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You just can’t beat the classic combination of peanut butter and chocolate! Share these easy peanut butter blossoms on Christmas cookie trays, serve them with a glass of milk for an after-school snack, or whip up a batch when you need a quick crowd-pleasing dessert. The soft and chewy peanut butter cookies are topped with rich, chocolatey Hershey’s Kisses for the ultimate festive treat.
Table of Contents
If you love chocolate peanut butter desserts, be sure to try these no-bake peanut butter chocolate bars, a batch of no-bake 5-ingredient salted dark chocolate peanut butter balls, this classic puppy chow, and these monster cookies, too!
Why You’ll Love these Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies
A throwback to childhood, peanut butter blossoms are soft and chewy peanut butter cookies rolled in sugar and topped with Hershey’s Kisses. They’re easy to prepare and popular with both kids and adults — making them a classic Christmas cookie for generations.
In fact, the original peanut butter blossom cookie recipe dates back to the Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest in 1957! The delicious salty-and-sweet treats have been a staple American dessert ever since — especially during the holiday season. Here’s why you’ll love them:
- Soft and Chewy. These cookies boast a satisfying combination of textures — soft and chewy with a firm bite of chocolate.
- Easy. The dough is simple to prepare, and doesn’t even require chilling before baking.
- Freezer-Friendly. Make them in advance and stash them in the freezer until you need them! The prep-ahead treats eliminate last-minute holiday stress.
Ingredients
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for our favorite soft peanut butter blossoms. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Sugars: both granulated sugar and brown sugar add sweetness, while the brown sugar helps to keep the cookies soft and chewy.
- Butter: use salted butter in this recipe for extra flavor and to highlight the sweet-and-salty contrast in the peanut butter cookies.
- Egg: acts as a binder.
- Peanut butter: we prefer Jif brand or Skippy brand smooth and creamy peanut butter.
- Vanilla extract and salt: more flavor!
- All-purpose flour: the base of these soft and chewy peanut butter cookies.
- Baking soda: a leavening agent that helps the cookies rise.
- Hershey’s Kisses chocolate candies: the blossom part of the peanut butter cookies (and perhaps the most delicious addition)!
How to Make Peanut Butter Blossoms
These peanut blossom cookies never go out of style, so whip up a batch to share with your family or pack up a box as a gift for your friends during the holiday season. They’re one of those popular treats that both kids and adults adore. You’ll find detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the quick version:
- Mix together the peanut butter cookie dough.
- Chill the dough for about 30 minutes if time allows.
- Use a cookie scoop to shape the dough into round balls.
- Roll the dough balls in granulated sugar to coat on all sides.
- Bake for 9-10 minutes, or until the tops begin to slightly crack. They should still be soft.
- Let the cookies cool for a couple of minutes.
- Gently press a Hershey’s Kiss into the center of each warm cookie. The chocolates will get soft from the heat of the cookie, but they will firm up again as the cookies cool completely.
Can I Chill The Dough Before Baking?
You don’t need to chill the dough — which is one reason that these peanut blossoms are so quick and easy! The amount of flour in the recipe prevents the cookies from spreading too thin in the oven.
If your kitchen is particularly warm; however, or if your dough is sitting out for a long time, I recommend chilling the dough in the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking. It can’t hurt, and this step will ensure the thickest, chewiest cookies possible!
Preparation and Storage Tips
- How to Store: Keep classic peanut butter blossom cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They will stay fresh for about 3-4 days. Package them in layers separated by wax paper to protect the cookies.
- Tip: To keep them nice and soft, place a piece of white sandwich bread in the container with the cookies.
- How to Freeze: You can freeze the baked cookies in an airtight container or Ziploc freezer bag for up to 3 months. Alternatively, freeze the cookie dough before baking. Simply place the sugar-coated cookie dough balls on a parchment-lined pan and freeze until solid. Once frozen, remove from the pan and transfer the dough balls to a Ziploc freezer bag. Store the dough in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- How to Bake Frozen Peanut Butter Blossoms: Place the frozen, pre-scooped sugar-coated dough balls onto a parchment or silicone-lined baking sheet and bake at 375°F for 2-3 minutes longer than the original recipe recommends (in this case, about 11-12 minutes).
Recipe Variations
- Different Flavors: Instead of the classic milk chocolate Hershey’s Kisses, try other flavors like Hot Cocoa Kisses, Special Dark Kisses, or Hershey’s Hugs (which include white chocolate).
- 3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Blossoms: For a shortcut treat, use store-bought peanut butter cookie dough (like this Pillsbury Peanut Butter Cookie Dough). Shape it into balls, roll in sugar, bake, and top with chocolate kisses.
- Christmas Peanut Butter Blossoms: Instead of rolling the cookie dough in granulated sugar, roll the dough balls in festive red and green sugar or even holiday-themed sprinkles.
- If you’re starting with unsalted butter, add an extra ¼ teaspoon of salt to the dough.
Tips for the Best Peanut Butter Blossoms Recipe
- Unwrap the chocolate kiss candies while the cookies are in the oven. This way they’ll be ready to pop onto the hot cookies when the cookies are done in the oven.
- For soft peanut butter blossoms, pull the cookies out of the oven when they still look soft and slightly under-baked in the center. They will firm up as they cool, but will remain soft and chewy on the inside.
- While it’s not mandatory when you’re in a rush, I find that chilling the dough for about 30 minutes yields the thickest, chewiest peanut butter cookies.
- Use a processed peanut butter (like Jif or Skippy) rather than all-natural peanut butter. The processed nut butters do not separate, which yields a better quality cookie.
More Christmas Cookies to Try
Soft Cut Out Sugar Cookies
1 hour hr 25 minutes mins
Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies
35 minutes mins
Soft Ginger Molasses Cookies
4 hours hrs 31 minutes mins
Soft Peanut Butter Blossoms
Ingredients
- ½ cup granulated sugar, plus extra for coating
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, softened
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 24 Hershey’s kisses (or more or less, depending on how many cookies you make)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- In a large bowl, use a handheld electric mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to cream together granulated sugar, brown sugar and butter. Add egg, peanut butter, and vanilla extract. Beat well.
- In a separate bowl, whisk (or sift) together flour, salt, and baking soda. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture; mix just until combined. Optional, but recommended: cover and chill dough for up to 30 minutes for really thick, chewy cookies.
- Place about ½ cup of additional granulated sugar in a shallow bowl. Using a cookie scoop (about 1 ½ tablespoons), roll dough into balls and coat in sugar.
- Place about 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets.
- Bake in the 375 degree F oven for 9-10 minutes, or until the tops begin to crack a little bit. The cookies will still be soft. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and place on wire racks to cool. Let the cookies cool for 2-3 minutes, then place a chocolate kiss in the center of each cookie, pressing down slightly.
- Cool on the baking sheets for about 3-5 more minutes, and then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Notes
- Unwrap the chocolate kiss candies while the cookies are in the oven. This way they’ll be ready to pop onto the hot cookies when the cookies are done in the oven.
- For soft peanut butter blossoms, pull the cookies out of the oven when they still look soft and slightly under-baked in the center. They will firm up as they cool, but will remain soft and chewy on the inside.
- While it’s not mandatory when you’re in a rush, I find that chilling the dough for about 30 minutes yields the thickest, chewiest peanut butter cookies.
- Use a processed peanut butter (like Jif or Skippy) rather than all-natural peanut butter. The processed nut butters do not separate, which yields a better quality cookie.
Delish indeed! We call these Kissy cookies, same recipe as yours. Thank you for providing all that extra information on the ingredients, etc. It surely will help many bakers feel confident.
Thanks, Olivia! I love that name — I should adopt it! 🙂
I made them with Dark Chocolate Kisses and Crunchy Peanut Butter, Yummy!
Well written recipe and tips, THANKS!
Thank you!! Dark chocolate is my favorite, so I need to try that, too. Sounds perfect!
Just made these! Fantastic recipe!
Yay! Thanks, Holly! You can’t beat that flavor combination. 🙂
Oh! I just realized that was under “3X”. I’ve never seen that on a recipe before and I thought it meant to enlarge it so we people with near sightedness could read it better. Well, then just the s on eggs for 2x and 3x!
I just stumbled on this site today. I love your recipes. I think this will be a go to for quick and easy recipes . . . thanks!!
I always make these at Christmas time. Your recipe is pretty much the same as mine. The one thing I do differently is I add M&M’s. They make the cookie more festive. I take the cookies out about a minute before and add the Kiss, then put back in the oven to soften. When you remove from oven, press M&M into the Kiss. Be quick the Kisses cool fast.
Welcome, Kathy! We’re so happy to have you here! We will have to try these cookies your way, too.