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Peanut Butter Blossoms are the classic soft peanut butter cookies rolled in sparkling sugar and crowned with a chocolate kiss pressed in warm from the oven, and this is the exact recipe my Mom baked from her go-to Betty Crocker cookbook, the one that makes a whopping seven dozen so there are always enough for the cookie exchange AND the cookie jar. If you love the peanut butter chocolate combo, our Reese’s peanut butter cup cookies take it even further.
One soft, sugar-rolled dough and a bag of chocolate kisses are all that stand between you and the most-requested cookie on any tray.
Peanut Butter Blossoms Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 25 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 10 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 35 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 84 cookies
- ⚡ Calories: 110kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Soft peanut butter cookie with a melty milk chocolate center
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, a true beginner bake like our chewy sugar cookies
Quick Answer
Beat granulated sugar, brown sugar, peanut butter, softened butter, and eggs until blended, then stir in flour, baking soda, and baking powder to form a soft dough. Shape the dough into 1 inch balls, roll them in granulated sugar, and bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 to 10 minutes. Press an unwrapped chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie the moment they come out of the oven.
Jump to:
- Peanut Butter Blossoms Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Peanut Butter Blossoms
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Peanut Butter Blossoms FAQs
- Other Recommended Classic Cookie Recipes
- Peanut Butter Blossoms
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- The kiss goes in AFTER baking. Pressing the chocolate into the hot cookie lets it soften and anchor without melting into a puddle, which is what keeps that signature blossom shape.
- Two sugars, two jobs. Brown sugar keeps the crumb soft and chewy while granulated sugar in the dough and on the outside gives the classic sparkle and gentle crunch.
- Peanut butter AND butter. A full cup of each makes a rich dough that stays tender for days instead of drying out.
- Rolling in sugar is not optional. That sugary shell crisps in the oven and gives the cookie its bakery-style crackled coat.
- A short bake keeps them soft. Eight to ten minutes, just to light golden edges, means the centers stay pillowy under the chocolate.
- The recipe scales for a crowd. Seven dozen from one bowl of dough is exactly why this is the cookie-exchange recipe grandmothers swear by.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- One batch makes seven dozen cookies, built for cookie exchanges and holiday trays.
- The soft peanut butter cookie plus melty chocolate kiss combo is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
- They are as easy as our no bake cookies but look like they came from a bakery.
- It delivers that same everyone asks for seconds energy as our soft m&m peanut butter cookies.
- It delivers that same everyone asks for seconds energy as our reese’s stuffed peanut butter brownies.
- It earns a spot in the rotation right next to our muddy buddy cookies.
Key Ingredients
Ten pantry staples make seven dozen blossoms.
- Creamy peanut butter: A full cup gives the dough its signature flavor and tender crumb. Standard creamy peanut butter works best, not natural.
- Chocolate kisses: The crown. Classic milk chocolate is traditional, but any flavor of kiss works. Unwrap them while the cookies bake.
- Brown sugar: Packed brown sugar keeps the cookies soft and adds a caramel depth.
- Butter: Softened butter creams with the sugars for a light, tender dough.
- Granulated sugar: In the dough for sweetness and on the outside for that sparkly, crackly coat, the same trick as our chewy sugar cookies.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
The blossom is endlessly adaptable.
- Use dark chocolate, caramel-filled, or hugs kisses for a different center.
- Roll the dough balls in colored sanding sugar to match any holiday, pastels for spring, red and green for Christmas.
- Swap in crunchy peanut butter for little peanut pieces in every bite.
- Skip the kiss and sandwich two cookies with chocolate frosting for a riff on our Reese’s sandwich cookies.
- If you want to switch things up, our peanut butter chocolate chip cookie bars plays on similar flavors in a whole new way.
- If you want to switch things up, our chocolate blossom cookies plays on similar flavors in a whole new way.
- In the mood for something different? Our peanut butter cake mix cookies scratches a similar itch.
How to Make Peanut Butter Blossoms
- Heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl, beat the granulated sugar, brown sugar, peanut butter, softened butter, and eggs with an electric mixer until well blended.
- Stir in the flour, baking soda, and baking powder until a soft dough forms.
- Shape the dough into 1 inch balls and roll each in granulated sugar. Place them 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are light golden brown.
- Immediately press an unwrapped chocolate kiss into the center of each hot cookie, then move the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Unwrap the kisses while the cookies bake. With seven dozen coming, you want them ready the second the trays come out.
- Press the kiss in immediately. The hot cookie grips the chocolate as it cools. Wait too long and the kiss pops off.
- Do not overbake. Light golden edges are done. The cookies keep setting on the tray.
- Chill the dough for 20 minutes if it feels sticky. Cold dough rolls into neater balls.
- Let the chocolate reset before stacking. The pressed kisses stay soft for a surprisingly long time, give them an hour or pop the tray in the fridge.
- Use a cookie scoop for evenly sized cookies that bake at the same rate across every tray.
- Plan the whole menu. This pairs effortlessly with our no-bake peanut butter bars when company is coming.
- Plan the whole menu. This pairs effortlessly with our peanut butter oatmeal cookies when company is coming.
- Make it a full spread. Our no bake chocolate peanut butter pie rounds out the table.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Peanut butter blossoms are the anchor of any holiday cookie tray, and their sturdy shape makes them perfect for gifting in tins and cellophane bags.
Still filling out the menu? Readers love pairing this one with our reese’s peanut butter cup cookies and our chocolate dipped shortbread cookies.
They are a natural for cookie exchanges since one bowl of dough makes seven dozen, and they pair perfectly with a cold glass of milk or a mug of cocoa.
Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze them for up to 3 months in a single layer first so the kisses stay put. Thaw at room temperature and they taste fresh-baked.
Peanut Butter Blossoms FAQs
The residual heat softens the base of the chocolate just enough to anchor it into the cookie as everything cools. If you bake the kiss with the cookie it melts completely and loses its shape. Press them in the moment the trays come out of the oven.
Some crackling is the signature look, but deep cracks usually mean the dough was too dry or the balls were too cold. Measure the flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling, and let chilled dough sit at room temperature for a few minutes before rolling.
Yes, they freeze beautifully for up to 3 months. Freeze them in a single layer first so the kisses set hard, then layer them in a container with parchment between. You can also freeze the plain dough balls and bake straight from frozen, adding a minute or two.
The kisses were pressed in and then the cookies sat somewhere warm, or they went into a container too soon. Let the cookies cool completely on wire racks, then give the chocolate about an hour to fully reset, or speed it up in the refrigerator.
Standard creamy peanut butter gives the most reliable results because it is stabilized. Natural peanut butter that separates makes the dough oily and the cookies can spread too much. If natural is all you have, stir it extremely well and chill the dough before rolling.
This is the cookie-exchange quantity version, it makes about seven dozen cookies, which is why it calls for 7 dozen chocolate kisses. The recipe halves cleanly if you want a smaller batch, just use one egg plus one yolk for the best texture.
Made these Peanut Butter Blossoms? I would love to hear how they turned out, leave a comment and a star rating below!
Fill out the holiday tray with a batch of our crockpot candy clusters.
Peanut Butter Blossoms
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup butter softened
- 2 eggs
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar for rolling
- 7 dozen Hershey’s Kisses milk chocolates unwrapped
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a large bowl, beat the 1/2 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, peanut butter, softened butter, and eggs with an electric mixer until well blended.
- Stir in the flour, baking soda, and baking powder until a soft dough forms.
- Shape the dough into 1 inch balls and roll each ball in the remaining granulated sugar.
- Place the balls 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until the edges are light golden brown.
- Immediately press 1 unwrapped chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie.
- Move the cookies to wire racks and let them cool completely.
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
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One of my favorite cookies ever! I usually skip out rolling them in extra sugar though.
These are seriously my favorite cookie ever. I think it is amazing that they are so simple yet so, so delicious. I am really craving some now!
Yummy! Please share this at my Tasty Tuesday party!
http://www.thecomfortsofhome.blogspot.com/2014/03/tasty-tuesday-4.html
Peanut butter blossoms are my favorite. And yours look beautiful
These look so yummy 🙂 I would love for you to share them at T.G.I.F. Linky Party 🙂
These look so tasty I am going to have to try them 🙂 Thanks for sharing
It’s funny you posted this recipe, because I just made a batch earlier this week! I LOVE these cookies!
You are killing my dieting resolve!!!
Pinning! Thanks so much for sharing at the Super Saturday Link Party!
🙂 Linda
Such a fun cookie, Dana! Loving how Springy these are!
Dana, these are probably my all time favorite cookie and your version looks so pretty and spring-y! I might just have to make a batch of these when I get home today 🙂