Classic Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies Recipe

I share my Simple Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies recipe that comes together in under an hour and includes one clever trick to keep the chocolate perfectly centered every time.

I never planned to be obsessed with a cookie, yet here I am writing about them. Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies Easy Hershey’s Kisses caught me off guard.

The creamy peanut butter tucked into each bite and the shiny Hershey’s Kisses on top look simple, but they do something weird to your taste buds, like a tiny edible surprise. It’s not all nostalgia, theres this slightly imperfect, chewy edge that keeps pulling me back for another one.

If you think a cookie cant be interesting, give these a chance, you might end up puzzled how something so plain got so addictive.

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour: Provides carbs and structure a little iron from enrichment keeps cookies tender.
• Peanut butter: Packed with protein and healthy fats it makes cookies nutty slightly savory.
• Granulated sugar: Adds sweetness and crisp edges mostly empty calories so eat in moderation.
• Brown sugar: Adds deep caramel flavor and chewiness moisture from molasses slightly less sweet.
• Butter: Gives richness and tenderness provides saturated fat and creamy mouthfeel.
• Egg: Binds ingredients adds protein and moisture helps cookies rise and set.
• Vanilla extract: Tiny bit of flavor magic enhances sweetness and rounds out taste.
• Baking soda: Leavens slightly reacts with acid for tiny lift and browning.
• Hershey’s Kisses: Adds chocolate center it’s the sweet finish and nostalgic flair.

Ingredient Quantities

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, not crunchy
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar, for rolling
• 48 Hershey’s Kisses, unwrapped

How to Make this

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat. In a bowl whisk together 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

2. In a large bowl cream 1/2 cup (1 stick) softened unsalted butter with 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar until light and a little fluffy.

3. Add 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (not crunchy) to the butter mixture and mix until combined, then beat in 1 large egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth.

4. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet just until no streaks of flour remain, dont overmix or the cookies get tough.

5. Scoop about 1-inch balls of dough (a tablespoon or small cookie scoop works) — you should get roughly 4
8. Roll each ball in the 1/4 cup granulated sugar set aside for coating so they get that pretty sugar crust.

6. Place the sugared balls on the prepared sheets about 2 inches apart so they have room to spread.

7. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until edges are set and tops look slightly cracked but not browned. Pull them as soon as the centers look set.

8. Immediately press an unwrapped Hershey’s Kiss into the center of each warm cookie, holding it for a second so it sinks in and makes that classic blossom shape. If the Kisses are too cold and hard, microwave a few for 2 to 4 seconds to soften them up.

9. Let cookies cool on the pan about 2 minutes so the chocolate firms, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Tip: if your cookies spread too much, chill the dough 15 to 30 minutes before rolling; store finished cookies in an airtight container at room temp for up to 3 days or freeze the dough/finished cookies for longer.

Equipment Needed

1. Oven (preheat to 375°F)
2. Two rimmed baking sheets plus parchment paper or silicone baking mats
3. Mixing bowls — one large for creaming, one medium for the dry stuff
4. Electric mixer or a sturdy wooden spoon for creaming the butter and sugars
5. Measuring cups and measuring spoons
6. Whisk for the dry ingredients and a rubber spatula for folding/scraping
7. Tablespoon or small cookie scoop for portioning, plus a small bowl for the rolling sugar
8. Wire cooling rack to cool the cookies completely
9. Microwave safe plate or small bowl to soften Hershey’s Kisses if needed and oven mitts for handling hot pans

FAQ

Classic Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• All-purpose flour: swap for a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend, same amount (1 3/4 cups). If your blend has no xanthan gum add 1/4 tsp so the cookies dont fall apart.
• Unsalted butter: use salted butter, same amount, and cut the added salt to 1/4 tsp; or use solid coconut oil 1:1 for a slightly crisper, dairy-free result.
• Creamy peanut butter: use sunflower seed butter (same amount) for a nut-free option, taste and add a pinch of salt if it seems bland.
• Hershey’s Kisses: swap for 48 chocolate discs or 48 large mini chocolate chips, press them into the warm cookies right out of the oven so they stick.

Pro Tips

1) Dont pack the flour into the cup. Spoon it in, level it off with a knife, or even better weigh it if you can. Too much flour makes the cookies dry and chalky, and that ruins the soft center you want.

2) Chill the dough if your kitchen is warm or the cookies are spreading too much. Even 20 to 30 minutes helps, and if you chill longer the cookies will hold their shape better. Also try putting just 6 to 8 scoops on a cool sheet so the pan doesnt heat up and make them spread before they set.

3) Roll them good in the coating sugar for a pretty crackled top and slightly crisp exterior. Coarse sanding sugar gives a nicer sparkle and texture than regular granulated sugar, but both work fine. Don’t forget to tap off excess so the bottoms dont burn.

4) Timing and the kiss press are everything. Pull the cookies when the center looks set but still soft, not browned. Press the chocolate in right away, hold for a second so it sinks and makes that blossom shape, then let them cool on the pan just a couple minutes so the chocolate firms. If the Kisses are rock cold, warm a few seconds in the microwave so they sink easier.