This Classic Peanut Butter Blossoms Cookie recipe is the one I’ve been making with my Mom since I was a kid. It’s a favorite, and a must-have on your Christmas cookie tray.
Peanut Butter Blossoms are a Christmas tradition in my family, for as long as I can remember.
This is one of those recipes my mom clipped out of the newspaper in the 80s and we’re still using the same one. Don’t mess with a classic!
Two other classic Christmas cookies to try: Chocolate Crinkles, and Raspberry Jelly Thumbprints.
What Kind of Hershey Kiss Should I Use?
This recipe calls for a handful of basic ingredients that most home cooks will have on hand. The only thing I usually need to run out and buy are Hershey Kisses.
There are tons of varieties of Kisses now, but the tried-and-true milk chocolate is the best. Dark is okay, too, but milk chocolate and peanut butter are just perfect together.
Peanut Butter Blossoms Recipe
Take your butter out in advance to let it come to room temperature, or close to it. Then mix together the butter, peanut butter, sugar, and brown sugar.
A note about the brown sugar: This recipe calls for dark brown sugar. You can use light if that’s what you have on hand, but dark will make the cookies taste best.
Add in the other wet ingredients, and then the dry ingredients.
Your dough should look like this. You can absolutely make this a day ahead. We do this often for family cookie bakes.
Store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container. And go ahead and double the recipe if you are making some to share. You can easily get 2 batches a big stand mixer bowl.
Can You Freeze Peanut Butter Blossom Dough?
If you want to freeze this dough, make your balls first, freeze them on a tray, and then remove them from the tray and put them in an airtight container. Otherwise, you will end up with a block of frozen dough that you can’t do much with.
If you are ready to bake, roll your dough into little balls, about 1″ or slightly smaller, and then roll them through sugar.
Space them 2″ apart on an ungreased cookie sheet to bake for 8 minutes at 375 degrees.
While your cookies are baking, get your Hershey Kisses unwrapped. You can even do this before you start baking, or hand the job off to the kids to help.
The Kisses get pressed into the cookies as soon as they come out of the oven, so you want to be ready for them.
Best Peanut Butter Blossoms Recipe
When the cookies come out of the oven, they may look a little soft on top, and that is okay. They will firm up. Do not overcook them or they will be dry.
Immediately press a Hershey Kiss into each cookie, pushing down firmly enough to really seat it in the cookie.
Remove your cookies to a cooling rack and allow them to completely cool before storing.
The Hershey Kiss will soften on the warm cookie, and then firm up again as they cool. Wait until that happens before you store them or you’ll have melted chocolate everywhere! (TIP: Definitely eat one while the chocolate is soft – so good!)
Yield: 36-48 cookies
This cookie is a must-have for any Christmas cookie tray. The perfect bite of chocolate and peanut butter!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Additional Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 28 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 stick of butter (8 tablespoon) at room temp
- 1/2 cup sugar + more for rolling
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 2/3 cup of flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 36-48 Hershey Kisses (see notes)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Using a mixer, beat together butter, sugar, brown sugar, and peanut butter.
- Add egg and vanilla. While this is mixing, add flour, baking soda and salt to a separate bowl, and combine using a whisk or fork.
- Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until dough is uniform.
- Pour some sugar into a shallow dish to roll dough in. You do not need to measure this.
- Roll dough into 1-inch balls, then roll through the sugar until coated.
- Place on an ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes. (see note)
- Remove from oven, and promptly press Hershey Kiss candies into the center of each cookie. Press down firmly so they stay in place.
- Remove cookies to a cooling rack and allow to completely cool before storing. This can take an hour or so. The chocolate will soften when placed on a hot cookie, and then firm back up as it cools.
Notes
- The original recipe that my Mom clipped from a newspaper many years ago says that this recipe makes 36 cookies. I can pretty easily get 48 out of it, but it will depend how big you roll your cookie dough balls. I suggest keeping them on the small side so you get that perfect peanut butter to chocolate ratio in each bite.
- I always bake these cookies for 8 minutes. They appear a little soft when you take them out, but they firm up. You don't want to overcook them or they'll be dry.
- Allow plenty of time for your cookies to cool. The Hershey Kiss will be soft after melting on a hot cookie, and if you stack them before that firms up, you'll make a mess of your beautiful cookies. (They do, however, taste delicious before the Kiss cools!)
- Cookies can be stored in an airtight container on the counter for several days. They freeze well, too, and this is my recommendation. Place wax paper between layers of cookies, and remove them a few at a time as you want to eat or serve them. They will last longer and keep better frozen.
- You can easily double this recipe, and I usually do!
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
48 Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 64Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 50mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 0gSugar: 5gProtein: 2g
Can You Freeze Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies?
Peanut Butter Blossoms freeze well and this is exactly how I store them (because otherwise they are gone in a flash!).
After they are completely cool, place a single layer in an airtight container. Place wax paper between layers, and add another layer of cookies.
When you want to serve some cookies, take out whatever you want, and keep the rest frozen. They will come to room temperature within a half hour, and I have been known to microwave them for 8 seconds or so in an emergency.
Hershey Kiss Cookies Recipes
Here are 30 more delicious Hershey Kiss cookie recipes to try.
