Classic Peanut Butter Blossoms are soft, chewy peanut butter cookies with a crackled sugar top and a milk chocolate kiss in the center. They’re an all-time holiday favorite—easy to make and perfectly nostalgic.
Table of Contents
- These Peanut Butter Blossoms Are…
- Do I Have to Refrigerate the Cookie Dough?
- How to Make Classic Peanut Butter Blossoms
- What’s the Best Way to Store These Cookies?
- How Long Will Peanut Butter Blossoms Keep?
- Can I Freeze This Cookie Dough?
- One Last Tip Before Starting
- Enjoy More Holiday Cookies from Beyond the Butter!
- Classic Peanut Butter Blossoms Recipe
These Peanut Butter Blossoms Are…
- simple to prepare
- soft and chewy in the center
- rolled in sugar for a sweet, crackled exterior
- ideal for chocolate and peanut butter lovers
- a classic cookie dating back to the 1950s
- a holiday baking staple
I didn’t learn the official name “peanut butter blossoms” until adulthood—I’d always called them Hershey Kiss cookies. Either way, they’re delicious and bring back happy memories of my Grammy’s kitchen.
Do I Have to Refrigerate the Cookie Dough?
Yes. Chilling the dough prevents the cookies from spreading too much during baking. After mixing, chill the dough at least 1 hour—or preferably overnight—covered tightly in the mixing bowl or in an airtight container.
How to Make Classic Peanut Butter Blossoms
Below is a concise walkthrough of the method. The full recipe follows this section.
- Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together; sifting is optional.
- Cream the wet ingredients. Use a hand or stand mixer with the paddle attachment. The butter should be at room temperature but not overly soft.
- Add dry to wet. Mix on low speed until incorporated to avoid a flour cloud.
- Chill the dough. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight in a sealed container.
- Form and coat. Roll 1-inch dough balls with a spoon and your hands, then roll each ball in granulated sugar. One inch yields the most cookies and a consistent bake.
- Bake. Arrange cookies 1½–2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets and bake at 375°F for 7–8 minutes.
- Add the chocolate. Remove the tray, quickly press a milk chocolate kiss into each cookie to create the crackled edges, then return the cookies to the oven for 2 more minutes.
- Cool and serve. Let cookies rest on the baking sheet 5–10 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely. Use a spatula—cookies will be soft at first.
What’s the Best Way to Store These Cookies?
Store the cookies in an airtight container with a slice of bread to help retain moisture. The bread will keep the cookies soft for longer by providing a small, shared moisture source.
How Long Will Peanut Butter Blossoms Keep?
Stored as suggested, the cookies stay soft for up to a week at room temperature. In practice, they rarely last that long because they’re so good.
Can I Freeze This Cookie Dough?
Yes. Freeze-ready dough balls for quick baking later by following these steps:
- Shape the dough into 1-inch balls but do not roll them in sugar.
- Place balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until firm (1–2 hours).
- Transfer frozen balls to a freezer bag or container.
- When ready to bake, roll frozen balls in sugar and bake 9–11 minutes straight from the freezer (do not thaw). After baking, press a chocolate kiss into each cookie and bake 2 more minutes.
One Last Tip Before Starting
Unwrap the chocolate kisses and place them in a small bowl before baking so they’re ready to press onto the hot cookies as soon as they come out of the oven.
Enjoy More Holiday Cookies from Beyond the Butter!
Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Cookies
Homemade Butter Cookies
Dark Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
The Best Cut Out Sugar Cookies
Classic Peanut Butter Blossoms
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 cup Light Brown Sugar, lightly packed
- 1 Large Egg
- 2 tbsp Milk
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar, for coating
- 11 oz Bag of Hershey Kisses
Instructions
-
Whisk the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
-
Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the peanut butter, unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar on medium-high speed until well blended.
-
Add the egg, milk, and vanilla, scraping down the bowl as needed.
-
Reduce the mixer speed and gradually add the dry mixture until combined.
-
Transfer the dough to a well-sealed container or cover the mixing bowl tightly and chill for at least 1 hour.
-
After chilling, line baking sheets, preheat the oven to 375°F, and position the rack just above center.
-
Shape dough into 1-inch balls, roll in granulated sugar, and place 1½–2 inches apart on the prepared sheets.
-
Bake 7–8 minutes. Remove from oven and press a milk chocolate kiss into each cookie to create crackled edges.
-
Return the tray to the oven and bake 2 more minutes.
-
Cool cookies on the baking sheet 5–10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
-
Store in an airtight container with a slice of bread for up to a week.
Video
Notes
- Unwrapping the chocolate kisses before baking and placing them in a bowl makes assembly faster when the cookies come out of the oven.
- Store cookies in a tightly sealed container with a slice of bread to keep them soft. They keep up to a week at room temperature.
- Freezing dough: roll 1-inch balls (don’t sugar-coat), freeze on a lined baking sheet until firm (1–2 hours), transfer to a freezer bag, then when ready bake from frozen. Roll in sugar, bake 9–11 minutes, press on a kiss, and bake 2 more minutes.
- Recipe adapted from the Original 1957 bake-off contest recipe and family notes.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and will vary with specific ingredients used.
Like this recipe? Leave a comment below!