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    You are here: Home / Dessert / Vegan Peanut Butter Blossoms

    LAST UPDATED: December 9, 2021 • FIRST PUBLISHED: December 22, 2018

    Vegan Peanut Butter Blossoms

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Vegan Peanut Butter Blossoms

    Classic peanut butter blossoms go vegan! Each of these tender little cookies is topped with a dollop of rich coconut ganache, for a burst of chocolaty goodness in every bite.

    Vegan Peanut Butter Blossoms on a Plate with Coffee Cup and Spoon in the Background

    I love peanut butter blossoms. They were always one of my favorite holiday cookies. Maybe my absolute favorite, but every time I say that about something I find myself writing a post for something else a week later and then declaring that as my all-time favorite.

    So let's just say I'm a big fan of peanut butter blossoms and leave it at that. So this year, I decided it was time to make a vegan version. I thought it would be easy. But nope!

    Stack of Vegan Peanut Butter Blossoms with Christmas Lights in the Background

    I almost didn't even name these "peanut butter blossoms." Chocolate peanut butter thumbprint cookies might be more accurate. Classic peanut butter blossoms are topped with Hershey Kisses, and as you can see from the photos, only one cookie is topped with anything resembling a kiss. I ended up with a single perfect cookie, and yeah, you got me — I totally used it for my photos. Because how could I let that beauty go to waste?

    My thinking was this: I'd veganize the cookies by swapping out butter for vegan butter and eggs for flax eggs. Easy! And that worked. The cookie making part is easy — whip up some peanut butter, vegan butter, sugar, and flax egg with an electric mixer. Stir in your dry ingredients, shape into balls, roll in sugar, and bake away.

    Collage Showing Steps for Making Vegan Peanut Butter Blossoms: Place Sugars, Butter and Peanut Butter in a Bowl, Beat with Electric Mixer, Stir in Dry Ingredients, Shape into Balls and Roll in Sugar

    But instead of pressing a Kiss into each cookie, I'd make a little thumbprint dent, and then pipe some ganache in the dent, in the shape of a Kiss.

    Brilliant, right? The problem is this: the temperature of the ganache is super critical! Too warm and it'll just settle into a chocolate puddle. Too cool, and it'll be too solid to pipe. I got it to that happy semi-solid temperature, but then it cooled in the pastry bag.

    First it clogged up the tip, then it burst the whole bag (which was, admittedly, a piece of junk I got at the dollar store). It made a huge mess and seeing all that chocolate go to waste was rather painful.

    So, if you've got mad piping skills, feel free to squirt some perfect Kisses on your blossoms. The rest of us will just spoon ours on top, and it'll taste just as good.

    Collage Showing Steps for Finishing Vegan Peanut Butter Blossoms: Press Thumb Into Each Cookie, Mix Chocolate Ganache, and Spoon Ganache into Indentation

    My husband pointed out why these suckers are better that regular old kiss cookies. With classic peanut butter blossoms, you take a bite and the whole Kiss comes out at once. With these, you the ganache stays put, so you get chocolate and cookie in every bite. 

    Overhead Close Up of Vegan Peanut Butter Blossoms on a Wooden Table

    FAQ & Tips for Making Awesome Vegan Peanut Butter Blossoms

    • Why does the recipe call for organic sugar? Do I have to use organic? In the United States at least, most granulated sugar is processed with animal bone char. Not so with organic sugar, so using it will keep the cookies vegan.
    • What's vegan butter? Is it just margarine? Basically, yes. But lots of margarine is actually processed with dairy. Look for products specifically labeled as "vegan butter," like Earth Balance,  Melt and I Can't Believe It's Not Butter (It's Vegan!).
    • Where can I find vegan chocolate chips? My regular grocery store carries them, but if you's doesn't, try places like Whole Foods or Amazon. Enjoy Life is the brand I usually use.
    • Can I make these gluten-free? I think an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend such as those made by Bob's Red Mill or King Arthur would work, but I haven't tested the recipe with anything but wheat flour.

    More Vegan Holiday Cookies

    • Vegan Gingerbread Cookies
    • Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
    • Vegan Sugar Cookies
    • Vegan Chocolate Cookies

    Like this recipe? If so, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter. And please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you make it!

    Vegan Peanut Butter Blossoms on a Plate with Coffee Cup and Spoon in the Background
    5 from 10 votes
    Print

    Vegan Peanut Butter Blossoms

    Classic peanut butter blossoms go vegan! Each of these tender little peanut butter cookies is topped with a dollop of rich coconut ganache, for a burst of chocolaty goodness in every bite.

    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Prep Time 20 minutes
    Cook Time 10 minutes
    Total Time 30 minutes
    Servings 36 cookies
    Calories 119 kcal
    Author Alissa Saenz

    Ingredients

    For the Cookies

    • 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
    • 3 tablespoons water
    • ¾ cup organic granulated sugar, divided
    • ½ cup organic brown sugar
    • ½ cup creamy natural peanut butter
    • ½ cup vegan butter, softened
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
    • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon salt

    For the Ganache

    • 1 cup vegan chocolate chips
    • 1 cup coconut cream*

    Instructions

    1. Preheat the oven to 375° and line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper.

    2. Whisk the water and flaxseed together in a small bowl. Allow the mixture to sit for a few minutes to gel while you gather the rest of your ingredients.

    3. Place ½ cup of sugar, brown sugar, peanut butter, butter, and vanilla into a large mixing bowl. Add the flax mixture, and beat everything together with an electric mixer on high-speed for about 1 minute, until creamy.

    4. Add the flour to the bowl, and sprinkle the baking powder, baking soda, and salt on top of the flour. Stir everything together until uniformly blended.

    5. Place the remaining ¼ cup of sugar into a small bowl.

    6. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls, then roll the balls in the sugar. Place them on the baking sheets, separated by about 2-inches.

    7. Bake for 10 minutes, remove the baking sheets from the oven, and transfer them to a cooling rack.

    8. Wait about 1 to 2 minutes, just until the cookies are cool enough to handle, then use your thumb for form an indentation in the top of each one.

    9. Allow the cookies to cool completely.

    10. When the cookies have cooled, melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler or by placing them into a bowl and microwaving in 30 second increments, stirring in between.

    11. Stir the coconut cream into the melted chips. Allow the mixture to cool down a bit, to thicken. 

    12. Spoon a dollop of ganache on top of each cookie. Allow the ganache to set at room temperature (about 1 hour), or chill to speed up the process.

    13. Serve.

    Recipe Notes

    You can buy cans of coconut cream at most grocery stores. Thai Kitchen is a popular brand. You can also extract the cream from a couple cans of coconut milk. Chill the can for at least 12 hours. The coconut milk should separate into cream (the solid portion) and coconut water (the cloudy liquid). Just use the cream. You'll probably need 2 cans of coconut milk to get 1 cup of cream.

    Adapted from Betty Crocker.

    Nutrition Facts
    Vegan Peanut Butter Blossoms
    Amount Per Serving (1 cookie)
    Calories 119 Calories from Fat 61
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 6.8g10%
    Saturated Fat 3.2g16%
    Sodium 88mg4%
    Potassium 35mg1%
    Carbohydrates 13.5g5%
    Fiber 0.6g2%
    Sugar 8.4g9%
    Protein 2.1g4%
    Calcium 10mg1%
    Iron 0.9mg5%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    « Pasta with Mushroom Bolognese
    Mushroom Crostini with Herbed Cashew Cheese »

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    About Alissa Saenz

    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors! You can read more about me here.

    I'd love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Janet says

      December 22, 2018 at 4:46 pm

      Can I substitute coconut oil for the vegan butter?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        December 24, 2018 at 10:53 am

        I think so! That substitution usually works for me, but I can't be 100% certain as I haven't tried it in this recipe.

        Reply
    2. Hanne says

      December 22, 2018 at 5:16 pm

      5 stars
      Who got to eat the one perfect cookie? You, your husband, or did you send her to a cookie sanctuary? These look perfectly scrumptious! I can't wait to make a batch.Thank you!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        December 24, 2018 at 10:53 am

        I still have it actually! I hung on to five or six of the prettiest cookies so I could give them to my brother and sister in law (both are vegan) over Christmas! :) Thanks so much Hanne!

        Reply
    3. Pamela Fitzpatrick says

      December 22, 2018 at 9:56 pm

      With the coconut cream, is there a coconut flavor? I ask because I cannot stand coconut.

      Thanks!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        December 24, 2018 at 10:51 am

        I couldn't taste it at all. :)

        Reply
    4. Shari says

      December 24, 2018 at 9:02 am

      5 stars
      Finally! The peanut butter blossoms I used to make before I was vegan! These are delicious! I subbed coconut sugar for the brown sugar as that’s all I had. I also used Justin’s dark chocolate peanut butter cups instead of the ganache in the interest of time. I can’t wait to serve these tonight at Christmas Eve. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        December 24, 2018 at 10:44 am

        I'm so glad you like them! And what an awesome idea to use peanut butter cups! Thanks so much Shari!

        Reply
        • Shari says

          December 26, 2018 at 8:05 am

          5 stars
          These were a HUGE hit with the non-vegans and kids! I’m making them again for New Year’s Eve! Thank you!

          Reply
          • Alissa Saenz says

            December 30, 2018 at 6:40 pm

            Woo hoo!! I'm glad they were a hit! Thank you and have a wonderful New Year's celebration!

            Reply
    5. Muriel says

      December 29, 2018 at 4:18 am

      I was wondering the chocolate ganache looks more like milk chocolate than semi sweet. Does the coconut milk make it more like milk chocolate kisses flavor? I’m not a big semi sweet fan in combo with peanut butter, so was wondering what the flavor was like.

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        December 30, 2018 at 4:13 pm

        I'd say it's pretty close to milk chocolate, but not quite as heavy. You could try just melting some chocolate chips, and then letting the mixture sit for a bit to cool, giving it a stir every so often. Then when it starts to thicken up a bit you can spoon it on the cookies. The chocolate will turn out quite a bit firmer than with ganache, but you'll get that dark chocolate flavor you prefer. I hope that helps! Enjoy!!

        Reply
    6. Christine Boyer says

      February 15, 2019 at 6:40 pm

      5 stars
      Made these for my fiancé for his birthday and I used GF cup for cup flour and they came out amazing! He thought they were so tasty and even better than the original thumbprint cookies that’s were his favorite! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        February 17, 2019 at 8:35 pm

        Yay! I'm glad to hear gluten-free flour works, and so glad you enjoyed them!!

        Reply
    7. Miranda says

      March 28, 2019 at 10:28 pm

      I made these cookies, but I didn’t roll them in sugar and topped with jelly instead of chocolate. Delicious PB&J variation!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        March 29, 2019 at 5:44 pm

        Sounds delicious!

        Reply
    8. tanya thomas says

      December 22, 2019 at 4:51 pm

      These are heavenly! These were my sons favorite during Christmas, when we went vegan he was bummed, but these are ( like so many vegan recipes) so much better than the non-vegan ones. Wow! Thank you!
      One question, how should they be stored?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        December 22, 2019 at 8:38 pm

        Yay! I'm so glad you and your son like them! Store them in an airtight container and they should be goo for at least a week, maybe two.

        Reply
    9. Chii says

      December 22, 2019 at 9:17 pm

      Hello! I bought Follow Your Heart vegan egg and was curious how many eggs I need? One or two? Or even three?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        December 22, 2019 at 9:50 pm

        I can't guarantee it'll work as I've only tested the recipe using flax eggs. But if you want to give it a try you can use one egg and omit the the tablespoon of flaxseed and three tablespoons of water. I'd love to hear how it it works out if you try it!

        Reply
        • Chii says

          December 25, 2019 at 10:42 am

          5 stars
          They worked out great! One vegan egg is enough and they taste just how I remember them as a kid! Thanks!

          Reply
          • Alissa Saenz says

            December 29, 2019 at 3:38 pm

            Yay! Glad it worked out and you enjoyed them!

            Reply
    10. Bonnie says

      December 23, 2019 at 8:20 am

      Found these on amazon: https://www.amazon.com/LARGE-Chocolate-Chip-Mold-Silicone/dp/B07FSY6PXN

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        December 29, 2019 at 3:50 pm

        Oh nice! I'm definitely getting some for next year. Thank you!!

        Reply
    11. Ally says

      January 20, 2020 at 2:31 pm

      5 stars
      Very forgiving recipe! I didn't have baking powder or baking soda and didn't realize it until I had mixed everything else! I substituted 1/2 a banana and threw some chocolate chips inside (as well as melted chocolate on top) and they turned out great! My roommate said they're the best cookies she's ever had and she's not even vegan! The 10 minute mark is PERFECT. Time estimations are highly accurate.

      Reply
    12. Jessi says

      December 08, 2020 at 2:53 pm

      5 stars
      A favorite vegan cookie recipe around here, however, I'm wanting to make these gluten free with oat flour this year. I wonder if these will still be impressive with this swap. Testing a batch soon! If anyone has tried, let me know! 😊

      Reply
    13. Tessa says

      December 16, 2020 at 2:58 pm

      Just want to say you can buy kiss molds. I used chocolate chips, melt and fill the molds. Perfect kisses! I even wrap some in lightweight foil and use a thin ribbon as the pull for my son!

      Reply
    14. Poonam says

      December 26, 2020 at 9:36 pm

      I made these with my daughter. We went vegan in Early 2020 and were not sure we would be able to enjoy our favorite pb blossoms again. We followed this recipe exactly on Christmas Eve except for the chocolate part we used melted chips and a little coconut oil to make it smooth. So good. Thank you. We don’t have any left and plan to make again this week. Also your husband’s observations about getting chocolate in every bite is spot on. Much better than traditional Kisses.

      Reply
    15. Poonam says

      December 26, 2020 at 9:37 pm

      5 stars
      Forgot to give it 5 stars in my review!

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors!

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