Pumpkin kiss cookies are a fun twist on a favorite cookie recipe. Soft pumpkin cookies are topped with a melty chocolate kiss for a sweet treat that’s sure to be enjoyed by all!
We all have favorite holiday recipes, don’t we? Those recipes that just say Christmas to us.
For me, one of those recipes is peanut butter kiss cookies. My mom and I would make those every year, and I used to love rolling the dough balls in sugar, and then pressing the Hershey kisses into the warm cookies once they came out of the oven.
We can’t do those cookies anymore, so I wanted to make a fun alternative. These pumpkin kiss cookies are a perfect substitute.
Tender pumpkin spice cookies are rolled in sugar and then homemade, dairy free chocolate kisses are pressed in the center, making these very reminiscent of the cookies from my childhood.
We enjoy making these during the holidays, along with other favorites like sugar cookie cut-outs, snowball cookies, and oatmeal lace cookies.
Ingredient Notes
- Gluten Free Flour Blend – Namaste Perfect Flour Blend works well for this recipe. A different store bought gluten free blend could also work well. If you are not gluten free, go ahead and use an equal amount of regular all-purpose flour.
- Vegan Buttery Spread – We use Earth Balance Soy Free Vegan Buttery Spread. Earth Balance Baking Sticks would also work well.
- Sugar – I used a blend of organic sugar and coconut sugar. You could also use brown sugar.
- Pumpkin Puree – You want to use the 100% pure pumpkin puree that comes in a can, not pumpkin pie filling, which has extra ingredients.
- Dairy Free Chocolate – I used Enjoy Life dark chocolate chips, but if you have a different brand that you prefer, feel free to use it.
Special Equipment
If you’re going to make your own allergy friendly chocolate kisses, you will need this candy mold. I haven’t been able to find it on Amazon, only on Ebay. It works really well – it makes perfect little kiss candies.
If you can’t get a kiss candy mold, then you could just place a few chocolate chips in the center of each cookie, or a square of allergy friendly chocolate.
Storage
Store leftover cookies in an airtight container. They should stay fresh for about 4 days.
If you’re in a holiday baking mood, check out my recipes for double chocolate coconut cookies and lemon currant cookies. Or check out more Christmas cookie recipes in the video below:
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
Recipe
Pumpkin Kiss Cookies (Gluten Free, Vegan).
Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten free flour blend I used Namaste Perfect Flour Blend
- ½ cup vegan buttery spread
- ½ cup organic cane sugar
- ¼ cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup pure pumpkin puree
- 1 ¾ teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- â…› teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup sugar for rolling
- 1 cup dairy free chocolate chips
Instructions
- Place a half cup of dairy free chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for one minute. Stir, then microwave in 20 second intervals, stirring in between, until smooth and melted.
- Spoon the melted chocolate into a candy kiss mold. Place the mold in the refrigerator to firm up, for about one hour. Once firm, remove the candies and repeat with the remaining chocolate chips. Store finished candies in the refrigerator.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Cream the vegan buttery spread and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and pumpkin puree and mix until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients a little at a time while mixing together on low speed.
- Place the dough in the refrigerator to chill for one hour.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Pour the half cup of sugar in a small bowl. Use your hands to form balls of dough about one inch in diameter and roll in the sugar. Place the balls on the lined cookie sheet.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes. Press a chilled chocolate kiss candy into the center of each cookie. Let cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Repeat with remaining dough. Makes about 24 cookies.
Katie
Delicious recipe!