Gluten free peanut butter blossom cookies. Soft peanut butter cookies with a thin, crunchy and sugary shell. Press a chocolate kiss into the center the minute they come out of the oven and make something special.

4.98 from 98 votes

Prep Time : 10

Cook Time : 11

This quick and easy recipe for gluten free peanut butter blossom cookies are kind of like thumbprint cookies, but even easier. Just press the chocolate into a perfect just-baked gf peanut butter cookie, and voilá! Perfect every time.

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These soft gluten free peanut butter blossoms are packed with peanut flavor, and have a delightfully thin, crunchy and sugary shell. Press a chocolate kiss into the center the minute they come out of the oven and make something special!

Focused image of peanut butter blossom cookies on white surface

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Why is this the best gluten free peanut butter blossom recipe?

The perfect combination of just-enough peanut butter and just-enough sweet milk chocolate (or dark chocolate, if that's your preference!) makes these cookies a classic! The cookie dough comes together so fast without an electric mixer of any kind, and the dough is never chilled.

The thick, smooth, and soft cookie dough rolls easily in your palms into a perfect round. Then, if you have some coarse sugar crystals handy, roll the dough in that, and place the balls, as is, on your baking sheet.

I’ve tried these sweet peanut butter cookies both with and without the coarse sugar around the edges. The sugar creates a delicate crispy shell, and I like that very much.

I've tried these sweet peanut butter cookies both with and without the coarse sugar around the edges. The sugar creates a delicate crispy shell, and I like that very much.

Melted peanut butter being poured into bowl of dry ingredients

How to make gluten free peanut butter blossom cookies

The dry ingredients are mixed with a simple peanut butter and butter mixture, then eggs, and it comes together as a soft dough. It's so simple, and if you didn't have to melt the butters, it would be a one bowl deal.

As they bake, they'll begin to crackle a bit. That, and seeing the very edges brown just a bit, is how you know they're ready to come out of the oven.

The very moment the cookies come out of the oven, press a Hershey's kiss (or a mini peanut butter cup, if you prefer) in the center. It will melt a bit, and then firm right back up as the cookies cool.

A tray with balls of peanut butter blossom cookie dough

Tips for making perfect peanut butter kiss cookies

This is a super simple recipe that works every single time if you don't make ingredient substitutions, whisk your dry ingredients well in a bowl, and then pour in your melted peanut butter and butter, then your whisked egg. Here are some other tips for success:

How to store these peanut butter blossoms

These cookies are very stable once cool, and actually travel quite well. If you’re making holiday cookies for gifting, these gluten free peanut butter blossom cookies are a good choice.

I use a #50 cookie scoop to portion the dough, and then roll it into balls. The cookie scoop is, of course, optional.

But if you have a few good cookie scoops, I think you might quickly find that they're hard to live without. So useful!

How to get the kisses to stick

Unwrap your chocolate kisses while the cookies are in the oven, so you're ready to act the moment they're done baking! Working quickly, press the base of one kiss into the center of each cookie firmly. The chocolate will melt a bit in the hot cookie and will cool as if it were born there!

What's the best peanut butter to use for these cookies?

I only like to bake with smooth, no-stir peanut butter that's blended well. The kind that has a layer of oil on top when you open the jar doesn't combine well with the other ingredients to make a fully integrated, smooth cookie dough.

Skippy brand is my favorite. There's a full discussion of gluten free peanut butter in our recipe for gluten free peanut butter cookies.

Raw ball of peanut butter cookie dough in coarse sugar in metal bowl

Can I skip the sugar crust?

You can skip the coarse sugar on the outside, but these are not for your after-the-new-year health kick, sister. These are cookies, and we best not mess around.

The best rolling sugar is a white granulated sugar with the most coarse ground. The granules should be about as large as pretzel salt, for reference.

It can be a little difficult to find a reliably gluten free coarse sugar. Look for white “sparkling” or “sanding” sugar, but stay far away from Wilton brand, as it's not gluten free.

I buy “Chef's Select” brand white sugar crystals on Amazon, and when I find it, I buy a bunch. You can also use “Sugar in the Raw,” which is coarsely ground sugar but is has a light brown/yellow color. It still tastes great!

Sugar-coated ball of raw peanut butter cookie dough in metal bowl

Substitutions and Variations for Peanut Butter Thumbprint Cookies

Can I use something other than peanut butter?

I think no-stir almond butter, like Barney Butter brand, would be a great 1:1 substitute. Nutella will ruin these in a hurry since it’s so, so soft.

How to make gluten free dairy free peanut butter blossom cookies

To make these cookies dairy-free, you'll need to replace the butter. My favorite dairy-free butter replacer, especially for baking, is Melt or Miyoko's Kitchen brand vegan butter.

Virgin coconut oil (the kind that's solid at room temperature) might also work, but the cookies will almost certainly spread a bit more—and brown a bit less.

How to make gluten free egg free peanut butter blossoms

There's only one egg in these peanut butter blossoms, so a “chia egg” should work great. Combine 1 tablespoon ground white chia seeds in a bowl with 1 tablespoon lukewarm water and allow it to sit until it gels.

How to make vegan peanut butter blossom cookies

If you follow the instructions above for replacing both the dairy and egg, your cookies will be vegan!

A tray with peanut butter blossom cookies with one being picked up

Can I use mini peanut butter cups instead of Hershey's kisses?

Sure! Even miniature peanut butter cups have a wider base than Hershey's kisses, so they'll spread or “blossom” more, but they'll still taste great.

Can I use coconut sugar instead of regular granulated sugar?

No, I don't recommend using coconut sugar as a granulated sugar replacement. It is much heavier and more complex a flavor, and it doesn't dissolve as well in baking.

If you'd like a peanut butter kiss cookie with a chocolate cookie base, try our recipe for Gluten Free Chocolate Kiss Cookies, and follow the peanut butter variation! I don't recommend adding cocoa powder to this cookie base.

Small glass bowl with unwrapped Hershey's chocolate kisses

FAQ

Are Hershey's chocolate kisses gluten free?

At least in the U.S., Hershey's milk chocolate kisses are on the company's perennial gluten-free list. Plus, Hershey's practices truth in labeling. Of course, always do your homework and be sure to keep yourself safe.

Most of Hershey's kisses are safely gluten free, but some fancier varieties may not be safe. If you're unsure, you can try using a square of your favorite gluten free chocolate, or a small peanut butter cup if that's safe for you.

Can I freeze peanut butter blossoms?

Yes! These cookies, once baked, freeze beautifully. Let them defrost in the refrigerator or on the kitchen counter before serving.

Why are they called peanut butter blossoms?

This cookie was created by Mrs. Freda F. Smith of Ohio and submitted as an entry into the National Pillsbury Bake-Off competition in 1957. I think she called them “blossoms” because of the way the peanut butter cookie fans out as you push the chocolate kiss into the baked center.

Why would my kiss cookies come out flat?

If you made ingredient substitutions, or measured by volume instead of weight, you may have overmeasured your wet ingredients, like peanut butter or butter. Otherwise, be sure your cookie dough is at room temperature before baking it.

Birds eye view of peanut butter blossom cookies on white surface

How to make gluten free peanut butter blossoms, step by step

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Unbeatable Gluten Free Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies

Course: Cookies, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 11

Yield: 21 cookies

Author: Nicole Hunn

Ingredients

1 cup (140 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend (I like Better Batter here)
½ teaspoon xanthan gum omit if your blend already contains it
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
¼ cup (55 g) packed light brown sugar
5 tablespoons (70 g) unsalted butter at room temperature
¼ cup (64 g) smooth, no stir peanut butter
1 (50 g (weighed out of shell)) egg at room temperature, beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Coarse sugar for rolling (optional)
21 Hershey’s milk chocolate kisses unwrapped

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 375°F. Line rimmed baking sheets with unbleached parchment and set them aside.
In a large bowl, place the flour blend, xanthan gum, baking soda, salt and granulated sugar, and whisk to combine well. Add the brown sugar, and whisk to combine once more, working to break up any lumps in the brown sugar.
Place the butter and peanut butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until melted and smooth. Allow the mixture to cool briefly.
Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients, add the butter and peanut butter mixture. Mix to combine.
Add the egg and vanilla, and mix again to combine. The dough will come together and be thick, but smooth.
Divide the dough into 21 balls of approximately equal size (each a bit more than 1-inch in diameter). Roll the balls in the (optional) coarse sugar, pressing gently on all sides to make sure that the sugar adheres in a single layer to the cookie dough.
Place about 2-inches apart on the prepared baking sheets (they’ll spread a bit during baking).
Place in the center of the preheated oven and bake for 11 minutes, or until the balls of dough have flattened into thick disks and the cookies have begun to take on a slightly crackled appearance.
Remove the cookies from the oven and immediately press one unwrapped chocolate kiss in the center of each just-baked cookie, about halfway to the center of the cookie.
Allow to cool on the baking sheet until firm (about 10 minutes) before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. The chocolate kisses will firm up again as the cookies cool.