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    Home ยป Recipes ยป Cookies

    Peanut Butter Blossoms

    Updated: Dec 7, 2022 โ€ข Published: Dec 7, 2022 by Sam Merritt โ€ข 133 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video
    collage of peanut butter blossoms, top image of single cookie close up, bottom image of cookies neatly stacked

    My peanut butter blossoms are made with the softest, butteriest peanut butter cookie base and topped off with a sweet milk chocolate kiss! They’re a classic holiday cookie that’s both fun and easy to make! Recipe includes a how-to video!

    Peanut butter blossoms on a teal decorative plate.

    Homemade Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

    Peanut butter blossoms have always been my favorite cookie on the holiday cookie tray. They’re the perfect combination chocolate and peanut butter (like my peanut butter chocolate cake!), and they are so easy to make. Plus, they’re just so pretty with their sparkly exteriors!

    My recipe is made without shortening and instead uses butter for super soft, and, well, buttery results. You’ll love this swap (I do the same in my peanut butter oatmeal cookies!) and how nice the results are!

    Today’s recipe is adapted from my favorite peanut butter cookies. You’ll simply prepare the dough, let it chill for 30 agonizing short minutes, roll the cookies in sugar, and bake. Once they’re out of the oven, top them off with a Hershey kiss (a fun task for the kids), and you’re done. So simple!

    Serve these alongside sugar cookies and your other favorite holiday cookies and they’ll be a guaranteed hit!

    What You Need

    Bowl of Hershey kisses, with the top kiss missing its wrapper.

    Here are the key ingredients in my super soft peanut butter blossoms:

    • Butter. Rather than using shortening (which many recipes call for) I use all butter in this recipe. 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.
    • Peanut butter. Do not use the natural/sugar-free peanut butter that separates. Unfortunately, the cookies just won’t bake up the same and tend to become dry and crumbly. Stick with classic peanut butter (Skippy, Jiff, store brand, etc.).
    • Sugar. These cookies wouldn’t be complete without a sparkly sugar coating. I personally like to use an organic cane sugar (the granules are more coarse), but regular granulated sugar would work too. Inside the cookies we’ll use a combination of granulated and light brown sugar for depth of flavor and a nice chewy texture.
    • Cornstarch. Cornstarch is my secret weapon for soft cookies that hold their shape! I use it in my M&M cookies, whipped shortbread, thumbprint cookies, and so many others.
    • Hershey kisses. Milk chocolate Hershey’s kisses are traditional, but you can use dark chocolate or pretty much any other flavor you like.

    SAM’S TIP: I’ve also made these cookies with mini peanut butter cups instead of kisses. Use whichever you prefer here–both work great!

    Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!

    How to Make Peanut Butter Blossoms

    Peanut butter cookie dough ball being rolled through sugar.
    1. Combine the wet ingredients – Cream together the butter and sugars, then stir in the peanut butter. Mix in the eggs and vanilla until well combined.
    2. Add the dry – Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then gradually add them to the wet ingredients. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
    3. Chill and roll – Cover and chill the dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, then scoop into 2 teaspoon-sized balls. Roll the dough through sugar before placing on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
    4. Bake, top, and enjoy! Bake the cookies for 8 minutes at 375F. Remove from oven and add Hershey kisses to the centers. Let cool completely on the baking sheet before enjoying!

    SAM’S TIP: Your cookies may look slightly underdone when they come out of the oven–that’s okay (ideal, actually!)! Letting the cookies finish baking on their sheets makes for super soft, tender results. If you were to bake them completely in the oven, they would be hard and crumbly once cooled.

    Peanut butter cookies that have been rolled in sugar and topped with chocolate kisses.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Why are my peanut butter blossoms dry?

    The most likely reason for this is not measuring flour properly or over-baking. Make sure you either spoon and level (no scooping!) or use a kitchen scale to measure your flour, and let your cookies finish baking outside the oven on their cookie sheets.

    Can peanut butter blossoms be frozen?

    Yes! Just let them cool completely before storing in an airtight container in the freezer. They should last about three months stored this way. See also my post on how to freeze cookie dough.

    Can I use “natural” peanut butter?

    I do not recommend using natural peanut butter (the kind that separates) here or in any of my other recipes. Use normal, creamy peanut butter for best results.

    Peanut butter blossom cookies on plate

    I hope you love my version of this classic cookie ❤️

    Enjoy!

    Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook

    Peanut butter blossoms on a teal decorative plate.

    Peanut Butter Blossoms

    My Peanut Butter Blossoms recipe yields incredibly soft peanut butter cookies topped off with a milk chocolate kiss! This recipe can easily be doubled. Be sure to check out the how-to video!
    4.97 from 63 votes
    Print Pin Rate
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    Course: Cookies, Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Chilling Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 40 minutes minutes
    Servings: 24 cookies
    Calories: 176kcal
    Author: Sam Merritt

    Ingredients

    • 10 Tablespoons (141 g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
    • ⅔ cup (135 g) light brown sugar tightly packed
    • ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
    • ½ cup (140 g) creamy peanut butter
    • 1 large egg room temperature preferred
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 ½ cups (188 g) all-purpose flour
    • 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
    • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
    • ¾ teaspoon salt
    • ½ cup granulated sugar for rolling
    • 24 Milk Chocolate Kisses unwrapped

    Recommended Equipment

    • Mixing bowls
    • Cookie scoop
    • Baking sheet

    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).
      10 Tablespoons (141 g) unsalted butter, ⅔ cup (135 g) light brown sugar, ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
    • Add peanut butter and stir well.
      ½ cup (140 g) creamy peanut butter
    • Add eggs and vanilla extract and stir until well-combined.  
      1 large egg, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt.
      1 ½ cups (188 g) all-purpose flour, 1 Tablespoon cornstarch, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon 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 ½ cup of sugar into a small bowl and set aside.
      ½ cup granulated sugar for rolling
    • 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.
      24 Milk Chocolate Kisses

    Notes

    *Chilling

    Start with 30 minutes, if the dough is too sticky or cookies come out too flat, return for another half an hour. This dough may be chilled overnight if needed.

    Storing

    Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 176kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 141mg | Potassium: 56mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 157IU | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg

    Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.

    Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

    I originally shared this recipe 12/04/2017, post updated to include more tips and information 12/01/2018

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Leslie

      December 29, 2019 at 1:16 am

      Hi there! I just realized I used baking powder instead of baking soda. The dough is chilling in the fridge now. Is it a waste; should I start over? Or do you think the cookies will turn out ok? Not sure if these ingredients are interchangeable or not. Thanks so much for the recipe. Iโ€™ve already made your sugar cookies and gingerbread men too! Delicious!!

      Reply
      • Sugar Spun Run

        December 29, 2019 at 7:44 am

        Hey, Leslie! It happens. I would try baking one and seeing how it turns out. You should be ok. Let me know how they turn out. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    2. Kelly

      December 23, 2019 at 5:31 pm

      Have you ever made these in a mini muffin tin with a peanut butter cup?

      Reply
      • Sam

        December 23, 2019 at 5:55 pm

        I have not, but I think that would work! Just keep in mind that the baking time may vary.

        Reply
    3. Marissa

      December 23, 2019 at 11:04 am

      Could you over chill the dough by chance? Iโ€™m planning on prepping the dough and chilling it while we do church service. But, I donโ€™t want to chill it for to long. Probably for about 3-5 hours.

      Reply
      • Sugar Spun Run

        December 23, 2019 at 11:11 am

        Hi, Marissa! You can. It may just need to sit a room temperature when you take it out for a little bit so the dough can be more manageable to work with. I hope that you enjoy the peanut butter blossoms. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    4. Kelly

      December 22, 2019 at 4:46 am

      5 stars
      Perfection! Iโ€™ve used other recipes and I would be disappointed because they were too flat. This recipe is perfect, and Iโ€™ll never use any other recipe again.
      Not only were they perfect, plump, and beautiful, they were delicious!! Wouldnโ€™t change a thing. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Sugar Spun Run

        December 22, 2019 at 8:12 am

        Thank you so much, Kelly! I am so glad that you enjoyed the peanut butter blossoms. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    5. Eileen

      December 17, 2019 at 9:18 pm

      They look beautiful! Funny….this is the first time I ever used a cookie scoop thanks to you! I have 2 college sons who will just love these cookies….(not to mention my husband, daughter and adult son….did I mention my mother-n-law) Thank you! Merry Christmas!

      Reply
      • Sugar Spun Run

        December 17, 2019 at 9:25 pm

        I love it, Eileen! I am so glad that the peanut butter blossoms have become a family favorite. Thank you so much for commenting. Happy Holidays to you! ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    6. Melissa Willison

      December 08, 2019 at 12:22 pm

      I. Ever heard of using cornstarch in these cookies. Why is that?

      Reply
      • Sugar Spun Run

        December 08, 2019 at 12:26 pm

        Hi, Melissa! The cornstarch helps the cookies from spreading and helps make a tender soft cookie. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    7. Marilyn

      December 07, 2019 at 6:50 pm

      Is parchment paper a must ? I didn’t have that, or plastic wrap when preparing these. So I covered the bowl in the fridge with tin foil…… to chill, and I will be using just a regular cookie sheet to bake them.
      Surprising my fiancรฉ here within minutes. Wish me luck !
      Marilyn

      Reply
      • Sugar Spun Run

        December 07, 2019 at 7:59 pm

        Hi, Marilyn! Covering it in foil will work just fine. I can’t wait to hear how they turn out. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
        • Marilyn

          December 07, 2019 at 10:43 pm

          These cookies turned out perfect ! My fiancรฉ loved them.
          I would like to try the organic sugar next time tho.
          Also I sprinkled a bit of left over sugar on them too.
          Thank you very much for the recipe that didn’t fail !
          Merry Christmas !
          Marilyn

        • Sugar Spun Run

          December 08, 2019 at 12:54 pm

          That is wonderful, Marilyn! I am so glad that he enjoyed them. Merry Christmas to you too! ๐Ÿ™‚

    8. Liz

      December 06, 2019 at 3:10 pm

      I’m looking forward to trying these. What kind of peanut butter do you think is best? We have a “natural” one without sugar and one with sugar in it. I find the peanut butter can make or break a cookie. Your suggestion would be helpful.

      Reply
      • Sugar Spun Run

        December 06, 2019 at 4:17 pm

        Hi, Liz! I don’t recommend natural peanut butter. I typically use a generic or Jiff. I hope you enjoy the cookies. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
        • Liz

          December 06, 2019 at 4:29 pm

          Thanks! I’m sure I will. ๐Ÿ™‚

    9. Mischa

      December 06, 2019 at 12:57 am

      Have you made these without the chocolate kiss? Just curious if they would make a super awesome plain peanut butter cookie?

      Reply
    10. Naomi Blankemeyer

      July 26, 2019 at 12:03 pm

      5 stars
      These cookies were absolutely amazing. They looked absolutely amazing also!

      Reply
      • Sam

        July 26, 2019 at 12:55 pm

        I am so glad you enjoyed the cookies, Naomi! ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    11. FC

      March 27, 2019 at 2:06 pm

      5 stars
      Great cookies. Soft and chewy. Next time can you take a picture of the inside of the cookie as well? Mine seem under cooked but perhaps they are supposed to be like that.
      Thanks

      Reply
      • Sam

        March 27, 2019 at 2:54 pm

        I am so glad you enjoyed them! They are supposed to be a very soft cookie, did you let them cool completely on the pan? I know I can be really impatient sometimes and take them off a little early. If you did let them cool on the pan, they may have just needed another minute in the oven. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    12. JESSICA MOORE

      March 23, 2019 at 10:34 pm

      5 stars
      So, so, so, so good! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I have tried so many peanut butter cookie recipes, trying to find something similar to my grandma’s, and I have failed so many times.
      These were SO delicious, and did I say thank you? Haha…

      Reply
      • Sam

        March 24, 2019 at 9:49 pm

        I am so glad you enjoyed them so much, Jessica! ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    13. Dmk

      February 27, 2019 at 9:31 pm

      5 stars
      Best version of these cookies ever!!

      Reply
      • Sam

        February 27, 2019 at 10:47 pm

        So happy you enjoyed them! I definitely think so, too ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    14. JD

      February 01, 2019 at 10:31 am

      3 stars
      Too soft for my liking. The butter was dominating. Iโ€™ll stick to the standard recipe next time.

      Reply
      • Sam

        February 01, 2019 at 2:53 pm

        5 stars
        Buttery and soft are kinda what these cookies are all about (it is up there in bold in the description, after all) ๐Ÿ˜‰
        I understand that everyone has different preferences but I’m taking this comment as a compliment. Thank you for giving your feedback though, JD!

        Reply
    15. C

      January 29, 2019 at 2:30 pm

      5 stars
      If i wanted to add chopped nuts how much would you recommend?

      Reply
      • Sam

        January 29, 2019 at 6:25 pm

        I would probably keep it under a cup, just add until you are satisfied. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
        • C

          February 03, 2019 at 11:42 am

          5 stars
          Thank you! These are the BEST peanut butter cookies I have ever tasted!! This is now the only recipe I will ever use.

        • Sam

          February 03, 2019 at 6:10 pm

          I am so glad you enjoyed them! ๐Ÿ™‚

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