Add a little bit of color to your baking with these Rainbow Kiss Cookies. They’re a soft sugar cookie base that’s rolled on colorful sanding sugar and finished with a Hershey Kiss candy in the center! Call them unicorn cookies or rainbow cookies – either way the kids love them. Whenever the kids want something sweet, they request these cookies.

There are so many different versions of this cookie and it’s a classic. Everyone loves the soft outer cookie and the Hershey Kiss in the center. The original is actually a Peanut Butter Blossom Cookie, but then bakers got more creative over the years. Why not plop a Hershey Kiss in other flavors of cookies?

I call these Rainbow Kiss Cookies, but my kids know them as Unicorn Cookies too. They’re fun, colorful and perfect for any occasion. The kids help me unwrap the candies and then add the Kiss to the middle of the cookie. If you have a birthday to celebrate, summer or spring occasion – these are a great option to bake!

Looking for more delicious cookie recipes that kids will love? Check out these other fun cookies that kids can help make in the kitchen:

• Superhero Tesseract Cookies
• Key Lime Crinkle Cookies
• Snowflake Cookies

How To Make Rainbow Kiss Cookies

The secret to these soft cookies? They start with a box of cake mix. It’s a great shortcut that produces the perfect soft cookie every time. For this recipe, you’ll need baking sheets. Cover them with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

This helps to prevent the bottoms from over browning and the cookies wont stick. Use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer to make the cookie dough. Those are the biggest kitchen tools you’ll need!

How To Keep Your Cookies Fresh After Baking

After baking, transfer the cookies to an airtight food storage container. The cookies will stay fresh for 6-8 days. If you’re layering the cookies, add a layer of wax paper in-between.

Recipe Variations

Use whatever colors of sanding sugar that you like! Get creative and use your child’s favorite colors. Maybe you want to use colors for a sport team or special occasion. The Hershey Kiss can also be any flavor preferred. I used the Birthday Cake version, but White Chocolate and Milk Chocolate work well too.

Can You Freeze Rainbow Kiss Cookies?

Yes! These cookies can easily freeze. Place them into a freezer bag. Store the cookies in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let them thaw to room temperature again before enjoying. I like to keep them in the back of the freezer where the temperature is more stable.

What You’ll Need From The Grocery Store:

• Box of White Cake Mix
• Large Eggs
• Vegetable Oil
• All-Purpose Flour
• 4-5 Different Colors of Sanding Sugar: I used orange, yellow, pink, blue, and purple
• Hershey’s Birthday Kisses or White Chocolate Hershey Kisses

Directions To Make Rainbow Kiss Cookies

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour the colored sugars onto a plate.

Combine the white cake mix, 2 eggs, vegetable oil and flour. Mix well and scoop the cookie, using a cookie scoop, into 2″ balls. 

Dip the cookie balls into each colored sugared and place 2-3″ a part on the baking sheet. 

Bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool 5-6 minutes. Wait a few minutes because any sooner and the Hershey’s Kiss will melt.

Place one Hershey’s Birthday Kiss in the center of each Unicorn cookie.