Almond Butter Blossoms
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My Almond Butter Blossoms are a delicious variation of the classic peanut butter blossom cookies we all know and love.
They have a soft and chewy cookie base made with a heaping cup of almond butter giving them a rich and nutty flavor. And before I get any further, you can totally make them with peanut butter too! I recommend a smooth and creamy variety such as Jif or Skippy for best results.
Some of my other holiday favorites are: these Ritz Cracker Christmas Cookies, Pecan Pie Cookies, Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies, and these Chocolate Peppermint Cookies.
These almond butter blossom cookies feature the signature chocolate kiss pressed into the center of each cookie after baking. It slightly melts into the cookie since the cookies are still warm so it creates this smooth and creamy contrast to the nutty cookie base.
The cookies get rolled in granulated sugar prior to baking which helps add a subtle crunch and glistening appearance, making them festive for the holiday season.
They are a must make for the holiday and a quintessential Christmas cookie in my book!
Why this recipe works
- The combination of the almond butter cookie and the chocolate is a delicious blend of flavors.
- They are a holiday favorite!
- Can easily be made with peanut butter if you’re not an almond butter fan.
- Perfect for parties and Christmas time.
- Freezer friendly.
- In most of my cookie recipes, I use butter. But in my blossoms I always love using shortening and I’ll tell you why!
- Shortening helps to create a cookie that is tender and slightly crumbly. Shortening is 100% fat and butter contains water, so the lack of water results in a more tender cookie.
- The shortening also has a higher melting point than butter, so the cookies are able to hold their shape, spread less, and creates a more uniform cookie.
- Butter has a rich flavor, and since I want the almond butter (or peanut butter) flavors to shine, the shortening allows those flavors to be more pronounced.
Ingredients needed
For the ingredient measurements and entire recipe, be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the blog post where the recipe card is located.
- Almond butter (or peanut butter!): this is the star of the show! Choose a smooth and creamy variety, I love using Barney smooth almond butter for these blossoms or Jif or Skippy for the peanut butter option.
- Shortening (Such as Crisco): helps to create a tender cookie.
- Sugars: combination of granulated sugar and brown sugar is used. Brown sugar adds moisture and a slight molasses flavor, while granulated sugar contributes to the cookie’s structure.
- Eggs: Acts as a binder and helps in leavening the cookies.
- Milk: I often add milk to my peanut butter and almond butter cookies. The addition of milk adds moisture and helps to improve the overall texture of the cookies. Peanut butter or almond butter can make cookie dough dry, especially if they lack oils, so the milk is my secret weapon!
- Vanilla Extract: Adds flavor depth and enhances the other ingredients.
- Flour: all purpose flour works well. Be sure to spoon and level the flour to get an accurate measurement.
- Chocolate kisses: Placed in the center of each cookie after baking; they melt slightly into the warm cookie.
- Other ingredients needed: Baking Soda, Baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
How to make Almond Butter Blossoms:
- Preheat oven to 375°F
- In a stand mixer or hand mixer, mix almond butter, shortening, dark brown sugar and white sugar together. Once nicely mixed, add in eggs, milk & vanilla. Mix well.
- In a separate large bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together. Then stir into the almond butter mixture.
- Roll dough into small balls, and then coat in the granulated sugar.
- Bake in the oven for 11-13 minutes. Immediately after removing from the oven, press a chocolate kiss in the center of each cookie. Let cool completely.
Variations
- Different Types of Chocolate: Instead of the classic chocolate kiss, try using different types of chocolate such as dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, or even flavored chocolate like mint or orange. Miniature peanut butter cups or chocolate chunks can also be a delicious alternative.
- Nut Butters: Substitute almond butter with other nut butters like peanut butter, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter for a different flavor profile.
- Flavor Add-Ins: Enhance the dough with more spices like nutmeg, or ginger. Adding a dash of almond extract can also elevate the flavor.
- Stuffed Cookies: Before baking, stuff the cookie dough balls with a small amount of jam, caramel, or additional almond butter for a surprise filling.
- Toppings and Drizzles: After baking, drizzle the cookies with melted chocolate, caramel, or a simple icing. Sprinkles or crushed nuts can also be added for extra texture and flavor.
- Gluten-Free : Substitute traditional ingredients with gluten-free flour blends if needed.
- Holiday Themes: For festive occasions, use colored sugar for rolling or top the cookies with holiday-themed chocolate candies.
- Crunchy Texture: Add chopped nuts, oatmeal, or crushed pretzels to the dough for a bit of crunch.
Storage
- Cool completely and store in an air tight container for up to 1 week.
- Freeze almond butter blossoms in a freezer safe bag or container for up to 3 months.
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Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 cup almond butter, creamy
- 1 cup Vegetable shortening (I used Crisco)
- 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup white sugar (granulated)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/3 cup milk (I used whole milk)
- 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup white sugar (for rolling the cookie dough in before baking)
- 1, 11 oz. bag of milk chocolate kisses
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- In a large bowl mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together.3 1/2 cups all purpose flour, spooned and leveled, 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1 tsp. salt
- In a stand mixer/hand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the almond butter, shortening, dark brown sugar and white sugar together for ~3-4 minutes on medium speed.1 cup almond butter, creamy, 1 cup Vegetable shortening (I used Crisco), 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed, 1 cup white sugar (granulated)
- Once nicely mixed add in the eggs, milk & vanilla.2 large eggs, room temperature, 1/3 cup milk (I used whole milk), 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- Gradually add the dry ingredients on low speed.
- Mix until combined.
- Roll the dough into small balls (you can use a 2 Tbsp. cookie scoop) and then coat in granulated sugar.1/3 cup white sugar (for rolling the cookie dough in before baking)
- Place on the prepared baking sheets and repeat with remaining cookie dough. This recipe yields ~32-35, 2 Tbsp. cookies, or you can make smaller and reduce the baking time by about 1 minute.
- Bake in the oven for ~11-13 minutes or until cookies are just set and slightly golden.
- Immediately after removing from the oven, press a chocolate kiss in the center of each cookie. Rest on baking sheet for 1-2 minutes then gently transfer to a wire cooling rack.1, 11 oz. bag of milk chocolate kisses
- Let cool completely, errr if you can wait! ENJOY!
Video
Notes
- Adapted recipe from All Recipes
- Recipe can be made with creamy peanut butter instead of almond butter if preferred.
- Storage: Cool completely and store in an air tight container for up to 1 week. Freeze almond butter blossoms in a freezer safe bag or container for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is automatically calculated. It should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Kroll’s Korner can’t make any guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
FAQs
Yes, you can freeze the dough. Roll the dough into balls, freeze them on a baking sheet, and then transfer to a freezer bag. You can bake them directly from the freezer, adding a minute or two to the baking time.
Avoid over baking and measure the flour correctly. Over baking and too much flour can lead to hard cookies.
The cookies are done when the edges are set and lightly golden. The center will still be soft and look puffy but will firm up as they cool. I always say it’s better to remove when they looked under baked since they have a chance to cook more on the cookie sheet when pulled from the oven.
Can I use a natural nut butter, and not Jif or Skippy?
Yes, you can use natural peanut butter, but keep in mind that it may affect the texture of the cookies. Natural peanut butter tends to be oilier and less stable, which can make the dough more crumbly or oily. The addition of milk should help.
Photography: photos taken in this post are by Megan from The Broke Girl Table.
They came out perfect and so yummy! Having a difficult time not eating them all
hehehe 🤭 so glad you loved them, Hollie!
Delicious! I used Reese’s PB cups instead of kisses.
the Reese’s is so smart! mmmm, thank you!! 🙂
This is by far the best recipe for these cookies. They were so delicious. Perfection!!
Wow! These are delicious! They look beautiful and taste better! I loved the information about using shortening instead of butter. These are a new favorite!
Thank you sooo much Kari! They look amazing. And I am glad you enjoyed that bit of additional info i added in 🙂 yay! Happy holidays!
Yummy! Could I use butter instead of shortening?
Thank you! I haven’t tested them out with butter, if you try it out please let me know how it goes 🙂
This is my new favorite version of this recipe, so good with the almond butter. And I love a2 milk too!
A2 is the best! Thank you Emily!
These are so classic and I love the modern almond butter twist!
Thank you so much Liz!
Such a perfect cookie for the holidays!!
A classic, right?! Thank you!
I have always made these with peanut butter but am now in love with the almond butter version!
Me too then I tried with almond and fell even more in love!!! Thank you!
These are SO good! And next time I’m at the store I need to try some A2 milk!
Thank you! Yes, let me know what you think of it!