Hershey Kiss Cookies are the perfect trip back to childhood with a crisp outside, soft chewy inside, and perfect mixture of chocolate and peanut butter.
My husband’s all time favorite Christmas cookie are these amazing Hershey Kiss Cookies. He talks about how his grandma made them every year around the holidays with a sweet little chocolate star in the center.
My mother-in-law was kind enough to share her mother’s recipe with me, telling me she was planning on making some the very next day. Loving on these cookies is a family tradition.
When I handed my husband one, I looked at him with expectant eyes and said, “So?! What do you think???” He thought for a second and then said, “Grandma left her’s out while we visited. These are too soft and chewy.”
Ladies and gentleman, my husband.
Anyway, if you disagree and are looking for a buttery soft cookie that bursts with amazing peanut butter flavor while also having a perfect crisp outside, you are in luck. These Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies are perfection.
I just made these cookies today and they are delicious!
How to Make Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies
This is a brief overview to show you how easy it is to make Peanut Butter Hershey Kiss Cookies. For the full recipe with all of the measurements, see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
- Beat together the wet ingredients. In a large bowl or in the base of a stand mixer, beat the butter and peanut butter together until smooth. Then beat in the brown sugar and granulated sugar.
- Add in the egg, milk, and vanilla. Add each one at a time.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. With the mixer on low, mix in just enough so that there is not a loose flour – about 15 seconds. Turn the mixer on high, and mix the flour until just combined.
- Scoop the cookies. I like using a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop. Roll the dough ball in granulated sugar.
- Bake and add the Hershey’s kiss. Right when the cookies come out of the oven, press the kiss into the middle of each cookie. Allow to cool and enjoy!
A Kiss or a Star
My husband swears that peanut butter blossom cookies can only be eaten with a chocolate star. I will admit, that I do love how they look with the star. They are also a little easier to eat. Plus! You don’t have to do any unwrapping.
The stars can be a bit tricky to find, but Brachs sells them. I have found them in bigger grocery stores, candy shops, and occasionally online.
Whichever you end up using, you will adore these delicious cookies.
Hershey Kiss Cookies Baking Tips
These are a few tips that will help with all of your cookie recipes
- Measure the flour correctly. When measuring your flour, scoop it into the measuring cup and then level off. This will keep you from having too much flour. You can read more about this in this post: How to Measure Flour.
- Use fresh baking soda. When you add it to a little vinegar it should bubble right away. Replace baking soda and baking powder every six months.
- Use room temperature butter. You should be able to push your finger in to dent it but not all the way through.
- Cream the butter and sugar together well. Make sure to fully beat your sugar and butter together. Doing this beats air into the butter, and makes for light fluffy cookies that are perfect and chewy.
- Use a cookie scoop. By doing this, you will end up with nice uniform dough balls that cook evenly.
- Preheat your oven. I know we are eager to eat Peanut Butter Cookies, but you need to truly preheat your oven and not just turn it on and throw them in.
- Don’t put your dough on a hot baking sheet. If you are only working with one baking sheet, make sure that you let it cool to the touch before putting another batch of dough on it. You don’t want your cookies to start baking before they hit the hot oven.
How to Measure Flour
Storing Cookies
These cookies should be fully cooled before stored. Store them in a single layer, rather than stacking them in containers. This will keep their kiss beautiful. Store at room temperature for up to one week.
Freezing Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies
These cookies freeze really well. Freeze them in a single layer overnight to flash freeze them. After doing this, you can stack them in layers and store them in an airtight container. Return them to the freezer and freeze for up to three months.
Freezing Dough
You can definitely freeze this dough recipe! This is a great way to be able to have one of these cookies any time you want.
- Make the recipe up until we are putting the dough balls in the oven.
- Place the cookie dough balls on a wax paper lined baking sheet and freeze for at least one hour.
- After an hour you can put all the dough balls into a sealable container (or bag) and put them back in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- When you are ready to bake put the dough balls right from the freezer into the preheated oven (375 degrees Fahrenheit) and bake for 12 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, add the kiss or star, and enjoy!
More Peanut Butter Desserts
If you are a peanut butter lover like me, here are some other desserts I know you will like.
- Try my Peanut Butter Pie. It is over the top and crazy good.
- You of course need to make my Easy Peanut Butter Fudge.
- And where would your world be without my Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies?
If you make these Peanut Butter Hersheys Kiss Cookies or any of my other recipes, please leave me a comment and let me know!
Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour (180 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter (202.5 grams)
- 1/2 cup butter room temperature (113 grams)
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar plus more for rolling (66 grams)
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar packed (71 grams)
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 24 Hersheys kisses or chocolate stars
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.1 1/2 cup all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt
- In a large bowl using a handheld mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the peanut butter and butter until smooth. Add in the granulated and brown sugar, and beat until fluffy, between 3 and 6 minutes.3/4 cup creamy peanut butter, 1/2 cup butter, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- Add in the egg, then the milk, and then the vanilla. Fully blend in each ingredient before adding another.1 egg, 2 tablespoons milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add the flour mixture all at once. With the mixer on low, mix in just enough so that there is not a loose flour – about 15 seconds. Turn the mixer on high, and mix the flour in just enough so that you do not see streaks of white. Be sure to scrape the bottom to bring up any loose flour.
- Scoop out 1 1/2 tablespoons worth of dough, roll into a ball, roll the ball in the extra granulated sugar, and set on the parchment lined baking sheets. I like using a cookie scoop for this. (See recipe notes about making 4 dozen cookies instead of 2 dozen.)
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the cookies begin to lightly brown aroudn the edges. While the cookies are baking, unwrap the chocolate kisses.
- Immediately after pulling cookies out of the oven, lightly press one Hershey's kiss or one chocolate star into the center of each cookie. Let cool on the baking sheet for two minutes before transfering to a wire rack to cool completely.24 Hersheys kisses or chocolate stars
- Enjoy right away or store in an air tight container for up to one week.
Karla D. Toliver says
Hi – Best cookie ever, but I’m too lazy to start from scratch. The last time I tried, it was a disaster. There was flour everywhere. . . in my hair, on my clothes, and on the floor. Now I just purchase the Pillsbury Peanut Butter cookie dough to make my life so much easier. It’s soooooo much quicker for those of us who are impatient and need their food right away. And also less fishes to wash. Maybe one day I’ll try your recipe from scratch. Thank you for sharing and Merry Christmas!
I am in full support of people taking short cuts. Whatever makes you happy.
Nancy says
I use small peanut butter cups instead of kisses. Delicious!
Sounds so good!
Karen Becker says
I just made these cookies today and they are delicious!
MELANIE HOWARD says
Hi I am wondering could I make these cookies using a sugar cookie dough recipe? One of my sons is now allergic to p-nut butter.
You sure can, Melanie! The texture will be just a little different (you won’t get those cracks you see), but still delicious. I suggest using this Sugar Cookie recipe.
Sue Record says
Does Hershey’s make a Chocolate Star?? I have been making these for years using their kisses, but if the star is made from a different company I am afraid the taste is going to be altered enough that my brain is going to wonder what I am trying to pull. I do like the way it looks and not having to unwrap it is certainly a plus.
I don’t think they do, unfortunately. I actually like using half kisses and half stars! I will say that the star is easier to eat.
Sue Fussell says
If I use colored sugar to roll the balls in will the color show up on the cookies? I was going to do the sugar cookie recipe but I think the peanut butter blossoms would go over better but want some color to them.
I haven’t used colored sugar on this recipe, so I don’t know how vibrant it will be, but it will show up.
Shannon says
So delicious and easy to make. The only thing I did was take the cookies out at 7 minutes and pressed the Hershey kiss into the cookies and then finished off the baking time. This recipe is on Christmas baking list!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Pam Fuller says
Merry Christmas
Just a quick note…
I made the wonderful Peanut Butter Blossoms using your recipe, because I came across it. I have made many times in past, but when I moved I couldn’t find my cookie recipes.
Mine came out flat, using 1″ roll out.
You forgot the Baking Powder in your recipe.
No problem still taste fine.
Ty,
Pam
Hi Pam! I’m not quite sure what happened here. I’ve made these many times and they don’t come out flat, because they have baking soda in them. I’m so glad you liked the flavor.
Maia says
I made this recipe to-a-T with kisses and the cookies turned out perfectly and were deliciously amazing. Thank you so much for sharing.
I’m so glad that you liked it!
Heather says
I am having a hard time finding the tips on making 4 dozen cookies instead of two. What are the tips or can you lead me in the right direction?
In the recipe card at the bottom of the post when you hover over the “24 cookies” as the serving size, a small sliding scale should pop up and you can move it to 48 cookies. It will then change all the amounts of the ingredients to make that amount. You then just make the recipe as written with double the ingredients.