These Peanut Butter Hershey Kiss Cookies are an iconic Christmas cookie for any peanut butter lover. They’re soft and chewy, sweet and salty, and the perfect combo of peanut butter and chocolate.
There’s something undeniably comforting about the combination of creamy peanut butter and sweet, chocolatey goodness. And if you’re looking for more cookie recipes, be sure to try our Chocolate Kiss Cookies, Peanut Butter Cookies and our Hot Cocoa Kiss Cookies.
Peanut Butter Hershey Kiss Cookies
If you’ve ever searched for those cookies with a Hershey Kiss on top, this is the one! This is one of the first Christmas cookies to be made in our house and one of the first to disappear! But, want to know a little secret? It doesn’t have to be December to make these cookies. You can whip these out for a summer BBQ and I guarantee you will be the party’s hero.
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If you have kids, these are great to make with them as they can help roll in sugar or press the Hershey’s Kisses onto the tops. Our family likes these made with creamy peanut butter, but if you like a little crunch, you can use crunchy peanut butter, or even toss some chopped dry-roasted peanuts into your dough.
We also have listed a few variations to try if you are feeling adventurous. These come together quickly, so you may even have time to make a couple of different versions! Also known as Peanut Butter Blossoms or Peanut Butter Thumbprint Cookies, these are a nostalgic Christmas cookie that everyone loves.
Key Ingredients
- Butter – you want your butter to be at room temperature
- Peanut Butter – either creamy or chunky, as long as you stick to one of the regular “no-stir” types.
- Brown Sugar – brown sugar keeps your cookies softer than granulated sugar and adds a great flavor. It is also slightly acidic, so it is actually the ingredient that activates the baking soda.
- Egg – it’s best to pull this from the fridge ahead of time so it isn’t super chilled.
- Milk – again, it’s best if your milk isn’t straight from the fridge and is slightly more room temp.
- Baking Soda – this will help your cookies stay slightly fluffy.
- Hershey’s Kisses – this is the signature part of Peanut Blossom Cookies. Still, you could absolutely switch this up by using mini peanut butter cups or chunks of your favorite chocolate bar instead.
How to Make Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies
- Mix the dough. Cream the butter, peanut butter, and brown sugar in a standing mixer bowl using the paddle attachment until light and fluffy—about 3 minutes. Add in the egg slowly, followed by the vanilla, salt, and milk and mix on low. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda, add to the butter mixture, and mix on low until combined.
- Scoop. Scoop and roll the cookie dough into 1-1/4″ balls and roll in sugar. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat.
- Bake. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 7-8 minutes, until the bottoms and edges are lightly browned and the tops begin to crack.
- Enjoy. Remove from the oven and lightly press an unwrapped Hershey’s Kiss onto each cookie. Let the cookies cool for 10-15 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack. Enjoy!
Tips For Making the Best Peanut Butter Kisses Cookies
- Roll these cookies in coarse or colored sugar if you want something a little more holiday-themed.
- If you have the time, chill your dough for at least 30 minutes before rolling in sugar and baking. This helps to prevent them from spreading in the oven.
- If you think of it, toss your Hershey’s Kisses into the freezer ahead of time so that when you press them onto the hot cookies, they won’t be as apt to melt from the heat.
- We highly recommend using a small cookie scoop to scoop and portion your cookies. It helps keep them all a uniform size.
Recipe Variations
These classic Hershey Kiss cookies are easy to change up. Here are a few favorite ideas:
- Holiday sugar. Roll the dough balls in red and green sanding sugar for Christmas, pastel sugar for Easter, or orange for Halloween.
- Peanut butter cups. Press a mini Reese’s peanut butter cup into each cookie instead of a Kiss.
- Different Kisses. Try caramel-filled, candy cane, cookies ‘n’ creme, or dark chocolate Kisses.
- Chocolate cookie base. Use my Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies as the base, then roll in sugar and top with a Kiss.
- Chocolate blossoms. Love chocolate? Try my Chocolate Kiss Cookies or Hot Cocoa Kiss Cookies.
- Crunchy. Use crunchy peanut butter, or fold ½ cup of finely chopped dry-roasted peanuts into the dough.
- Peanut-free. Use SunButter (sunflower seed butter) in place of the peanut butter. The cookies may turn slightly green inside, which is harmless.
- Bite-size. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls, top with mini Kisses, and bake for 6 to 7 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
They’re called peanut butter blossoms! They’re also known as Hershey Kiss cookies, peanut butter kiss cookies, or blossom cookies. They’re a soft peanut butter cookie rolled in sugar with a chocolate Kiss pressed into the middle.
While it’s not completely necessary, it’s perfectly fine to chill your cookie dough balls in the fridge overnight. It’s a great way to get a head start on making them. Just mix the dough, scoop onto baking sheets, and cover with plastic wrap. Store overnight in the fridge, then pull out while you preheat the oven the next day.
Press them in right when the cookies come out of the oven, while they’re still soft. The cookies will crack slightly around the Kiss, which is part of their classic look.
The warm cookies will soften the Kisses, so move the cookies to the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes after pressing them in. The chocolate will firm back up and keep its pointed shape.
The butter may have been too soft, or the dough too warm. Chill the dough balls for 30 minutes before rolling them in sugar and baking. Natural peanut butter can also make cookies spread, so stick with no-stir brands like Jif or Skippy.
I recommend regular no-stir peanut butter. Natural peanut butter separates and can make the dough oily and the cookies crumbly or flat.
Yes! Freeze the rolled dough balls (without the sugar) for up to 3 months. Roll them in sugar and bake from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes. Baked cookies with the Kisses freeze well for up to 2 months in an airtight container with parchment between the layers.
Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Separate the layers with parchment paper so the Kisses don’t get smushed.
Storing and Freezing
- Room Temperature: store Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You may want to put layers of parchment paper between so they don’t stick.
- Freezer: baked cookies can be stored in an airtight container and frozen for up to 2 months. Unbaked cookie dough balls can be stored and frozen for up to 3 months. To bake frozen dough balls, pull from the freezer onto baking sheets with parchment paper and bake as directed, adding a couple extra minutes to the total bake time.
Peanut Butter Blossoms
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup peanut butter, creamy or chunky; Jif or similar brand
- 1¼ cups light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 24 Hershey's Kisses, unwrapped
- 1/4 cup sugar, for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer, add the room temperature butter, peanut butter, and brown sugar. Using the paddle attachment, cream until light and fluffy, or about 3 minutes. Add in the egg, then mix on low to combine. Then add in the vanilla, salt and milk and mix on low to combine.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda, then add this to the butter mixture and mix on low, just until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure there are no lumps of butter in your dough.
- Once mixed, scoop and roll the cookie dough into 1¼" balls and roll in sugar. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, or a Silpat.
- Bake for 7-8 minutes, or until the bottoms and edges are very lightly browned and the tops begin to crack.
- Remove from the oven and lightly press an unwrapped Hershey's Kiss onto each of the cookies. Let the cookies cool for 10 to 15 minutes so the Kisses set and keep their shape. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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More Of Our Favorite Holiday Cookies
- White Chocolate and Coconut Cookies
- Coconut Caramel Magic Bars
- Andes Mint Cookies
- Grinch Cookies
- Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Eggnog Cookies with Eggnog Buttercream Frosting
- White Chocolate Dipped Oreo Ornament Cookies
- More Cookies
These Peanut Butter Kisses Cookies are an iconic holiday treat, but are perfect for any time of the year. They’re soft and chewy, sweet and salty and come together in a snap!
Categories:
Christmas, Cookies, Desserts, Fall Recipes, Holiday Favorites, Spring Recipes, Summer Recipes, Thanksgiving, Vegetarian, Winter Recipes,
I had a recipe similar to this but lost it. These are great. thanks.
Happy baking!
The taste of a Hershey’s kiss together with the peanut butter cookie makes for a rather unexpected but enjoyable flavor. This is a favorite dessert recipe for sure!
Used your recipe they turned out great!
We made these and they were gone quickly. So delicious!