Red Velvet Kiss Cookies (gluten-free)

Chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate! These Red Velvet Kiss Cookies are a fun, chocolate-filled, festive cookie to make for Christmas.

Do you love chocolate cookies?

I love chocolate.

The only problem with Holiday desserts to me is that chocolate is often accompanied by different flavors. Chocolate peppermint, white chocolate gingerbread, etc. I love all those flavors. But just chocolate? That’s the dessert I crave most.

So how about a chocolate-filled, festive dessert?! These Red Velvet Kiss Cookies are a little twist on the classic, but just as easy to make.

They start out similar to my red velvet cookie recipe. The edges are crispy and the center is soft. My chocolate cookies have a rich, intense chocolate flavor, so be prepared! These cookies are definitely for dark chocolate fans.

Then, you can roll your cookie dough in some sparkly festive red sprinkles or sugar, for some extra pizzazz!

The fun part is last: Pick whatever kiss you would like to put in the center. I love milk chocolate, my kids love candy cane mint, but the options are endless.

If you need a fun, easy, festive, gluten-free cookie recipe that you can make with kids this Holiday season, definitely make these!

Let’s chat about what you need to make these cookies.

To make these cookies gluten-free, you’ll need to use a gluten-free all purpose flour blend. Be sure to use gluten-free kisses in the center as well (i.e. no cookies ‘n creme kisses).

To make these cookies dairy-free, you can use coconut oil or a dairy-free butter alternative. You will also need to find dairy-free chocolate squares that you can gently place in the center, instead of kisses.

To make these cookies red velvet, the red food color is a must have. If you don’t care about the extra red festivity, you could leave it out. Instead, you’ll just have chocolate kiss cookies (which is still delicious!).

By the way, my recipe is has a little more cocoa powder than most, for an extra rich cookie. The red velvet color will be a little darker because of this.

To decorate these cookies, I recommend these fine, red sanding sprinkles. Alternatively, you could use another color of fine sprinkles (green or white) or sugar. If you don’t want to do either, you can leave the outside of the cookies plain too.

For the Hershey Kisses, the flavor options are endless. My kids loved the candy cane mint most. I prefer milk chocolate. Hot cocoa, cherry cordial, and caramel would be pretty killer too. Whatever flavor you can find, that goes with chocolate and sounds delicious, it’s up to you!

Tips for making the cookies:

These Red Velvet Kiss Cookies start with a simple chocolate cookie dough batter.

First, you’ll cream together your softened butter and sugar. Add your red food color, vanilla extract and egg and briefly blend in.

In a separate bowl you’ll whisk together your flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Then, add your dry ingredients to your wet ingredients. You can use a fine mesh strainer to add your dry ingredients to your wet ingredients, to ensure there are no cocoa powder clumps, if you’d like. After stirring them together, you should have a thick cookie dough batter.

Then you’ll scoop and roll each cookie dough ball in sprinkles/sugar till it’s covered entirely. Repeat till you have 12 cookies per pan. Bake your cookies for 9-11, or till the edges have set and the center looks underdone. These cookies won’t spread too much, and they will be thick.

Gently press a kiss in the middle, causing the cookie to spread out. Don’t push too hard, or you’ll melt your kiss too much!

Let them cool entirely, then devour! 🙂

If you love festive Christmas desserts filled with chocolate, but don’t want to make something complicated, these cookies are perfect. And bright red cookies with chocolate candy in the middle? Of course, my kids LOVE these!

If you make these, let me know what you think. I look forward to hearing from all of you when you make my recipes! Comment, below, or find me on Instagram and tag me in your pictures. I can’t wait to see them!

More Christmas cookies I love: gluten-free Gingerbread Oatmeal Cookies, grain-free Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies, Mexican Hot Cocoa Cookies and Peppermint Meltaway Cookies.