Pumpkin Hershey Kiss Cookies Recipe

It's fall ya'll. You know what that means? Pumpkin spice and everything nice! Registered dietician and recipe developer Kristen Carli took her love for pumpkin and turned it into pumpkin cookies. But wait, there's more! These delicious pumpkin spice cookies are topped with Hershey's Kisses! As the leaves turn and we don our sweaters, scarves, and boots, one thing we've come to expect is pumpkin-flavored desserts soon to follow. Pumpkin spice seasoning is typically a combination of nutmeg, ginger, allspice, cinnamon, and cloves. We guarantee these delectable desserts taste absolutely amazing!

This is our favorite time of year, and we welcome any food that enhances the post-summer ambiance. We're looking forward to bonfires and fuzzy socks. But is the Hershey/pumpkin combo is worth the wait?  Carli tells us, "Pumpkin and chocolate is one of my favorite combinations!" This pumpkin love sparked her creativity. Carli explains, "I was inspired to make some pumpkin cookies that puffed up like round pumpkins (with a Hershey Kiss stem) when baking. I love how these look like little pumpkins!" This method will give you 24 mini-pumpkins you and your family will love.

Our shopping list is almost all spice, literally. To start your pumpkin Hershey Kiss cookies, you'll need 3½ cups flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, and 1 teaspoon baking soda. For the spices, you'll need ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon of ground cloves, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon of ground nutmeg, and ½ teaspoon salt. Additionally, gather up a stick unsalted butter (this will need to be softened), 1½ cup of brown sugar, a 15-ounce can of pumpkin puree, 1 egg, a splash (1 teaspoon) of vanilla extract, and 24 Hershey's Kisses. You'll want to unwrap these before you start baking. 

Worried about all these ingredients? According to Carli, if you're, a beginner, you'll be just fine, saying "This recipe is an easy one."

"These are the fluffiest pumpkin cookies," Carli raves. We hope your ready to handle the wafting aroma.

Start out by preheating your oven to 350 F. Spray down 3 large baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground ginger, ground cloves, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and  salt. Whisk all of these dry ingredients together to combine them evenly.

Carli explains, "Ginger and cloves are part of the warm spices often found in pumpkin pie spice. I find them essential in pumpkin cookies." 

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add in one stick of softened, unsalted butter and the brown sugar. Mix the ingredients together on high until combined. Then add in the egg, vanilla extract, and can of pumpkin puree into wet ingredients. Mix until everything is combined. If you don't have a stand mixer, have no fear! Carli tells us, "Yes, you can mix with a hand mixer or stir well with a spoon."

Once all ingredients are combined, stir in the flour mixture to wet ingredients. 

This dough will be very wet. So in order for you to work with the dough as needed, go ahead and wet your hands. Scoop out 2 tablespoons of dough and roll it into a ball. Set it on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, until all the dough has formed little cookie balls.

Carli explains, "The baking powder and [baking] soda help these cookies to get really light and fluffy." They may be the dreamiest cookies you've ever had! Carli reminds us to follow directions for the best results, advising "The inside will bake in the allotted time. The outside will start to get golden brown and appear more dry."

Once you have the pumpkin dough balls laid out on the baking sheets, bake them for 10 minutes. Once that time is up, remove them from the oven, and top each cookie with a Hershey's Kiss, pressing them into the cookie. Put them into the oven again, and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Are you surprised? "They do not melt in those 10 minutes, which is ideal. I would not reheat later on," Carli explains.

Storage for these mini-pumpkins will be simple. Carli advises, "I love to store these in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 10 days. They freeze well too!" You can create new ways to enjoy these minis each time you make them. They are better than Halloween candy since they're so versatile. "These are so good served with ice cream," Carli says.

We know you and your family will enjoy sharing these trick-or-treats with one another!