Weight Watchers Peanut Butter Blossoms: Your Go-To Recipe for Lightened-Up Peanut Butter & Chocolate Cookies
These Weight Watchers Peanut Butter Blossoms are a true delight, offering the classic combination of creamy peanut butter and rich chocolate in a lightened-up package. Perfect for anyone following the Weight Watchers program or simply seeking a healthier alternative to traditional treats, these cookies deliver on flavor without compromising your goals. Each bite brings the nostalgic taste of a homemade peanut butter cookie, perfectly complemented by the sweet milkiness of a chocolate kiss. They are truly an ultimate balance of nutty and chocolaty flavors that everyone will love.
What makes these cookies so special is their careful adaptation from a beloved classic. By making thoughtful adjustments to the original recipe, we’ve managed to significantly reduce the Weight Watchers SmartPoints while keeping that essential, indulgent taste. Each cookie is just 4 WW points when made with real granulated sugar, and an even more impressive 3 WW points if you opt for a zero-calorie sugar replacement. This flexibility allows you to choose the option that best fits your dietary needs and preferences, making these cookies a versatile addition to your recipe collection.
For those who love to explore all kinds of cookie creations, whether indulgent or health-conscious, you might be interested to know that I also manage a traditional cookie blog. If you’re ever in the mood for more decadent, classic recipes that don’t focus on point values, be sure to visit my sister site, bakemeacookie.com. It’s a fantastic resource for all things sweet and celebratory!
The secret to lightening up this classic lies in a few key ingredient swaps. This recipe meticulously uses reduced-fat peanut butter spread and a light butter substitute. These choices significantly cut down on the fat and calorie content without sacrificing the rich, comforting flavor and tender texture you expect from a peanut butter cookie. Crucially, these minor adjustments still allow for the inclusion of a genuine Hershey’s Kiss on top – because, let’s be honest, it wouldn’t truly be a Peanut Butter Blossom without that iconic chocolate crowning it!
When I was experimenting with creating a healthier version of Peanut Butter Blossoms, my primary goal was to preserve the integrity and beloved elements of the original recipe. The Hershey’s Kiss is, to me, an indispensable part of the experience. It adds that perfect touch of melty chocolate goodness and a familiar visual appeal. However, I understand that personal preferences vary, so if you prefer, you can certainly opt for a different chocolate piece or even a smaller, sugar-free chocolate square to further reduce points, as discussed in the variations section below.
These delightful cookies are incredibly versatile and suitable for a wide range of occasions. They make for a perfect sweet treat to enjoy after dinner, satisfying those evening cravings without the guilt. They are also an excellent choice for special occasions, holiday gatherings, or simply when you want to bake something comforting for your family. Planning a cookie exchange? These Peanut Butter Blossoms are guaranteed to be a hit, impressing everyone with their classic charm and delicious taste. They also make thoughtful, homemade gifts that show you care. If you’re looking to expand your baking repertoire with more lighter options, don’t forget to check out my extensive baking recipe collection, where you’ll find tons of other cookie recipes that can be served alongside these beauties.
Why You Should Try These Weight Watchers Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies
If you’re still contemplating whether to bake a batch of these fantastic cookies, allow me to convince you. Beyond their impressive point values, these Peanut Butter Blossoms offer numerous benefits that make them a must-try recipe:
- They are classic holiday cookies. Peanut Butter Blossoms are one of those universally recognized cookie types that evoke warmth, comfort, and festive cheer. They’re a staple on many holiday dessert tables and are always a welcome sight. No matter if you serve these at a family gathering, a work potluck, or any other type of event, their familiar charm and delicious taste will undoubtedly steal the show and receive rave reviews. They bring a touch of nostalgia that everyone appreciates.
- Easy to make in large quantities. Whether you’re baking for a crowd, preparing for a cookie exchange, or simply want to stock up on guilt-free treats, this recipe is incredibly forgiving and easy to scale. It’s straightforward to make a double batch, which will generously yield 40 cookies! This makes them perfect for holiday baking marathons or preparing thoughtful gifts for friends and neighbors without feeling overwhelmed in the kitchen.
- Delicious texture and flavor. Despite being a lightened-up version, these cookies do not compromise on the sensory experience. They boast a lovely, soft, and chewy texture that melts in your mouth. The rich, nutty flavor of the peanut butter is perfectly complemented by the sweet, creamy chocolate kiss on top. The best part? The cookies aren’t overly sweet on their own, allowing the chocolate to provide just enough sweetness for a beautifully balanced taste profile. This careful balance ensures you get all the deliciousness without any cloying sweetness, making them incredibly satisfying.
- Kid-Friendly & Fun to Make. The simple steps, especially rolling the dough and pressing the Kisses, make this a fantastic recipe to involve children in. It’s a great way to introduce them to baking and create lasting memories together.
- Satisfy Cravings Guilt-Free. For those on a Weight Watchers journey, finding satisfying sweet treats that align with your points can be a challenge. These Peanut Butter Blossoms are a game-changer, allowing you to indulge in a classic cookie without derailing your progress, truly making them a guilt-free pleasure.
Recipe Overview: Key Information at a Glance
Before diving into the full instructions, here’s a quick summary of what you need to know about this delightful recipe:
- Serving Size: Each cookie is approximately 24 grams, a perfectly portioned treat.
- Number of Servings: This recipe yields a generous 20 cookies, ideal for sharing or enjoying over several days.
- Prep Time: Expect to spend about 20 minutes on preparation, from gathering ingredients to forming the cookie balls.
- Cook Time: The cookies bake quickly, requiring only 9-10 minutes in the oven, ensuring fresh-baked goodness in no time.
- Total Time: From start to finish, you’re looking at approximately 30 minutes, making this an efficient recipe for busy schedules.
- WW Points Per Cookie: With real sugar, each cookie is 4 WW points. If you opt for a zero-calorie sugar replacement, it drops to an impressive 3 WW points per cookie. The entire recipe totals 81 WW points (with real sugar). You can easily click here to view the recipe directly in the WW app (WW login required) for precise tracking and easy access.
Essential Ingredients for Your WW Peanut Butter Blossoms
Gathering your ingredients is the first step to baking these fantastic cookies. Here’s a list of what you’ll need to create 20 perfectly portioned, lightened-up Peanut Butter Blossoms:
- 1 cup All-purpose flour: The foundation of our cookie, providing structure.
- ¾ tsp Baking powder: Essential for giving the cookies a slight lift and tender crumb.
- ¼ tsp Salt: A small but mighty ingredient that balances the sweetness and enhances the peanut butter flavor.
- ½ cup Granulated sugar or 1:1 zero-calorie replacement: Your choice here impacts the WW points. Granulated sugar provides classic sweetness, while a zero-calorie substitute offers a lower-point option without sacrificing taste.
- 3 tbsp Light butter substitute: A key component in reducing the overall fat content, ensuring a lighter cookie.
- 4 tbsp Reduced-fat peanut butter spread: The star of the show! Using a reduced-fat version helps keep the points down while delivering that unmistakable peanut butter flavor.
- 1 Egg: Acts as a binder, bringing the dough together and adding richness.
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract: A crucial flavor enhancer that complements the peanut butter beautifully.
- 20 Hershey’s Kisses: The iconic topping that makes a Peanut Butter Blossom truly complete, adding a melty chocolate finish.
Step-by-Step Instructions for Making Weight Watchers Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies
Follow these simple steps to create perfectly baked, lightened-up peanut butter blossoms. Precision and timing are key for the best results!
- Prepare Your Baking Station: First, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). While the oven is heating, prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper or foil. This prevents sticking and makes for easy cleanup.
- Cream Wet Ingredients: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, gently combine the light butter substitute and the reduced-fat peanut butter spread. Mix them together until they are well blended and smooth, creating a creamy base. Once combined, add your choice of granulated sugar or zero-calorie sweetener to the mixture and continue to mix until everything is thoroughly incorporated and fluffy.
3. Incorporate Remaining Wet and Dry Ingredients: Next, add the egg and vanilla extract to the creamed mixture and mix until just combined. Then, gradually add the dry ingredients (all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt) to the bowl. Mix on low speed or by hand until everything is evenly distributed and the dough just comes together. Be careful not to overmix, as this can lead to tough cookies. If your dough appears a bit dry or crumbly, refer to the tips section below for a quick fix.
4. Form and Shape the Cookies: Using a tablespoon measuring spoon, scoop out uniform portions of the cookie dough. This will ensure all your cookies are the same size, which helps them bake evenly and keeps the WW point count consistent per cookie. Roll each scoop into a smooth ball. Place the cookie balls on your prepared baking sheet, leaving some space in between them to allow for spreading. Then, gently press down each ball with the palm of your hand to slightly flatten it before baking. This helps achieve that classic blossom shape.
5. Bake and Prepare Kisses: Transfer the baking sheet to your preheated oven. Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes. Watch them closely during this time; they are perfectly done when they barely turn from shiny to matte. This subtle change indicates they are cooked through but still soft and chewy. While the cookies are baking, unwrap all 20 Hershey’s Kisses so they are ready to be placed on the hot cookies immediately after they come out of the oven.
6. Add Hershey’s Kisses and Cool: As soon as you remove the cookies from the oven, immediately press one unwrapped Hershey’s Kiss into the center of each warm cookie. The residual heat from the cookies will slightly melt the chocolate, allowing it to adhere and creating that iconic blossom effect. If your kitchen is particularly warm, you can keep the Hershey’s Kisses in the refrigerator or even the freezer for a few minutes before topping the cookies. This will help prevent them from melting too quickly and losing their shape. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This helps them set and firm up.
Variations and Substitutions for Your WW Peanut Butter Blossoms
One of the joys of baking is the ability to customize recipes to suit your taste, dietary needs, or simply to try something new. These Weight Watchers Peanut Butter Blossoms are no exception! Here are some creative variations and smart substitutions you can explore:
- Lower The Points Further: If you’re aiming for even fewer Weight Watchers points, the Hershey’s Kiss is an area where you can make a significant difference. Instead of a standard Hershey’s Kiss, you can use a different brand of chocolate, specifically smaller or sugar-free chocolate pieces. Many brands offer sugar-free chocolate bars that can be cut into small squares or chips. While this might give the cookies a slightly different visual appeal, it will effectively reduce the points while still providing that essential chocolatey element. Look for individually wrapped sugar-free chocolate squares or use a handful of sugar-free chocolate chips pressed into the warm cookies.
- Splurge Version for Special Occasions: For those moments when you have a few extra points to spare or are baking for guests who aren’t tracking points, you can easily transform these into a more decadent treat. Make the cookies bigger by using a 1.5-tablespoon or even 2-tablespoon scoop for the dough. This will create larger, more substantial cookies. Additionally, for an extra touch of sweetness and a classic peanut butter cookie appearance, roll the peanut butter cookie dough balls in granulated sugar before pressing them down and baking. This adds a delightful sugary crunch to the exterior.
- PB Blossoms with Dark Chocolate Kisses: If you’re a fan of a richer, slightly more bitter chocolate flavor, feel free to swap the classic milk chocolate Hershey’s Kisses for dark chocolate ones. Dark chocolate pairs wonderfully with peanut butter and offers a different flavor dimension. Just be sure to adjust the WW points in your app, as the point value for dark chocolate may differ slightly from milk chocolate.
- PB Blossoms with Rolos: For a fun and unexpected twist, try topping your cookies with a Rolo candy instead of a Hershey’s Kiss when they come out of the oven. The soft, gooey caramel inside the Rolo, combined with the melted chocolate and peanut butter cookie, creates an incredible flavor and texture combination that’s truly irresistible. Again, remember to recalculate your WW points if you make this substitution.
- Nutty Add-ins: For an extra textural element and flavor boost, consider folding in a couple of tablespoons of finely chopped peanuts into the cookie dough. This intensifies the nutty flavor and adds a satisfying crunch. Be mindful that this will slightly increase the point value per cookie.
- Spice It Up: A pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg (about ¼ teaspoon) added to the dry ingredients can provide a subtle warmth and depth of flavor, especially if you’re making these for the fall or winter holidays.
Expert Tips and Tricks for Making Perfect WW Peanut Butter Blossoms
Achieving the perfect Weight Watchers Peanut Butter Blossoms is easy with a few insider tips. These pointers will help ensure your cookies turn out beautifully every time, with the ideal texture and consistent point values:
- Precision in Scooping Dough: I highly suggest using an exact 1 tablespoon measuring spoon for scooping your dough balls. This is crucial for two reasons: firstly, it ensures that all your cookies are the same size, which guarantees even baking. Secondly, and very importantly for Weight Watchers, consistent sizing means your point count per cookie will be accurate and reliable.
- The Importance of Pressing Down: If you choose not to press down the cookies before baking, they will indeed be smaller in circumference and significantly puffier. While you can certainly bake them this way if you prefer a thicker cookie, be aware that you will need to increase the baking time slightly to ensure the center cooks through properly. For the classic “blossom” shape and even baking, a gentle press is recommended.
- Dealing with Crumbly Dough: Sometimes, depending on your ingredients and environment, cookie dough can seem a bit dry or crumbly. If your dough isn’t coming together easily, don’t fret! You can add a splash, just a tiny bit, of water or milk to the mixture. Add it half a teaspoon at a time, mixing gently until the dough reaches a cohesive, manageable consistency. Be careful not to add too much liquid, or the dough will become sticky.
- Avoid Overbaking at All Costs: This is perhaps the most critical tip for achieving a tender, chewy cookie. Peanut Butter Blossoms are delicate, and overbaking them will quickly lead to a hard, dry, and less enjoyable cookie. For the absolute best texture possible, remove them from the oven precisely when they just barely transition from having a glossy, shiny appearance to a slightly matte finish. This usually happens within the 8-10 minute window, so stay vigilant! The edges might be lightly golden, but the centers should still look soft.
- Ingredient Temperature Matters: Ensure your light butter substitute and egg are at room temperature. This helps them cream together more smoothly with the peanut butter and sugar, creating a more uniform dough and a better cookie texture.
- Cooling Rack is Key: After the initial cooling on the baking sheet, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. This prevents the bottoms from becoming soggy and allows for proper air circulation, ensuring a perfectly set cookie.
- Proper Storage: Once completely cooled, store your Weight Watchers Peanut Butter Blossoms in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. For longer storage, they can be frozen for up to 2-3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
More Delicious Related Recipes to Try
If you loved these Weight Watchers Peanut Butter Blossoms, you’re in luck! I have a variety of other peanut butter and cookie recipes that are equally delicious and often lightened-up, perfect for expanding your repertoire:
Mini Peanut Butter Cookies: Perfect bite-sized treats for portion control.
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies: A heartier, satisfying cookie with a wonderful texture.
Chocolate Drizzled Peanut Butter Cookies: Another delightful peanut butter and chocolate combination.
Peanut Butter Blossoms (Weight Watchers Friendly)
Ingredients
- 1 cup All-purpose flour
- ¾ tsp Baking powder
- ¼ tsp Salt
- ½ cup Granulated sugar or 1:1 zero-calorie replacement
- 3 tbsp Light butter substitute
- 4 tbsp Reduced-fat peanut butter spread
- 1 Egg
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 20 Hershey’s kisses
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
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In a medium mixing bowl, gently mix together the light butter substitute and the reduced-fat peanut butter. Once they are well blended and creamy, you can add the granulated sugar or zero-calorie sweetener and mix until thoroughly combined and fluffy.
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Next, add the egg and vanilla extract, mixing until just combined. Then, gradually add the dry ingredients (all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt). Stop mixing once everything is evenly distributed and the dough just comes together into a cohesive mass (refer to tips if it appears dry or crumbly).
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Use a tablespoon measuring spoon to scoop 20 uniform cookie balls. Roll them into smooth spheres and place them on the prepared baking tray, ensuring some space in between. Then, gently press them down with the palm of your hand before baking to create the classic blossom shape.
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Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes, or until they barely turn from having a shiny surface to a slightly matte appearance (watch closely during this time window to prevent overbaking). While the cookies bake, unwrap all 20 Hershey’s Kisses so they are ready for immediate use.
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After removing the cookies from the oven, immediately press one Hershey’s Kiss into the center of each warm cookie before they set. If your kitchen is a warm environment, you can keep the chocolates in the refrigerator or freezer for a few minutes before topping the cookies to prevent them from melting too much and losing their shape. Allow cookies to cool slightly on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Each cookie is 3 WW points with a 1:1 zero-calorie sugar replacement.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. It may vary based on specific brands and ingredient substitutions.
Additional Info