Peanut butter blossoms with butter instead of shortening

Q: Can I substitute butter for shortening in peanut butter cookies?

Can you substitute butter for shortening? Sure; Id use 1/2 cup butter, since it includes milk solids as well as fat. Your cookies wont be as crunchy, but if youre OK with a bit of soft chew, go for it.

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Table of Contents Show

Butter is Better
How to Decorate Peanut Butter Blossoms — Sparkly Sugar is Key!
How to Make Peanut Butter Blossoms
Can I substitute butter for shortening in peanut butter cookies?
Why are my Peanut Butter Blossoms crumbly?
Why are my peanut blossoms dry?
Why are they called Peanut Butter Blossoms?

These peanut butter blossoms are one of my favorite cookie recipes! Made with the absolute softest, butteriest peanut butter cookie base. These cookies are topped off with a milk chocolate kiss for the best way to get your peanut butter and chocolate fix!

This recipe is adapted from my favorite peanut butter cookies. I think you’ll love how buttery soft the cookie base is; it’s the perfect starting point for a milk chocolate Kiss! Be sure to check out my peanut butter blossom recipe video at the bottom of the recipe card!

Happy December! We kicked off Christmas cookie season yesterday with my spritz cookies and today I’m re-sharing what just might be my favorite cookie from last year’s cookie tray: Peanut Butter Blossoms.

Zach and I are about to head out the door to pick out a Christmas tree this morning and once that’s up I’ll be in full-on baking mode. I’ve already made my sugar cookies and chocolate chip cookies, but this weekend’s agenda includes plenty more peanut butter blossoms (and maybe a video re-shoot of my Gingerbread cookies).

What are your favorite cookies to bake during the holidays?

I perfected this recipe last year, and maybe you even remember me raving about it.

Super soft, buttery, perfection. Peanut Butter Blossoms have always been a favorite cookie of mine, but I’ve improved upon them by making some key recipe modifications and I’m excited for you to try them out for yourself.

Butter is Better

Rather than using any shortening (which many peanut butter blossom recipes call for) I use all butter in this recipe. I’ve always believed that shortening was acceptable in peanut butter cookies, until I took it upon myself to develop an all-butter version. The butter makes the flavor deeper, richer, and just all-around much better than a shortening-based cookie. Made this way, the interiors are much softer and more melt-in-your-mouth than ones made with shortening.

I sent a batch of these in with Zach to share with his co-workers, and he said he couldn’t believe how many comments he got on how soft and delicious they were. Once you try this butter-based peanut butter blossom recipe out for yourself, I am positive you’ll never go back to shortening.

How to Decorate Peanut Butter Blossoms — Sparkly Sugar is Key!

Peanut butter blossoms wouldn’t be complete without a sparkly sugar coating around the cookies. I used an organic cane sugar because I like the coarser sugar granules, but these peanut butter blossoms work just as well with regular granulated sugar.

For the “blossom” portion (the chocolate part is the blossom, right?), I used milk chocolate Hershey’s kisses. These are traditional chocolates used for making peanut butter blossoms, but I’ve also made them using mini Reese’s cups. Right now there are so many different varieties of kisses available now you might even want to experiment with different flavors besides milk chocolate (“hot cocoa” flavor is next on my list!).

Enjoy!

Oh, and if you have any suggestions for puppy-proofing a Christmas tree I’m all ears! We have one feisty foster puppy left and she spends most of her time in our living room, where we plan to put our tree! 😳

How to Make Peanut Butter Blossoms

▢ 10 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened to room temperature (141g)
▢ ⅔ cup light brown sugar tightly packed (135g)
▢ ¼ cup sugar (50g)
▢ ½ cup creamy peanut butter (140g)
▢ 1 large egg
▢ ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
▢ 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (188g)
▢ 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
▢ ¾ teaspoon baking soda
▢ ¾ teaspoon salt
▢ ½ cup granulated sugar for rolling
▢ 24 Milk Chocolate Kisses unwrapped

Combine butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer (or you may use a large bowl and an electric mixer) and beat until well combined (about 1 minute).
Add peanut butter, and stir well.
Add eggs and vanilla extract and stir until well-combined.
In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt.
Gradually add flour mixture into the peanut butter batter, pausing occasionally to scrape down sides and bottom of bowl so that all ingredients are well-combined.
Cover dough with plastic wrap and Place in the refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes to one hour*
Preheat oven to 375F (190C) and line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Pour remaining ½ cup of sugar into a small bowl and set aside.
Once dough has chilled, remove from refrigerator and roll into 2-teaspoon-sized balls. Roll completely in sugar and place on prepared cookie sheet at least 2" apart.
Bake on 375F (190C) for 8 minutes.
Within a minute or so of removing cookies from oven, gently but firmly press a Hershey Kiss into the center of each cookie. Allow to cool completely on cookie sheet.

*Start with 30 minutes, if the dough is too sticky or cookies come out too flat, return for another half an hour. This dough may be chilled overnight if needed.

Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.

I originally shared this recipe 12/04/2017, post updated to include more tips and information 12/01/2018

Can I substitute butter for shortening in peanut butter cookies?

Can you substitute butter for shortening? Sure; I'd use 1/2 cup butter, since it includes milk solids as well as fat. Your cookies won't be as crunchy, but if you're OK with a bit of soft chew, go for it.

Why are my Peanut Butter Blossoms crumbly?

Lack of enough liquid or fat will make the dough dry and if you proceed to bake the cookies anyhow it will crumble and fall apart. You can save the recipe by add some oil or milk and make it into a soft dough and proceed with the recipe as usual, you'll be fine.

Why are my peanut blossoms dry?

Why are my peanut butter blossoms dry? Cookies are typically dry if you overbake them or use too much flour. These cookies are meant to be soft and fluffy. Remove them from the oven once the tops are slightly browned and cracked, about 10 minutes.

Why are they called Peanut Butter Blossoms?

The cookie is considered a snack or dessert and is often served at events or during holidays in the United States. The exact term "peanut butter blossom cookie" refers to the original variation of the cookie – a soft peanut butter cookie rolled in granulated sugar and topped with a Hershey's Kiss.