Soft, tender, and coated in that classic crackly sugar, these Easy Peanut Butter Blossoms bake up with the perfect peanut butter flavor and a shiny Hershey's Kiss right in the center. They come together in one bowl, bake in minutes, and always disappear from our holiday cookie trays.
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Behind the Recipe
I first tested this recipe using the dough from my Air Fryer Peanut Butter Cookies, but it was a little too soft to support chocolate candies in the center. So I added some flour to thicken the dough and simplified everything by mixing it all in one big bowl instead of two. Now these bake up sturdy, soft, and exactly what a peanut butter blossom should be. Add a few of these to your cookie trays this holiday season and watch them disappear.
Looking for more festive holiday treat recipes? Try my Graham Cracker Toffee, Saltine Cracker Toffee, Chocolate Peanut Clusters, and Homemade Soft Peanut Brittle.
Recipe Ingredients
As always, find a complete ingredient list with measurements in the recipe card below.
- All-Purpose Flour: Provides structure to the cookies, making them thick enough to hold the chocolate.
- Baking Soda: To help the cookies puff up in the oven.
- Unsalted Butter: Softened to room temperature. If using salted butter, omit the salt.
- Creamy Peanut Butter: The star of the show. I recommend creamy, not crunchy. Creamy peanut butter combines with sugar to give these cookies a smooth, melt-in-your-mouth texture without getting crumbly. Crunchy peanut butter and natural peanut butter won't work.
- Sugar: We use both granulated sugar and brown sugar to keep the cookies soft.
- Hershey's Kisses: Use classic Hershey's Kisses or 'Hugs'. You can also use Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.
How to Make Peanut Butter Blossoms
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking, and unwrap 30 Hershey's Kisses so they're ready the moment the cookies come out of the oven.
In a large bowl, cream ½ cup softened unsalted butter with ½ cup granulated sugar and ⅓ cup packed brown sugar with an electric mixer until smooth and slightly fluffy.
Next, mix in 1 large egg, then ¾ cup creamy peanut butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Beat on low until the mixture is completely blended and the peanut butter is fully incorporated. The dough should look thick and uniform.
Add 1½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon salt to the top of the wet ingredients. Mix on low speed until a soft dough forms. Stop as soon as the dry ingredients disappear; overmixing can make the cookies dense.
Place 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar into a shallow bowl for rolling. Scoop the dough into 1-tablespoon portions (a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop works great), roll each portion into 1-inch balls between your hands, and then roll the ball in the sugar until coated. Set the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart, so they have enough room to spread slightly.
Bake the cookies at 350°F for 8-10 minutes. They should look puffed and lightly cracked on top but not browned.
Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and immediately press a chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie. Press straight down until the candy anchors itself into the cookie. The heat from the cookie will soften the chocolate just enough to set firmly as it cools.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about five minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Helpful Baking Tips for Peanut Butter Blossoms
- Room-Temperature Butter: Cold butter won't cream properly, but butter that's melted or too warm will make the dough greasy. Set out butter ahead of time so it's softened and creamy, not melted.
- Roll Cookies in Sugar: Don't skip this step. It gives the cookies that crackly crust and adds sparkle.
- Swap the Kiss: Use Hershey's Hugs instead. Or fill the kisses with caramel. Or use peanut butter cups.
- Make Taller Cookies: Pre-chill the dough for 20-30 minutes, then roll. This will prevent the cookies from spreading too much, resulting in thicker, softer cookies.
Ideas for Serving Peanut Blossoms
- Holiday cookie platters
- School bake sales
- Cookie exchanges
- Wrapped as homemade candy gifts
- Tuesday afternoons
- Eat them with Instant Pot Hot Chocolate, cold milk, or a big mug of coffee.
Make-Ahead, Storage, and Freezing Instructions
To Refrigerate Cookie Dough: You can cover and refrigerate the dough for up to 2 days before baking. Let the dough soften slightly before shaping.
To Freeze Shaped Dough Balls: Roll the dough balls in the sugar, freeze on a sheet pan or plate until firm, then store in a sealed container in the freezer. Bake from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the baking time.
To Store Baked Cookies: Fully cooled peanut butter blossom cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
To Freeze Baked Cookies: Freeze baked cookies in layers, separating each layer with parchment paper. Thaw at room temperature, and the chocolate stays in perfect shape.
Printable Recipe
Best Peanut Butter Blossoms
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar (for rolling)
- 30 Hershey's Kisses (or Hugs) unwrapped
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Unwrap 30 Hershey's Kisses and set them aside so they're ready the moment the cookies come out of the oven.
- In a large bowl, beat ½ cup softened butter, ½ cup granulated sugar, and ⅓ cup packed brown sugar together with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.
- Mix in 1 large egg, then add ¾ cup creamy peanut butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Stir until the mixture is fully combined.
- Add 1½ cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon of salt on top of the wet ingredients. Mix on low speed until a soft dough forms. Stop mixing as soon as the dry ingredients disappear.
- Place 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar in a shallow bowl. Scoop the dough into 1-tablespoon portions, then roll each one into a smooth ball. Roll each dough ball in the sugar to coat it completely, then place it on the prepared cookie sheet. Place balls 2 inches apart.
- Bake the cookies at 350°F for 8-10 minutes. The cookies should look soft, slightly cracked on top, and set around the edges.
- Immediately press one Hershey's Kiss into the center of each hot cookie as soon as they come out of the oven. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Video
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Notes
- If you only have salted butter, omit the added salt.
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- To freeze, place baked cookies in a single layer on a sheet pan, freeze until firm, then store in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
The provided nutrition information is automatically calculated. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
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