Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies

When was the last time you made these favorite childhood cookies? Let's remedy that.

By
Aaron Hutcherson
Aaron Hutcherson
Aaron Hutcherson
Aaron has over 10 years recipe development experience for his blog The Hungry Hutch. He has written for NYTimes, Washington Post, Simply Recipes, and others.
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Updated November 16, 2023
Aaron Hutcherson

A soft peanut butter cookie with a gooey chocolate kiss in the middle. What more could you ask for from a cookie?

What Is a Peanut Butter Blossom?

The peanut butter blossom is a fairly straightforward cookie that has been beloved for decades. It was invented by Freda Smith of Gibsonburg, Ohio for the 1957 Pillsbury Bake-Off. It didn't win the competition, but it won the hearts of America and has been a national favorite ever since.

The ideal version of this treat starts with a thick, soft peanut butter cookie. I don't have the fond memories of peanut butter blossoms from my childhood that some of you might have—I wasn't introduced to these beloved treats until later in life—but I do have a longstanding love for peanut butter cookies. They're my dad's favorite. So, I've definitely made a few different versions of the nutty treat over the years.

The addition of the chocolate kiss provides a salty-sweet flavor combo (a perennial favorite!) and really takes this cookie over the top.

Hershey kiss cookies in a ceramic bowl.
Aaron Hutcherson

Butter or Shortening to Make Peanut Butter Blossoms?

Many recipes for this cookie call for vegetable shortening, but I prefer to use butter for a better flavor.

Shortening yields a thicker cookie with less spreading, but my recipe does just that without sacrificing the rich depth of butter. However, this recipe will still work with shortening if that’s all you have on hand.

What Kind of Peanut Butter to Use

When it comes to the peanut butter, feel free to use your favorite. I'm a smooth and creamy guy, but chunky peanut butter is fine, too.

I even tested this recipe with an all-natural spread and the cookies turned out great—just be sure to mix the peanut butter thoroughly before adding it to the batter to get rid of any separation.

Peanut Butter Blossoms
Aaron Hutcherson

Storing and Freezing Peanut Butter Blossoms

The peanut butter blossom is a classic for cookie platters, cookie swaps, and bake sales. They are best stored in an airtight container at room temperature, which will help keep the chocolate kiss nice and soft. They will keep for several days before they start to dry out.

Planning ahead? You can freeze the cookie dough after it's been rolled in sugar, or you can freeze the finished cookies after baking and cooling. The cookies can be baked from frozen; just add an extra minute or two to the baking time.

They hold up well in shipping, too! Just chill them for a bit in the fridge first so the chocolate can harden and retain its shape in transport.

Peanut butter blossoms in a wide ceramic bowl.
Aaron Hutcherson

More Ideas for Peanut Butter and Chocolate!

Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 12 mins
Total Time 22 mins
Servings 24 servings
Yield 24 cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature

  • 1/2 cup (129 g) peanut butter

  • 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar, plus more for rolling

  • 1/2 cup (110 g) packed brown sugar

  • 1 large egg

  • 1 1/2 cups (187 g) all purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 24 chocolate kiss candies, unwrapped

Method

  1. Preheat the oven and prepare two baking sheets:

    Preheat the oven to 350˚F, and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

  2. Mix the wet and dry ingredients separately:

    Mix together the butter, peanut butter, and both sugars in a bowl with a wooden spoon (or you can use an electric or stand mixer) until smooth and combined; add in the egg and mix until smooth.

    In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.

    Dough mixed with a wooden spoon to make Hershey kiss cookies.
    Aaron Hutcherson
  3. Make the cookie dough:

    Slowly, in a couple of additions, add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture and combine to form the cookie dough.

  4. Shape the cookie:

    Add a few tablespoons of sugar to a small bowl. Scoop into balls with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough. Roll between your hands to form a ball, and then coat it with sugar.

    Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet a couple of inches apart.

    Dough balls on a parchment lined cookie sheet to make Peanut butter kiss cookies.
    Aaron Hutcherson
  5. Bake the cookies:

    Bake the cookies on the middle rack about 12 minutes, until slightly spread out, domed on the top, and golden on the bottom. Immediately press a chocolate kiss in the center of each cookie.

    Simple Tip!

    For cookies that puff up a bit better (making it easier to stick the chocolate kiss on right after baking), bake only one sheet at a time on the middle rack.

    If you choose to bake two racks at once, bake them on the upper and lower third racks and rotate the baking sheet top to bottom and front to back midway through baking.

    Baked peanut butter blossom cookies on a cookie sheet with hershey's kisses being placed on top.
    Aaron Hutcherson
  6. Cool and store:

    Let the cookies cool for a couple of minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a rack to finish cooling completely. These cookies will keep for a few days stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

    Overhead view of hershey kisses cookies on a cooling rack.
    Aaron Hutcherson
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
153 Calories
8g Fat
18g Carbs
3g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 24
Amount per serving
Calories 153
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g 10%
Saturated Fat 4g 19%
Cholesterol 19mg 6%
Sodium 80mg 3%
Total Carbohydrate 18g 7%
Dietary Fiber 1g 2%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 29mg 2%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 66mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.