Hershey Peanut Butter Blossoms
These classic peanut butter blossoms cookies are a favorite around the holidays! A soft peanut butter cookie with a Hershey’s kiss in the middle.
For more holiday treats, try our pecan balls or caramel toffee cookies.
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I grew up making kiss cookies with my mom. Now, I continue the tradition with my own kids! It’s a tradition I look forward to every year, and after decades of testing, I’m happy to say I’ve created the perfect the best peanut butter blossoms recipe.
You’ll never need another version again! In fact, you might not even need another Christmas cookie recipe for the entire holiday season. With a five-star rating, these peanut butter blossoms are so tasty you won’t crave anything else.
I’ll teach you all my secrets to creating a rich flavor and beautiful presentation without the cookies cracking or the chocolate melting on top. You’ll have bakery-worthy cookies in just over 30 minutes, and you’ll feel like a baking pro!
What You Need for Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies
- Butter – unsalted butter
- Peanut butter – you’ll need creamy peanut butter
- Sugar – I like using cane sugar but feel free to use granulated sugar
- Brown sugar – brown sugar will make these soft and moist
- Baking powder – make sure not to confuse it with baking soda
- Salt – I like using kosher salt but sea salt works great too
- Egg – you’ll need 1 large egg for this recipe
- Milk – the milk will add moisture to the batter
- Vanilla – to enhance the flavor of the cookies
- Flour – all-purpose unbleached flour is ideal for baked goods
- Hershey’s Kisses – I like using milk chocolates
Variations
Hershey’s Kisses is the traditional way to top these cookies. I personally love milk chocolates but you can also try other types of kisses such as dark chocolate, caramel-filled, or with almonds. Around the holidays, there are always fun flavors available to experiment with too!
What Kind of Peanut Butter to Use?
Creamy peanut butter is ideal for making these peanut butter blossoms cookies and there are many different varieties available.
I personally like to use natural peanut butter — containing just two ingredients, peanuts, and salt. There are also salt-free varieties. With natural peanut butter cookies will most likely be a little crumbly.
Peanut butter with added oils will yield a softer cookie. In the end, both are delicious, just a little different in texture.
Ingredient Note: If using natural peanut butter, make sure to stir the peanut butter well to mix in the oil on top.
How to Make Peanut Butter Blossoms
- Step 1: Beat together the butter and peanut butter. Add cane sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add in egg, milk, and vanilla.
- Step 2: Gradually add flour on low speed.
- Step 3: Add the remainder of the cane sugar into a small bowl. Shape dough into balls and roll in sugar to coat. Place on a baking sheet.
- Step 4: Bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes.
- Step 5: While cookies are still warm, press Kisses Milk Chocolate into the center and transfer them onto a wire rack to cool.
Peanut Butter Blossom Recipe Tips
- Peanut butter. Use good-quality creamy peanut butter. If using natural peanut butter, make sure to stir the peanut butter to incorporate the natural oil on top.
- Spoon & level the flour. Use the scoop and level method for measuring the flour. Use a spoon to scoop the flour into your measuring cup. Then, level off the top with the back of a knife so the flour is level with the top of the measuring cup.
- Add Kisses Milk Chocolate right away! After the cookies are done baking, press the Kisses Milk Chocolates into the center of each cookie while they are still warm and immediately transfer them to a wire rack. You want to do this quickly or the cookies will crack as they begin to cool when you try to press the chocolates.
Peanut Butter Hershey Kiss Cookies FAQs
It could be a variety of reasons but the most common is that the dough is lacking liquid or fat. Also if you add too much flour the cookies will fall apart. Use the spoon & level method for measuring the flour and do not skip on milk or substitute butter with anything else.
Store cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days. After that, they will start to dry out. You can freeze baked cookies after cooling them. Or freeze the cookie dough after it’s been rolled in sugar. The cookies can be baked from frozen. Add an extra 2 minutes to the baking time.
Yes, you can freeze unbaked cookie dough or baked cookies for up to 3 months. If freezing unbaked dough, I recommend freezing the sugar-coated cookie dough balls on a baking sheet until solid. Then, transfer them to a sealable bag to store. When you’re ready to serve, bake the cookies from frozen, adding a few minutes as needed.
Yes, you can prepare the dough, and store it in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Then, portion the cookies, roll them in sugar, and bake as normal.
More Christmas Treats
If you try our peanut butter blossom cookies, please leave a star rating and a comment letting us know how you liked the recipe.
Peanut Butter Cookies with Hershey Kiss
- Prep Time: 25 mins
- Cook Time: 12 mins
- Total Time: 37 mins
- Yield: 28-30 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Description
These classic peanut butter blossoms cookies are a favorite around the holidays! A soft peanut butter cookie with a Hershey’s kiss in the middle.
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- ¾ cup cane sugar, divided
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- ¼ tsp. kosher salt
- 1 large egg
- 2 Tbsp. milk
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, spoon & leveled
- Hershey’s Kisses Milk Chocolates
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, beat butter and peanut butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined. Add ½ cup cane sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat until combined. Beat in egg, milk, and vanilla. Gradually add flour on low speed. The dough should be thick and crumbly consistency.
- Place the remaining ¼ cup cane sugar in a small bowl. Shape dough into 1 ½-inch balls. Roll the balls in sugar to coat and place on a parchment lined baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are lightly golden and firm. Cookies will be very soft in the middle but as they cool they will slightly harden.
- While the cookies are baking, unwrap approximately 30 Kisses Milk Chocolates.
- Immediately after the cookies are done baking, press Kisses Milk Chocolates into the center of each cookie and transfer to a wire rack to cool. You want to do this quickly or the cookies will crack as they begin to cool when you try to press the chocolates.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 cookies
- Calories: 367
- Sugar: 33.2 g
- Sodium: 66.5 mg
- Fat: 19 g
- Carbohydrates: 47.7 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 28.7 mg
Recipe adapted with changes from Better Homes and Garden.
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Hi! I'm Katya -- a former corporate paralegal turned full-time recipe developer and blogger behind Little Broken. Here you'll find family-friendly and seasonal recipes made from real ingredients.
this is such a classic cookie, i love these!
Loving the idea of 12 days of cookies! What a perfect (and delicious) recipe to start the Christmas baking season off – these peanut butter blossoms look SO good.