Peanut Butter Blossoms
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Tender peanut butter cookies topped with Hershey’s kisses, peanut butter blossoms are the cutest cookies around.
Peanut butter blossoms are soft and tender peanut butter cookies topped with milk chocolate Hershey’s kisses. They are undeniably adorable, a breeze to make, and sinfully good. For best results, use “regular” peanut butter, like Skippy, as opposed to all-natural peanut butter. Regular peanut butter is creamy and thick, and also contains salt and sugar—it makes much better cookies. Also, don’t skip the last step of baking the cookies with the Hershey’s kisses for a few minutes. Most peanut butter blossom recipes don’t call for this step, but in testing the recipe, I found that baking the kiss-topped cookies for a few minutes stabilizes the chocolate so that it keeps its perfect shape and smooth finish.
If you enjoy peanut butter blossoms, or are just a chocolate-peanut butter devotee, add my buckeyes (chocolate-dipped peanut butter bonbons named after the nut of the Ohio state tree) and chocolate peanut butter icebox cake to your baking bucket list.
What You’ll Need To Make Peanut Butter Blossoms
How To Make Peanut Butter Blossoms
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, beat the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar, and the vanilla on medium speed until well combined, about 1 minute.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and add the egg.
Beat until incorporated, about 20 seconds more.
Add the dry ingredients.
Mix on low speed until just combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Refrigerate the dough for about 1 hour, or until firm enough to roll.
Roll the dough into tablespoon-size balls, then roll in granulated sugar.
Place the dough balls 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake until puffed, 7 to 9 minutes.
Lightly press a Hershey’s kiss into the center of each cookie (the dough will crack slightly).
Return the cookies to the oven and bake until the cookies are golden and the chocolate is glossy, 2 to 3 minutes more.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Repeat with the remaining cookie dough, storing the dough in the refrigerator between batches. Store the cookies in a single layer in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
You May Also Like
- Chunky Peanut Butter Cookies
- Buckeyes
- Old-Fashioned Ginger Spice Cookies
- Coconut Macaroons
- Double Chocolate Biscotti
- Salted Peanut Butter Cookies
Video Tutorial
Peanut Butter Blossoms
Tender peanut butter cookies topped with Hershey’s kisses, peanut butter blossoms are the cutest cookies around.
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter, at room temperature (I recommend Skippy Natural No Need To Stir)
- ¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar, plus more for rolling the cookies
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 36 Hershey's kisses
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, beat the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla on medium speed until well combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the egg and beat until incorporated, about 20 seconds more. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Refrigerate the dough for about 1 hour, or until firm enough to roll.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place about ½ cup granulated sugar in a small bowl for rolling.
- Roll the dough into tablespoon-size balls, then roll in the granulated sugar; place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until puffed, 8 to 9 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and lightly press a Hershey's kiss into the center of each cookie (the dough will crack slightly). Return the cookies to the oven and bake until the cookies are golden and the chocolate is glossy, about 2 minutes more. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough, storing the dough in the refrigerator between batches. Store the cookies in a single layer in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: The dough can be made and refrigerated up to a day ahead of time.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cookie dough can be frozen for up to 3 months: Roll the dough into balls and then roll in granulated sugar. Let set on a baking sheet in the freezer for 1 hour, then place in a sealable bag and press out as much air as possible. Bake as needed directly from the freezer. (Allow 1 to 2 minutes longer in the oven.)
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 157
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated fat: 4 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Sugar: 12 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Sodium: 61 mg
- Cholesterol: 12 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Comments
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These look fabulous, has anyone made with extra crunchy peanut butter, will they come out ok?
Hi Karen, for the best results, I’d definitely stick with smooth peanut butter.
Hi Jenn,
I live in Ireland and they don’t sell Hershey Kisses here. Can I substitute it for dark chocolate mini squares from a good chocolate bar like Lindt or Cadbury?
Btw, I love everything I’ve made on your site! So thank you!
Thanks!
Vanessa
Sure, that should be fine (and so glad you like the recipes)!
Hello, Jenn,
My husband and I have just recently discovered you and your amazing site.
This week we’ve had what we are calling a “Jenn Fest” — making your Cheesy Baked Spaghetti Squash with Marinara Sauce (yours) – twice, it’s that good, and your Italian Meatloaf/Parmesan Smashed Potatoes/Big Italian Salad – all so fabulous.
It’s time to focus on Christmas baking and will be making these Blossoms. Don’t have any kisses on hand — do you think a chocolate ganache might work as a substitute?
From our home to your site, thank you for all the deliciousness this week –looking forward to many more!
I’m thrilled that you’ve had a “Jenn Fest” with my recipes — that’s so flattering! 💗
For the cookies, is the ganache solidified – like rolled into truffle form?
Thanks, Jenn. I did make the ganache – with bittersweet chocolate chips, cream, espresso powder and Kahlua.
Piped into “kisses” formation and let set for at least 2 hours. Three would probably have been better. Was apprehensive to place them in cookies and continue cooking for a couple of minutes but no problem. Everyone enjoyed them which always makes me smile! 😀
Sounds like a great workaround — glad to hear they worked out! 🙂
I haven’t made these yet but found a Chanukah recipe for these that you can roll in blue and white sprinkles and instead of a kiss on top, you unwrap chocolate coins (gelt) and refrigerate the coins, then place one on top of each cookie. I think that would work with these, too, but haven’t started my baking yet for the holiday.
This recipe has the most peanut buttery goodness of all the Peanut Blossom recipes I’ve tried over the years. For the holidays, I roll 2/3 of the cookie balls in alternating red and green sanding sugar and 1/3 in nonpareils for a festive look.
I think the “grittiness” can come from the quality of the granulated sugar. I tried an off brand once and found the texture to be different than Domino’s, I only buy Domino’s now!
I had candy kisses from Christmas and I made these cookies. Absolutely the best. I followed the recipe and it makes alot. Great gifts anytime.
These cookies really don’t need an introduction, as they speak for themselves – they are classics for Christmas, but I’m always happy to see some leftover bags of Hershey Kisses after the holidays, because it means they are happening again! The cookies themselves are just awesome peanut-butter goodness, and the chocolate kiss just sends them way over. I would like to try them sometime with a Wilbur bud – for those who haven’t heard of them, they are chocolate kiss-like morsels from the Wilbur Chocolate company in Lititz PA, in Pennsylvania Amish country. I actually prefer the Wilbur chocolate flavor (sorry Hershey!), and I think it would complement this cookie quite nicely.
One of my favorites, especially when I want a cookie that not only tastes great but stands out in appearance. They’re always well received.
My godmother made these when I was a little girl. It is one of my all time favorites and I have been making them for more than thirty years. Kids and peanut butter lovers can’t get enough of them. You can even substitute rosebuds for the kisses.
Great recipe. The cookies looked and tasted perfect. I unwrap and freeze the kisses. When I take the cookies out of the oven, I let them cool around 5 minutes and put a frozen kiss on it. Works like a charm.
Hi, I was wondering if I could freeze the baked cookies?
Hi AnnMarie, It depends. Chocolate tends to “bloom” in the freezer, which means it develops a white coating on the surface. It doesn’t go bad, but it doesn’t look pretty. Hope that helps!
I followed the recipe exactly and they came out perfectly. These are the perfect addition to any holiday cookie tray. Easy and delicious!
Hi, I made these over the past weekend and they turned out amazing! I used milk chocolate Hershey kisses and cookies and cream Hershey’s kisses for variety and everyone loved them! Perfect texture and so yummy! Thanks for your reply about the convection oven, they taste amazing! The only thing I will say is that I had to leave them for quite a while to store them in the cookie tin because the chocolate kiss was soft and I didn’t want to ruin the look. Happy Holidays and stay safe!
Hi Jenn, I was wondering about the temperature to bake them using a convection oven and if that would increase the time to bake them. Have your cookies ever turned out gritty? I had planned on using regular peanut butter but I’ll look for the Skippy. I’m Canadian and don’t know if we have the natural Skippy. If not, what do you suggest? I can’t wait to make them. Thanks, Cathy
Hi Cathy, when using the convection setting, the rule of thumb is to reduce the temperature by 25° but the bake time can remain the same. And if you can’t find Skippy brand peanut butter, any creamy peanut butter should work. Hope that helps and that you enjoy!
These cookies are a peanut 🥜 butter party in one’s mouth! So delicious. Made them for our grandson who is a college senior. They arrived the 800 mile journey in tact! If you like peanut 🥜 butter and Hershey’s Kisses 😘 then this is your go to recipe.
Hi Jenn,
First, I want to start by thanking you for always responding to my questions, it is so helpful.
Theses are my nephew’s favorite cookies, but he lives now in Puerto Rico, so I was wondering what would be the best way to ship them. I was thinking on shipping them overnight in a tin box. Should I send them with the chocolate kiss already in them or could I send them without it and ask his mom to put them in the cookies and then cook them a couple more minutes in the oven?
Hi Eugenia, Always happy to help! While it’s very sweet that you want to send these to your nephew, I don’t think they will travel very well – I’m sorry! You could, however, put all of the dry ingredients (the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt) in a container and send that as well as the Hersheys kisses and a small jar of peanut butter and then have your nephew and his mom pull them together. If you’re looking for some options that will ship a little better, you may want to take a peek at any of my biscotti recipes. Hope that helps!
Hey Jenn
Can you use light brown sugar if you don’t have dark on hand. Difference in taste?
Thanks
Carolyn
Hi Carolyn, Light brown sugar is fine to use – there shouldn’t be a significant difference in how they taste. Enjoy!
Hi Jenn,
I haven’t made this yet and am wondering why your recipe doesn’t say to press the dough down with a fork before baking. It’s just that I have never before seen a peanut butter cookie recipe that doesn’t do that.
Hi, I don’t use that technique with these cookies because of the Hershey’s kiss that gets added to the middle of them. Perhaps you’re thinking of this type of peanut butter cookie?
These were easy to make and adorable. I made a batch after refrigerating for an hour and it did taste a little “gritty.” I refrigerated another batch overnight and they were slightly softer – but the “gritty” taste is still there… although less so than the first batch. I assume that’s just how peanut butter blossoms are supposed to taste, since I’ve tried other recipes and they all have that texture. I believe this is the least “gritty” recipe out of them all. When I make this in the future, I might try reversing the amounts of white and brown sugar. Thank you for another great recipe!
Super yummy! I made these with miniature Reese’s peanut butter cups instead of Hershey’s kisses because we REALLY love peanut butter. Delicious! I’ve made at least 10 different recipes of yours and all of them have gone in the “make again” category. Thank you!!
I just used your recipe for peanut butter blossoms and they look great but taste gritty. What did I do wrong?
Hi Lois, Happy to help troubleshoot. What type of peanut butter did you use?
Skippy creamy peanut butter
Hi again, Lois — Did you make any substitutions?
no, I followed your recipe. They are all gone now and were enjoyed by my family . I guess I will try recipe again and see how they turn out. Thanks
Please do!
These turned out great. My toddler helped me roll the balls and coat them with sugar. It was the perfect recipe to make with kids! I used dark chocolate Kisses and the cookies were a hit. The last step of baking the cookies with the Kisses for two minutes really is a game changer – instead of a hard lump of chocolate, you get a tempered, smooth, softer chocolate center. Great tip!! Thank you for another amazing recipe!
I don’t see a temperature for baking. Maybe I’m just missing it!
: )
The oven should be set to 350°F/175°C. Hope you enjoy!
I have a similar recipe that uses shortening instead of butter. Besides taste, is there a difference in outcome using butter? Love your recipes so curious to try with butter.
Hi Monica, glad to hear you like the recipes! I’ve never made these with shortening so I’m not sure if they would come out differently. They definitely do taste better with butter though. Hope you enjoy if you make them!
If I don’t have any granulated sugar, can I make this recipe with just brown sugar?
Yes, that’s fine Fatima – but don’t roll the cookies in brown sugar (you can just skip that step).
Use red or green sugar for the holidays! Big hit!