The Ultimate Guide to Peanut Blossom Cookies: History, Variations, and The Best Recipe

Step into the delightful world of Peanut Blossom Cookies, a timeless American classic that has charmed taste buds for decades. These iconic treats, instantly recognizable by their soft peanut butter base crowned with a luscious chocolate Hershey’s Kiss, hold a special place in the hearts of home bakers and dessert enthusiasts alike. Their story begins in 1957 when Freda Smith of Ohio submitted her ingenious recipe to the Pillsbury Bake-Off. While her “Peanut Blossoms” made it to the prestigious finals, the grand prize ultimately went to Gerda Roderer’s Accordion Treats. Yet, despite not claiming the top honor, Freda’s creation quickly captivated the nation. Within a short span, Peanut Blossoms rose to immense popularity, securing their status as a beloved national favorite, a position they proudly hold even more than 50 years later.

The enduring appeal of Peanut Blossom Cookies stems not only from their simple, comforting flavors but also from the fascinating evolution of their recipe. Over the years, as expected with any popular dish, various interpretations have emerged, each offering a unique twist on the original. Major food brands have put their stamp on the classic, leading to subtle yet significant differences in texture and taste. Pillsbury, naturally, tends to stick closest to the version introduced in their 1957 Bake-Off. Hershey’s, focusing on a more intense peanut butter flavor, opts for less sugar and a larger proportion of peanut butter in their mix. Betty Crocker introduces a little baking powder for a slightly different lift and texture, while notably omitting shortening, vanilla, and milk from her rendition. And then there’s Land O’Lakes, a brand synonymous with dairy, which unsurprisingly prioritizes butter in their recipe and similarly leaves out milk, emphasizing the rich, creamy flavor of real butter. These variations highlight how simple ingredient swaps can dramatically alter the final cookie, making the quest for the “best” Peanut Blossom recipe a delicious adventure.

Unveiling the Best Peanut Blossoms Recipe: A Side-by-Side Comparison

To truly understand the nuances between these popular Peanut Blossom recipes, a direct, side-by-side comparison was essential. My mission was to bake and taste all four major versions – Pillsbury, Hershey’s, Betty Crocker, and Land O’Lakes – in a single baking session to allow for an objective assessment of their individual characteristics. Prior to baking, I had a strong prediction: the Hershey’s recipe would emerge as my favorite. My reasoning was rooted in common baking wisdom: Hershey’s calls for shortening, an ingredient often praised for lending peanut butter cookies an exceptionally light and tender texture. I anticipated that the unique mouthfeel imparted by shortening would be a game-changer, and I honestly didn’t think I would significantly miss the distinct flavor of butter. Furthermore, the Hershey’s version incorporates less sugar, which I hypothesized would allow the natural, robust flavor of the peanut butter to shine through more prominently, resulting in a deeper, more authentic peanut butter experience.

Peanut Blossoms Taste Test: A Culinary Deep Dive

The taste test was conducted with careful attention to detail, evaluating each cookie for texture, sweetness, and overall flavor profile. Here’s a breakdown of my findings for each recipe:

• Hershey’s Peanut Blossoms: This version was undeniably great, delivering a satisfying peanut butter punch. The texture was indeed pleasant, as expected from the shortening. However, as predicted due to the reduced sugar, it was noticeably less sweet than its counterparts. More surprisingly, and contrary to my initial belief, the absence of butter flavor was genuinely apparent. While the shortening contributed to a desirable texture, the overall richness and depth that butter provides were notably missing.
• Pillsbury Peanut Blossoms: The Pillsbury recipe produced a cookie almost identical in taste to the Hershey’s version, but with a slight edge in sweetness. It was very good, and the shortening again contributed to a lovely, light texture. Yet, just like the Hershey’s cookie, it suffered from the same deficiency: the coveted butter flavor was absent, leaving a void in its otherwise pleasant profile. This reinforced the growing importance of butter in the overall cookie experience.
• Betty Crocker Peanut Blossoms: The Betty Crocker cookie truly stood out. It was excellent, offering a less tender bite compared to the shortening-based cookies, making it delightfully chewy rather than crumbly. This difference in texture was a welcome change, providing a more substantial mouthfeel. It boasted a good, wholesome butter flavor, which was a significant improvement. My only minor critiques were the missed hint of vanilla and a sense that the cookie could have benefited from a touch more salt to balance the flavors.
• Land O’Lakes Peanut Blossoms (The Favorite!): And finally, the undisputed winner of my taste test was the Land O’Lakes version. This cookie achieved a remarkable balance. Its texture was exceptionally good – not as crumbly and light as those made with shortening, but instead offering a satisfyingly dense yet still tender chewiness. What truly elevated this cookie was its outstanding flavor profile, derived from the perfect combination of real butter and vanilla. The butter provided a rich, complex taste that permeated every bite, complemented beautifully by the warmth of the vanilla extract. It was, in every sense, the most complete and flavorful Peanut Blossom.

The outcome of this taste test was illuminating. It unequivocally demonstrated that while shortening can indeed improve the texture of some cookies by making them lighter and more delicate, in the case of Peanut Blossoms, the superior flavor imparted by butter overwhelmingly trumped any textural advantage shortening might offer. I had initially harbored concerns that all-butter cookies might spread too much during baking, given that shortening cookies typically hold their shape better. However, this proved to be a non-issue. All the cookies, regardless of their fat content, looked remarkably similar in shape and size, with the shortening versions showing only a slightly more pronounced crackly surface, a minor aesthetic difference.

Just for a bit of experimental fun, I decided to bake a fifth batch. I followed the Pillsbury recipe but made one crucial substitution: instead of regular shortening, I used butter-flavored shortening. The result was unequivocally the worst cookie of the entire test. The artificial butter flavor was not only overpowering but also strangely unpleasant. While I’m generally not averse to artificial butter flavor in certain applications, in these Peanut Blossoms, it failed to enhance the natural peanut flavor; instead, it actively detracted from it, creating a jarring and unappetizing experience. This experiment served as a powerful reminder of the importance of using high-quality, natural ingredients for the best possible baking results.

Key Ingredients and Recipe Links for Your Peanut Blossom Journey

For consistency in my taste test, I used specific ingredients: all recipes were prepared with salted butter. If you plan to use unsalted butter, remember to adjust the salt content in your chosen recipe by adding approximately ⅜ teaspoon of salt per half cup of butter to achieve a similar flavor balance. The peanut butter used across all variations was Skippy Natural Creamy, ensuring a consistent peanut flavor profile. For the dry ingredients, Gold Medal unbleached all-purpose flour was utilized. Below, you’ll find direct links to each of the popular recipes I tested, allowing you to explore their unique approaches. Remember, based on my extensive comparison, the Land O’Lakes recipe was my ultimate favorite for its exceptional flavor and texture.

Discover More Cookie Madness!

If you’re a fan of delicious baked goods, explore some of our other favorite recipes:

• Hershey Kisses Coconut Macaroons
• Butterscotch Walnut Wheat Cookies
• Macadamia Nut Milk Chocolate Kiss Brownies
• Stephanie’s Chocolate Chunk Macadamia Kiss Cookies
• Lofthouse Cookie Madness

The Winning Recipe: Land O’Lakes Peanut Blossoms