These Peanut Butter Blossoms have a soft and chewy peanut butter cookie base with a Hershey’s kiss placed in the center. An easy holiday staple!

Peanut Butter Blossoms on a tray with a glass container of milk and Hershey's kisses scattered around.

When I think of Christmas cookies, peanut butter blossoms is the very first thing to come to mind. Those soft peanut buttery pillows holding a chocolate kiss has always been the epitome of Christmas for me.

They were a staple in my house each and every year and one of the first cookies that my mom would churn out in early December. I loved helping her in the kitchen, and pressing the Hershey’s kisses into the middle of the soft peanut butter cookies fresh from the oven was by far my favorite Christmas baking task.

This recipe has been scribbled on a well-stained index card in my mom’s recipe book for longer than I’ve been alive. I’m pretty sure it’s the recipe from the back of the Hershey’s kiss bag, but it’s the only one our family has ever known!

Peanut Butter Blossoms on a round serving tray with milk and Hershey's kisses.

How to Make Peanut Butter Blossoms

These peanut butter blossoms are EASY to make and come together simply and quickly; only a few steps are needed, but let’s walk through them…

Cream the Peanut Butter, Shortening and Sugars – The basic first step to so many cookie recipes! First you’ll cream together the peanut butter and shortening to ensure that it’s thoroughly combined, then add the granulated and brown sugars. You want this mixture to get super light and fluffy!

Add Egg, Vanilla and Milk – Vanilla adds flavor, while the egg gives the cookies structure, and milk to bind the cookies and keep them nice and tender.

Mix in the Flour, Baking Soda and Salt – The last step in getting the dough together, the dry ingredients are added and then mixed JUST until they’re incorporated to keep the cookies super soft.

Roll out the Dough and Bake – Scoop out 1 tablespoon portions of dough (I use a small cookie scoop!), roll them into balls, then roll in granulated sugar, and place on a baking sheet. Bake those babies for only 8 to 10 minutes – you want them soft and puffy, not at all browned yet.

Press a Hershey’s Kiss into the Center – THE BEST PART! As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, press a Hershey’s kiss right into the center of the cookies. Let the cookies cool and then attempt to not eat them all before you share them for the holidays.

Dough for Peanut Butter Blossoms cookies

A pan of peanut butter cookie dough rolled into balls.

Peanut Butter Blossoms Recipe Notes

  • You can make these with butter instead of shortening by using the same amount of room temperature unsalted butter in place of the shortening. The shortening helps keep the cookies soft and maintain their shape (not spread), so if you use butter, I urge you to chill the dough for 30 minutes to 1 hour prior to scooping and rolling them into balls.
  • You can replace the peanut butter with other nut butters, such as almond butter, cashew butter, or even Sunbutter. The taste and texture will be slightly altered, but the cookies will still work.
  • Whether using peanut butter or a substitute, I recommend the “processed” versions that do not have oil separation and require stirring to keep the cooking from spreading.
  • In place of the Hershey’s kisses, other candies can be substituted, such as Rolos, caramels, chocolate hearts, etc.
  • You can freeze peanut butter blossoms in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Peanut butter blossoms in a basket with a drink of milk.

Show of hands if these are the very first cookies you go for when presented with a Christmas cookie tray *hand raised*

If you are a fan of peanut butter and chocolate, it doesn’t get much more iconic than this peanut butter blossoms recipe. Grab a jar of peanut butter, a bag of Hershey’s kisses, and get baking!

If You Like These Peanut Butter Blossoms, Try These Recipes:

Peanut Butter Blossoms on a marble serving tray, with one bitten in half.

Five years ago: Buche de Noel with Espresso Mascarpone Filling
Six years ago: Reindeer Chow

Peanut Butter Blossoms Recipe

These Peanut Butter Blossoms have a soft and chewy peanut butter cookie base with a Hershey's kiss placed in the center. An easy holiday staple!
4.77 (17 ratings)

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup (203 g) peanut butter
  • ½ cup (92 g) vegetable shortening
  • â…“ cup (66.67 g) granulated sugar
  • â…“ cup (73.33 g) light brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1½ cups (213 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) salt
  • Granulated sugar, for rolling
  • 48 Hershey’s kisses, unwrapped

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
  • With an electric mixer, beat the peanut butter and shortening on medium speed until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar, and beat until fluffy. Add the egg, milk and vanilla extract, and beat well. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually beat the flour into peanut butter mixture until just combined.
  • Shape dough into 1-inch balls (about 1 tablespoon or dough or a small cookie scoop) and roll in granulated sugar to coat. Place on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
  • Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and immediately press a chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie (the cookie will crack around edges). Allow to cool for about 5 minutes, then remove the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Notes

  • You can make these with butter instead of shortening by using the same amount of room temperature unsalted butter in place of the shortening. The shortening helps keep the cookies soft and maintain their shape (not spread), so if you use butter, I urge you to chill the dough for 30 minutes to 1 hour prior to scooping and rolling them into balls.
  • You can replace the peanut butter with other nut butters, such as almond butter, cashew butter, or even Sunbutter. The taste and texture will be slightly altered, but the cookies will still work.
  • Whether using peanut butter or a substitute, I recommend the "processed" versions that do not have oil separation and require stirring to keep the cooking from spreading.
  • In place of the Hershey's kisses, other candies can be substituted, such as Rolos, caramels, chocolate hearts, etc.
  • You can freeze peanut butter blossoms in an airtight container for up to 3 months. 
Calories: 92kcal, Carbohydrates: 9g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 4mg, Sodium: 71mg, Potassium: 34mg, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 5IU, Calcium: 14mg, Iron: 0.3mg

Did you make this recipe?

Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!

Update Notes: This recipe was originally published in December 2007. It was updated in December 2014 with new photos, then refreshed in December 2018 with more new photos, and extensive recipe tips.

[photos by Ari of Well Seasoned]