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    Hummusapien » Recipes » Dessert » Healthier Peanut Butter Blossoms

    ★★★★★ from 8 reviews

    Healthier Peanut Butter Blossoms

    Published Dec 18, 2020 · Modified Dec 6, 2022 · by Alexis Joseph · 42 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    Healthier Peanut Butter Blossoms made with whole wheat flour taste just as delicious as the original! 

    This healthier version of the classic Peanut Butter Blossoms made with whole wheat flour taste just as delicious as the classic!

    Hi hi hello! These cookies are evvverythinggggg.

    Buttery and fluffy and soft and peanuty and filled with the most gorg pool of dark chocolate in the middle... I MEAN what more do you need in life?

    Let me be honest with you, though. As a total cookie lover and peanut butter fanatic, peanut butter cookies were never my go-to.

    Chocolate cookies, sugar cookies, snickerdoodles, cream cheese cookies...get in my belly. But peanut butter cookies? Meh. Where's the chocolate, yo?

    This healthier version of the classic Peanut Butter Blossoms made with whole wheat flour taste just as delicious as the classic!

    But Jeff adores peanut butter cookies. I think he likes them more than he likes me.

    I took his true love for peanut butter cookies and my deep dark chocolate obsession (and ok fine, way too many HERSHEY's kisses for my own good) and set out to make those wonderful little peanut butter blossoms I remembered from childhood.

    While I didn't grow up making Christmas cookies per se (I'm Jewish!), I've eaten my fair share of them over the years. I used to take cooking classes with the most awesome lady named Betty Buns. I have vivid memories making meatloaf and banana bread and chocolate chip cookies at the ripe age of ten.

    The passion started when I was just just a tot! So you can imagine my excitement when I found my beloved Betty Buns cookbook while searching my mom's cookbook cabinet for recipe inspiration.

    This healthier version of the classic Peanut Butter Blossoms made with whole wheat flour taste just as delicious as the classic!

    A healthier spin on the classic!

    I took Betty Buns' Peanut Butter Blossoms recipe and worked my magic. The holidays are as a good a time as ever to indulge, but I saw no harm in taking out a bit of the sugar, swapping the white flour for white whole wheat, and using less refined sugars like coconut sugar + organic cane sugar.

    Oh, and a wee flax egg!

    The good news is that you don't need a big fancy mixer to make these. I don't have a big fancy mixer. Even though Great British Baking show makes me feel like I need one yesterday. If you don't own one of these super affordable hand mixers, get it on your holiday list stat!

    You also don't have to chill the dough. I KNOW, it keeps getting better.

    This healthier version of the classic Peanut Butter Blossoms made with whole wheat flour taste just as delicious as the original!

    Ingredients tips and substitutions

    • White whole wheat flour: I love white whole wheat flour because it's less wheaty tasting than regular whole wheat flour. You could also use all purpose flour, or a mix of half and half. I haven't tried it, but I bet this all purpose gluten free baking flour would also work.
    • Peanut butter: Use natural salted peanut butter with peanuts and salt as the ingredients.
    • Vegan butter: Earth Balance buttery sticks are my go-to, but you can use whatever vegan butter or real butter you fancy. Make sure it's room temperature for foolproof creaming.
    • Organic sugar: For sweetness, structure, and moisture! You can use regular granulated sugar, too. I’m not sure how coconut sugar would work here, but I know they’d be darker.
    • Coconut sugar: Because the mix of white and brown sugar is fab for flavor and moisture. You can also use brown sugar.
    • Flax: Our vegan sub for an egg, which helps the cookies bind together.
    • Chocolate kisses: I use HERSHEY's dark chocolate kisses. The key is adding them at the end so they don't melt into a chocolate pool you want to swim in.

    I found that the key to getting the chocolate kisses to stick was the bake these bad boys for 8 minutes, quickly dot each cookie with a kiss (so cute), then bake for one minute more.

    This healthier version of the classic Peanut Butter Blossoms made with whole wheat flour taste just as delicious as the original!

    Tools to make perfect peanut butter blossoms

    1. Silicone baking mat: reusable and makes for the easiest clean up. I make roasted vegetables, cookies, and more on this!
    2. Cookie sheet: because everyone needs a few. This extra large one is the best!
    3. Cookie scoop: for easy cookie portioning. I use the scoop and then roll the dough into balls so they’re smooth.
    4. Hand mixer: less than $20 and my go-to appliance for mixing since I don’t have a stand mixer.
    5. Air tight container: my storage solution for just about everything.

    More holiday treats to love!

    • Healthy Snickerdoodles
    • Healthy Monster Cookies
    • Vegan Ginger Molasses Cookies
    • Vegan Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
    • Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pomegranate
    • Vegan Peppermint Chocolate Skillet Cookie

    P.S. I definitely accidentally spilled the milk in these photos and decided it looked cool. Does it look cool or no??

    If you make these healthy peanut butter blossoms, please let me know by leaving a comment and star rating. I’m so grateful for your feedback!

    Print
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    Healthier Peanut Butter Blossoms

    ★★★★★ 5 from 8 reviews
    • Author: Alexis Joseph
    • Prep Time: 15 mins
    • Cook Time: 9 mins
    • Total Time: 24 mins
    • Yield: 23 cookies 1x
    • Category: Dessert
    • Method: Oven
    • Cuisine: American
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    This healthier version of the classic Peanut Butter Blossoms made with whole wheat flour taste just as delicious as the original!


    Ingredients

    Units Scale
    • 1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water (can sub 1 egg)
    • ½ cup natural salted peanut butter*
    • ½ cup vegan butter, softened (can sub regular butter)
    • ½ cup organic cane sugar
    • ¼ cup coconut sugar (can sub brown sugar)
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • 1 cup white whole wheat flour (can sub all-purpose flour)
    • ¾ tsp baking soda
    • ¼ tsp fine sea salt
    • 23 chocolate kisses (I love dark chocolate)

    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 375F. Line 1 large or 2 regular cookie sheets with parchment paper or a Silipat. Make sure you have about 23 unwrapped kisses ready to go.
    2. Mix together ground flax and water in a small bowl for "flax egg." Set aside to gel.
    3. In a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together peanut butter, butter, and both sugars until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
    4. Add the flax egg and vanilla and mix to combine. Add the flour, baking soda and salt and mix until just combined. Roll dough into smooth 1-inch balls (I used a cookie scoop) and place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. No need to flatten.
    5. Bake (one cookie sheet at a time) for about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press a chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie. Return to the oven and bake for one more minute. Remove from oven and cool on a cooling rack.

    Notes

    *If using unsalted peanut butter, add ¼ tsp salt to the recipe.

    GLUTEN FREE: If you're looking for gluten free cookies, I'd recommend these Peanut Butter Cup Cookies!

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @hummusapien on Instagram. I love sharing what you make!

    About Alexis Joseph

    Oh HEY there! I'm Alexis Joseph, food writer, blogger, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), new mama, and co-founder of local restaurant group, Alchemy. I use my passion for cooking and wellness as fuel to help others ignite a more freeing and happy relationship with food. Learn more about Alexis!

    5 Secrets to Delish, Healthy Lunches

    Reader Interactions

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      Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

    1. Emily says

      December 04, 2022 at 10:06 pm

      OMG. I’ve been looking for healthier cookie recipes to make this Christmas, and just tried this one out. They are so similar to the ones my mom always made, I absolutely love them! Definitely a must try.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Alexis Joseph says

        December 06, 2022 at 2:46 pm

        Fabulous, thank you tons Emmily!

        Reply
    2. Erin Fortkamp says

      December 24, 2020 at 3:20 pm

      These are amazing! This is definitely going to be my go-to recipe for my Christmas cookies every year!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Alexis Joseph says

        December 24, 2020 at 4:17 pm

        Thank you SO much, Erin!!

        Reply
    3. Meredith says

      December 24, 2020 at 2:00 pm

      A classic and so easy!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Alexis Joseph says

        December 24, 2020 at 2:30 pm

        Yayy thank you, Meredith!

        Reply
    4. Holly says

      December 22, 2020 at 10:08 pm

      I’m so glad I made these! They are even better than the original version! I don’t each much processed food or sugar and I often find desserts too sweet. These have more complex flavor because of the whole food ingredients. I used Crazy Richard’s peanut butter and subbed an egg for the flax. Will definitely be making these again...thanks Alexis!!!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Alexis Joseph says

        December 22, 2020 at 11:32 pm

        Thank you tons, Holly! These are such a fun treat. So happy you liked them!

        Reply
    5. Dina says

      December 20, 2020 at 8:26 pm

      Love these!!! So delicious and easy to make and my favorite christmas cookies. Thanks for the recipe!!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Alexis Joseph says

        December 20, 2020 at 10:53 pm

        Wonderful! Thrilled to hear the positive feedback, Dina.

        Reply
    6. Jan says

      December 18, 2020 at 1:27 am

      Oh man these are sooooo good. Thank you!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    7. Haley says

      December 26, 2017 at 11:06 pm

      Excuse me but these look almost too good to be true. I wish I could go back in time a few days and make these for Christmas!

      Reply
    8. Lisa Huff says

      December 18, 2017 at 7:28 pm

      Such a fun idea! Love it!

      Reply
    9. Emily says

      December 17, 2017 at 4:32 pm

      Did you make the chocolate chips yourself?

      Reply
      • Alexis says

        December 17, 2017 at 5:59 pm

        Nope! I usually get them from Trader Joe's.

        Reply
    10. Kat says

      December 14, 2017 at 10:13 pm

      If I wanted to make these gluten free, could I sub in a gluten free flour 1:1?
      Thanks!!

      Reply
      • Alexis says

        December 17, 2017 at 5:58 pm

        I haven’t tried it but I’d suggest something like Bob’s 1 for 1 GF all purpose baking flour ?

        Reply
    11. Jennifer says

      December 12, 2017 at 2:50 pm

      I made the recipe exactly as written , but my cookies came out really flat and crunchy. I was wondering if you have any tips for me on what might be going wrong? My initial thought was the dough was a bit oily which might have made them spread, so maybe I might try these again with regular peanut butter.

      Reply
      • Alexis says

        December 12, 2017 at 3:26 pm

        Oh no! I haven’t gotten any feedback about them being flat till your comment so I’m trying to think what could’ve caused that...you could try refrigerating the dough before baking? You didn’t melt the butter did you? I used the drippy kind of peanut butter with just peanuts and salt, no added oil. Make sure not to pack the flour either. Hope this helps!

        Reply
    12. CL says

      December 09, 2017 at 5:43 pm

      Hi I was wondering if gluten free flour would work?

      Reply
      • Alexis says

        December 09, 2017 at 6:37 pm

        I haven’t tried it but I’d suggest something like Bob’s 1 for 1 GF all purpose baking flour 🙂

        Reply
    13. Kelly @ Eat the Gains says

      December 06, 2017 at 12:08 pm

      Yes!! One of my favorite Christmas cookies. Our neighbors used to make them all the time for us growing up. I'm with you on the underdone too and I think the milk looks good haha!

      Reply
      • Alexis says

        December 08, 2017 at 3:29 pm

        The nostalgia just makes them taste a billion times better!

        Reply
    14. Tara | Treble in the Kitchen says

      December 05, 2017 at 7:08 pm

      I'm in holiday baking mode and these look FANTASTIC!! Seriously!!

      Reply
      • Alexis says

        December 08, 2017 at 3:30 pm

        I hope you love them as much as I do!! Gotta feed the baking beast.

        Reply
    15. Karly says

      December 05, 2017 at 5:36 pm

      All the peanut butter blossoms, please. These look amazing! Thanks so much for sharing your awesome recipe!

      Reply
      • Alexis says

        December 08, 2017 at 3:31 pm

        You're so welcome! Don't you just want to eat these by the plate full?

        Reply
    16. Kori says

      December 04, 2017 at 12:59 pm

      So adorable!! I need to make these sometimes soon. I'm a peanut butter cookie lover, but combining them with chocolate is even better! I do love the spilled milk - supah cute, and I love your photos! Thanks, Alexis!

      Reply
      • Alexis says

        December 04, 2017 at 5:26 pm

        Eee thanks love!! Isn't chocolate and peanut butter the most heavenly combo?!

        Reply
    17. Elizabeth says

      December 04, 2017 at 12:41 pm

      Have you tried using egg instead of flaxseed "egg"? Wondering what the recipe would call for if I wanted to use a regular egg!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Alexis says

        December 04, 2017 at 12:43 pm

        Yes that will work just fine!

        Reply
    18. Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN | It's a Veg World After All says

      December 04, 2017 at 12:34 pm

      These look amazing! And yes, the milk spill definitely looks cool :-)! Hahah can't wait to make them!

      Reply
      • Alexis says

        December 04, 2017 at 5:28 pm

        Haha it definitely made the photoshoot snacking extra delish!! These cookies are going to be on repeat until further notice they're THAT good. Hope you love them!

        Reply
    19. Alexa says

      December 04, 2017 at 12:08 pm

      Yum! I'm going to make these for our work training day this Friday 🙂
      Do you have to press the cookies down first? or just leave them as a ball?

      Reply
      • Alexis says

        December 04, 2017 at 12:09 pm

        Nope! Just roll them into a smooth ball. They’ll flatten while they bake and also when you put the kiss on them. Enjoy!

        Reply
    20. Jess @choosingchia says

      December 04, 2017 at 11:31 am

      Saw these on Instagram so I had to hop over to see the recipe. They look so delicious and I love that they're vegan too!

      Reply
      • Alexis says

        December 04, 2017 at 12:09 pm

        Yayyy thanks my love! I’ve been so obsessed with them this week 🙂

        Reply
    21. Caitlin McGillicuddy says

      December 04, 2017 at 10:15 am

      Alexis, these look incredible. Do you take your own pictures? They're beautiful!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Alexis says

        December 04, 2017 at 12:10 pm

        Thanks so much! Yes I do 🙂

        Reply
    22. Beth says

      December 04, 2017 at 9:43 am

      I'm missing the recipe.

      Reply
      • Alexis says

        December 04, 2017 at 12:10 pm

        My blog has been kind of wonky with messing recipes up lately—thanks for pointing that out. All fixed!

        Reply
    23. Alexis says

      December 04, 2017 at 12:10 pm

      Thanks my love! Hope they’re the most delish ever.

      Reply

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