Peanut butter kiss cookies are the classic Christmas cookie that everyone loves! These delicious Hershey kiss cookies go from ingredients to serving plate in less than 30 minutes.
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Here is why this recipe is amazing:
- The peanut butter cookie is the perfect foundation for the Hershey Kiss.
- These cookies disappear first at the cookie exchange.
- They are the BEST when you eat them when they are still slightly warm.
- Perfect for making ahead because these kiss cookies are freezer-friendly.
🍫 Ingredients needed:
- 48 Hershey's Kisses
- shortening - I prefer Crisco. The same vegetable shortening I use in my Crisco pie crust.
- Reese's Creamy Peanut Butter
- sugar
- light brown sugar
- egg
- milk
- vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- all-purpose flour
- baking soda
- salt
- granulated sugar for rolling
Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.
🥣 How To Make Peanut Butter Blossoms
- Preheat oven to 375.
- Cream the shortening and peanut butter until well blended.
- Add granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until light and fluffy.
- Add egg, milk, and vanilla; beat well.
- In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add the dry ingredients into the peanut butter mixture.
- Portion out the peanut butter dough and shape dough into 1-inch balls.
- Roll the peanut butter balls in granulated sugar.
- Place the cookie dough balls on an un-greased cookie sheet, a cookie sheet line with parchment paper OR a sil pat matt.
- Bake at 375 until slightly brown.
- Immediately press an unwrapped Hershey's chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie.
- As soon as all the kisses have been pressed into the peanut butter cookie, immediately remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.
- Cool completely.
❄️ Storage tips if you have leftover potato casserole
When thawing your frozen cookies, allow the cookies to defrost in the container you froze them in to help keep them from drying out as they thaw. By opening the container you rereleasing the moisture that could be reabsorbed by the cookie as it thaws.
☝️ Top Tip
- Cracks are expected when the kiss is pressed into the cookie.
- Using a cookie scoop to portion out the dough will help keep the cookies uniform.
- If the chocolate kiss get glossy, that is fine. It is just the residual heat from the cookie. It will set back up.
- Eat one cookie warm. You are welcome.
📝 Frequently asked questions, answers and tips:
Personally, I am a fan of the classic milk chocolate kiss but feel free to use your favorite Hershey's kiss. I love to mix it up and add colored sugar instead of white granular sugar to indicate a difference in kiss. For example, red-colored sugar would indicate milk chocolate with almond, green sugar would indicate mint truffle or use one of the Hugs for a different twist on the cookie.
One of the things I love about this recipe for Hershey's kiss cookies is that they freeze and thaw beautifully! Store them in single layers with parchment or wax paper between them and freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to a month.
Pack them tightly in a plastic container with an air-tight lid. I will line the bottom of the container with cookies, peanut butter cookie side down and then turn the second layer of cookies over, kiss side down, to fill in the negative space. Place the container in a mailing box, surrounded with bubble wrapping so that it’s secure and doesn’t move around too much. Then, mail it off.
More cookie recipes:
- Chocolate pizzelle recipe - I share with you the secret to perfect pizzelle cookies and why this is the best cocoa pizzelle recipe.
- Anise pizzelle - One of my favorite Christmas cookie recipe is my grandmother's recipe. Golden brown, thin and crispy pizzelles are a MUST for any holiday cookie tray.
👩🍳 Chef Tip
Funny story. When I was a kid I made the peanut butter blossom cookies WITHOUT unwrapping the foil from the kisses. I was 8 so I was still learning so we will call this a teachable moment. Yes, you DO need to unwrap the foil from the kisses before placing them on the cookie.
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Chocolate Kiss Cookie Recipe
There is more to a recipe than just the recipe card. Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Ingredients
- 48 Hershey's Kisses
- ½ cup shortening
- ¾ cup Reese's Creamy Peanut Butter
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup additional granulated sugar for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- In a mixing bowl with the beater attachments, cream the shortening and peanut butter until well blended.
- Add ⅓ cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy.
- Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well.
- In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add the dry ingredients into the peanut butter mixture.
- Using a small cookie scoop, portion out the peanut butter dough and shape dough into 1-inch balls.
- Roll the peanut butter balls in granulated sugar.
- Place the cookie dough balls on an un-greased cookie sheet, a cookie sheet line with parchment paper OR a sil pat matt.
- Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes or until slightly brown.
- Immediately press an unwrapped Hershey's chocolate kiss into center of each cookie.
- As soon as all the kisses have been pressed into the peanut butter cookie, immediately remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.
- Cool completely.
Notes
- Unwrap the foil from the kisses while the cookies are baking. Don't wait until they come out of the oven. The cookies will firm up too fast.
- Cracks are expected when the kiss is pressed into the cookie.
- Using a cookie scoop to portion out the dough will help keep the cookies uniform.
- If the chocolate kiss get glossy, that is fine. It is just the residual heat from the cookie. It will set back up.
- Eat one cookie warm. You are welcome.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclosure
Nutritional facts are estimates and are provided as a courtesy to the reader. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. Nutritional values are calculated via a third party. Changing ingredients, amounts or cooking technique will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
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first published dec 22 2017
👩🏻🍳 Sarah Mock
CEO/Owner/Founder/Culinary Blogger
Sarah Mock is a classically trained Chef and graduate of Johnson & Wales University. A culinary blogger for 14 years Sarah helps the home cook prepare her recipes with professional results.
Judy
Sooo yummy!!! This is the first time I have made this type of cookie and they turned out perfect! Thank you.
Sarah Mock
Oh my gosh!!! We love chocolate stars! I am going to keep this in mind for our next batch. thanks so much Michele.
Sarah
Michele Chapman
I literally just tried this recipe. I actually just took the first batch out of the oven. And they are really good! And this recipe is so easy! I did use chocolate stars rather than kisses. But, it’s still really good.
Thank you!!
Sarah
OOH!!! Did you add them to the dough or roll the dough IN the crusted peanuts before making? Either way sounds delish! Thanks for sharing Nan.
Nan
These are fabulous! Didn't change anything other then added some left-over crushed peanuts from Christmas baking. Taste and texture of cookie are perfect.
koko
it's 2am and now I want those