppings. I usually just use 1/4 cup of the chopped cherries but if you looooooove them, go ahead and use up to 1/2 cup.
Hershey’s kisses – Pro tip: unwrap the kisses while the cookies are baking.

A counter full of cherry blossom cookies. There are also unopened hershey kisses and maraschino cherries surrounding the cookies.

How to Make Cherry Blossom Cookies

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer, cream together the butter and granulated sugar until fluffy in texture and light in color (approximately 2 minutes).
Scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure all ingredients are incorporated and add in the egg yolk, cherry syrup and almond extract. Mix until well combined.
Next, add in the flour, baking soda and salt. Mix until a soft dough forms.
Lastly, stir in the chopped maraschino cherries until evenly distributed.
Scoop the dough out into equal sized portions. I use about 1 tbsp of dough for each portion.
Roll into a ball and then roll into granulated sugar before arranging onto the cookie sheet.
Bake at 350°F for 7-9 minutes or until the cookies spread slightly and are no longer wet and glossy in the centers on the top of the cookie.
Immediately after the cookies come out of the oven, gently press a chocolate Hershey’s kiss on top.
Allow the cookies to cool and the chocolate to set back up before storing.

A sheet pan lined with cherry blossom cookie dough ready to be baked.

Can I substitute the Hershey’s Kisses with other types of chocolates or fillings?

Yes! These would be super good as a thumbprint cookie filled with chocolate ganache!

How should I store the finished cherry blossom cookies?

Allow your cookies to cool and the chocolate to set back up before attempting to store. Once cooled, place in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze in a labeled resealable bag for up to 3 months. Be careful not to squish the cookies as you store them or you will ruin the kiss shape!

Aerial shot of cherry blossom cookies on a counter. Next to the cookies is a bowl of maraschino cherries and a pile of unopened hershey kisses. Across the top it says "Cherry blossoms" in text.

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