These peanut butter blossoms are one of my favorite cookie recipes! Made with the absolute softest, butteriest peanut butter cookie base. These cookies are topped off with a milk chocolate kiss for the best way to get your peanut butter and chocolate fix!
This recipe is adapted from my favorite peanut butter cookies. I think you’ll love how buttery soft the cookie base is; it’s the perfect starting point for a milk chocolate Kiss! Be sure to check out my peanut butter blossom recipe video at the bottom of the recipe card!
Peanut Butter Blossoms
Happy December! We kicked off Christmas cookie season yesterday with my spritz cookies and today I’m re-sharing what just might be my favorite cookie from last year’s cookie tray: Peanut Butter Blossoms.
Zach and I are about to head out the door to pick out a Christmas tree this morning and once that’s up I’ll be in full-on baking mode. I’ve already made my sugar cookies and chocolate chip cookies, but this weekend’s agenda includes plenty more peanut butter blossoms (and maybe a video re-shoot of my Gingerbread cookies).
What are your favorite cookies to bake during the holidays?
I perfected this recipe last year, and maybe you even remember me raving about it.
Super soft, buttery, perfection. Peanut Butter Blossoms have always been a favorite cookie of mine, but I’ve improved upon them by making some key recipe modifications and I’m excited for you to try them out for yourself.
Butter is Better
Rather than using any shortening (which many peanut butter blossom recipes call for) I use all butter in this recipe. I’ve always believed that shortening was acceptable in peanut butter cookies, until I took it upon myself to develop an all-butter version. The butter makes the flavor deeper, richer, and just all-around much better than a shortening-based cookie. Made this way, the interiors are much softer and more melt-in-your-mouth than ones made with shortening.
I sent a batch of these in with Zach to share with his co-workers, and he said he couldn’t believe how many comments he got on how soft and delicious they were. Once you try this butter-based peanut butter blossom recipe out for yourself, I am positive you’ll never go back to shortening.
How to Decorate Peanut Butter Blossoms — Sparkly Sugar is Key!
Peanut butter blossoms wouldn’t be complete without a sparkly sugar coating around the cookies. I used an organic cane sugar because I like the coarser sugar granules, but these peanut butter blossoms work just as well with regular granulated sugar.
For the “blossom” portion (the chocolate part is the blossom, right?), I used milk chocolate Hershey’s kisses. These are traditional chocolates used for making peanut butter blossoms, but I’ve also made them using mini Reese’s cups. Right now there are so many different varieties of kisses available now you might even want to experiment with different flavors besides milk chocolate (“hot cocoa” flavor is next on my list!).
Enjoy!
Oh, and if you have any suggestions for puppy-proofing a Christmas tree I’m all ears! We have one feisty foster puppy left and she spends most of her time in our living room, where we plan to put our tree! 😳
Treat yourself to a FREE E-BOOK!
How to Make Peanut Butter Blossoms
Peanut Butter Blossoms
Ingredients
- 10 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened to room temperature (141g)
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar tightly packed (135g)
- ¼ cup sugar (50g)
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (140g)
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (188g)
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar for rolling
- 24 Milk Chocolate Kisses unwrapped
Instructions
- Combine butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer (or you may use a large bowl and an electric mixer) and beat until well combined (about 1 minute).
- Add peanut butter, and stir well.
- Add eggs and vanilla extract and stir until well-combined.
- In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt.
- Gradually add flour mixture into the peanut butter batter, pausing occasionally to scrape down sides and bottom of bowl so that all ingredients are well-combined.
- Cover dough with plastic wrap and Place in the refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes to one hour*
- Preheat oven to 375F (190C) and line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Pour remaining 1/2 cup of sugar into a small bowl and set aside.
- Once dough has chilled, remove from refrigerator and roll into 2-teaspoon-sized balls. Roll completely in sugar and place on prepared cookie sheet at least 2" apart.
- Bake on 375F (190C) for 8 minutes.
- Within a minute or so of removing cookies from oven, gently but firmly press a Hershey Kiss into the center of each cookie. Allow to cool completely on cookie sheet.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
I originally shared this recipe 12/04/2017, post updated to include more tips and information 12/01/2018
SUSAN says
I made these last night, instead of using Hershey Kisses, I used milk chocolate chips. I still rolled them in the sugar just like with the blossoms. After baking, the cookies were still puffed up so I just used my spatula and pressed them flat. Absolutely delicious!
Sam says
I am so glad you enjoyed them, Susan! 🙂
Stephanie says
Delicious!! The only con of this cookie is that they are gone already!
Sam says
😂 I guess you will have to make more! 🙂
Brenda says
Hershey kisses are not the traditional chocolate used. Brachs chocolate stars make the best cookies and they are easier to eat. We have used them for 20 years and they are readily available this time of year. I imagine Hershey co. got in there somehow to promote their product.
Sam says
Interesting, I’ve only ever known them with the kisses. This recipe will work with whichever you choose to use 🙂
Andrea says
I want find a good cookie recipe I can make with the kisses without the peanut butter is this recipe possible with the peanut butter?
Sam says
This one wouldn’t work without the peanut butter but I do have a peanut butter-free Chocolate Kiss Cookie if you want to check that one out!
Carisa Simpson says
Fabulous Cookie!
Sam says
Thank you so much, Carisa! 🙂
Phyllis Hall says
I have been making these for years but tried this recipe and these are delicious. What a nice tender cookie.
thanks for a great recipe.
Sam says
Thank you so much Phyllis! I am so glad you enjoyed them. 🙂
claire says
Does it need to be natural/ sugar free peanut butter?
Sam says
Hi, Claire. I actually advise against using sugar free/natural peanut butter. 🙂
Rose says
Love this recipe! Also the “worse chocolate chip cookie” recipe is also delicious! Thank you for sharing them.
Sam says
Thank you very much, Rose. I am so glad you enjoy them! 🙂
Dani says
I was in search of a pb blossom cookie and this one was awesome! I ended up rolling mine in coarse sugar before popping them into the oven to make them a bit more sparkly and they came out perfect. I made some for a Christmas party and everyone loved them. I received so many compliments! I ended up freezing some dough and I can’t wait to dig in to that soon! Thanks so much for the awesome recipe Sam. 🙂
Sam says
I am so glad you enjoyed them, Dani! You can never have enough sugar in my opinion. 😉
Tanja says
These look amazing! I will definitely bake them for Christmas! Do you have any tips on baking ahead and freezing holiday cookies?
Sam says
Hi Tanja! Most cookies can be baked ahead and frozen just fine, but it does depend on the particular recipe. These Peanut Butter Blossoms can be, just make sure to let them cool completely after baking, store in an airtight container, and let the chocolate from the kiss re-harden so that the kisses don’t get smooshed in storage. 🙂
Beth says
Just finished making these. They are amazing! FYI – I live above 5,000 ft., so I increased the flour by 1/4 cup and decreased the baking time by 1 minute if anyone else needs to know. Thank you for sharing!!
Linda Smith says
That were some magnificent cookies, thank you for the receipt!!!
Sam says
So glad you enjoyed them!! They are one of my favorites, too! 🙂
Carol says
Recently found your site & I’m loving all your recipes. So easy to follow & always yummy.
Look forward to working my way through your cookie recipes over the next couple of weeks.
Merry Christmas !
Sam says
I’m so happy to hear this! I hope you love these, Carol! 🙂 Merry Christmas!!
Carol says
Made these last weekend and my husband said this was the best cookie he had ever tasted. And trust me when I say he has tasted a lot of cookies. 🙂
Making another batch today.
Thanks for the recipe.
Sam says
That is awesome! They are one of my favorites, too, I’m so glad that you and your husband enjoyed them so much!!! 🙂
Thank you for letting me know how they turned out for you, Carol!! 🙂
Kelly says
You weren’t kidding, these are really the best peanut butter cookies I have ever had! thank you for such a great recipe, Sam! I printed it out and put it on my refrigerator so I can make it over and over again.
Sam says
Aren’t they, though!! I’m so glad that you enjoyed the recipe, Kelly! 🙂
Shelby @ Go Eat and Repeat says
These are such a classic! Matt and I also recently put up our tree and it took WAY longer than expected. Hopefully yours went better!
Sam says
Thank you!! 🙂 It wasn’t too bad, but there were pine needles EVERYWHERE!!!!