Small Batch Peanut Butter Blossoms
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These small batch peanut butter blossoms bake up tender and thick with chewy centers, a delicate sugar-coated crunch, and a chocolate Kiss pressed into the top. The rich peanut butter cookie and firm chocolate candy are a nostalgic combination, with a contrast of textures that keeps you coming back for another bite. The recipe makes 9 cookies, perfect for an assorted cookie platter or whenever you’re craving peanut butter and chocolate.
From My Kitchen
Freeze the chocolate kisses first.
I love the nostalgia of peanut butter blossoms, but it would make me sad when the Hershey’s Kiss would melt down to half its size on the warm cookies. Freezing the chocolate candy ahead of time helps keep its iconic shape intact.
Plan Ahead
Yield
Texture
1-hour dough chill
9 cookies
Rolling through sugar gives the cookies a delicate crunch.
Peanut butter blossoms have always been a familiar sight in holiday cookie boxes, right alongside fudgy chocolate crinkles. And after a few test batches, I finally have a classic version with the chewy center I was after.
Getting the Texture Just Right
My gluten free peanut butter blossoms gave me a great starting point when developing these cookies. But a few test batches proved that simply swapping ingredients doesn’t always work.
The first batch spread too much and came out flat and wrinkled. They tasted great, but I wanted a puffier cookie that could cradle the Hershey’s Kiss. The second batch was closer, but the cookies were too crumbly. Peanut butter cookies can be tricky when the ingredient ratios aren’t quite right. Increasing the butter and adding a touch of baking powder finally gave me the plump, soft cookies with chewy centers I was after.
How To Make Peanut Butter Blossoms
First, unwrap the Hershey’s Kisses and pop them in the freezer while you make the dough. Then, in one bowl, beat the creamy peanut butter, butter, and sugars until light and creamy. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and mix until combined. The mixture will be so fluffy you’ll want to dive right in.
Add the dry ingredients and mix until no dry streaks remain. The dough will be thick enough to give your hand mixer a workout! Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to help control spreading as the cookies bake.
Use a medium, 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to portion the chilled dough. I find this size makes a thick cookie with plenty of room for the chocolate kiss candy.
Roll each dough ball through granulated sugar before placing it on the baking sheet. This gives the cookies their delicate, crunchy coating. As they bake, the cookies will puff up, and the tops will begin to crack when they’re ready.
Once the cookies come out of the oven, set the baking sheet on a cooling rack and grab the frozen chocolate kisses from the freezer. By this time, they’ve had a minute to cool, and now you can gently press a kiss into the center of each. Don’t press too hard, or the cookies may crack and split open.
Festive Variations
If you’re making peanut butter blossoms for a holiday cookie platter, they’re easy to dress up for the occasion. Instead of granulated sugar, roll the cookie dough balls through colored sanding sugar, like I do with my sugar cookie blossoms.
You can also switch up the Hershey’s Kisses with different chocolate varieties. I used dark chocolate for these cookies, but classic milk chocolate works just as well. And keep an eye out for the fun seasonal chocolate kiss flavors that show up around the holidays.
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If you made these peanut butter blossoms, let me know in the comments below! Your comment and star rating are greatly appreciated and help other bakers discover the recipe.
Small Batch Peanut Butter Blossoms
by Erin Cernich
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup (85 g) creamy peanut butter
- ¼ cup (42 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¼ cup (37.5 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons (25 g) granulated sugar (plus more for rolling)
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup, plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 9 Hershey's Kisses
Instructions
- Unwrap the 9 chocolate kisses and place them in a zip-top bag. Freeze until ready to use to prevent them from melting when pressed into the warm cookies.
- In a medium mixing bowl, use a hand mixer on medium speed to beat the peanut butter, butter, and sugars until light and creamy. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and mix until fully combined.1/3 cup creamy peanut butter, 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 large egg yolk, room temperature, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to the wet ingredients. Mix on medium-low speed until no dry streaks remain. The dough will be thick and smooth. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F and position the oven rack in the middle. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add about 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar to a small bowl.
- Use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to portion the dough into 9 balls. Roll each in the sugar and place at least 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and the tops begin to crack. Set the baking sheet on a wire cooling rack, then gently press a frozen chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to the rack to cool completely. Handle carefully, as the cookies are delicate while warm.9 Hershey's Kisses
- The cookies can be stored covered at room temperature for 5 to 7 days.
Notes
- Serving size -This small batch recipe can be doubled using one whole egg.
- Peanut butter – Use regular peanut butter, like Jif or Skippy. Natural peanut butter that needs stirring can make the cookies oily.
- Chocolate kisses – Any variety of Hershey’s Kisses works great. I used dark chocolate for this recipe.
- Make ahead – The dough can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
- Freezing the dough – After chilling, scoop the dough into 9 balls and transfer to a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, roll the frozen dough balls in sugar and bake directly from frozen, adding about 1 minute to the bake time.
- Freezing baked cookies – The baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. Gently place in a freezer bag and lay flat in the freezer. Thaw at room temperature.
Nutrition Estimates
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About the Author …
Hi, I’m Erin! With years of experience baking for two in my own small household, I know about the love for desserts without the leftovers. I’ve tested, written, and photographed every one of the 300+ recipes on my website. And even had some of my desserts featured on Taste of Home, The Spruce Eats, ELLE, Parade, and more! From traditional to gluten free desserts for two, I have the recipe for you.
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