Nothing says “Christmas Cookie” quite like the Peanut Butter Blossom.
These soft peanut butter cookies have a Hershey’s Kiss pressed right into the top, creating that perfect peanut butter & chocolate combination that we all know and love.
Can a healthy, no-bake possibly taste exactly like the real thing?
Yes! And I’m here to prove it to you…
That’s right: we don’t need to bake these healthy peanut butter cookies, but they still have all the flavor you’d expect a Peanut Butter Blossom to have.
Plus, each of these cookies (Hershey’s Kiss included) is only 100 calories and has a sneaky 6g of protein to boot!
How to make Healthy No-Bake Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies
Like my No-Bake Protein Cookies, this recipe has “simple” written all over it.
To start, simply mix up all the ingredients until you have workable cookie dough.
The one very important note here is that we will be adding protein powder as the very last ingredient. Over the years, I’ve come to learn that the order in which you mix your ingredients can make a very big difference. By adding the protein powder last, it will help to avoid an overly sticky dough.
So, combine the with the & applesauce, then add your scoop of protein powder at the very end.
Once you have your , you’ll break it up into 8 pieces, roll them into balls, and then refrigerate for one hour.
This hour in the fridge will help enhance the flavor, and more importantly, it will firm up the dough to create that crackly cookie we’re looking for.
Once the dough is chilled, it’s time to roll them around in some granulated sugar substitute (or regular sugar, if you prefer).
I use a substitute to keep the calories low, but you can use regular instead if that is not a concern for you.
Since the cookie dough contains peanut butter and very few carbs, you may find that it seems a little bit greasy. This is to be expected!
If the oils from the peanut butter are saturating your sugar coating, you can dip them into sugar once more. Since the dough is chilled, this should not be much of an issue, but don’t be surprised if it seems a little greasy.
Now, the best part: press a chocolate kiss into the top of each cookie and dig in!
If chocolate isn’t your thing, the Hershey’s Kiss can be omitted here. While you won’t quite have a Peanut Butter Blossom, you’ll still have a delicious, healthy, peanut butter cookie!
Without the Hershey Kiss, each cookie will be around 70 calories, and still contain an impressive 5.5g of protein
How to store healthy peanut butter blossoms
Since we want to keep these peanut butter cookies nice and firm, they should be stored in the refrigerator to prevent them from becoming too soft.
The recipe calls for them to be stored in the fridge for one hour to firm up, but the longer they are chilled, the more firm they will become.
When I tested these cookies after 3 days in the fridge, they were nice and firm with a slight crisp to the outside.
If you prefer a cookie that’s a bit more firm, these can also be stored in the freezer! Over time, the cookies will freeze harder, but they should remain soft (AKA they won’t break your teeth) thanks to the fat content from the peanut butter.
How to make vegan peanut butter cookies
After some experimenting, I successfully turned these healthy peanut butter blossoms into vegan cookies! I couldn’t find any dairy-free Hershey’s Kiss alternatives, so I just formed these into regular cookies, but they turned out absolutely delicious.
I did press a into one of them as I was able to find dairy-free , but that is optional.
Here’s what you’ll need to make 8 vegan peanut butter cookies:
- 31g (1 Scoop) Vegan Peanut Butter Select Protein Powder (code “Matt” to save 10%)
- 30g Almond Flour
- 30g Powdered Sugar Substitute
- 30g Unsweetened Applesauce
- 48g Creamy Peanut Butter
- Pinch of salt
- Sugar Substitute for Topping
Follow the recipe exactly as written, just form these into cookies versus pressing a Hershey’s Kiss into the center to press them down. The result will be delicious, high-protein, & dairy-free peanut butter cookies.
Which version is better? Truthfully, I can’t decide! Dairy-free recipes are usually not my favorite, but these vegan cookies are very comparable to the regular .
Can you bake these no bake peanut butter blossoms?
While they’re called “no bake” for a reason, you CAN bake these cookies!
In fact, these peanut butter cookies bake up very well. If you prefer a classic cookie to a cookie dough version, baking these cookies is incredibly easy.
Follow the exactly as written, but add 1/4 tsp of soda into your . Form the into 8 balls, chill for one hour, then place on a and bake for 6 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Remove from the oven and immediately press the Hershey’s Kisses into the tops while the peanut butter cookies are still warm. Allow the cookies to cool for about 10 minutes, then dig in!
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the peanut butter, brown sugar, applesauce, and vanilla extract.
- Add the almond flour and pinch of salt until incorporated.
- Lastly, mix in the protein powder. Since protein powder is very absorbent, we add it in last, and it will help bring it all together to form thick cookie dough.
- Break the cookie dough into 8 equal-sized pieces (I just estimate, so they are not precise) and roll them into balls in your hands.
- Refrigerate the cookie dough balls for one hour to firm up.
- Once chilled, add some sugar substitute (or sugar) to a small bowl and roll each of your peanut butter cookie dough balls in the sugar until fully coated.
- Press a Hershey’s Kiss into the top of each cookie dough ball to create your peanut butter blossoms. If the edges become too cracked once you press the Kiss into the top, you can easily pinch the edges together to repair the cookie shape.
- Store any leftovers in the fridge to keep the cookies firm.
Notes
How to make vegan peanut butter cookies
Use the following ingredients to turn these into delicious dairy-free cookies.
- 31g (1 Scoop) Vegan Peanut Butter Select Protein Powder (code “Matt” to save 10%)
- 30g Almond Flour
- 30g Powdered Sugar Substitute
- 30g Unsweetened Applesauce
- 48g Creamy Peanut Butter
- Pinch of salt
- Sugar Substitute for Topping
- If you wanted to enjoy these cookies as regular peanut butter cookies without the Hershey’s Kiss, each cookie would be 70 calories, 5g fat, 3g carbs, and 5.5g protein.
These cookies can be baked! Follow the directions exactly as is, but add 1/4 tsp of baking soda. Before pressing the kiss into the top of each cookie, bake at 350 degrees for about 6 minutes, then immediately press the Kiss into the top of the cookie.
- With no-bake recipes, chilling the dough is absolutely necessary. As the dough chills, the flavors really mellow out (in a good way). When dealing with protein powder and/or sugar substitutes, those flavors are often too prominent if you do not allow them to sit in the fridge.
- If you find your cookies to be too soft for your liking, these can be stored in the freezer to create a more firm, yet still soft, peanut butter cookie.
- Remember that I use a protein powder that is a blend of whey & casein protein, and it is thicker/more absorbent than whey protein alone. If you substitute with 100% whey protein, your final cookie dough may not be quite as thick.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 8
Serving Size 1 Cookie
Amount Per Serving
Calories 110Total Fat 7.5gCarbohydrates 6gFiber 1gSugar 4gProtein 6g
