Peanut Blossoms

Name: Peanut Blossoms
Prep time: 1 h
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 48
Ingredients: 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour; 1/2 cup sugar; 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 cup shortening; 1/2 cup peanut butter; 2 tablespoons milk; 1 teaspoon vanilla; 1 egg; Sugar; 48 HERSHEY’S KISSES milk chocolates, unwrapped

Prep time:60 min
Total time:2 hr 0 min
Ingredients:12
Servings:48

By Pillsbury Kitchens(Opens in a new tab)Updated 11/05/2025

Peanut Blossoms

Prep time:60 min
Total time:2 hr 0 min
Ingredients:12
Servings:48
Calories per serving:

Bake OffBake-Off® Contest 09, 1957. Freda Smith. Gibsonburg, Ohio. Bake-Of

Freda Smith

Gibsonburg, Ohio

Bake Off

Bake-Off® Contest 09, 1957

Bake-Of

Peanut Blossoms are a beloved cookie perfect for holidays, bake sales, and everything in between. Creamy peanut butter and smooth HERSHEY’S KISSES candies combine for a classic peanut blossoms cookie. This sweet peanut butter and HERSHEY’S KISSES cookies recipe have been a go-to for home bakers like you since it debuted at the 1957 Pillsbury Bake-Off® Contest. In a hurry? Try our three-ingredient Quick Peanut Blossoms made with Pillsbury™ Refrigerated Peanut Butter Cookies for even quicker peanut butter kiss cookies.

More About This Recipe

For over 50 years, peanut butter blossoms have been one of the most recognizable and most-requested Christmas cookies. What would a holiday platter be without these peanut butter cookies topped with a simple HERSHEY’S KISSES? Many will be surprised to find out that this 1957 Pillsbury™ Bake-Off Contest entry didn’t win the grand prize—Freda Smith, who submitted this cookie recipe, was instead bettered by a different sweet treat: Accordion Twists, submitted by Gerda Roderer. The story behind Smith’s invention of the famous peanut blossoms is one of a happy accident. She was making a batch of peanut butter-chocolate chip cookies, only to realize she had no chocolate chips in her pantry. Instead, she grabbed what she had on hand—HERSHEY’S KISSES—and topped each cookie with one candy. And, voilà! Our favorite Christmas cookie was born. Don’t stop at just peanut blossoms! There are so many other delicious peanut butter cookie recipes out there. Click here to browse our very best!

Peanut Blossoms

Prep time:60 min
Total time:2 hr 0 min
Ingredients:12
Servings:48

Ingredient

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
Sugar
48 HERSHEY’S KISSES milk chocolates, unwrapped

Instructions

Step 1
Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, combine flour, 1/2 cup sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, shortening, peanut butter, milk, vanilla and egg; mix with electric mixer on low speed until stiff dough forms.

Step 2
Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

Step 3
Bake at 375°F. for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately top each cookie with 1 milk chocolate candy, pressing down firmly so cookie cracks around edge; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 1 hour or until chocolate is set.

Recipe Tips

The combo of shortening with the peanut butter ensures that the cookies stay chewy.
Milk chocolate candy drops are the most traditional and favorite candy for blossom cookies, but you can press in mini peanut butter cups, caramel-filled chocolate candies, or large candy-coated chocolates for some variety. Just know that the warm cookies may crack a little more when you press in the chocolate candies.
Try rolling dough balls in coarse sparkling sugar instead of granulated sugar for a special look. Coarse sparkling sugar adds extra sparkle to holiday cookies and can be found in the cake decorating section of most grocery stores.
Flat cookie sheets made of shiny aluminium with a smooth surface produce the best results because they reflect heat, letting cookies bake evenly and brown properly. Rimmed baking sheets are excellent for many things, but not for cookie making.
To Freeze: cool cookies completely, about 1 hour or until chocolate is set. Place cookies in airtight container in single layer between parchment or waxed paper; cover. Freeze up to 2 months. To thaw, let stand, uncovered at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours.

Nutrition Facts

Servings: 48

Serving Size: 1 Cookie

Amount Per Serving Calories :

Nutrition Facts
Food Component / Nutrient	Amount	% , Daily Value*
Vitamin A	Value Not Available	0%
Vitamin C	Value Not Available	0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Exchanges

Fruit 1,
Fat 1

Carbohydrate Choice

Carbohydrate Choice1

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More About This Recipe

Recipe Tips

The combo of shortening with the peanut butter ensures that the cookies stay chewy.

Milk chocolate candy drops are the most traditional and favorite candy for blossom cookies, but you can press in mini peanut butter cups, caramel-filled chocolate candies, or large candy-coated chocolates for some variety. Just know that the warm cookies may crack a little more when you press in the chocolate candies.

Try rolling dough balls in coarse sparkling sugar instead of granulated sugar for a special look. Coarse sparkling sugar adds extra sparkle to holiday cookies and can be found in the cake decorating section of most grocery stores.

Flat cookie sheets made of shiny aluminium with a smooth surface produce the best results because they reflect heat, letting cookies bake evenly and brown properly. Rimmed baking sheets are excellent for many things, but not for cookie making.

To Freeze: cool cookies completely, about 1 hour or until chocolate is set. Place cookies in airtight container in single layer between parchment or waxed paper; cover. Freeze up to 2 months. To thaw, let stand, uncovered at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours.

Nutrition Facts

Food Component / Nutrient

Amount

% , Daily Value*

Vitamin A

Value Not Available

Vitamin C

Value Not Available

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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Peanut Blossoms

Peanut Blossoms

Bake-Off® Contest 09, 1957

More About This Recipe

Peanut Blossoms

Ingredient

Instructions

Recipe Tips

Nutrition Facts

Exchanges

Carbohydrate Choice

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Related Products

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Try These Next

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Family-friendly meals made easy!

Peanut Blossoms

Peanut Blossoms

Bake-Off® Contest 09, 1957

More About This Recipe

Peanut Blossoms

Ingredient

Instructions

Recipe Tips

Nutrition Facts

Exchanges

Carbohydrate Choice

Related Products

Try These Next

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