A classic Christmas cookie in my house is the Hershey kiss cookies. You may know them as a peanut butter blossom cookie but we all know them as the cookie that disappears first at the cookie exchange.
It takes just under an hour to make these easy cookies all year long to satisfy both your sweet and salty tooth. If you are a cookie fan as much as I am you are going to want to add my recipes for scotcheroos and my cranberry almond biscotti recipe.
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Hershey Kiss Cookies
Hershey’s kiss cookies are the Christmas cookie with the soft peanut butter cookie base and a Hershey’s kiss pressed into it while the cookie is still warm. These kiss cookies are freezer-friendly.
Peanut Butter Kiss Cookie Ingredients:
- 48 Hershey’s Kisses
- shortening
- 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
Hershey Kiss Cookie Instructions:
- Preheat oven .
- Cream the shortening and peanut butter until well blended.
- Add 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.
- 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 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.
Peanut butter blossom cookie tips:
- 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.
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 a white granular sugar to indicate a difference in kiss. For example, red colored sugar would indicate a 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.
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
Ingredients
- 48 Hershey’s Kisses
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 3/4 cup Reese’s Creamy Peanut Butter
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 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 1/3 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.
What type of Hershey’s kisses are used on peanut butter blossoms?
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 a white granular sugar to indicate a difference in kiss. For example, red colored sugar would indicate a milk chocolate with almond, green sugar would indicate mint truffle or use one of the Hugs for a different twist on the cookie.Can kiss cookies be frozen?
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.Do you unwrap the Hershey’s kisses before placing them on the peanut butter cookie?
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.Nutrition
first published dec 22 2017
koko says
it’s 2am and now I want those
Nan says
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.
Sarah says
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.