Every year for my daughter’s back to school night, the bakers get called in and we design baskets of fresh baked deliciousness to welcome the new families to our school. One year I made these because they were easy and had all the flavors of fall in them, and they have been in the rotation ever since.
We needed three dozen for the baskets and I made a few extra for our family. If blossom cookies are your weakness, my peanut butter Kiss cookies are the gluten free cousin of these.
Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 5 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 7 to 8 minutes per tray
- ⏳ Total Time: about 15 minutes plus chilling the chocolate
- 🍽️ Serving: 36 to 48 cookies depending on your scoop
- ⚡ Calories: 135kcal per cookie
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Soft cinnamon spice cookie, crackly sugar coat, a creamy chocolate Kiss on top
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy drop cookies; the scoop does the shaping
Quick Answer
Cream the softened butter and sugar, then beat in the vanilla and eggs until light and fluffy. Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger in a separate bowl and add it gradually, mixing just until combined; if the dough is crumbly, add milk a tablespoon at a time. Scoop tablespoon sized balls, roll them in granulated sugar, and bake at 375 degrees for 7 to 8 minutes. Let the cookies cool 2 minutes, press a frozen Kiss into each one, and set the tray in the refrigerator to set the chocolate.
Jump to:
- Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations & Substitutions
- How to Make Pumpkin Spice Kiss Cookies
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas & Suggestions
- Pumpkin Spice Kiss Cookie FAQs
- Other Recommended Cookie Recipes
- Cinnamon Pumpkin Spice Cookies with Hershey Kisses
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Freezing the Kisses first is the secret. A room temperature Kiss melts into a puddle on a hot cookie; a frozen one keeps its point while it slowly fuses to the cookie.
- The two minute wait matters too. Pressing into a cookie straight from the oven cracks it; two minutes of cooling firms the surface just enough to take the Kiss cleanly.
- The spice lives in the dough, not the pumpkin. Cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger carry the pumpkin spice flavor without the moisture of pumpkin puree, which is what keeps these cookies soft instead of cakey.
- The sugar roll does two jobs: a crackly, sparkly crust and a little crunch against the soft crumb.
- The milk escape hatch handles flour variation; a tablespoon at a time brings a dry, crumbly dough back together without softening the spice balance.
- A short bake keeps them soft. Seven to eight minutes looks underdone at the center; the carryover heat finishes them, and the refrigerator sets the chocolate.
- A cookie scoop makes them equal, which is why drop cookies all finish at the same moment and look basket worthy.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Drop cookie simple. No rolling pin, no cutters; the scoop does the shaping and they come out the same size every time.
- A big batch. Between 36 and 48 cookies depending on your scoop, enough for the school basket and your own counter.
- The Kiss is the decoration. One press and every cookie looks finished.
- Mix and match the Kisses. I bought both pumpkin spice and milk chocolate and made some of each; use whatever flavor you love.
- They travel well to bake sales, welcome baskets and cookie exchanges.
- Pure fall baking, right at home next to my pumpkin spice monkey bread and the rest of the fall recipes.
Key Ingredients
Pantry baking staples, three spices and a bag of Kisses. Quantities are in the recipe card below.
- Softened Butter and Granulated Sugar cream into the base, with extra sugar for rolling.
- Pure Vanilla Extract and Large Eggs for flavor and a light, fluffy dough.
- All Purpose Flour, Baking Powder and Salt build the soft drop cookie.
- Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Ginger. The pumpkin spice trio, in the dough where it stays soft.
- Milk, only if the dough is crumbly and dry; add a tablespoon at a time.
- Hershey’s Kisses. I originally used Hershey’s Pumpkin Spice Kisses, but they have been discontinued. Caramel filled or classic milk chocolate Kisses are lovely here; unwrap them early and freeze them.
See the recipe card below for exact quantities and full instructions.
Variations & Substitutions
- Any Kiss works: milk chocolate, caramel filled, or candy cane at Christmas. I love the color of the pumpkin spice ones, but you choose your favorite.
- Cinnamon sugar roll: add a teaspoon of cinnamon to the rolling sugar for a snickerdoodle edge.
- Swap the spice trio for 3 and a half teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice if that jar is already mixed.
- Mini version: a smaller scoop pushes the batch toward 48; shave a minute off the bake.
- Freeze the dough balls, sugar roll and all, and bake straight from frozen with an extra minute for fresh cookies on demand.
- Build a fall cookie box with my caramel pumpkin cookies, Rolo pretzel cookies and carrot cake mix cookies.
How to Make Pumpkin Spice Kiss Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Unwrap the Kisses and place them in a small bowl in the freezer until ready to use. Place half a cup of granulated sugar in a bowl for rolling and set it aside.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the vanilla and eggs and beat until light and fluffy.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Gradually add it to the butter mixture in small batches, mixing until just combined. If the dough is crumbly and not coming together, add 1 tablespoon of milk at a time until it forms.
- Scoop the dough into tablespoon sized balls, roll each in sugar, and place on the baking sheet. Bake 7 to 8 minutes, until done.
- Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool for 2 minutes. Press a frozen Kiss into each cookie, then place the tray in the refrigerator to set the chocolate.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Freeze the Kisses the moment you start. By the time the first tray bakes, they are cold enough to hold their shape.
- Use a cookie scoop. Drop cookies come out the same size, bake evenly, and look professional in a basket.
- Don’t overbake. They should look barely set at 7 to 8 minutes; they finish on the hot tray and stay soft.
- Press the Kiss straight down, once. Wiggling it cracks the cookie around the base.
- The refrigerator sets the chocolate in about 10 minutes; after that they stack and travel without smearing.
- Store airtight up to 4 days at room temperature, with parchment between layers once stacked.
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
These were built for giving: welcome baskets, bake sales, teacher gifts and cookie exchanges. Depending on the size of your scoop, the batch makes between 36 and 48 cookies, which covers the basket and the family that smells them baking.
On a fall dessert table, set them next to pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting, pumpkin turnovers, pumpkin swirl cheesecake brownies and a loaf of Amish cinnamon bread, with the rest of my pumpkin desserts and cookie recipes on call. At Christmas, swap the Kiss flavor and they sit just as happily beside snowball cookies and lemon poppy seed cookies.
Pumpkin Spice Kiss Cookie FAQs
They went on warm, or the cookies were too hot. Freeze the unwrapped Kisses while you bake and give the cookies 2 minutes out of the oven first, then chill the tray to set the chocolate.
The pumpkin spice flavor comes from the cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger in the dough, not from pumpkin puree. That is what keeps the cookie soft and chewy instead of cakey.
No, Hershey’s discontinued them. Caramel filled Kisses keep the fall feel with the cinnamon dough, and classic milk chocolate Kisses are a sure thing. I made some of the original batch with milk chocolate Kisses for our school baskets.
Flour measures vary, and a dry dough just needs milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it comes together. Softened, not melted, butter also keeps the dough scoopable.
Yes. Refrigerate the dough up to 2 days, or freeze sugar rolled dough balls and bake straight from frozen with about an extra minute. Add the Kisses after baking as usual.
Airtight at room temperature up to 4 days, with parchment between layers so the Kisses stay pointed. For longer, freeze the cookies without stacking until the chocolate is solid.
Cinnamon Pumpkin Spice Cookies with Hershey Kisses
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1-3 tablespoons milk if dough is crumbly and dry
- 1 package Hershey's Caramel Filled Kisses or any flavor you prefer
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar for rolling cookies in (optional add 1 ts of cinnamon in sugar)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Unwrap the Kisses and place them in a small bowl in the freezer until ready to use. Place 1/2 cup granulated sugar in a bowl for rolling cookies in; set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Add vanilla and eggs and beat until light and fluffy.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Gradually add in small batches to the butter mixture, mixing until just combined. If dough is crumbly and not coming together, add 1 tablespoon of milk at a time until dough forms.
- Scoop dough into 1 tablespoon-sized balls, roll in sugar, and place on baking sheet. Bake for 7-8 minutes, or until done. Remove from oven and let cool for 2 minutes. Add kisses into cookie and place tray in refrigerator to set chocolate.
Logan Can says
I LOVE Pumpkin Spice kisses! These look amazing! I will definitely add them to my holiday baking list!
Michelle @ Sunshine and Hurricanes.com says
I’m not a fan of pumpkin spice anything{gasp}, which is heresy, I know! But, the cinnamon cookies with chocolate kisses? Now we’re talking!!!!!!!
Cynthia @craftoflaughter says
I love pumpkin and love the thought of this combination sounds delicious! I will be pinning for later!
Debra says
These look so amazing! I love the kiss in the center!
sue says
I must be one of the few people out there that is not a fan of the taste of pumpkin (sorry) I love the smell and there are so many recipes that look stunning but I guess I need to train my tastebuds better 🙂
Christine says
These cookies look fantastic! I need to try them!
QueenThrifty says
omg I can’t wait to make these…YUMMMMY
alexandria waning says
One of my favorite cookies…just takes me back to my childhood. Yum. These are easy to make… and eat! I love the pumpkin spice idea.
Yona Williams says
I love the extra touch of sweetness that the Hershey Kiss adds to the cookies. I haven’t made drop cookies from scratch in a long time.
Stacey says
Oh – those look yummy! I have not seen the pumpkin spice kisses – and thats a good thing! I’d gobble them all up!
Steph Jenssen says
What an amazing fall recipe! I used to get kisses cookies all the time from this tiny boutique style cafe in Manhattan, but they closed shop. I’d love to try these and see if they’re similar! Great recipe! 🙂
Kirsten says
These look amazing! I love all your recipes, they are always so creative. Can’t wait to try these, I know they will be delicious!
Natalia says
These look amazing! I’m not a fan of pumpkin but I’d soo try these.
nicole says
Those cookies look so good! I love the photos , and the kisses are a perfect addition.
lexie says
These look INSANELY delicious! I will definitely be giving this recipe a go this fall! Thanks dear!
Heaven says
I can seriously see myself becoming addicted to these. I’m a sucker for cinnamon in cookies – especially with a touch of chocolate! Pinning and stumbling. Following you on pinterest too!