Peanut butter blossom cookies are the ideal simple holiday treat: a tender peanut butter cookie finished with a milk chocolate Hershey’s Kiss on top.
PEANUT BUTTER BLOSSOM COOKIES
These classic cookies are a nostalgic holiday favorite that few people can resist. They’ve been a tradition in many households for generations and are always a hit at holiday cookie exchanges. The combination of peanut butter and chocolate is timeless, and this recipe is quick enough to make year after year. Make a single batch or double the recipe when you need a crowd-pleasing cookie to share.
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THEM
Perfect flavor pairing: Peanut butter and milk chocolate are a classic match that’s comforting and crowd-pleasing.
Quick and easy: The dough comes together in minutes, and these cookies don’t require chilling.
Great for gifts: One batch yields about 40 cookies; double the recipe for more than 80—ideal for holiday gifting and exchanges.
Kid-friendly baking: Kids love helping unwrap the kisses and placing them on warm cookies.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED
- Shortening (½ cup / 102.5 g)
- Brown sugar (½ cup / 110 g)
- Granulated sugar (½ cup / 100 g)
- Creamy peanut butter, not natural (½ cup / 129 g)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- Milk (2 tablespoons), room temperature
- Vanilla extract (1½ teaspoons)
- Baking soda (1 teaspoon)
- Salt (½ teaspoon)
- All-purpose flour (1¾ cups / 245 g)
- Granulated sugar (½ cup / 100 g) for rolling
- Hershey Kisses (about a 10 oz / 283.5 g bag), unwrapped
- Flaked sea salt, for sprinkling (optional)
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the shortening and both sugars until smooth. Add the peanut butter and mix until combined.
3. Add the egg, milk and vanilla, mixing until fully incorporated.
4. Stir in the baking soda, salt and flour until just combined. Avoid over-mixing the dry ingredients.
5. Using a 2 teaspoon cookie scoop (or 1 tablespoon if you don’t have one), portion the dough into balls. Roll each ball in the reserved granulated sugar, then place on the prepared baking sheets. These cookies do not spread much, so you can fit about 20 cookies per sheet. Lightly sprinkle each cookie with a pinch of flaked sea salt, if desired.
6. Bake for 8–10 minutes, until the cookies begin to puff and show small crinkles on the surface. Remove from the oven and immediately press an unwrapped Hershey Kiss into the center of each cookie. Transfer the cookies to the refrigerator for 10–15 minutes to help the chocolate set and keep a neat appearance.
QUICK TIPS
– Use the smaller scoop (2 teaspoons) for a better cookie-to-chocolate ratio so each bite includes a bit of chocolate.
– Chill the cookies after adding the Kiss for 10–15 minutes to prevent the chocolate from softening too much.
– Weighing ingredients produces the most consistent results, especially for flour. If you don’t have a scale, spoon flour into the measuring cup and level it off rather than scooping directly.
– Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2–3 days, or freeze them for up to a few months.
VARIATIONS TO TRY
Try different Hershey Kiss flavors—plain milk chocolate, caramel-filled, or peppermint all pair nicely with peanut butter and create a fun seasonal twist.
RECIPE DETAILS
Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup shortening (102.5 g)
- ½ cup brown sugar (110 g)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 g)
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter (129 g), not natural
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- 2 tbsp milk (room temperature)
- 1½ tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1¾ cup all-purpose flour (245 g)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 g) for rolling
- 10 oz bag Hershey Kisses (283.5 g), unwrapped
- Flaked sea salt for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Cream together shortening and sugars; add peanut butter and mix until smooth.
- Add egg, milk and vanilla and mix until combined.
- Stir in baking soda, salt and flour until just combined; do not overmix.
- Scoop dough with a 2 tsp scoop, roll in granulated sugar, place on baking sheets and sprinkle with flaked sea salt if desired.
- Bake 8–10 minutes until slightly puffed and crinkled. Press an unwrapped Hershey Kiss into each cookie as soon as they come out of the oven and chill 10–15 minutes to set the chocolate.
Notes
Store cookies in an airtight container for 2–3 days or freeze for a few months. These cookies work well with many Kiss flavors—plain chocolate, caramel, or peppermint. Use room temperature ingredients for best mixing. Weights in grams are provided for more precise measuring.