Amazingly soft and sugary, these Peanut Butter Blossoms cookies are perfect for any holiday or bake sale. This classic cookie is loved by all!
These classic and iconic Peanut Butter Blossoms Cookies are soft and chewy, with a crackly sugary crust and studded with a solid milk chocolate kiss.
Growing up, these cookies were a staple at every holiday gathering, every bake sale, and the cookie I hoped for every time my Mom said she was going to make cookies. Most kids loved the classic chocolate chip cookies, but I craved the sweet and salty combination of chocolate and peanut butter!
If you have kids, this is a great recipe to make with them, as there are plenty of things they can help with in this recipe. I love showing them how to make these peanut butter blossoms and they can’t get enough of scooping the dough, rolling it into balls, rolling dough in the sugar, and pressing the kiss into the baked cookie!
My daughter’s favorite part is adding the chocolate kiss to the cookie, but I think that’s only so she can sneak extra chocolate kisses!
CAN YOU FREEZE PEANUT BUTTER BLOSSOM COOKIES?
I’ve never tried to freeze the baked cookie, but you can absolutely freeze the dough! I’ve found the easiest way is to roll the dough in to balls, but don’t roll in sugar yet, then freeze the dough balls individually. When you’re ready to thaw it out, just place in the refrigerator overnight, then roll in the sugar and proceed as the recipe directs!
HOW LONG DO PEANUT BUTTER BLOSSOMS STAY FRESH?
I’ve found they stay pretty soft and tasty for 5-7 days, as long as they’re in an airtight container on the counter. If you’re having trouble storing the cookies without messing up the kisses, you’ll want to alternate them. Place cookies in a single layer first, side by side. Start your second layer by placing cookies in between the tips of the kisses. Continue this process until all your cookies are stored.
Doesn’t that make you just want to dive in and grab one?!
DO YOU HAVE TO CHILL THE DOUGH?
Not necessarily, but the softer and warmer the dough is, the more the cookies might spread. I found even chilling the dough for 30 minutes will yield a thicker cookie. I usually use that chilling time to go catch up on an episode of a show on Netflix, getting my oven preheated, and getting the baking sheet ready with some parchment paper.
Some recipes use shortening to eliminate the need for chilling the dough. Making peanut butter blossoms without shortening is just as easy, and I much prefer the rich, buttery taste you get by using real butter in this peanut butter blossom cookie recipe.
PRO TIPS FOR MAKING PEANUT BUTTER BLOSSOMS COOKIES:
- Refrigerate your chocolate kisses until you’re ready to use them. I found that doing this resulted in perfectly formed kisses that don’t melt when pressed into the hot cookie. For the first couple of hours they’ll be soft (from the heat), but they’ll firm up the longer they sit.
- Feel free to play around with the type of chocolate kisses used. Milk chocolate is the standard, but Hershey’s makes a LOT of different kinds.
- When baking the cookies, watch for the edges to just turn lightly golden, and the tops will start to crack. Before they crack, they’re still under-done in the middle, and they won’t have that classically cracked appearance.
- Make more than you think you’ll need… seriously. These cookies are SO many peoples’ favorite, and they’ll go quickly!
- There’s really no need for a stand mixer here, unless you really want to use one.
- Don’t forget to chill your dough. It really helps keep the cookies nice and thick, and keep them from spreading too much as they bake.
LOOKING FOR OTHER HOLIDAY BAKING RECIPES?
- Easy Crockpot Candy
- Peppermint White Chocolate Cheesecake Bars
- Red Velvet Brownies
- Homemade Gingerbread Caramel Corn
- Vanilla Cinnamon Candied Almonds
SHOP THE RECIPE:
- Baking sheet – these pans are heavy duty, with no warping!
- Small Cookie Scoop – a MUST for baking cookies and making meatballs!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (for rolling)
- 36-48 chocolate kisses, unwrapped
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add brown sugar, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, softened butter and peanut butter. Using a hand mixer (or stand mixer if you have one), beat on MED speed until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add egg and vanilla and beat until well mixed. Add flour, baking soda, and salt, and beat on LOW until combined and no flour streaks remain. Scrape the bowl if needed.
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or more. Add unwrapped chocolate kisses to a bowl and refrigerate as well, until ready to add to baked cookies.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 F degrees. Line a baking sheet with a sheet of parchment paper and set aside. Add final 1/2 cup granulated sugar to a small shallow bowl, and set aside.
- Using a small cookie scoop (1.5 tablespoon size is perfect), or your hands, shape dough into balls a little larger than 1 inch in diameter. Gently roll balls in bowl of granulated sugar to coat on all sides.
- Place approximately 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet and bake 9-10 minutes, until lightly golden brown and tops of cookies have a cracked appearance.
- Press a chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie, then remove to a cooling rack to continue cooling.
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Chef Tips
- Recipe makes approximately 36-48 cookies.
- Prep time doesn't include chilling time, as this will vary from individual to individual.
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Recipe originally posted on Spend with Pennies, where I contribute recipes monthly.
James says
Do you think It’ll be okay if I convection bake these & reduce time by 1-3 minutes?
Mary Neilson says
doesn’t say how to adjust for high altitude.??
The Chunky Chef says
That’s because I don’t live at high altitude, so I don’t have experience with high altitude baking. This is a great resource on the subject though https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/learn/resources/high-altitude-baking
Heather says
Why does the dough just fall apart when you put the Hershey kiss in? Did anyone else have that issue ?
Debbie says
After baking and placing kisses how do they harden.need to put finished cookie in fridge?
The Chunky Chef says
They’ll harden at room temperature, but you can refrigerate them if you’d like.
Sandra Meyer says
These cookies freeze great after baked and completely cooled……they are still chewy and soft when thawed….
Kari says
Is this good for high altitude! At about 6000 feet here in Colorado Springs!
The Chunky Chef says
Unfortunately I live at a much lower elevation, so I don’t have experience with high altitude baking. This is a great resource on the subject though https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/learn/resources/high-altitude-baking
Vanessa says
The cookies turned out looking nice but the cookie was brittle and dry. Still tasted ok though. I did measure everything out exactly, taking care that the flour was exact in measurement.
Lena Bucherati says
I made these to the letter of the recipe and while they are delicious, they spread and did not hold that chubby shape. The first batch I baked for 10 minutes and were a little over done. Second batch I adjusted the cooking time to 8 minutes and that was perfect. I think I will add 1/4 cup of flour next time to make them firmer.
Karen rosenthal says
Came out yummy . Bringing yo a party tomorrow
Debbie K says
I just finished making these and followed your recipe to a T. They came out perfect. My 14 yo daughter loves them. Thank you.
Roxy says
Great recipe! Definitely have to refrigerate for a perfect cookie shape. Thank you
Jaime says
I wanted to double check with you on the temperature for baking the peanut butter blossoms of being 375 degrees? I have used other recipes in the past and they have been at 325 and 350, so I just wanted to ask you for clarification that you like to back yours at 375? Also, how soon do you place the hershey kiss in the middle of the cookie; right out of the oven or after how many minutes? Thank you.
The Chunky Chef says
Yes, the temperature is correct 🙂 I add my hershey kiss right out of the oven, although I keep my kisses in the refrigerator, so they don’t melt immediately when you add them, and they’ll hold their shape.
Pam says
I’ve been making these cookies for years and this has been the best recipe! Cookies are so soft, not dry or crumbly. I’ll be using this recipe always! Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Emily says
More like 24 LOL!! These always turn out so good <3 family loves.
Nicolina says
Could I substitute sun butter? We try to refrain from peanut butter because of a peanut sensitivity…
The Chunky Chef says
Unfortunately without testing and retesting it myself, I can’t say for certain if that would work. If you try it, I’d love to know how it turns out!
Karmen P. says
I substituted sun butter because my son has a nut allergy and it worked just fine and didn’t alter the taste of the cookie. My mom couldn’t really tell the difference. Just make sure you use creamy sun butter.
Melissa says
These came out perfect. My scoop must be big because I only got 28 cookies. I placed the kisses in upside down so they would stack better in the cookie jar. They are such a wonderful texture. This is my new favorite recipe!
Kathy says
That is a great idea!
Debbie says
I have not made these yet, but wanted to know if natural creamy peanut butter would have a better peanut taste, or do you suggest another type of peanut butter. What peanut butter do you use?
The Chunky Chef says
During testing, I found that for the best results, it’s best to use processed peanut butter like Skippy or Jif. I do not recommend using natural-style peanut butter, as they were a bit too oily.
Jennifer Mustful says
I use chunky peanut butter
Julie says
Turned out perfectly…I’ve always enjoy these cookies, so I decided to make some and ammpleasantly surprised by how easy thi recipe made it. Greatt tip about refrigerating the dough and the kisses!
Sue says
Sorry if this was already mentioned by someone else (I read some comments but not all!) – I think there may be a mistake in the directions for 2X and 3X batches – all three versions say to add 1/2 cup granulated sugar even though the bigger batches call for 1 cup and 1.5 cup in the ingredient list. I’m probably going to keep the 2X batch with 1/2 cup (in that there’s a full cup of brown sugar) but thought you might want to double check. Thanks!
The Chunky Chef says
The automatic ingredient calculator will change the ingredient values for you, but it doesn’t change the written instructions, those are manually added and not subject to a slider/button. You will have to extrapolate that multiplication to any amounts listed in the instructions.
Alexis Vancuyk says
It also depends on which 1/2 you are referring to. Since overall you use a full cup of sugar half for inside the cookie and half for rolling as well.
Lauren says
FYI makes about 24 cookies MAX. I use a one inch cookie scooper so I didn’t make them bigger than the recipe states, have made it a few times now and I get the same amount each time. Double the recipe if you want the 48 cookies it says it makes. Besides that, I love this recipe! I do half with mini Reese’s and half with the kisses. I also bake them on the shorter end of time, around 7-8 minutes just bc I like them a little mushier. Delicious
Ana Comi says
Can salted butter be used and perhaps omit the kosher salt? I don’t purchase unsalted butter.
The Chunky Chef says
Sure can 🙂
Madelene Pryor says
Mmm mmm! These made a wonderful surprise for the kindergartners. Thank you.