These peanut butter blossoms are a delicious fusion of soft and chewy peanut butter cookies and milk chocolate Hershey’s kisses. You can’t go wrong with this classic!
What Are Peanut Butter Blossoms?
Peanut butter blossoms are basic peanut butter cookies with a Hershey’s kiss pressed into the middle. Not only are peanut blossoms a beloved sweet choice for parties, they are the #1 most popular Christmas cookie in the U.S.
Peanut butter blossoms were invented by American Freda Smith for the 1957 Pillsbury Bake-Off. Although Smith did not win first place, her blossom cookies won over many hearts and palates over the decades, earning the cookie a well-deserved title of ‘classic’.
How To Make Peanut Butter Blossoms
These peanut butter blossoms are whipped up in a jiffy! Make the cookie dough, bake the cookies, and top each one with a chocolate kiss.
- Prepare the oven and pan: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Beat together the wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, use a stand mixer or hand mixer to cream together the butter, peanut butter, and sugars until smooth. Mix in the egg and vanilla extract.
- Finish the cookie dough: Gradually add in the dry ingredients and beat just until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Shape the cookies: Portion out the dough using a 1 inch cookie scoop, then roll the dough balls in granulated sugar.
- Bake the cookies: Place the cookies on the baking sheet about two inches apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the cookies have puffed.
- Add the chocolate: Remove the cookies from the oven and lightly press a Hershey’s kiss into the center of each one. Allow the cookies to cool completely on a wire rack, then enjoy!
Hot tip: To make these peanut butter blossoms your own, use your favorite flavor of Hershey’s kisses (there are about 15 to choose from!). Or, try Hershey’s hugs for a fun striped color variation.
Tips From the Kitchen
These cookies are chock-full of kisses, but do you want to give your peanut butter blossoms even more love? Follow these tips to perfect their flavor and texture.
- Use a no-stir creamy peanut butter. Although we encourage healthy habits, this is not the time to splurge on an all-natural peanut butter. Look for a brand with stabilizers — this ensures that the oil won’t separate and cause greasy cookies.
- Bring out the cookie scoop. A medium cookie scoop like this one is a wonderful tool to create uniform 1-1.5 inch cookies. The more uniform your cookies are, the more evenly they’ll bake.
- Roll the cookies in sugar before baking. The sugar adds an attractive sparkle and slight crunch.
- Avoid overbaking the cookies. Peanut butter cookies are notoriously dry and crumbly. Challenge this stereotype by sticking to the 8-10 minute baking mark — any longer, and the cookies may lose their soft texture.
Troubleshooting Peanut Butter Blossoms
Have you ever bitten into a peanut butter cookie and felt the need to gulp water afterwards? Let’s address the most common issues that come up with peanut butter blossoms and how to fix them.
- Dry/crumbly: Dry peanut butter cookies are a result of incorrect ingredient ratios and/or overbaking. Too much peanut butter or not enough liquid/fat creates a dry dough that crumbles, especially when overbaked. Follow the recipe and measure your ingredients carefully to ensure a soft texture.
- Greasy: The biggest culprit of greasy peanut butter cookies is natural peanut butter since it contains a lot of oil. Use a cheaper peanut butter with stabilizers or emulsifiers to avoid a greasy outcome.
- Flat: Cookies usually overspread because of an overly hot oven temperature, too much sugar, or overly softened butter. Bake your blossoms at 375°F and follow the recipe carefully. You can also chill the cookie dough for at least an hour or up to 24 hours in the fridge to minimize spreading.
Storage
Leftover peanut butter blossom cookies are a delightful surprise. If you’re wondering what to do with the extras, we’ve got your back.
- Room temperature: To store for up to three days, allow the cookies to cool completely, then place them in an airtight container in a cool and dry place.
- Refrigerator: To store for up to two weeks, transfer the leftover baked cookies to an airtight container and refrigerate.
- Freezer: To store for up to two months, place the leftover baked cookies in a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze. Thaw the cookies in the fridge overnight before enjoying.
Hot tip: For a quick treat anytime, hold off on baking and freeze the raw cookie dough for up to two months. Place the portioned-out dough balls in a single layer on a baking sheet, freeze until firm, then transfer to a freezer bag. When you’re ready for a treat, bake the cookies straight from the freezer as directed!
More Cookie Recipes
- Perfect Sugar Cookies — Soft sugar cookies with a hint of vanilla
- Kolaczki — Polish cream cheese cookies stuffed with jam
- Buckeye — Fudgy peanut butter truffles
- Gingerbread Cookies — This recipe yields cookies that have crisp exteriors but are still chewy inside
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies — Rich chocolate cookies with a cracked powdered sugar crust
- Pecan Crescent Cookies — Buttery cookies packed with pecans and formed into a crescent shape
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar for coating cookies
- 24 Hershey's kisses unwrapped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Using a hand or stand mixer, cream together the butter, peanut butter, and sugars until smooth. Mix in the egg and vanilla extract.
- Gradually add in the dry ingredients and beat just until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Portion out the dough using a 1 inch cookie scoop, then roll each piece into a ball and coat in granulated sugar.
- Place the cookies on the lined baking sheet about two inches apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the cookies have puffed.
- Remove from the oven and lightly press a Hershey's kiss into the center of each cookie.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely before enjoying!
My kids love these cookies, I made so many times.
Thank you for the recipe!
Thanks for sharing how much your kids love these! Enjoy!