Chewy Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies with Chocolate Kisses
Peanut Butter Blossoms are soft, chewy peanut butter cookies with a crackled sugar coating, topped with a milk chocolate kiss.
- Prep
- 20 mins
- Cook
- 10 mins
- Chilling Time
- 1 hr
- Total
- 1 hr 30 mins
- Makes
- 48 cookies
Classic Peanut Butter Blossoms are soft, chewy peanut butter cookies with a sugary, crackled top and a milk chocolate kiss pressed into the center. They are a go-to cookie for the holiday season!
Why These Peanut Butter Blossoms Are
- simple to bake
- soft and chewy
- rolled in sugar for a sweet, crackly crust
- a treat for chocolate and peanut butter fans alike
- a classic that has been around since the 1950s
- a well-loved favorite for holiday baking
To be honest, I did not know these were called peanut butter blossoms until a few years ago. Before that, I always called them Hershey kiss cookies. Either way, they are delicious, and I have fond memories of eating the ones my Grammy always made when I was a kid!
Should I Chill the Cookie Dough?
Yes. Chilling the dough keeps the cookie balls from spreading too much in the oven.
After you make the dough, chill it for at least 1 hour or overnight.
Keep the dough tightly covered, either in the mixing bowl with plastic or reusable wrap over the top, or in a glass or plastic storage container.
How to Make Classic Peanut Butter Blossoms
Here is a quick walkthrough for this popular holiday cookie. The full recipe is included below.
- Whisk the Dry Ingredients Together. You can sift them if you like, but it is not necessary. A good whisk does the job just fine.
- Blend the Wet Ingredients. I recommend a hand mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment for this step. The butter should be at room temperature, but not so soft that it nearly falls apart when you pick it up.
- Add the Dry Ingredients to the Wet. Lower the mixer speed for this step so the dry ingredients do not fly everywhere!
- Chill the Dough. Chill for at least 1 hour, or overnight if you have the time, which I prefer. Make sure it is kept in a well-sealed container.
- Roll the Dough Into Balls and Coat in Sugar. Balls about 1 inch across are the ideal size, and this gives you the most cookies. I have made them bigger, but I do not recommend it. You do not need a cookie scoop, just a spoon and clean hands. Put about 1/2 cup of white or organic granulated sugar in a bowl to coat the dough balls.
- Place on a Baking Sheet and Bake. Space them 1 1/2 to 2 inches apart, then bake for 7-8 minutes at 375ºF.
- Take Them Out and Add a Chocolate Kiss. Work quickly and carefully so you do not burn yourself. Press a milk chocolate kiss onto each cookie. This creates the crackled top. Bake for 2 more minutes.
- Cool on a Wire Rack, Then Enjoy! Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely. Use a serving spatula to move them, since they are very soft!
How Should I Store These Cookies?
The best way to store peanut butter blossoms is in a tightly sealed container with half a slice of bread.
The peanut butter blossoms soak up moisture from the bread, which keeps them soft for much longer.
How Long Do Peanut Butter Blossoms Last?
Using the tips above, the cookies will keep for up to a week at room temperature. Honestly, though, they will not last that long!
Can I Freeze the Cookie Dough?
Yes! To freeze peanut butter blossom cookie dough:
- Roll the dough into 1-inch balls, but do not coat them in sugar yet.
- Set them on a baking sheet lined with wax paper or parchment paper, then place the sheet in the freezer.
- Freeze until firm (about 1-2 hours), then move them to a freezer storage bag.
- When you are ready to bake, roll them in sugar and bake for 9-11 minutes. Do not let them warm up to room temperature before baking.
- Press a milk chocolate kiss onto each one, then bake for 2 minutes more.
One Last Tip Before You Start
To make things smoother, I like to unwrap the chocolate kisses and set them in a bowl before I bake the cookies. That way, they are ready to go on top as soon as the cookies come out of the oven. You are welcome!
More Holiday Cookies to Bake
Chewy Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies with Chocolate Kisses
Classic Peanut Butter Blossoms are soft, chewy peanut butter cookies with a crackled sugar top and a milk chocolate kiss in the center. They are a go-to cookie for the holidays!
- Prep
- 20 mins
- Cook
- 10 mins
- Chilling Time
- 1 hr
- Total
- 1 hr 30 mins
- Makes
- 48 cookies
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, additional amount for coating cookies
- 11 oz Bag of Hershey Kisses
Method
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- With a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the peanut butter, unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar on medium-high speed until well blended.
- Mix in the egg, milk, and vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Lower the mixer speed and slowly add the dry mixture until fully combined.
- Store the dough in a well-sealed food container, or cover the mixing bowl tightly with plastic wrap (or a similar wrap), and chill for at least 1 hour.
- Once the dough has chilled, line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats, move the oven rack to the 2nd position from the top (just above center), and preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Using a spoon and clean hands, shape the dough into 1-inch balls, roll them in granulated sugar, and place them about 1 1/2 to 2 inches apart on the lined baking sheets.
- Bake for 7-8 minutes, then take them out and press a milk chocolate kiss onto each cookie. Press gently so the edges crack.
- Return them to the oven and bake for 2 minutes longer.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes, then move them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Keep the cookies in an airtight container with a slice of bread for up to a week.
Baker’s notes
- To make things smoother, I like to unwrap the chocolate kisses and set them in a bowl before baking. That way, they are ready to place on the cookies as soon as they come out of the oven.
- The best way to store peanut butter blossoms is in a tightly sealed container with half a slice of bread. The bread gives off moisture, which keeps the cookies soft much longer. The cookies will keep for up to a week at room temperature. Honestly, though, they will not last that long!
- To freeze peanut butter blossom cookie dough: shape the 1-inch balls, but do not coat them in sugar. Set them on a baking sheet lined with wax paper or parchment, then put the sheet in the freezer. Freeze until firm (about 1-2 hours), then move them to a freezer storage bag. When you are ready to bake, roll them in sugar and bake for 9-11 minutes. Do not let them warm to room temperature first. Press on a milk chocolate kiss, then bake for 2 minutes more.
- Roll the dough into 1-inch balls, but do not coat them in sugar yet.
- Set them on a baking sheet lined with wax paper or parchment paper, then place the sheet in the freezer.
- Freeze until firm (about 1-2 hours), then move them to a freezer storage bag.
- When you are ready to bake, roll the frozen dough balls in sugar and bake for 9-11 minutes. Do not let them warm to room temperature first. Press on a milk chocolate kiss, then bake for 2 minutes more.
- Adapted from the original 1957 Bake-off Contest recipe and my Grammy's family recipe.
