It’s easy to see why these homemade peanut butter blossoms were always a hit at Mom’s holiday cookie exchanges! They’re a classic Christmas cookie, and this recipe delivers soft-baked, buttery cookies without chilling the dough.
If you love a peanut butter and chocolate combination, also try my chocolate peanut butter cookies, monster cookies, buckeyes, and peanut clusters.
Peanut butter blossom cookies were always the first cookie I sought out on my mom’s Christmas cookie platters, and they still have a spot on my table between our sugar cookies and gingerbread men every year.
Also called peanut butter Kiss cookies, these are classic, soft peanut butter cookies with a chocolatey Hershey’s Kiss pressed into the center at the last minute.
Unlike many recipes, this one skips chilling the dough, so it’s ready to scoop and bake right away. The cookie dough and baked cookies freeze well, too, which makes them perfect for holiday prep. I’ll freeze batches in November, and they’re ready to bake and serve all season long.
Why This No-Chill Peanut Butter Blossoms Recipe Stands Out
- The cookies are soft, chewy, and full of peanut butter flavor.
- Using the right butter-to-flour ratio and room-temperature ingredients keeps the cookies thick during baking, even without refrigerating.
- You can make these blossoms with any Hershey’s Kisses, including chocolate, caramel, or seasonal flavors, like my Peppermint Kiss cookies.
- Roll the cookie dough in granulated sugar for sparkle, or make it festive with colored sanding sugar.
Ingredient Notes
Here are the important ingredients in these classic holiday cookies. Note the following, and see the recipe card for the exact measurements.
- Butter – Bring the butter to room temperature. This ensures the ingredients are all the same temperature, so they’ll mix smoothly into the dough.
- Peanut Butter – Very important: Use creamy, shelf-stable peanut butter, like Jif. Avoid natural peanut butter (i.e., the kind that needs stirring), as the oils separate and make the cookie dough greasy.
- Sugar – Including light brown sugar makes the center of these cookies extra moist, compared to using only granulated sugar. I also set aside additional granulated sugar to roll the cookie dough balls in before baking.
- Flour – Spoon and level the flour or use a kitchen scale for accurate measuring. If you overmeasure, the cookies can turn out dry and crumbly. Too little flour, and they may spread in the oven.
- Hershey’s Kisses – Any kind, from dark chocolate to milk chocolate, caramel, Hershey’s Hugs, Candy Cane Kisses, etc. You can also top the cookies with mini peanut butter cups or fill the centers with jam or chocolate ganache, like my peanut butter chocolate thumbprint cookies.
How to Make Peanut Butter Blossoms
This recipe uses almost the same dough base as my Reese’s peanut butter cookies. The cookies are especially soft and moist in the center rather than a typical “sandy” peanut butter cookie. I’ve also increased the peanut butter to ¾ cup for extra peanut butter flavor.
- Get ready to bake. First, unwrap the Kisses and pre-freeze them. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Start the cookie dough. Next, beat the butter and peanut butter together. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the sugars and beat at medium speed until everything is combined (this should take 2-3 minutes). Afterward, add the eggs and vanilla and mix until everything is well incorporated.
- Add the dry ingredients. Now, whisk the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Once ready, slowly add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, mixing on low speed until the dough starts to form (don’t overmix!).
- Portion and roll the cookies. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet. Then, use a medium cookie scoop to scoop the dough and roll in granulated sugar. Place the dough balls at least 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.
- Bake the cookies. Bake the cookies at 350ºF for 11-13 minutes. After they come out of the oven, wait 2-3 minutes, then press a Hershey’s Kiss into the center of each cookie. Carefully transfer the cookies to another baking sheet and chill (in the refrigerator or freezer) so the chocolate doesn’t continue to melt while the cookies cool.
When to Press the Hershey’s Kisses (and Keep Them From Melting)
The key to perfect peanut butter blossoms is adding the Kiss at the right moment. In all my time baking these, I’ve found that waiting 2-3 minutes after the cookies come out is just enough. You want the chocolate to melt enough to nestle into the freshly baked cookies, but not so much that it melts completely or slides away from the middle.
As soon as you’ve pressed the Kisses into the cookies, immediately move them to the freezer or fridge to keep the chocolate candy from melting. If your baking sheet is too large, place the cookies on a smaller plate before you chill them.
Tips for Perfect Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies
If you’re concerned about Kiss cookies that crack, spread, or turn out flat, these are my tips on how to fix it.
- Use creamy peanut butter. I recommend using a creamy peanut butter, like Jif or Skippy, for this recipe. Using all-natural peanut butter tends to make these cookies dry and crumbly.
- Small cracks are expected, but if your cookies turn out overly crumbly, it’s likely because there’s too much flour in the dough. Measure the flour correctly by spooning from the bag into the measuring cup (never scoop), and level it off afterward.
- If the peanut butter blossoms spread, this is usually because there’s too much moisture in the dough. Use shelf-stable peanut butter, the right amount of flour, and avoid adding too much brown sugar, which can offset the balance. Also, don’t forget the salt. Salt reacts with the baking soda in the recipe, giving the cookies lift so they don’t come out flat.
- Can I refrigerate the cookie dough? Yes, if you’re not baking your peanut butter blossoms right away, you can store the cookie dough in the fridge for up to 2 days. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. I recommend bringing the dough back to room temperature before you scoop and bake it.
Make Them Nut-Free
For a nut-free version, you can substitute the peanut butter with an alternative, like Biscoff spread or sunflower seed butter. Or, replace the peanut butter cookie dough with the dough from my chocolate thumbprint cookies, which doesn’t contain nuts.
Storage and Freezing
- Store them in an airtight container. Allow the cookies to completely cool in the refrigerator (or freezer), then store them in an airtight container. They will last for up to 1 week at room temperature. You can also freeze either the unbaked cookie dough or the fully baked cookies for up to 3 months following the tips below.
- To freeze fully baked cookies, place them in a freezer-safe container once they’ve chilled completely. Add parchment paper between the layers to prevent them from sticking. When ready to eat, thaw in the refrigerator or on the counter and serve at room temperature.
- To freeze the unbaked cookie dough, roll the dough into balls and place it in a freezer-safe container. When you’re ready to bake, let the dough balls come to room temperature, then roll them in sugar and bake as directed.
Peanut Butter Blossoms
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 11 minutes
- Total Time: 41 minutes
- Yield: 20 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Description
These classic peanut butter blossoms are a favorite Christmas cookie! They’re soft, chewy, easy to make (no chilling), and full of peanut butter flavor.
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup (396g) creamy peanut butter
- ¾ cup (165g) light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (48g) granulated sugar plus additional ¼ cup for coating
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons (10ml) pure vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups (175g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 24 Hershey Kisses
Instructions
- Unwrap and freeze the Hershey Kisses. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Combine the butter with peanut butter and beat until completely smooth; scrape down the bowl occasionally. Next, add the brown and granulated sugar. Beat on medium speed until well combined, 2-3 minutes.
- Next, add the eggs and vanilla extract and continue beating until well incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, combine the remaining dry ingredients. Stir to combine and slowly add the dry ingredients into the dough, mixing at low speed until the dough starts to form and ingredients are well combined.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet. Scoop the dough using a medium cookie scoop and then roll in granulated sugar. Place on a sheet pan, 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 11-13 minutes. The center of the cookie should be slightly underbaked but not gooey. Remove the cookie from the oven and immediately press a Hershey Kiss in the middle. Carefully transfer the cookies to another baking sheet and place the baking sheet in the refrigerator or freezer to prevent the chocolate from melting. Once the chocolate and set completely, store these cookies in an airtight container.
Notes
- Instead of a Hershey Kiss, try putting a miniature peanut butter cup in the middle
- Placing the baked cookies in the refrigerator or freezer will help to prevent the chocolate from melting. If left at room temperature, the chocolate will likely melt as it cools.
- The finished cookies can be frozen in an airtight container. Serve at room temperature for best results.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Cookie
- Calories: 254
- Sugar: 20.4 g
- Sodium: 110.2 mg
- Fat: 15.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 29.2 g
- Fiber: 1.7 g
- Protein: 4.1 g
- Cholesterol: 21.5 mg
Julianne, I followed this recipe to the T and these are fabulous. This is the second cookie I’ve made for the wedding cookie table. The dough in your recipes is always so easy to work with! I’ve made these cookies countless number of times with other recipes, but your recipe is by far the best yet!!
Thank you!
This one is going to be a great addition! You can’t go wrong.