These gluten-free peanut butter blossoms are everything you love about this classic holiday cookie. Soft and chewy crackly peanut butter cookies topped with a chocolate kiss. Be sure to include this nostalgic cookie on your holiday cookie platter! Includes dairy-free option.
Peanut butter blossoms are high on my nostalgic list of holiday cookies, right next to iced sugar cookies and jammy gluten-free thumbprints.
To create the best gluten-free peanut butter blossoms, I worked from the recipe my mom used for years. Most notably, swapping the shortening for butter for a more flavorful cookie, and using a blend of gluten-free almond and tapioca flours. These changes produce a peanut butter blossom that's both soft and chewy with crisp edges and a deep nutty flavor. And always using Hershey's chocolate kisses!
- Super-fine blanched almond flour: Almond flour is the base flour for this cookie as well as my classic chewy peanut butter cookies, because its sweet nuttiness complements the peanut butter and adds loads of moisture.
- Tapioca flour: Tapioca flour rises in the oven, creating structure to the cookies and lends to the chewiness.
As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, press the chocolate kiss into the center. As the cookie cools, the heat from the cookie will melt the chocolate but it will not lose its shape.
I tested multiple methods of inserting the chocolate kiss: freezing the kiss before pressing it into the cookie, letting the cookie cool 5 minutes before pressing the kiss on top, freezing the cookie with the kiss on top, and baking for 2 minutes with the kiss on top. None of those extra steps made a difference from the simplest method of just pressing the kiss right into the warm cookie as soon as it came out of the oven. No fuss needed!
What kind of peanut butter to use?
For the best gluten-free peanut butter blossoms, use smooth no-stir peanut butter. I recommend O Organics No Stir Peanut Butter. You can use organic or otherwise, but just be sure it's no-stir. For a consistent bake, you want the oils in the peanut butter evenly spread throughout rather than separated on top.
Measuring your flour is important.
If your peanut butter blossoms turn out dry, there are two main culprits. First, too much flour. For the best results, measure your ingredients by weight rather than volume. This is especially true for gluten-free baking where you're using multiple flours. Too much or too little of one flour can make a big difference.
And be sure not to overbake.
Be sure to take the cookies out just as the edges set and the tops begin to crack. The inside will look slightly underbaked, but rest assured, it will continue baking as it cools.
Recipe
Almond Flour Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Blossoms
Ingredients
- 1½ cups + 3 tablespoons (189 g) Bob's Red Mill super-fine blanched almond flour
- ½ cup + 3 tablespoons (79 g) Bob’s Red Mill tapioca flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (see note for dairy-free option)
- ⅓ cup (68 g) granulated sugar, plus more for rolling
- ½ cup (100 g) packed light brown sugar
- ¾ cup (185 g) creamy no-stir peanut butter
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon whole milk
- 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 4 dozen Hershey kisses, unwrapped (10oz bag is enough!)
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the almond flour, tapioca starch, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes, scraping down the sides with a silicone spatula as needed.
- Add the peanut butter and cream together until smooth.
- Add the egg, milk, and vanilla, beating until combined, scraping down the sides as needed.
- With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined, scraping down the bottom and sides with a silicone spatula as you go.
- Chill dough for at least an hour (if chilling for longer, cover the dough with plastic wrap).
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside a small bowl with sugar.
- Scoop and roll the dough into tablespoon size balls (I recommend the oxo small cookie scoop). Roll each ball in sugar and place on a baking sheet, 1.5-2 inches apart.
- Bake 11-12 minutes, until the edges are just set and the tops crackly. Remove from the oven and immediately press a Hershey's kiss into the top of each cookie.
- Let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then use a cookie spatula to carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. As they cool, the heat from the cookies will melt the kiss, but it will keep its shape. You can serve while the chocolate is still soft, but before storing or stacking the cookies on a plate, be sure to cool 1-2 hours until the chocolate firms up.
Notes
Storing peanut butter blossoms
These gluten-free peanut butter blossoms are great for holiday gift-giving. They store well and last a long time without tasting stale. Let baked peanut butter blossoms cool completely until the chocolate kisses firm up before storing them in an airtight container for up to a week.
Alternatively, freeze fully baking peanut butter blossoms in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Remove from the freezer and defrost for an hour before serving.
To have fresh make-ahead peanut butter blossoms on demand, freeze the dough right after you roll the chilled cookie dough balls in sugar. Place the cookie dough balls on a baking sheet in the freezer for an hour to firm up before transferring them to a freezer bag. Store for up to 6 months in the freezer. Bake the dough straight out of the freezer, adding an extra minute or two to the bake time.
Tatiana -
I have been using Snixy Kitchen recipes for all of my Christmas baking. These are the best peanut butter cookies I have ever had, GF or not. Only my husband ‘has’ to be GF and I am quite picky with the quality of GF baking that I eat since I don’t have to eat GF. I don’t keep peanut butter readily available since we mostly eat almond butter. I used probably 2/3 organic peanut butter and 1/3 almond butter. I didn’t like the idea of a hard Hershey’s kiss in the middle so I used mini Reece’s peanut butter cups and I actually just baked them right in. The peanut butter taste is all still there but just not overpowering taste. These are my fav so far! Wish I could post a pic.
Christina -
These cookies are great! We've made them over 3 times in the last 5 days. They are crinkly, soft, and good PB and chocolate flavor. good smooth texture too.
Shannon -
Can I sub bob's red mill superfine unblanched (whole nut) almond flour?
Sarah Menanix -
That should work fine! Just be sure to substitute it by weight.