Chocolate Peanut Butter Blossoms
With a soft chocolate cookie base, rolled in granulated sugar and topped with a peanut butter cup, these Chocolate Peanut Butter Blossoms are sure to make all your chocolate peanut butter dreams come true.
I can say first hand these cookies are pretty addictive, and it’s easy to keep going back for “just one more.” Peanut butter and chocolate is the perfect flavor combo, so this slight variation to the classic Peanut Butter Blossom is a no brainer. Rather than a peanut butter cookie with a chocolate Hershey Kiss, I opted for a soft and chewy chocolate cookie with a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. Let’s dive right into what makes these cookies special.
What Makes These Chocolate Peanut Butter Blossoms Special?
Firstly, the cookie dough doesn’t require refrigeration, which is a nice perk, and because the recipe calls for all brown sugar and melted chocolate, they don’t overly spread when baked. The dough is smooth and soft, and the cookies keep a nice dome shape when baked, making them perfect for adding a Reese’s Peanut Butter cup or Hershey’s Kiss. They yield a chocolatey, brownie like cookie that can be transformed into all sorts of yummy variations, like my Hot Chocolate Cookies, which can be found here.
Tips For Making Chocolate Peanut Butter Blossoms
As mentioned previously, these cookies are relatively easy to make, but there are a few tips and tricks to make them even easier.
1.) Make sure the melted butter and melted chocolate have cooled to room temp before adding to the dough. If the melted butter or chocolate is added hot, it can melt the other ingredients, which will change the texture and shape of the cookies.
2.) Follow the instructed mixing times. They are listed for a reason, and listed with a specific end result.
3.) Use a dark or bittersweet chocolate, but do not use unsweetened chocolate in this recipe. I recently tried making these cookies with unsweetened chocolate, and I found the cookies crumbly and dry. A chocolate like semi-sweet can be used, but know the cookies will be sweeter. Further, make sure to use a chocolate baking bar and not chocolate chips. Chocolate chips are meant to hold their shape when baked, and are not meant to be melted as they have fillers and stabilizers.
4.) Use a cookie scoop if possible. Using a cookie scoop allows for easy rolling in the granulated sugar, and even more importantly, allows for even and consistent baking. Cookie scoops can be purchased here, if interested.
5.) Unwrap the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups while the cookies bake. The cups should be added right when the cookies are pulled from the oven.
6.) Determining doneness with chocolate desserts can be tricky, as they don’t show browning the same way a lighter cookie would. I have found these cookies are best when pulled from the oven slightly underdone, so I do recommend the 8-10 minute bake time. Once the peanut butter cups are pressed into the cookie, allow the cookies to sit on the tray for a full 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. They can be enjoyed warm and gooey with soft peanut butter centers, or they can be cooled and enjoyed. Either way they are delicious.
Final Tip
Brands like Scharffen Berger, Ghirardelli and Guittard are quality and will yield the best tasting cookies. For a budget friendly option, the Pound Plus Bars at Trader Joes are an excellent alternative. Further, the recipe calls for a tablespoon of pure vanilla extract. Please don’t use imitation vanilla, as it really doesn’t taste good. I use either Costco’s Pure Vanilla Extract, or I use Nielsen Massey Fine Vanillas. I love their Vanilla Bean paste and highly recommend it. The above information isn’t endorsed, just what I use.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Blossoms
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup salted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 4 ounces dark chocolate, melted and cooled
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 24 miniature peanut butter cups
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons creamy peanut butter
- 1 1/2 tablespoon milk (more will likely be required for a thinner drizzle)
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two half sheet pans with parchment paper and set aside.
- Pour melted butter that has been cooled to room temperature into a stand mixture fitted with the paddle attachment. Add brown sugar and mix on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add egg and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Scrape bowl as needed. Add vanilla and melted chocolate and mix until just incorporated.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and beat for an additional 15 seconds on medium speed. Scrape bowl as needed.
- Using a medium cookie scoop (1.5 tablespoons of dough), scoop 12 balls onto a baking tray, rolling each dough ball in granulated sugar. Cover remaining cookie dough and set aside, until ready to use. Bake cookies for 5 minutes. While the cookies are baking, unwrap the peanut butter cups and set aside. After 5 minutes of baking, rotate pan and bake for an additional 4-5 minutes.
- Once the cookies are finished baking, immediately press one peanut butter cup into each cookie. Repeat for each cookie. Allow cookies to cool for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Repeat process with remaining cookie dough.
- To make the optional peanut butter drizzle, add the powdered sugar, peanut butter and milk into a bowl, and vigorously whisk until smooth. Once smooth, add more milk until desired consistency is achieved. Add salt to taste. Once the cookies are cooled, with a spoon, carefully drizzle on the peanut butter sauce in a gentle back and forth motion. A pastry bag can be used for more accurate lines.
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