This is a non-fussy, straightforward recipe, made with simple ingredients, that can most likely be found in your pantry. Chopped honey roasted peanuts and Hershey’s Kisses give these soft and chewy brown sugar cookies a nutty, crunchy texture with a chocolatey decorative finish. This delightful cookie combo is sure to satisfy almost anyone’s sweet tooth.
When it comes to holiday cookie recipes, Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without a peanut butter blossom cookie or two to celebrate. I’m pretty sure that almost everyone I grew up with is familiar with this classic cookie recipe. It was definitely a recipe that my mom faithfully made every Christmas season, along with her hard-as-a-rock, good luck not chipping a tooth, chocolate chip cookies. Those sad, lil’ cookie hockey pucks were most assuredly a holiday family tradition only my mom looked forward to. Thankfully, her buttery spritz cookies, made using an antique electric cookie press, were more of a family favorite. However, I think that’s probably just because my brother and I enjoyed fighting over who got to use the cookie press to make them or who got to wield the bottle of rainbow nonpareils used to decorate them before baking. Come to think of it, cookie baking in our house usually ended in a full-on war over who did or who did not get to do something or other. With peanut butter blossoms, it was always a battle to see who could put on the Hershey’s Kisses the fastest as soon as they came out of the oven.
Today’s recipe deviates a little bit from the classic well-known peanut blossom recipe that almost everyone is familiar with. This easy-to-make version is a little bit untraditional since it lacks actual peanut butter in the recipe and doesn’t require a decorative sugar coating, however, it’s still just as tasty as the original version. The crunchy honey roasted peanuts give the cookie a lovely texture and the flavor of the Hershey’s Kisses Special Dark chocolate helps to balance out the sweetness of the simple brown sugar cookie dough. Now, if you prefer a more traditional Hershey’s Kisses cookie recipe, you can always bake up a batch of these Flourless Chunky Peanut Butter Blossoms, these Firecracker Oatmeal Peanut Butter Blossoms, or these Flourless Pumpkin Seed Peanut Butter Blossoms, however, I highly suggest you give this new version a try first. No matter which delicious cookie recipe you choose this holiday season, you’ll still be able to battle over who can put on the Hershey’s Kisses the fastest. And heck, if you really want to get into an all-out war, just break out the rainbow nonpareils to make things even more lively.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter, Softened
- 1 Cup Light Brown Sugar, Packed
- 1 Egg
- 2 Teaspoons Vanilla
- 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 3/4 Cup Honey Roasted Peanuts, Finely Chopped (Divided)
- 24 Hershey’s Kisses Special Dark, Unwrapped (Approximately)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar together for 3 minutes on medium speed.
- Add the egg; mix for 30 seconds on medium speed.
- Add the vanilla; mix for 30 seconds on medium speed.
- Add the baking soda and salt; mix for 30 seconds on medium speed.
- Slowly add the flour 1/2 cup at a time on low speed. Mix until just combined.
- Fold 1/2 cup of the chopped honey roasted peanuts into the cookie dough. Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to scoop the cookie dough out onto a Silpat or parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Gently press the remaining 1/4 cup of chopped honey roasted peanuts into the tops of the cookies.
- Bake for 12 minutes.
- Immediately after removing the cookies from the oven, lightly press down unwrapped Hershey’s Kisses into the middle of the cookies.
Suggestions:
- These cookies will be puffed up and just starting to crack a bit on top when they are done baking. They will deflate as they cool, creating a soft and chewy cookie. If you overbake the cookies they will be dry and crispier.
- I used Hershey’s Kisses Special Dark for this recipe. Feel free to use whichever variety you have on hand.
- Allow the cookies to rest for 5 minutes before removing them to a baking rack to finish cooling completely.
- This recipe will yield approximately 2 dozen cookies. It’s an easy recipe to double if you so desire.
- The Hershey’s Kisses on these cookies will remain gooey for quite some time after baking. To store these cookies, place the cookies on a rimmed baking sheet or in a sheet cake pan. Cover the baking sheet or sheet cake pan tightly with foil. This will prevent the Hershey’s Kisses from being smudged during storage.
- If you would like to store these cookies immediately for travel or packaging, place them in a freezer on a baking sheet for 15 to 30 minutes to reharden the Hershey’s Kisses.
Improvements:
- Replace the Hershey’s Kisses with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups Miniatures or Reese’s Peanut Butter Bells.
- Add some food coloring to the dough for festive, fun, and colorful holiday cookies.
- Replace the honey roasted peanuts with chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds.
- Skip the Hershey’s Kisses and just add milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate, or semi-sweet chocolate chips to the cookie dough.
- CLICK HERE to check out all of our past cookie recipes.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter, Softened
- 1 Cup Light Brown Sugar, Packed
- 1 Egg
- 2 Teaspoons Vanilla
- 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 3/4 Cup Honey Roasted Peanuts, Finely Chopped (Divided)
- 24 Hershey's Kisses Special Dark, Unwrapped (Approximately)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar together for 3 minutes on medium speed.
- Add the egg; mix for 30 seconds on medium speed.
- Add the vanilla; mix for 30 seconds on medium speed.
- Add the baking soda and salt; mix for 30 seconds on medium speed.
- Slowly add the flour 1/2 cup at a time on low speed. Mix until just combined.
- Fold 1/2 cup of the chopped honey roasted peanuts into the cookie dough. Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to scoop the cookie dough out onto a Silpat or parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Gently press the remaining 1/4 cup of chopped honey roasted peanuts into the tops of the cookies.
- Bake for 12 minutes.
- Immediately after removing the cookies from the oven, lightly press down unwrapped Hershey’s Kisses into the middle of the cookies.
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Christmas is a time for family, friends, and delicious holiday cookies. From classic butter cookies to iced gingerbread cookies, this list of ultimate Christmas cookie recipes has something for everyone. Whether you’re looking for festive colors, unique seasonal ingredients, or just a cookie that’s super easy to make, these Christmas cookie recipes will help you find the perfect cookie for the season. CLICK HERE for the recipes.
Try our original Simple Brown Sugar Cookies (Soft & Chewy) recipe. Looking for a simple non-fussy cookie recipe that uses basic ingredients you already have on hand in your pantry? Look no further than this soft and chewy simple brown sugar cookie recipe. The brown sugar adds a sweet flavor and a soft, chewy texture to these cookies, and a final sprinkle of demerara sugar before baking gives them a delightful crunchy topping. CLICK HERE for the recipe.
Softened unsalted butter, light brown sugar, vanilla, and a few other essential baking ingredients come together to create the perfect soft and chewy brown sugar cookie dough. By experimenting with additional ingredients or toppings, you can transform this simple dough into an endless variety of flavors and textures. Whether you’re baking up a storm for the holidays, crafting a colorful cookie platter for your next party, or simply indulging your sweet tooth, this cookie dough is your new best friend. Below, you’ll find some of our favorite flavor combinations, each offering a delicious and exciting new twist to the classic cookie recipe. CLICK HERE for the recipes.
This will be the 8th year Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck has participated in this particular Christmas Cookies Week event. Below you can find links to all of the recipes we have contributed throughout the years, however, you can also CLICK HERE to find an entire list of our past cookie recipes. Don’t be afraid to let a non-traditional cookie recipe play a role in your holiday baking this year because when it comes to Christmas cookies, variety is always a good thing. Happy baking y’all.
2024
Red & White Sparkling Brown Sugar Cookies
Honey Roasted Peanut Chocolate Kiss Cookies
Coconut & Dried Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies
Peanut Butter Frosted Jammy Bits Cookies
Cornmeal Dried Cranberry Brown Sugar Cookies
2023
Ginger’s Cherry Chocolate Chip Sprinkle Cookies
Sparkling Sugar Irish Butter Slice & Bake Cookies
White Chocolate Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies
Orange Mixed Berry Glazed Thumbprint Cookies
Cinnamon Powdered Sugar Panko Cookies
2022
Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Toffee Cookies
Chocolate Fudge Brownie Oatmeal M&M Cookies
Lemon Iced Gingerbread Cookies
2021
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies with Grape Nuts
Cappuccino Swirl Butter Cookies
Dark Rum Cherry Almond Thumbprint Cookies
Chocolate Chip Cocoa Powder Cookies
Old-Fashioned Jubilee Jumbles Cookies
2020
Cinnamon Chip Holiday Spice Cake Mix Cookies
Peppermint Cream Cheese Crushed Oreo Cookies
Cran-Raisin Oatmeal Cookies with Grape Nuts
Sadie’s Double Pecan Butter Cookies
2019
Cream Cheese Red Velvet Thumbprint Cookies
Chocolate Hazelnut Winter Wonderland Cookies
Coconut Grinchy Christmas Breakfast Cookies
Soft Cinnamon Apple Pecan Cookies
Chocolate-Dipped Christmas Butter Cookies
2018
Chocolate Espresso Brown Sugar Cookies
White Christmas Peppermint Holiday Cookies
Chocolate Chip Vanilla Cookies
No-Bake Peanut Butter Cup Cereal Cookies
Whoville Christmas Wreath Sugar Cookies
2017
Crystallized Gingerbread Chocolate Chip Cookies
Mexican Chocolate Chip Crinkle Cookies
Make sure to check out all of the other great Christmas Cookies Week 2024 recipes below. A huge thanks to Jolene’s Recipe Journal for hosting this event.
- Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread by That Recipe
- Honey Roasted Peanut Chocolate Kiss Cookies by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
- Lime Shortbread with Dried Cherries by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
- Coffee Chocolate Chip Cookies by Blogghetti
- Christmas Cowboy Cookies (in a Jar) by Art of Natural Living
