There’s no denying that these Peanut Butter Cookies with Hershey Kisses are insanely delicious! I could eat this treat all day, everyday. Mmmm, peanut butter. Those words make me salivate like you’ve never seen! There’s just something about the creamy texture of peanut butter that makes it taste so good. Peanut butter and chocolate are actually a really good combination, which is why I decided to combine both into my favorite recipe for peanut butter cookies with Hershey Kisses.
Step by Step
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
We have created the ULTIMATE Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe that you quickly whip up, roll into balls, bake, and then press the Hershey Kisses in the center while still warm. It’s that simple! Are you craving them yet?
- Heat oven to 375°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, kosher salt, and sea salt in a medium-size mixing bowl, on medium-high speed. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and peanut butter for 2 minutes until smooth.
- Add brown sugar and granulated sugar and beat for 2-3 minutes or until lighter in color and smooth.
- Add eggs and vanilla and beat for 1 minute or until all ingredients are incorporated and smooth.
- Turn off the mixer and add the flour mixture. Turn the mixer to the lowest speed and beat just until the flour is incorporated.
- If the mixture seems too stiff, add 1 tablespoon milk, mixing just until incorporated.
- Cover the dough and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm enough to roll into balls.
- Shape the dough into ¾-inch balls and place them about 1½ inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. 20 balls work perfectly on a half-sheet baking pan (18”x13”).
- Bake at 375°F, for 8 minutes then remove from the oven. Press a candy kiss in the middle of each cookie. Press down just enough to set the kiss being sure not to press the candy clear to the pan.
- Place the cookies back in the oven and bake for an additional 2 minutes.
- Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack – remove the cookies from the baking sheet after 2 minutes.
TIPS!
- This recipe can easily be cut in half. (But making the full batch and freezing half is a great idea!)
- Any Hershey Kiss candy will work with the recipe. I used the traditional milk chocolate, but the caramel kisses would be a delicious twist.
- Bake the cookies on the middle rack, one sheet of cookies at a time, for the best results.
How to keep your cookies from crumbling
It’s important to follow the directions completely when making these kiss cookies. Be sure to use room temperature eggs and butter as directed.
Perfect Hershey Kiss Cookies
Baking is a science, so following the directions to a t is important! Here are some other tips and tricks for making the best Christmas cookies ever!
- Use room temperature eggs and butter
- Add a bit of milk if your dough is too firm
- Any Hershey Kisses will work in this recipe. Switch things up by using caramel-filled or peppermint kisses!
- You can cut this recipe in half easily
- You can freeze the dough and make later! See below.
How to store Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies
The best way to store cookies like Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies is in an airtight container, at room temperature. We like to use a quality plastic airtight container and separate the cookies with wax paper or parchment paper. Be sure the cookies are FULLY cooled before attempting to store them.
How long do Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies stay fresh?
Peanut Butter Blossoms will stay soft and fresh in an airtight container (at room temperature) for 3-5 days, or you can also freeze them! Freezing cookies is an awesome option when cooking in bulk for holidays or parties.
You can bake them in advance, freeze them, and then enjoy them once the party arrives.
How to Freeze Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies
You can freeze the dough before baking, or even freeze the completed cookies. Here’s how.
To Freeze the Peanut Butter Blossoms DOUGH (before baking):
- Follow the steps in the recipe card below for making the Peanut Butter Cookie Dough. Follow through the step for rolling the dough into balls.
- Once the dough balls are formed, place the balls into a freezer-safe reusable bag and press as much air out as possible. Seal in the bag, and then place in ANOTHER bag to create a double layer of protection for freezing.
- Store the dough in the freezer for up to 6 months (AWESOME!).
- When ready to cook, you can cook from frozen, but add 2-3 minutes onto the cook time for the cookies.
To Freeze the COMPLETED Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies:
- Prepare the cookies fully according to instructions in the recipe card below.
- Allow cookies to fully cool after baking. Do not skip this step!
- Place the cookies in a rigid, airtight container for storing. Place the container into a freezer-safe ziplock bag for extra protection.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
- When ready to serve, allow to thaw AT ROOM TEMPERATURE for 2-3 hours before serving.
- Enjoy!
Homemade Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies Recipe
These Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies are fun to make and taste delicious. You’ll be surprised by how easy these are to make and everyone will love them!
Peanut Butter Hershey Kiss Cookies
This Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies recipe is a must have at any holiday gathering. But really it is great anytime of the year. It is truly a classic cookie that is loved by all.
A peanut butter cookie that is topped with a Hershey Kiss is my kind of cookie. It is my favorite cookie to make with the kids as they love to put the kiss on top.
The perfect Hershey Kisses Cookies:
This recipe for peanut butter blossoms is easy to make and I know that you and your family will enjoy making them together. I especially love how easy the ingredients are. The ingredients are staple ingredients that are always in my pantry.
Here are some helpful tips to make sure you Hershey Kiss Cookies come out perfectly:
- Set your egg and butter so they are room temperature before mixing
- You can easily cut this dough in half and freeze the half
- Press your Hershey Kiss in the center of the dough as soon as the cookie is done baking
Ingredients:
If you are baker you probably already have all these ingredients in your pantry. All you need are some delicious Hershey Kisses and then you’re ready to create this recipe.
- Peanut Butter
- Butter
- Sugar
- Light Brown Sugar
- Vanilla
- 1 Egg
- Flour
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- 24 Hershey Kisses (unwrapped)
How to make peanut butter kiss cookies
- First preheat your oven to 350. Some recipes request that you preheat oven to 375 but I find that they are less likely to dry out when they are baked at the lower temperature.
- Then cream together the ½ cup sugar, brown sugar, butter and peanut butter until smooth.
- Next add egg and vanilla and beat together into the butter mixture. Then whisk together flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl.
- After those ingredients are thoroughly combined, slowly add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, beating until incorporated.
- Next shape the dough into 24 1″ balls and place them on baking sheets several inches apart. After you have rolled the dough, then gently make an indentation in the center of each cookie just like in the photo below. You could sprinkle some sugar before baking.
- Finally, bake them in the preheated oven for 12-14 minutes. After this cooking time, remove from the oven and place a Hershey Kiss in the center of each cookie.
- Then move the cookies to a cooling rack at room temperature and allow for them to cool completely which usually takes around 30 minutes.
How to store Kiss cookies
After they have cooled, I move the cookies to an air tight container so we can can enjoy them later. To be honest, they usually don’t last long there as my family always devours these cookies quickly!
They will keep up to 2 weeks if stored properly.
Can you freezer leftover cookies?
When I bake over the holidays, I usually intentionally make extras so I can freeze them and my family can enjoy cookies all throughout the year!
I get a lot of questions about what can be frozen and what cannot because I’m an avid freezer cooker and leftover cookies can definitely be frozen!
The only difference for this cookies is that I would let them defrost at room temperature instead of baking them so that the milk chocolate kisses do not melt. You can freeze the cookies up to 3 to 6 months.
Just make sure if you are freezing that you use an air tight container. I also like to separate the layers with parchment paper.
Variation Ideas:
What is great about this cookie recipe is you can change out the chocolate candy for something else.
- Try a caramel candy like a Rolo
- A Peppermint Kiss would be yummy for the Christmas Holidays
- You can even put a bite size snickers on top.
- We have even sprinkled a little powdered sugar on top.
- A Reese’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup would taste amazing on top.
The options are endless and that is why they are my favorite cookies to make.
Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time10 mins
Calories:
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter softened
- ½ cup peanut butter smooth or crunchy
- ¾ cup brown sugar – light or dark packed
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 ¾ cup plain flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- Extra white sugar to roll cookies in optional
- Approximately 45 regular size Hershey’s Kisses
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, use a mixer and blend the softened butter, peanut butter, both sugars, egg, vanilla, and salt until nice and creamy.
- Sift together the flour and baking soda and add to softened mixture a cup at a time and mix well.
- Roll dough into balls about 1″ in diameter.
- If desired place a small amount of regular white table sugar in a bowl. Dip each cookie ball in the sugar and shake off excess. You don’t want a lot of sugar on the cookies, but the quick sugar dip adds to the flavor and gives the cookie~ an interesting texture at the end. (Note: the girls didn’t want the sugar, so our pictures shows results without this step).
- Place cookie balls on baking sheet. Leave space – about two inches all around. They spread a bit.
- Bake 8 to 10 minutes at 375 degrees F in a preheated oven until the cookies are done. They should be a pretty golden brown color.
- As soon as you take the cookies out of the oven, press a Hershey Kiss in the center of each. Press firmly until the Hershey Kiss is nestled in the middle of the hot cookie. Do this before removing the cookies from the baking pan.
- Once you’ve put Hershey Kisses in the middle of all the cookies on the pan, remove cookies and let cool. Use some caution. The kisses will get very soft from the heat, don’t try to transport or pack into containers until they have had adequate time to completely cook and re-harden. Eating them in this stage is OK though!
Why This Recipe Works
- Soft cookie and melty chocolate! One of my favorite parts about these peanut butter blossoms is putting the Hershey’s kisses on the peanut butter cookies, waiting about 10 minutes and then popping one in my mouth! The heat of the cookie makes the entire kiss soft, and it’s so amazing!
- Easy cookie recipe to make with your kids. Your kids will love rolling the cookie balls in sugar, helping you unwrap the chocolate kisses and pressing the kisses into the cookies — but, I mean, what kid wouldn’t! The biggest trick is making sure the kisses go on the cookies and not in their mouths. 😂 I’m all about creating ways for my kids to pitch in: It’s an activity they love and it helps mom. Win, win.
Ingredient Notes
- Peanut Butter: You could also use another nut butter such as cashew, almond butter if needed or desired.
- Brown Sugar: Using brown sugar provides a moist texture to the cookie that you wouldn’t get with granulated sugar because of the molasses in the brown sugar.
- Granulated Sugar: Save some sugar to roll the cookie dough balls in!
- Hershey’s Kisses: The Hershey’s kisses are like giant chocolate chips on top the peanut butter cookies. They are the perfect size, leaving a rim of peanut butter cookie around the kiss.
- Egg: Eggs are one of the building blocks of cookies! Eggs add structure to the cookie dough and even pitch in as a leavening agent, too.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Mix the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt). Set aside.
- Cream the butter, peanut butter, sugar, and brown sugar together. Then beat in the egg, milk, and vanilla extract.
- Mix in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.
- Portion the dough into 1-inch balls.
- Place a spoonful of granulated sugar in a small bowl. Roll the cookies in the sugar and place on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 7-9 minutes or until light brown and puffed.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and immediately press a chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie.
- Transfer PB blossoms cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Recipe Tips
To make things smooth and seamless, have the kisses unwrapped before you remove the cookies from the oven. I like to unwrap the kisses right after putting the cookies in the oven.
To make the cookies festive, roll the cookies in coarse sparkling sugar or colored sugar before baking instead of normal granulated (white) sugar.
Using a cookie scoop is helpful to make sure the dough balls are the same size. Cookies bake more evenly when they are the same size and shape.
Put the Hershey’s kisses in the peanut butter blossoms cookies right after you take the cookie sheet out of the oven. If you don’t want melty chocolate kisses, chill your Hershey’s kisses prior to pressing to the hot cookies.
The cookies will have a classic cracked edge to them when they are done.
Store in an airtight container for 4-5 days.
FAQ
How long do peanut butter blossom cookies last?
I’d store them in an airtight container for 4-5 days.
Can you freeze peanut butter blossom cookies?
I recommend freezing the dough balls prior to the sugar rolling. Roll the dough into the 1-inch balls, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and line the dough balls on the parchment paper. Let freeze for 15 or so minutes. Then you can remove the cookie sheet and put the dough balls in a zip-top bag and return to the freezer. They’ll last for 1-2 months in the freezer, then remove from the freezer, let thaw and continue at the sugar rolling step.
Should I chill cookie dough?
You can chill the cookie dough if you’d like, however, you really don’t need to for this recipe.
Why are my peanut butter blossoms crumbly?
If they are crumbly, you probably over baked them. Use an oven thermometer to make sure your oven is at the right temperature (some ovens can actually be off a few degrees) and check the cookies a minute or two prior to being done to make sure you don’t over bake them (since all ovens bake differently).