These cookies are just as they sound: the peanut buttery dough is rolled in sugar and baked until golden perfection.
Once they’re out of the oven, we pop a Hershey’s Kiss right in the center to create the signature blossom shape. Cozy, right? My husband and I make it our tradition to share these crunchy peanut butter blossoms every Christmas!
Why We All Love Peanut Butter Hershey Kiss Cookies Recipe
- All-natural peanut butter and chocolate have always been a dream team of flavors! Imagine the creamy chocolate meeting nutty, slightly salty peanut butter in the cookie. Who isn’t happy about that?
- These babies are soft and chewy inside, with just enough crispiness around the edges (just like regular peanut butter cookies). Plus, that Hershey’s Kiss in the middle brings a little surprise of melty chocolate for a whole new level of yum!
- You probably already have everything you need in your pantry. There is no need for fancy ingredients here! The dough comes together in a snap and doesn’t need much chilling time – perfect for instant baking urges.
- Sure, they might look like Christmas poinsettias, but these homemade cookies are delicious any time of year. And here’s my pro tip: switch up the chocolate kisses for variety, or toss in chocolate chips to give the cookies an extra chocolatey kick! They pack more punch than simple chewy chocolate chip cookies. Trust me, they’ll disappear fast into everyone’s bellies, no matter when you make them.
9 Basic Steps To Make Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies
Ingredients
So, what do we need for this classic recipe? Let’s break them down:
- Flour: First, we’ve got our trusty all-purpose flour. You might notice there’s not a ton of it in the peanut butter blossoms recipe. That’s because smooth peanut butter works like a binder, too! Too much flour can dry our blossom cookies, so we’re sticking with the right amount.
- Baking Soda, Salt, Vanilla: Next, we’ve got baking soda to help our cookies rise, plus a pinch of salt and a splash of vanilla extract for that extra flavor boost.
- Sugars: Now, onto the sweet stuff – granulated and brown sugar. They’re both here for sweetness, but the brown sugar also adds extra softness to the cookies.
- Egg & Butter: We can’t forget our egg to bind everything together and some room-temperature butter for structure and flavor.
- Peanut Butter: And, of course, our key team player – natural peanut butter! For the best results, go for the processed stuff like Skippy or Jif.
- Candies: Last but not least, our chocolate kiss candies. They’re the “blossoms” of these soft peanut butter cookies and absolutely necessary for the final touch!
Instructions
Step 1.
First, grab a medium bowl and whisk baking soda, flour, and salt. Set that aside for now.
Step 2.
In another large bowl, beat the unsalted butter at high speed till creamy, either with a stand or handheld mixer. Then, dial down to medium-high and add granulated sugar (¼ cup) and brown sugar. Beat again until it’s smooth and creamy, which should take around 2 minutes!
Step 3.
Next, crack in the large egg and cream until everything’s combined, usually a minute. Don’t forget to scrape the bowl’s bottom and sides so everything’s mixed in! Then add the creamy peanut butter and a dash of vanilla extract, beating until everything’s nicely mixed.
Step 4.
Slowly add your flour mixture (from Step 1) to those wet ingredients. Beat at low speed until well combined! Our cookie dough will be pretty creamy and soft at this point. Cover and refrigerate it for an hour or longer (or even a few days if you are planning ahead).
Step 5.
Preheat your oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Trust me, it makes cleanup way easier!
Step 6.
Now comes the fun part – rolling and baking!
Scoop about a tablespoon of dough for each peanut butter kiss cookie and ball it up. Then, roll those balls in sugar (about ½ cup). I usually use green and red sanding sugar instead for a pop of color, and it totally ups the Christmas spirit!
Next, pop them onto the prepared baking sheets 2 ¾ to 3 inches apart. We want to make sure they have plenty of room to spread out while they bake!
Step 7.
Stick them in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes until their tops crack slightly. Once the cookies are done, let them cool on their baking sheets (out of the oven) for about 5 minutes. No oven? No problem! My chocolate peanut butter no-bake cookie recipe will save the day!
Step 8.
It’s time to bring out the chocolate kiss candy! Press it into the cookie’s center. Then, grab a spatula and gently transfer your soft cookies to one big plate (or a couple of smaller ones). Be careful; they’re still soft and gooey!
Step 9.
After they’re all on the plate(s), pop them in the freezer (about 10 minutes). That will help set our chocolate quickly. When they’re done chilling, take them out of your freezer and get ready to enjoy some seriously delicious peanut butter kiss cookies!
And if you are craving a full-blown treat, check out my recipe for chocolate peanut butter cake.
Notes
1. Hershey’s Kisses are super soft at room temperature, so when pressed into a warm cookie, they might soften like crazy and lose that iconic kiss shape. And nobody wants a melty mess, am I right?
Thus, I sometimes freeze these candies to harden the chocolate and help them hold their form better. The press also feels much cleaner, too!
2. Trust me, there are tons of peanut butter subs out there. I still love our good ol’ peanut butter, but you can always use others, like cashew or almond butter, for a slightly different experience!
And if you want a nut-free variant, I can’t think of a better sidekick than sun butter (though, of course, remember that the texture and taste will not be the same).
FAQs
Can I Use Other Chocolate Candies For My Cookies?
Totally. Get creative with kiss variations!
Peanut butter kisses give us a double peanut butter punch, dark chocolate kisses swoop in with a much richer flavor, while caramel kisses add a touch of sweetness. For fans of milder taste, even white chocolate will work!
Can I Freeze These Cookies?
Yes. And even better, you can freeze these cookies at any stage!
For example, unbaked balls of dough can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months; they only need to be thawed in the refrigerator overnight before baking. Meanwhile, baked cookies last roughly 3 months, perfect for big batches and serving over time.So simple, right? Have fun making these peanut cookies with Hershey’s Kisses!
Discover More Unique Cookies Recipes:
Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups spooned and leveled all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup or 8 tbsp softened, unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup packed dark or light brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg, room temperature
- ¾ cup peanut butter
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 25 unwrapped chocolate kiss candies
Coating
- ½ cup granulated sugar (alternative: ¼ cup each for red and green sanding sugar)
Instructions
- Whisk baking soda, flour, and salt. Set that bowl aside for now.
- In another large bowl, beat the unsalted butter at high speed till creamy, either with a stand or handheld mixer. Then, dial down to medium-high and add granulated sugar (¼ cup) and brown sugar. Beat again until it’s smooth and creamy (around 2 minutes).
- Cack in the large egg and cream until combined (1 minute). Scrape the bowl’s bottom and sides as you go. Add the creamy peanut butter and a dash of vanilla extract, beating until nicely mixed.
- Slowly add your flour mixture (from Step 1) to those wet ingredients. Beat at low speed until well combined. Our peanut butter cookie dough will be pretty creamy and soft at this point. Cover and refrigerate it for an hour or longer.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Scoop about a tablespoon of dough for each cookie and ball it up. Then, roll each dough ball in sugar (about ½ cup). Pop them onto the parchment-lined baking sheets 2 ¾ to 3 inches apart so they have plenty of room to spread out.
- Bake them for 10 to 15 minutes until their tops crack slightly. Let them cool on their baking sheets (out of the oven) for about 5 minutes.
- Bring out the chocolate kiss candies! Press each into the cookie’s center. Grab a spatula and gently transfer your cookies to one big plate (or some smaller ones). Be careful since they’re still soft.
- Pop them in the freezer (about 10 minutes) to set your chocolate.
- Take them out of your freezer and dig in.
Notes
- Pop the Hershey’s Kisses in the freezer for 30 minutes before using them. That will help them keep their shape better when pressed into the warm cookies.
- Don’t have regular peanut butter? You can substitute almond butter, cashew butter, or even sun butter (for a nut-free option).
