Name: Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 1 h 35 min
Yield: 24
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: ½ cup (113g) butter at room temperature; ½ cup (106g) brown sugar; ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar; 1 large egg; ¾ cup (187g) creamy peanut butter; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 24-32 chocolate kiss candies unwrapped; granulated sugar for rolling; 1⅓ cups (200g) gluten-free measure-for-measure flour; ½ teaspoon baking soda; ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

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Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies deliver that classic holiday look with a soft, chewy peanut butter center and a chocolate kiss on top. This easy gluten-free version bakes up crackly, tender, and perfectly sweet every time.

Table of Contents

Notes on Ingredients:

Gluten-free measure-for-measure flour
Use a gluten-free measure-for-measure (1:1) flour blend designed for baking cookies. For best results, pick one that already contains xanthan gum (or another binder), since it helps the dough hold together and creates that classic crackled top.

Measure carefully so the cookies stay soft and chewy. If you scoop the flour directly with the measuring cup, you can pack in extra flour and end up with dry, crumbly dough—spoon it into the cup and level it off instead.

Peanut butter
Use creamy peanut butter for the smoothest dough and the most consistent bake. Standard “no-stir” brands usually work best because they hold a stable fat-to-solid ratio, which helps the cookies spread just enough without turning greasy.

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If you use natural peanut butter, stir it extremely well before measuring. Separated oil can make the dough too loose and cause extra spreading, which can throw off the cookie-to-kiss ratio.

Butter
Use butter at room temperature so it creams properly with the sugars. Proper creaming adds air to the dough, which improves the cookie’s texture and helps the tops crack in the oven.

Avoid melting the butter. Melted butter can make the dough shiny and soft, which often leads to flatter cookies that spread too much.

Hershey’s Kisses
Unwrap the Hershey’s Kisses before you start baking, then freeze them while the oven preheats. Cold candies melt less on contact, so the kisses keep a clean shape when you press them into the hot cookies.

Press the kiss in immediately after baking, then leave the cookies alone for a few minutes so the chocolate can set. If you move them too soon, the kisses can tilt or smear.

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies with chocolate kisses on a baking sheet. — Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies with chocolate kisses.

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How to Make Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies

Whisk the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk the gluten-free flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Cream the butter. Beat the room-temperature butter for 1 minute until creamy.

Add sugars. Mix in the brown sugar and granulated sugar, then cream for 2–3 minutes.

Add wet ingredients. Beat together the egg, peanut butter, and vanilla until they form a smooth mixture. Scrape the bowl well.

Combine. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.

Chill. Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least 11 hours (or up to 3 days).

Prep the oven. Heat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.

Freeze the kisses. Place unwrapped kisses in a bowl and freeze while the oven preheats.

Scoop and roll. Scoop 1 tablespoon of dough per cookie, roll into balls, then roll in granulated sugar. Space cookies about 22 inches apart.

Bake. Bake for 10–12 minutes until the tops crack slightly.

Add chocolate. Press a frozen chocolate kiss into each cookie immediately after baking.

Cool. Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then move to a rack to cool completely.

Make-Ahead/Storage/Freezing Instructions

Chill the dough up to 3 days before baking, which makes this recipe great for holiday prep. Keep the dough tightly covered so it doesn’t dry out or absorb fridge odors.

Store your baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. If your kitchen runs warm, store them in a cool spot so the chocolate tops stay firm.

Freeze your baked cookies in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature until soft, and keep them in a single layer until the chocolate sets back up.

Tips for Success

Measure flour by spooning and leveling it so the dough stays soft, not dry.

Chill the dough for a better shape, better cracking, and less spread.

Scoop small (1 tablespoon) portions to keep the cookie-to-chocolate ratio right.

Press the kiss in right away, then let the cookies sit untouched so the tops don’t smear.

FAQs:

Can these gluten-free peanut butter blossom cookies be made dairy-free?

Yes, swap the butter for a baking-style vegan butter (many bakers like brands such as Melt or Miyoko’s), then use dairy-free chocolate in place of traditional Hershey’s Kisses.

What can I do to prevent the cookies from spreading too much?

Chill the dough for at least 1 hour before baking, because cold dough holds its shape better in the oven and spreads less.

Also, keep the dough balls small (about 1 tablespoon each) so the cookies bake through quickly and don’t flatten into oversized puddles.

If your kitchen is warm, freeze the scooped dough balls for 10–15 minutes right before baking for extra insurance against spreading.

Is it okay if I use natural peanut butter or other nut butters?

Natural peanut butter can cause greasy, overly spread cookies because the oil separates and throws off the dough’s balance, so many bakers don’t recommend it for classic cookie textures.

Yield: 24 cookies