This classic Hershey's thumbprint cookie recipe is the perfect cookie for sending to school and it ships really well, too!
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❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- Perfect for Christmas cookie trays!
- Ship well
- Easy to make
Peanut butter blossoms go together fast - in no time at all you'll be munching one and washing it down with cold milk.
You DO wash it down with milk, right?
They freeze well too -- so they're perfect for making ahead of time for holiday giving and those last minute school bake sales.
Best of all? They're so easy - the perfect family baking project on a snow day! Even the youngest kiddo can help by unwrapping the Kisses!
Just FYI- I'm pretty certain that these are the BEST way onto Santa's "Good" list.
🧾 Ingredients
For this easy holiday recipe you'll need:
- Sugar
- Light brown sugar
- Butter
- Creamy peanut butter
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- Baking soda
- All-purpose flour
- Hershey Kisses (any kind is fine!)
🔪 Instructions
Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the green recipe card below.
- Cream butter and peanut butter in bowl then add sugar, egg, and vanilla.
- Add dry ingredients then beat until mixed.
- Shape into 1-inch balls and roll in sugar. Place cookie dough balls on a parchment covered baking sheet.
- Bake, remove from oven and gently press 1 chocolate kiss in the center the cookie. Let cool on wire racks.
🥫 Storage
You can store the unbaked dough in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Just put it in an airtight container or cover with plastic wrap.
Store baked cookies at room temperature for a week or so. I've shipped these to my military son in Japan with no problems. They arrived fresh.
How To Freeze
- Form the dough into balls and roll in the sugar.
- Place them close together on a cookie sheet.
- Put the cookie sheet in the freezer until the balls of dough are completely frozen.
- Take off the cookie sheet, toss in a freezer container, and return to the freezer.
- When you're ready for some cookies take out as many dough balls as you need.
- Put them about 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet.
- Bake as directed (but they may need an extra few minutes).
- Remove from the oven and add the Hershey's Kisses as directed in the recipe.
See? Easy!
💭 Tips for success
These are probably our favorite cookies during the Christmas season!
Expert Tip: If you let the cookie cool for about 3 minutes before adding the Kiss it will help it keep its shape.
- A lot of peanut butter blossom cookie recipes call for vegetable shortening but I prefer butter. You can use shortening instead if you want. It will be less likely to spread in the oven but also less flavorful.
- The dough is kind of soft so you'll want to chill it for an hour or so before you try to shape the cookies. It's actually best if you chill it overnight.
- Have the chocolate kiss candy unwrapped and ready to go before you put the cookie dough in the oven.
- When you add the Hershey's Kiss press it down gently just enough to help it adhere to the surface of the cookie.
- Also - if you freeze the unwrapped kisses before using them for the cookies they'll keep their shape better.
- You can also put these Hershey's kiss cookies straight in the freezer for a quick chill once you've added the Kiss - that will help, too.
📖 Variations
Here are some of my other favorite variations on the classic Hershey's Peanut Butter Kiss cookie recipe-
- Use Hershey's Hugs or any of the other Hershey's Kiss variations.
- Use almond butter in place of the peanut butter and almond extract in place of the vanilla.
- Try crunchy peanut butter and see if you like that.
- Use Reeses Peanut Butter Cups instead of Kisses.
- Roll in powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar.
- Use a Rolo instead of a Kiss.
- Use one of the filled types of Kisses.
- Drizzle with melted chocolate or white chocolate once they're cool.
- My Red Velvet Peppermint Kiss cookies are probably my favorite variation.
- The coarser the sugar the more crunchy the outside of the cookie will be so try different types of sugar crystals like turbinado, raw sugar, etc.
👩🏻🍳 Frequently asked questions
Here are the questions I am most frequently asked about this recipe.
Mix the dough according to the recipe
Chill
Form the cookies
Bake
Add the unwrapped Hershey's Kiss
Let cool
Once baked they'll be fine for a week or so at room temperature (like they're really going to last that long?) or freeze for longer storage.
No you don't! If you'd like to cut back on the sugar then just roll them in balls and proceed without rolling them in sugar.
📚 Related recipes
Here are plenty of Christmas cookie recipes plus lots of information on storing, shipping and more!
📞 The last word
Keep in mind that shipping times are notoriously slow during the busy holiday season. If you'll be mailing these to loved ones send them early!
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it a 5 star rating. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Peanut Butter Hershey Kiss Cookies
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Equipment Needed
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Combine the butter and peanut butter in bowl.
- Beat until well blended.
- Add both the white and brown sugars and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.
- Add egg, and vanilla; continue beating until well blended.
- Add flour and baking soda then beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until it's completely mixed.
- Chill dough for 30 minutes if you have time.
- Shape dough into 1-inch balls.
- Roll balls in ¼ cup vanilla sugar.
- Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.
- Bake 8-10 minutes.
- Gently press 1 chocolate kiss in center of each cookie.
- Let cool on cookie sheets for 5 minutes.
- Place in freezer for about 10 minutes or until the chocolate hardens back up.
- Remove from freezer.
Notes
- A lot of Peanut Butter Blossoms recipes call for shortening but I prefer butter. You can use shortening instead if you want. It will be less likely to spread in the oven but also less flavorful.
- The dough is kind of soft so you'll want to chill it for an hour or so before you try to shape the cookies. It's actually best if you chill it overnight.
- Have the chocolate Kiss candy unwrapped and ready to go before you put the cookie dough in the oven.
- When you add the Hershey's Kiss press it down gently just enough to help it adhere to the surface of the cookie.
- Also - if you freeze the unwrapped kisses before using them for the cookies they'll keep their shape better.
- You can also put them straight in the freezer for a quick chill once you've added the Kiss - that will help, too.
Nutrition Facts
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We'll never share your email or send you spam. Pinkie swear.First published December 2017. Last updated December 17, 2021 with better images.
Terri
I don’t know what vanilla sugar is can you please tell me I would love to make these cookies for my grandkids
Marye
It's sugar that has been flavored with vanilla. You can buy it at a lot of stores or you can make it by adding a vanilla bean to sugar and letting it sit for a few weeks. OR you can just use regular sugar and not worry about it - they'll still be good!
Rita Stroup
I made these using blue-colored sugar crystals as it is January with snow on the ground, However, I am still uncertain what vanilla sugar is, as mentioned in your dialogue. Please let me know, as I may be missing something. The cookies are all baked and in the freezer now with the chocolate kisses on top. They look festive and will round out the other varieties on my cookie plates just perfectly adding great flavor and a nice splash of color. I haven't tasted them yet but liked the idea of making them with butter. None of my old recipes made it out here when I moved here from the East several years ago. I used to make a similar cookie blossom one some years ago and they always turned out perfectly. Thanks for contributing your version of this 'golden oldie'.
Marye
They sound beautiful, Rita. 🙂 Once you've had a chance to taste them I'd love it if you'd come back and give them a star rating!
K
how much salt ?? 🙁 It doesn't say....
Marye Audet
There's no salt... that was a typo. The peanut butter has enough salt.