Peanut Butter Blossom Cookie Recipe (Vegan + Gluten Free)

Amazingly soft and made with a dark chocolate center, this Peanut Butter Blossom Cookie Recipe is a gluten free take on a classic cookie recipe perfect for every occasion! Vegan Option and Nut Free Option.

Why You’ll Love this Peanut Butter Blossom Cookie Recipe

Who doesn’t love a good peanut butter recipe? Whether it’s Peanut Butter Protein Buckeyes or Flourless Peanut Butter Waffles, they never disappoint. Heck, even the dogs love them with recipes like Easy Homemade Frozen Dog Treats! Of course, not everyone can consume peanut butter, so I always do my best to provide allergy-friendly alternatives. However, no matter what form it’s in, I can never say no to a recipe with any kind of nut or seed butter. So, with the holiday season in full effect, I knew I had to try my hand at classic peanut butter blossom cookies! 

However, in typical Cotter Crunch fashion, I made a few tweaks to the original recipe, making it not only gluten free but vegan-friendly, too! Don’t worry, though. These blossom cookies are bite-sized, super soft, and super kid-friendly just like you remember. Keep reading to find everything you need to know so you can get baking! 

Note: This recipe is actually an adaptation from my Sugar Cookie Mix recipe, using the same base with the addition of maple syrup and peanut butter! 

Why Are They Called Peanut Butter Blossoms?

A hugely popular cookie, the creation of peanut butter blossoms was actually an accident! As the story goes, they were created by an Ohio resident, Freda Smith. As the story goes, Ms. Smith intended to create a batch of peanut butter chocolate chip cookies only to discover that she was out of chocolate chips. Instead of tossing out her cookie dough, she utilized a bag of Hershey’s kisses she found in her pantry by placing them on top of the cookies instead, and, as you know, the rest is history! 

Fun Fact: Ms. Smith’s cookies won 2nd place in the 1957 Pillsbury Bake-Off competition! (Source)

How to Make Blossom Cookies

The process to make this peanut butter blossom cookie recipe is super easy as long as you follow the directions! 

1. Make the Batter. Combine the ingredients (except the chocolate and sparkling cane sugar) to create the dough, and let it sit in the fridge for 10-20 minutes. 
2. Form the Blossoms. Once chilled, shape the cookies into 1-inch balls, and roll them in sparkling cane sugar until they are well-coated. Then, using your thumbs, press down the center of your cookies to form a space for the kisses to sit.  

Baking Tip: To create evenly-sized cookies, use a cookie scoop to pull the dough, and create an indent with the backside of a teaspoon! 

3. Bake. Bake the cookies for 8 minutes, and place a chocolate kiss in the center of each cookie immediately after removing them from the oven. Once all of the kisses have been added, place the cookies back in the oven for 2-3 minutes or until the chocolate has set in the center. 

Note: Don’t worry if your cookies crack while adding the chocolate kisses, they’re supposed to! 

Baking Tips

For this recipe, we kept things super simple. Yep, an easy gluten free and vegan cookie recipe for the holidays! Can you believe it? To help you out even more, I’m sharing a few of my favorite cookie-making tips to help you out! 

• Refrigerate the Chocolate. To prevent the kisses from melting when pressed into hot cookies, store them in the fridge while your blossom cookies bake! 

Pro-Tip: Feel free to use any flavored kisses, chocolate, or candy pieces you like best! 

• Watch for Cracks. Unlike other cookie recipes, you want these peanut butter blossoms to crack. You’ll know they’re done baking when the edges turn golden brown and the tops begin to crack.

Note: If you pull your cookies out of the oven before they crack, they will be undercooked in the center! 

• Chill the Dough. Chilling the dough before baking helps create thick cookies and prevents them from spreading out too far as they bake. 

Foodie Swap: 

Looking for substitutes? We’ve got you covered with these allergy-friendly options: 

• Nuts: Swap out peanut butter for any nut or seed butter you prefer.
• Dairy: Use dairy-free chocolate kisses or another candy of choice.

• Add More Wet Ingredients. If your blossom cookies are crumbly, it’s likely due to the presence of too much flour. Try adding another tablespoon or 2 of maple syrup or nut butter!  

Storage Tips

If kept in an airtight container at room temperature, these peanut blossom cookies will stay fresh for 5-7 days. Or, store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. 

Baking Tip: Store the uncooked dough from this peanut blossom recipe in the freezer, and pop the dough in the oven for warm cookies in minutes! Just add a few extra minutes to the cooking time. 

Peanut Butter Blossom Cookie Recipe (Vegan + Gluten Free)

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★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Lindsay Cotter
• Total Time: 33 minutes
• Yield: 12-16 cookies
• Diet: Gluten Free

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Description

These Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies are gluten-free and can be made vegan-friendly and nut-free for a holiday cookie everyone will love!

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Ingredients

1. 150 grams (1 ½ – 1 ⅔ cups gluten free oat flour )or gluten free quick oats (See notes for making oat flour)

2. 1 cup (112 grams) blanched fine almond flour

3. 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4. 1 teaspoon baking powder

5. ½ cup to ¾ cup maple syrup*

6. ½ cup creamy nut butter

7. Sparkling cane sugar

8. 15 dark chocolate kisses or small squares of dark chocolate

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Instructions

1. Place the oat flour, almond flour, cinnamon, baking powder, ½ cup maple syrup, and nut butter into a mixing bowl. (See notes on how to make oat flour)

2. Beat the ingredients with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer for 1 minute. *If the batter is too thick, add ¼ cup to ½ c more maple syrup or agave nectar. Mix again.

3. Roll the batter into a ball, and cover it with plastic wrap before letting it sit in the fridge for 10-20 minutes.

4. While the batter chills, line or grease a cookie sheet, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

5. Once the batter has chilled, spoon the dough with a cookie scoop (or spoon), and shape it into 1-inch balls. Roll the balls of cookie dough in sparkling cane sugar, and place them on a cookie sheet about 1-2 inches apart.

6. Bake the cookies for 8 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, and press chocolate kisses into the center of each cookie ball.*

7. Place the baking sheet back in the oven, and bake the cookies 2-3 more minutes or until the chocolate has set in the center.

8. Remove the cookies, and let them cool completely.

9. Store the cookies in an airtight container.

Notes

To make your own oat flour, place 2- 2 ½ cups gluten free quick oats or rolled oats in a food processor, and pulse them until a fine flour is formed. See picture on the blog.

Don’t worry if the cookies don’t spread while baking! They should crack around the edges once the chocolate is pressed into the center.

• Prep Time: 22 minutes
• Cook Time: 11 minutes
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 cookie
• Calories: 175
• Sugar: 10.1 g
• Sodium: 3.3 mg
• Fat: 6.5 g
• Saturated Fat: 1.1 g
• Carbohydrates: 20.8 g
• Fiber: 2.2 g
• Protein: 4.4 g
• Cholesterol: 0 mg

Keywords: gluten free, vegan, nut free, holiday desserts, cookies, peanut butter, blossom cookies

These cookies are a staple in my house during the holidays, and I hope they become one in your home as well! I love experimenting with different candy pieces and nut butters, too. Are you planning to use traditional chocolate kisses? Or, are you switching it up with something new? Let me know in the comments below! 

Cheers, 

LC