Peanut Butter Blossoms and Reindeer Cookies

Peanut Butter Cookie dough is so versatile, and this recipe will make the best moldable peanut butter Reindeer for the holiday and Peanut Butter Blossoms ever!

Mom's peanut butter cookie recipe is easy, plus the cookies are soft and buttery tasting.

If you’re looking for the ultimate holiday cookie, these Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies take the classic recipe up a notch.

Traditionally topped with a Hershey’s Kiss, this version offers variety all from one peanut butter cookie dough—filled with jam, peanut butter cups, or Hershey Kisses.

Perfect for Christmas cookie trays, cookie exchanges, or simply treating your family, these blossoms combine rich peanut butter flavor with customizable fillings everyone will love.

The recipe was mom's go-to and is more than 50 years old, and I still have this one written on an index card in her handwriting.

As the years pass, this is the cookie my grandson still enjoys making every year with me, and he looks forward to making these with me every year.

The recipe card below is printable with mom's recipe for peanut butter cookie,s and the instructions just scroll to the bottom.

Why You'll Love Making These Peanut Butter Blossoms

1. One Dough, Endless Variety – Make multiple flavors with just one batch of peanut butter cookie dough.
2. Perfect for Holiday Trays – Adds color, texture, and flavor variety to your Christmas cookie platter.
3. Crowd Pleaser – Peanut butter pairs deliciously with chocolate, fruit, and candies.
4. Kid-Friendly Baking – Fun for kids to help press in the candies or spoon in the jam.

1. 
   
   

Shapes and Fun Peanut Butter Cookies

• shape the dough into a penguin body
• shape the dough into rounds of 3 for snowman attach with egg white wash before baking
• make cutout cookies with cookie cutters

Tips for Making Peanut Butter Cookie Shapes

• Always preheat the oven
• keep the dough covered so it doesn't dry out while shaping
• this dough works with cookie cutters
• thicker cookies stay softer
• don't overcook these bake until just set

Other Delicious Fillings to Try

• Caramel-filled chocolates for a gooey center.
• White chocolate kisses for a festive winter look.
• Nutella or chocolate hazelnut spread for a rich twist.
• Marshmallows pressed in at the end for a s’mores-inspired cookie.
• Sprinkle colorful candies on top of the jam or top of the cookies for a festive look
• Fillings: Jam, Nutella. Candy bars crushed, Kisses, Peanut butter, Chocolate chips, Crushed peppermint candy, Crushed Toffee chips or candy bars, chocolate chips, flavored chips, caramels
• Maraschino green or red cherries

Alternative Cookie Dough Idea(for peanut butter allergies)

• store-bought cookie dough mix works great see recipe card for directions
• sugar cookie dough works however you have to add 1/4 cup of flour to the mix to make it sturdy
• same with chocolate cookie dough add flour so they do not spread

Suggestions for Decorating Peanut Butter Reindeer Cookies

• Chopped Maraschino Cherries for the nose or red hots
• Colored piped frosting for eyes and nose
• pretzel sticks instead of mini pretzels, or you can break mini pretzels to look like antlers
• Chocolate-coated candies

Try Some of My Other Favorite Cookie Recipes

24 Kinds of cookies
Jam Bow Ties
Cowboy Cookies
Pistachio Ricotta Cookies
Almond Paste Cookies

Pin for later

Final Thoughts: One Dough Does it All

These Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies with Jam, Peanut Butter Cups, and Hershey Kisses are a festive upgrade on a classic recipe.

They’re fun, versatile, and guaranteed to bring smiles to everyone who tries them.

Add them to your Christmas cookie baking list this year and watch them disappear!

peanut butter cookies, peanut butter blossom cookies, peanut butter reindeer cookies

cookies recipes

American

Yield: 30

Author: Claudia Lamascolo

Peanut Butter Blossoms and Reindeer Cookies

Peanut Butter Dough is so versatile we made Reindeer for the holiday and assorted Blossoms!

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 10 MinTotal time: 20 Min

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup shortening ( I like the butter-flavored)
• 3/4 cup peanut butter
• 1 1/4 cups brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 3/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoons salt
• Decorations:
• Note: You can add the pretzels before or after cooking. I have done this both ways and find the pretzels stay better cooked and the eyes and nose better to add after cooking.
• mini chocolate chips for the eyes
• mini pretzels for the ears. Use two for the boy reindeer, 1 set for the girl reindeer's
• red hot cinnamon candies for the nose
• Optional a mixture of powdered sugar and water to make a thick paste to glue on the nose, ears, and eyes. This will keep the pretzels that are doubled from falling off, also.
• ALTERNATIVE Peanut Butter Cookie Mix Recipe:
• 1 package of any Brand Peanut Butter Cookie Mix (17.5 ounces)
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons softened butter
• 1/3 cup flour and more for rolling
• 2 to 3 tablespoons of milk (just add until the dough comes together and not crumble and if sticky add a little more flour)

Instructions

1. Peanut Butter Homemade From Scratch Directions:
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 
3. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
4. Cream the shortening, sugar, and peanut butter together.
5. Add the milk, egg, and vanilla.
6. Stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
7. Roll into balls.
8. Flatten slightly with the palm of your hand, then pitch the nose to shape and keep the head rounded in a teardrop-shaped dough.
9. Note: For the Reindeer nose, roll into balls, then pinch the bottom to a point; it takes a few tries to get the shape right.
10. Add the antler pretzel stick or mini pretzels, mini chips, and red nose candy.
11. Again, you can place the candy on cookies while still hot but just bake the ears.
12. Bake on a parchment-lined cookie sheet for around 8 to 12 minutes or until edges are lightly golden and just set, not browned on top.
13.  Baking times vary depending on the thickness of how you made them.
14. Cutouts will take less time to bake.
15. Thumbprint cookies:  Roll the dough into a ball, and press your finger in the center to make a well. Baked according to directions. Fill while still warm by pressing whatever you prefer in the centers.
16. Note: The center may puff up, but will easily flatten when inserting the candy.
17. Fill in the center suggestions under the notes
18. Prepackaged Cookie Mix Instructions:
19. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper.
20. In a bowl, add the ingredients per the package instructions.
21. Note: I prefer to sift the prepackaged mix to remove lumps and free-flowing.
22. Blend evenly until the packaged mix comes together into a round ball ( it won't be sticky if it adds more flour. If it's too dry, add a teaspoon more milk.
23. This dough can be molded, cut out with cookie cutters, or rolled into balls to make thumbprints. Follow the same direction as the made-from-scratch version for baking them and filling them.
24. See notes for suggestions below.

Notes

Suggestions for Decorating Peanut Butter Cookies

• Chopped Maraschino Cherries
• Colored piped frosting for eyes and nose
• pretzel sticks instead of mini pretzels, or you can break mini pretzels to look like antlers
• Chocolate-coated candies
• Any small red cinnamon candies for the nose
• Make these into thumbprint cookies and fill the middles with jam or Hershey kisses instead of reindeer
• Fillings: Jam, Nutella. Candy bars crushed, Kisses, Peanut butter, Chocolate chips, Crushed peppermint candy, Crushed Toffee chips or candy bars, chocolate chips, flavored chips, caramels

Alternative Cookie Dough Idea(for peanut butter allergies)

• store-bought cookie dough mix works great see recipe card for directions
• sugar cookie dough works however you have to add 1/4 cup of flour to the mix to make it sturdy
• same with chocolate cookie dough add flour so they do not spread

Tips for Making Peanut Butter Cookie Shapes

• Always preheat the oven
• keep the dough covered so it doesn't dry out while shaping
• this dough works with cookie cutters
• thicker cookies stay softer but take longer to bake
• don't overcook these bake until just set and golden on the edges

Nutrition Facts

Calories

222

Fat (grams)

11 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

3 g

Carbs (grams)

28 g

Fiber (grams)

1 g

Net carbs

27 g

Sugar (grams)

17 g

Protein (grams)

4 g

Sodium (milligrams)

266 mg

Cholesterol (grams)

14 mg

The default measuring system for this website is US Customary. Unit conversions are provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. While we strive to provide accurate unit conversions, please be aware that there may be some discrepancies.

Similar Recipes

Layered Peanut Butter Brownies

Peanut Butter filled Chocolate Cake or Cupcakes

Peanut Butter Filling

Christmas White Chocolate Peanut Butter Krispies

https://www.whatscookinitalianstylecuisine.com/2013/12/moms-old-fashioned-recipe-for-peanut.html

These are all copyright-protected images and content. Do not reprint/reuse this recipe or its images without my written permission.

Pin for later

Try Some Christmas Candy We Love

Peanut Brittle
Baked Caramel Corn
Irish Potato Candy
No-Bake Rum Balls
Easy Fudge Recipe
Salted Caramel Bites

Disclosure: This recipe was originally shared in 2013. It was edited and re-published in 2020.