Peanut Butter Blossoms are a classic cookie recipe that combines chocolate and peanut in one cookie. These adorable, buttery, peanut-buttery treats are perfect for holiday cookie trays and exchanges.
Peanut Butter Blossoms
These Peanut Butter Blossoms are perfectly soft and moist peanut butter cookies topped with a Hershey's kiss, combining the classically beloved flavors of chocolate and peanut butter in one amazing cookie.
Peanut butter blossoms are a family favorite cookie that's soft, buttery, and peanut buttery with every bite. With the best bite being with the chocolate Kiss, of course. These cute cookies are easy to make, and a must for holiday cookie trays and exchanges.
What Is a Peanut Butter Blossom?
Peanut butter blossoms are a peanut butter cookie with a chocolate Hershey's kiss pressed into the center. They are a classic cookie, often made for holidays and cookie exchanges.
What Kind of Peanut Butter Should I Use?
Classic creamy peanut butter is the ticket here. Not the kind that you have to stir to incorporate the oil. That will be too runny for this recipe. Use the pre-blended classic peanut butter like creamy Jif.
Butter or Shortening to Make Peanut Butter Blossoms?
I prefer the use of real butter (not margarine) in peanut butter blossom cookies because it keeps the cookies soft and moist, whereas shortening adds a bit of a crispy element after baking.
How to Keep Your Peanut Butter Blossoms from Being Dry
One of my biggest dislikes about peanut butter blossoms is that they're often dry and crumble. That is why I took extra care to make sure this recipe makes soft, chewy peanut butter blossom cookies!
There are several reasons your cookies might be dry. One is that there's too much flour or too little liquid, or a combination of the two.
Another reason is the use of shortening. As I mentioned above, shortening can make cookies more crispy, which is useful in a recipe like gingersnaps, but not here! That's why this peanut butter blossom recipe uses all butter! It keeps the cookies soft and moist.
Possible Recipe Variations
Whether you're looking to make your cookies more festive, more flavorful, or even just a little different than the norm, here are some ideas
- Sanding Sugar - Roll cookie dough balls in colored sanding sugar, such as red and green for Christmas, purple and orange for Halloween, or pastels for Easter for an extra festive touch.
- Chocolate - You can use original Hershey's kisses, as indicated in the recipe. You can also use any other variation such as hugs or peppermint bark. You can also use other small chocolate candies such as Rolos or mini Reese's peanut butter cups.
- Chocolate chips - Add about ¾ cup mini chocolate chips to the dough for extra chocolatey flavor.
- Nut butter - if there is a peanut allergy, other nut butters can be used, such as sunflower butter, almond butter, cashew butter, or even Nutella.
- Nuts - Roll cookie dough balls in finely chopped nuts such as pecans, walnuts, or hazelnuts.
- Coconut - You can also roll uncooked cookie balls in sweetened coconut which toasts up nicely when baking.
Storing and Freezing Peanut Butter Blossoms
Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week. Baked cookies also freeze well for up to 3 months.
You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 1 day in advance as well. Allow to come to room temperature before rolling and baking.
Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well for up to 3 months. Place cookie balls on a baking sheet and freeze for 2 to 4 hours. Then transfer to a labeled freezer bag for longer-term storage. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw.
More Cookie Recipes You'll Love
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies - rich, soft, and fudgy. Pretty to look at and a chocolate-lover's dream!
- Butterfinger Cookies - these cookies have crisp edges and a soft, chewy inside with pieces of Butterfinger all mixed in.
- Toffee Pretzel Cookies - chewy cookies loaded up with salty pretzel pieces and sweet toffee bits.
- Gingersnaps - a classic for a reason and my favorite holiday cookie. These cookies are perfectly spiced with ginger and cinnamon.
- Hot Cocoa Cookies - a rich chocolate cookie topped with a gooey toasted marshmallow.
Peanut Butter Blossoms Video
Peanut Butter Blossoms
Ingredients
- 1¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar plus more for rolling
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon milk or half-and-half
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 60 Hershey's Kisses foil removed (about one 11-ounce package)
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, add flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together, and set aside.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, cream together butter, peanut butter, sugar, and brown sugar.
- Add egg, milk, and vanilla. Beat again until fully combined.
- Gradually add flour mixture, mixing thoroughly.
- If dough is very soft, cover and chill in the refrigerator for about an hour, until easy to handle.
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
- Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Then roll in sugar, and place 2-inches apart on lined cookie sheet.
- Bake for about 8 minutes, until very light brown and puffed. The centers will still look undone.
- Remove from oven, and lightly press a kiss into the center of each cookie, allowing the cookie to crack slightly.
- Remove baking sheet from the oven and transfer to the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes to prevent kisses from melting.
Notes
- Peanut Butter: Use regular creamy peanut butter (or crunchy). The runny natural peanut butter will be too oily.
- Peanut allergy? You can use any other nut butter in place of peanut butter such as almond butter, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter.
- For a precise number of cookies, divide the dough into 5 pieces, and shape each piece into 12 balls.
- Feel free to play around with the type of chocolate kisses used. Milk chocolate is the standard, but Hershey’s makes many different kinds, such as dark chocolate or caramel-filled.
- For more festive Christmas cookies, roll dough in red and green sanding sugar instead of plain, white granulated sugar.
- Storage: Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.
- Freezer Directions: Baked cookies also freeze well for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
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Sara Welch says
These were such and easy little bites of heaven that do not disappoint! The best way to cure my sweet tooth, indeed!
Charla says
Looks like a fun filled and tasty recipe. I'm excited to give this a try with my niece this week.
Dannii says
These were delicious. I love the combination of chocolate and peanut butter.
Sarah James says
Your peanut butter blossoms look so cute. I love the peanut butter and chocolate combo, can't wait to make some this weekend.