Nostalgia alert! When was the last time you made these favorite childhood cookies? Don’t know? Let’s remedy that. Chocolate and peanut butter belong together, and these easy cookies prove it.
A soft peanut butter cookie with a gooey chocolate kiss in the middle. What more could you ask for from a cookie?
WHAT IS A PEANUT BUTTER BLOSSOM?
The peanut butter blossom is a fairly straightforward cookie that has been beloved for decades. It was invented by Freda Smith of Gibsonburg, Ohio for the 1957 Pillsbury Bake-Off. It didn’t win the competition, but it won the hearts of America and has been a national favorite ever since.
The ideal version of this treat starts with a thick, soft peanut butter cookie. I don’t have the fond memories of peanut butter blossoms from my childhood that some of you might have—I wasn’t introduced to these beloved treats until later in life—but I do have a longstanding love for peanut butter cookies. They’re my dad’s favorite, so I’ve definitely made a few different versions of the nutty treat over the years.
The addition of the chocolate kiss provides a salty-sweet flavor combo (a perennial favorite!) and really takes this cookie over the top.
BUTTER OR SHORTENING TO MAKE PEANUT BUTTER BLOSSOMS?
Many recipes for this cookie call for vegetable shortening, but I prefer to use butter for a better flavor.
Shortening yields a thicker cookie with less spreading, but my recipe does just that without sacrificing the rich depth of butter. However, this recipe will still work with shortening if that’s all you have on hand.
WHAT KIND OF PEANUT BUTTER TO USE?
When it comes to the peanut butter, feel free to use your favorite. I’m a smooth and creamy guy, but chunky peanut butter is fine, too.
I even tested this recipe with an all-natural spread and the cookies turned out great—just be sure to mix the peanut butter thoroughly before adding it to the batter to get rid of any separation.
- Want to find out which natural creamy peanut butter the Simply Recipes team likes the best? Check this out!
STORING AND FREEZING PEANUT BUTTER BLOSSOMS
The peanut butter blossom is a classic for cookie platters, cookie swaps, and bake sales. They are best stored in an airtight container at room temperature, which will help keep the chocolate kiss nice and soft. They will keep for several days before they start to dry out.
Planning ahead? You can freeze the cookie dough after it’s been rolled in sugar, or you can freeze the finished cookies after baking and cooling. The cookies can be baked from frozen; just add an extra minute or two to the baking time.
They hold up well in shipping, too! Just chill them for a bit in the fridge first so the chocolate can harden and retain its shape in transport.
MORE IDEAS FOR PEANUT BUTTER AND CHOCOLATE!
- Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies
- No Bake Chocolate and Peanut Butter Brownies
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
- Peanut Butter Buckeyes
- Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Energy Balls
Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies Recipe
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 12 minutes
- Yield: about 2 dozen cookies
Ingredients
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (129 g) peanut butter
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar, plus more for rolling
- 1/2 cup (110 g) packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 cups (187 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 24 chocolate kiss candies, unwrapped
Method
1 Preheat the oven to 350˚F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2 Mix the wet and dry ingredients separately: Mix together the butter, peanut butter, and both sugars in a bowl with a wooden spoon (or you can use an electric or stand mixer) until smooth and combined; add in the egg and mix until smooth.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
3 Make the cookie dough: Slowly, in a couple of additions, add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture and combine to form the cookie dough.
4 Shape the cookie: Add a few tablespoons of sugar to a small bowl. Scoop into balls with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough. Roll between your hands to form a ball, and then coat it with sugar.
Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet a couple of inches apart.
5 Bake the cookies: Bake the cookies on the middle rack about 12 minutes, until slightly spread out, domed on the top, and golden on the bottom. Immediately press a chocolate kiss in the center of each cookie.
5 Cool and store: Let the cookies cool for a couple of minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a rack to finish cooling completely. These cookies will keep for a few days stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
