I collect cookie ideas the way some people collect fridge magnets. Every trip adds a few, but only some earn a spot in my regular baking. These fun cookie recipes are the ones I actually make again and again.
First up are peanut butter blossoms, with a chocolate Kiss pressed on top. The cookie first showed up at the 1957 Pillsbury Bake-Off. Nearly 70 years later, it still earns a spot on my holiday tray.
After that, you’ll get an easy chocolate chip cookie for busy weeknights. There’s also a big bakery-style batch for days you want to show off. Pick whichever one fits your day.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This is the simplest dough of all the fun cookie recipes here. Everything goes into one bowl, and you mix it on low until stiff. There’s no chilling, so the first tray can bake within 15 minutes.
It’s also one of my favorite fun cookie recipes for kids. Rolling dough balls in sugar is easy for small hands. Kids love pressing in the Kisses, but an adult should handle the hot tray.
They top my list of Christmas fun cookie recipes, too. They look festive on a cookie tray with zero decorating. Swap the candy on top and they work for birthdays or bake sales.
Peanut Butter Blossoms Ingredients & Substitutions
Most peanut butter fun cookie recipes use the same pantry basics. This one does too, so you probably have everything except the Kisses. Here’s what I use, plus a few swaps that work.
- 1¾ cups (219 g) all-purpose flour: spoon and level it. Packed flour makes dry, crumbly blossoms.
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar, for rolling: coarse sparkling sugar looks prettier.
- ½ cup (100 g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda: check the date, since old soda gives less lift.
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (95 g) shortening: this keeps the cookies soft and chewy. Butter works, but they spread a bit more and taste richer.
- ½ cup (125 g) creamy peanut butter: stick with a regular brand. Natural peanut butter can make the dough oily or crumbly.
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 48 Hershey’s Kisses, unwrapped: mini peanut butter cups work too.
How To Make Peanut Butter Blossoms
I tried making this cookie in many different ways. Among them, here’s the easiest method for you.
Step 1: Heat the Oven and Unwrap the Kisses
Heat your oven to 375°F and set out two baking sheets. You can leave them ungreased or line them with parchment. Unwrap the Kisses now and keep them in a bowl near the stove.
Step 2: Mix the Dough
Add everything except the rolling sugar and Kisses to a large bowl. Mix on low speed until a stiff dough forms, which takes a minute or two. It will look crumbly at first, so keep going.
Step 3: Shape and Roll
Roll the dough into 1-inch balls, about the size of a large marble. Roll each ball in the extra sugar until it’s fully coated. Place them 2 inches apart on the sheets.
Step 4: Bake
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the cookies puff and turn lightly golden. My oven runs hot, so I start checking at 9 minutes. Every oven is a little different, so watch the first tray closely.
Step 5: Press in the Kisses
Right away, press a Kiss firmly into the center of each hot cookie. The edges should crack a little, which gives them that blossom look. Move the cookies to a wire rack.
Step 6: Let the Chocolate Set
Let the cookies cool for about 1 hour, until the chocolate firms up again. Don’t stack them before then, or the Kisses will smear. I sneak one early every time, and the Kiss always smears.
Easy Chocolate Chip Cookie
Some nights I want cookies without pulling out the mixer. This easy chocolate chip cookie uses melted butter and one bowl.
Here’s a fun fact, Massachusetts made it the official state cookie in 1997.
Ingredients I Use
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips
How to Make an Easy Chocolate Chip Cookie
- Whisk the melted butter with both sugars, then add the egg and vanilla.
- Stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt until no dry spots remain.
- Fold in the chips and scoop 1½-tablespoon balls onto a lined sheet.
- Bake at 350°F for 10 to 11 minutes, until the edges look golden.
If the dough looks shiny and loose, give it 10 minutes on the counter. That short rest helps it firm up so the cookies don’t spread thin. Pull them while the middles still look soft.
Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies
These are the big, thick cookies you’d pay extra for at a cookie shop. Many fun cookie recipes Crumbl fans search for start with dough like this. Crumbl’s 2026 menu keeps a chocolate chip cookie among six daily classics.
Ingredients I Use
- 1 cup (226 g) cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1½ cups bread flour
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chunks
How to Make Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Beat cold butter and sugars for 2 to 3 minutes, then add eggs and vanilla.
- Mix in the flours, cornstarch, soda, and salt, then fold in the chunks.
- Shape ⅓-cup balls tall and lumpy, not smooth, and chill for 1 hour.
- Bake at 400°F for 10 to 12 minutes and let them rest on the tray.
The high heat sets the edges fast while the centers stay soft. Leave plenty of space, since these spread wider than you’d expect. Let them sit on the pan for 10 minutes before you move them.
Pro Tips
- Store blossoms in an airtight container once the chocolate is firm. They keep for 3 to 5 days at room temperature.
- Blossoms also freeze well for 2 to 3 months. If a Kiss pops off after thawing, reattach it with a dab of peanut butter.
- For the thickest bakery-style cookies, freeze the shaped dough balls. Bake them straight from the freezer and add a minute or two. Give them extra room on the pan, because they still spread.
- Planning a Christmas cookie tray? Bake the blossoms last, since they need an hour to set before packing.
Sum Up
I rotate between all three depending on the week. The easy cookie saves busy nights, and the bakery batch is for weekends. The blossoms come out every December without fail.
If you’re new to fun cookie recipes, start with the blossoms. They’re forgiving and hard to mess up. Plus, anyone who helps press in the Kisses gets to eat the first one.
Peanut Butter Blossoms
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 375°F
- Mix dough on low
- Roll 1-inch balls in sugar
- Bake 10-12 minutes
- Press in Kisses right away
- Cool 1 hour to set
