Peanut Butter Blossoms

By
Jessie Sheehan
Jessie Sheehan
Jessie Sheehan
Jessie Sheehan is a recipe developer, baker, food writer, and author of "The Vintage Baker" and "Icebox Cakes."
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 10/22/21
Tested by
Tracy Wilk
Photo of Tracy Wilk
Tested by Tracy Wilk
Tracy Wilk is a professional pastry chef, recipe developer and chef instructor, and, most importantly, a firm believer in sprinkles.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Peanut Butter Blossoms on a cooling rack

The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 12 mins
Chill: 30 mins
Total: 62 mins
Servings: 42 servings
Yield: 42 cookies

This one is for all the peanut butter cup fans out there. These peanut butter blossoms are at their core: tender, chewy, and deeply nutty peanut butter cookies. Milk chocolate kisses sit regally atop each cookie as the final touch to an irresistible treat.

Peanut butter blossoms were invented in 1957 by Freda Strasel Smith when she entered her recipe in a Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest. Stasel's treats were originally named "Black Eyed Susans." You may be surprised to learn she did not win, but her fan-favorite recipe went on to become one of the most popular holiday cookies.

Though our recipe couldn't be simpler, we have some hot tips to ensure the end result is just as tasty. Don't skip on chilling the cookie dough after assembling to help the cookies keep their puffy shape while baking. When removing the cookies from the oven, it is important to immediately place the kisses on top, so they adhere to the warm cookies. Most importantly, get the kids in on the action as they will love to help just as much as they love to gobble up these treats.

Peanut butter blossoms are truly a fantastic and oh-so-easy recipe to enjoy year round whether as an after-school treat, a late-night treat, or a sweet homemade gift for loved ones.

"If you are a chocolate + peanut butter fan, you have met your match! Something about peanut butter blossoms instantly remind me of the holidays and this straightforward recipe will be a family favorite. The hardest part is unwrapping those chocolate kisses. After that, you will be enjoying freshly baked treats!" —Tracy Wilk

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Ingredients

  • 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

  • 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus more for rolling

  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  • 1 large egg

  • 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter

  • 42 milk chocolate kisses, foil wrappers removed

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Peanut Butter Blossoms ingredients in bowls

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.

    Flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl with a whisk

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Whisk the butter, sugars, and vanilla in a large bowl until thick and glossy, about 1 minute.

    butter, sugars, and vanilla in a large bowl with a whisk

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Whisk the egg into the butter mixture until light in color and fluffy, then whisk in the peanut butter.

    Batter in a bowl with a whisk

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  5. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture with a rubber spatula just until combined.

    cookie dough in a bowl with a spatula

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  6. Pour about 1/2 cup granulated sugar into a small shallow bowl. (This is for rolling the cookies, so you can eyeball the initial amount and add more as needed.)

    granulated sugar in a small shallow bowl

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  7. Scoop about 1 tablespoon of the dough and roll into a ball, then roll to coat in the prepared sugar. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough to make about 42 balls—don't worry about spacing the cookies at this point, so it's okay if they touch.

    Cookie dough balls rolled in a bowl with sugar and placed on a parchment paper lined baking sheet

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  8. Once all of the balls are formed, re-roll each one in the sugar. (The dough will be soft, so don't worry if your balls aren't perfectly round.)

    Cookie dough balls rolled in sugar on a parchment paper lined baking sheet

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  9. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight. (Alternatively, you can refrigerate the baking sheet for an hour, but the freezer will have you eating cookies more quickly). If baking right away, preheat the oven to 350 F at this point.

    cookie dough balls on a parchment paper lined baking sheet

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  10. Transfer half of the frozen balls onto a second baking sheet lined with parchment. Space the balls about 2 inches apart on both baking sheets. Place both sheets in the preheated oven, and bake until the cookies are just lightly browned and starting to crack slightly, about 10 minutes, rotating the baking sheets at the halfway point.

    cookies on a parchment paper lined baking sheet

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  11. Once you remove the baking sheets from the oven, immediately place a chocolate kiss gently in the center of each cookie and return the sheet to the oven for 2 minutes. This extra time in the oven will help adhere the kiss to the cookie.

    Peanut Butter Blossoms on a parchment paper lined baking sheet

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  12. Let the cookies cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

    Peanut Butter Blossoms on a cooling rack

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

Tips

  • Do not forget to remove the foil wrappers from the chocolate kisses either before or while the cookies bake, not afterwards. You want to move quickly and place the kisses on top of the cookies as soon as they come out of the oven—the warmer the cookie, the easier the kiss will adhere to its top.
  • Rolling the dough balls in sugar TWICE ensures they are extra sparkly.
  • Placing the baked cookies back in the oven after you press the kisses into their tops helps the chocolate candies adhere to the cookies.
  • These cookies are wonderful around the holidays as they are a terrifically festive cookie and sturdy enough to be shipped. You can ship them frozen, which ensures they’ll be just a tad fresher when they arrive at the lucky recipient’s home. Sometimes the kisses do get knocked off in transit, though, so package them carefully. 

Recipe Variations

  • Substitute mini Reese's peanut butter cups for the kisses.
  • Substitute white chocolate kisses for the milk chocolate.
  • Try adding a sprinkling of flaky sea salt to the cookies before baking. 
  • If you do not want to wait 30 minutes for your dough to chill, you can skip this step and bake the cookies right away; however, they will be a little less puffy and soft.


Make Ahead and Store

  • You can make your peanut butter cookie dough ahead of time and place it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week before portioning your cookie dough and baking off your cookies.
  • You can also portion your dough and roll it into balls before refrigerating it, so when it is cookie-time, you are ready to go.
  • Store your peanut blossoms in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days.
  • Or freeze them in a zippered plastic bag for up to 3 months.

Why are my peanut butter blossoms flat?

If you do not chill your dough before baking, the cookies will spread and look flat. Chilling allows the butter in the cookie dough to resolidify making for a plump end result.

Why are my peanut butter blossoms dry?

If you overwork your cookie dough, your cookies can turn out tough and dry. Be sure to only fold in the dry ingredients until the last streak of flour disappears, and no longer.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
94 Calories
6g Fat
9g Carbs
2g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 42
Amount per serving
Calories 94
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 6g 7%
Saturated Fat 3g 13%
Cholesterol 11mg 4%
Sodium 63mg 3%
Total Carbohydrate 9g 3%
Dietary Fiber 0g 2%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 13mg 1%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 49mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
Article Sources
The Spruce Eats uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. The biggest mistake america made in 1957. (2014, December 3). HuffPost.