Whether you call them Hershey Kiss cookies or peanut butter blossoms, they are are a classic holiday treat. Sweet chocolate kisses sit on soft, pillowy peanut butter cookies. They are seriously delicious, and so easy to make!
Baking Christmas cookies doesn't have to be overwhelming, especially with easy recipes like this one!
Hershey kiss cookies are an iconic Christmas treat. They rank at the top with cookies like gingerbread and Italian biscotti.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Customizable. Hershey's has several flavors chocolate kisses, making the cookie's flavor combinations endless.
- Simple no-chill dough. Although, if you want to make the dough ahead of time, you certainly can!
- An easy and affordable homemade gift to share. Bake a few batches of peanut butter blossoms, then wrap them up in cookie tins or cellophane bags. They are a great food gift for neighbors and friends.
Other chocolate peanut butter dessert recipes to make are my flourless peanut butter chocolate chip cookies and Reese's peanut butter cup brownies.
Ingredients
See ingredient substitutions in the next section. ⬇️
To make Hershey kiss cookies, you'll need:
- butter - For the softest cookies, use the highest quality butter you can afford. European butter has more fat and less water than American-made butter.
- creamy peanut butter - Be sure to use a no-stir variety of peanut butter.
- white granulated sugar
- dark brown sugar - The extra molasses in dark brown sugar adds a lot of flavor to the peanut butter cookies.
- vanilla extract
- cornstarch
- all-purpose flour
- chocolate kisses - I like to stock up on them after each holiday, when I can sometimes find them up to 70% off!
- leaveners - You'll need both baking soda AND baking powder. If they have been sitting in your pantry for more than a few months, it's a good idea to test them for freshness.
📖 Time-Saving Tip - Testing Baking Soda or Baking Powder for Freshness
This simple little test can save you time and money, because if your leavener is expired, whatever you're baking wont rise in the oven! This test works for baking soda and baking powder:
- Add about ½ teaspoon of baking soda or powder to a small bowl. Stir in an equal amount of an acidic ingredient, like vinegar or citrus juice.
- If the solution doesn't start to bubble immediately, it's time to replace your leavener.
Substitutions and Recipe Variations
- all-purpose flour: If you'd like to make gluten free cookies, substitute the AP flour with any cup-for-cup brand of gluten-free all-purpose flour. Two reliable brands are Bob's Red Mill and King Arthur Flour.
- butter: If you want to use unsalted butter, that's fine, but you'll want to add ¼ teaspoon of salt to the cookie dough. Dairy-free and plant-based butter alternatives will also work.
- peanut butter: I use Skippy creamy peanut butter, but any variety of no-stir nut butter should work. For more texture, use crunchy peanut butter.
- white granulated sugar: To cut down on the calories in peanut butter blossoms, feel free to use any cup-for-cup granulated sugar substitute. Monkfruit sugar is a good option.
- brown sugar: You can use either dark or light brown sugar.
- cornstarch: The cornstarch makes the cookies really soft. If you need another option, arrowroot and tapioca starch are good cornstarch substitutes.
- vanilla extract: If you need an alcohol-free flavoring, you can use vanilla essence or you can just omit the extract altogether.
- Hershey kisses: Let your imagine go wild! Use different kiss flavors, like chocolate almond, cookies and cream, chocolate caramel, chocolate mint, the list goes on. You can even use different types of chocolate candy, like peanut butter cups or Rolos.
Recipe Variations
Aside from swapping out the chocolate kisses, here are some other ways to jazz up the recipe.
- Crushed nuts: Roll the balls of cookie dough in crushed almonds, walnuts, or pecans for some crunch.
- More flavor: Drizzle the Hershey kiss cookies with melted white chocolate, caramel, or milk chocolate.
- These cherry blossom cookies are a fun flavor variation!
How to Make Hershey Kiss Cookies
Summary only. The complete recipe instructions are in the card at the bottom of this post ⬇️
- Cream the butters and sugars together.
- Incorporate the dry ingredients.
- Portion and roll each ball through granulated sugar.
- Bake in a preheated oven for about ten minutes.
- Quickly add a Hershey kiss to the top of each warm peanut butter cookie.
- Allow cookies to cool for at least 2 hours before storing.
Liz's Tips for the Best Cookies
- To properly combine the ingredients, use a stand mixer or electric hand mixer on high speed.
- Use a low mixer speed when incorporating the flour. Over mixing the dough can cause your cookies to be dry and crumbly.
- Use a scoop to portion the dough, so that each cookie will be the same size. This ensures that they bake evenly too.
- Arrange the scoops at least 2 inches apart on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. This prevents them from sticking to the pan.
- Add the Hershey kisses while the peanut butter cookies are still warm. Otherwise they won't stick.
- Let the peanut butter blossom cookies cool completely before storing.
Storage
Storing: Cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to a week at room temperature.
Freezing the baked cookies: You can freeze these cookies for up to 4 months in a freezer-safe container. Thaw completely before enjoying.
Freezing cookie dough: The unbaked dough freezes well for up to 4 months. However, do not roll the dough in sugar until just before baking.
Peanut Butter Blossom Cookie Recipe FAQs
Yes! Cookies can be mailed via UPS, USPS, and FedEx. To make sure your cookies arrive at their destination intact, fit them snuggly into a container, filling the gaps with tissue or parchment paper. Using an express shipping option will ensure they arrive as fresh as possible.
Dry peanut butter blossoms are usually a result of too much flour or not enough liquid. Measuring out the ingredients carefully should ensure that your cookies are perfect.
If followed exactly, this recipe yields 16 cookies, each with 21g of carbs.
Other Easy Peanut Butter Dessert Ideas
- Easy No Bake Peanut Butter Pie
- Peanut Butter Snickers Cookies
- Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Peanut Butter Blondies
Hershey Kiss Cookies (Peanut Butter Blossoms)
Ingredients
Cookies
- ½ cup salted butter softened
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
- ½ cup dark brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons warm water
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
Toppings
- ¼ cup granulated white sugar
- 25 Hershey kisses
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375℉. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, then set aside.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl and electric hand mixer, beat the butter, peanut butter, sugar, and brown sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- In a small bowl, make a slurry by whisking the cornstarch and warm water together. Add the slurry and vanilla extract to the butter/sugar. Beat for another 30-60 seconds to incorporate
- In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, and baking powder together. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed, until a dough forms.
- In a shallow bowl, add ¼ cup white granulated sugar. Portion the dough using a small cookie scoop or tablespoon, use your hands to shape dough into balls, then roll each one through the sugar, to coat. Transfer to the prepared cookie sheets, leaving about 2 inches in between each one.
- Bake the cookies in preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until the edges are a light golden brown.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and immediately press a chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- Let the cookies cool for at least 2 hours before storing. Enjoy!
Helpful Notes and Tips From Liz
- To properly combine the ingredients, use a stand mixer or electric hand mixer on high speed.
- Use a low mixer speed when incorporating the flour. Over mixing the dough can cause your cookies to be dry and crumbly.
- Use a scoop to portion the dough, so that each cookie will be the same size. This ensures that they bake evenly too.
- Arrange the scoops at least 2 inches apart on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. This prevents them from sticking to the pan.
- Add the Hershey kisses while the peanut butter cookies are still warm. Otherwise they won't stick.
- Let the peanut butter blossom cookies cool completely before storing.
Leave a Reply