Chocolate Peanut Butter Blossoms
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There’s no denying that peanut butter blossoms are one of the most iconic holiday cookies. They’re delicious, nostalgic, and always a crowd favorite. And while I’ll never turn down the classic version, I wanted to give them a fresh twist for my 2025 Holiday Cookie Series (similar to what I did in 2023 with my Almond Butter Blossoms).
These Chocolate Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies are soft, chewy, and have a rich, brownie-like flavor thanks to a combination of the cocoa powder and espresso powder. And the deep chocolate flavor pairs perfectly with that creamy, sweet peanut butter base we all love.
The best part about these blossom cookies? You can top them with any bite-sized chocolate, like Hershey’s Kisses, mini peanut butter cups, Rolos, or whatever you have in the pantry, to make them totally your own.
Even better, there’s no chill time required, making these cookies the perfect last-minute holiday treat, weeknight bake, or quick dessert anytime!
For more peanut butter cookie goodness, check out my Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies, Peanut Butter Chip Cookies, or my Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies.
Table Talk with Tawnie
These Chocolate Peanut Butter Blossoms are so good, they taste like a classic peanut butter blossom crossed with a soft, fudgy brownie in the best way. Not only are they incredibly delicious, but they’re also one of the easiest holiday cookies to whip up. They’re perfect for parties, cookie exchanges, or making with the kids to leave out for Santa (and trust me, he won’t be disappointed!😉).
- All-purpose flour: As always, it’s essential to make sure you’re using the spoon and level method to measure your flour when baking (you can also use a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients).
- Peanut butter: Make sure to use a peanut butter like Skippy or Jif for the right consistency. Don’t use a natural peanut butter. The creamy texture of the peanut butter helps give the cookies a smooth, soft texture.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: Use regular unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed) for the perfect chocolate flavor and the brown color. The espresso powder also really helps to elevate the chocolate, brownie-like flavor of these cookies (don’t worry, they don’t taste like coffee!).
- Egg + egg yolk: The extra egg yolk adds richness, soft tenderness, and helps bind the dough. Make sure both your egg and egg yolk are at room temperature.
- Chocolate: You can use Hershey’s Kisses, mini peanut butter cups, Rolos, or any other small chocolate you love. Just pick something bite-sized that will melt slightly into the warm cookie.
Step by Step Directions
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)
Mix wet ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, peanut butter, and sugars until light and creamy. Then add the rest of the wet ingredients and mix until combined.
Whisk dry ingredients
In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
Combine wet and dry ingredients
Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Note: The dough will be very soft! You can chill the dough to make it a little easier to work with, but it’s not necessary.
Scoop & roll
Scoop the dough and roll each ball in granulated sugar. Then place them on the prepared baking sheet at least 2 inches apart.
Bake & add chocolate!
Bake for 8–10 minutes. Immediately upon removing the cookies from the oven, press a Hershey’s Kiss into the center of each cookie, and you’ll see those classic crinkles form. Allow cookies to cool completely and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Properly measure the flour: As with any baking recipe, make sure to spoon the flour into your measuring cup and use the back of a knife to level off the top. Do not scoop the flour out of the container/bag with your measuring cup because you could end up with 50% more than you need. See this baking tip video for an easy tutorial.
- Chill the dough: This cookie dough is very soft! If you have time, I recommend letting it chill for a few minutes to help make it easier to work with, but it’s not required for these cookies. It also helps create thicker cookies.
- Cautiously add flour: Since the dough is so soft and sticky, you may feel like you need to add a couple more tablespoons of flour to help roll the dough. If so, be sure to only add 1-3 tablespoons so the cookies don’t turn out cakey. If you have the time, I recommend chilling the dough more than adding flour, but a little extra flour can help in a time crunch!
- Don’t over-bake: Make sure not to over-bake these cookies! You want to bake just until the edges are set, but the centers still look soft so you can press your chocolate into the center of the cookie.
- Add chocolate immediately: Upon removing the cookies from the oven, immediately press a Hershey’s Kiss (or chocolate of choice) into the center of each cookie, so you can create those classic crinkles and the chocolate will slightly melt into the cookie. If you wait too long, the chocolate won’t stick to the cookie as well.
The Holiday Cookie Series is back for the 2025 holiday season and full of festive, delicious ideas! From espresso martini cookies to iced oatmeal gingerbread cookies, there’s something for everyone!
Variations / Substitutions
- Nut Butters: Substitute the peanut butter with other nut butters like almond butter (or try my Almond Butter Blossoms), cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter for a different flavor profile.
- Holiday cookies: For festive occasions, use colored sugar for rolling or top the cookies with holiday-themed sprinkles or candies.
- Gluten-free: Gluten-free: Swap the all-purpose flour for Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour.
Storage / Freezing
- Room temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Freeze baked cookies or dough balls (before rolling in sugar) for up to 3 months.
FAQs
No, I do not recommend using natural peanut butter when baking these blossom cookies. Use a peanut butter like Skippy or Jif for the right consistency. The creamy texture of the peanut butter helps give the cookies a smooth, soft texture.
I love these cookies because you can really add anything in the middle you love! Hershey’s Kisses are classic, but I also love adding Mini Reese’s (or extra peanut butter + chocolate flacor), or Rolos work great too. I find using individually wrapped chocolates seems to work the best (versus trying to chop or add multiple chocolate chips to the center), but really anything works!
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Blossoms
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature or vegetable shortening)
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter (such as Skippy or Jif)
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar (packed )
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (plus more for rolling)
- 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk room temperature
- 2 Tbsp. whole milk (or heavy cream)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. espresso powder
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 20 Hershey’s Kisses, mini peanut butter cups, or Rolo’s
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 and prep: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Cream butter and peanut butter: In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter (or shortening), peanut butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until light and creamy, about 2-3 minutes.1/2 cup unsalted butter, 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter, 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- Add wet ingredients: Beat in the egg, egg yolk, milk, and vanilla until smooth and combined.1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk room temperature, 2 Tbsp. whole milk, 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- Mix dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, espresso powder, and salt.1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 1/2 tsp. espresso powder, 1/4 tsp. salt
- Combine ingredients: Gradually add to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until a soft dough forms. Note: The dough will be very soft! You can chill the dough to make it a little easier to work with, but it’s not necessary.
- Shape & roll: Scoop dough into 2 tablespoon-sized balls. Roll each in granulated sugar and place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Since it’s a soft, slightly sticky dough, it’s easy to handle once rolled in a little granulated sugar. If you feel like you need to add a couple more tablespoons of flour, only add 1-3 tablespoons. I don't want the cookies to turn out cakey for you.
- Bake: Bake for 8–10 minutes, or until the edges are set but the centers still look soft. Start Timer
- Add chocolate: Immediately press a Hershey’s Kiss into the center of each cookie, and you’ll see those classic crinkles form. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5-8 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely and garnish the cookies with any reserved granulated sugar, if desired. The cookies are soft and brownie-like – and SO good frozen too!20 Hershey’s Kisses, mini peanut butter cups, or Rolo’s
Notes
- Room temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Freeze baked cookies or dough balls (before rolling in sugar) for up to 3 months.
- Shortening: In most of my cookie recipes, I use butter as I do with these. But you can also choose to use shortening (like the classic way) if you prefer, like I did in my Almond Blossom Cookies.
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.
📸 Photography by Creating Kaitlin
Can I use Almond milk ? Thank you
Good question! I haven’t tried, but I bet it would still turn out ok 🙂