If the story of American holiday baking were a Hallmark movie, peanut butter blossoms would play the wholesome, small-town darling who wins everyone’s heart.

The original recipe was invented in 1957 by Freda Smith for the Pillsbury Bake-Off, these treats—a peanut butter cookie topped with a Hershey’s Kiss—didn’t win the contest but became a timeless icon. By 1999, the peanut butter blossom had earned its rightful place in the Pillsbury Bake-Off Hall of Fame, displayed at the Smithsonian alongside other icons of American culture, like the Star-Spangled Banner, the light bulb and the original Muppets. Truly legendary. But for me, their significance goes deeper: these were the only thing my mom could cook.

Mom’s Cooking: A Holiday Miracle

My mom’s kitchen endeavors have always been fueled by love and sheer determination—though the results sometimes leaned more ‘abstract art’ than culinary masterpiece. Love you, Mom! Her turkey could’ve been mistaken for a leather-bound novel, and her latkes? Let’s just say they’d make excellent skipping stones on a quiet lake. Out of necessity—and a fair amount of hunger—I stepped up as the family chef. What started as an emergency intervention turned into a beloved tradition, where everyone leaves the table full, happy, and grateful for a little culinary stability.

But every Christmas, Mom would redeem herself with peanut butter blossoms. Using a 1960s Hershey’s cookbook passed down from my grandma, she produced trays of these cookies that were, frankly, perfect. Even now, I can’t imagine the holidays without them. Growing up in a Jewish-Catholic household, our holiday traditions were a mashup of menorahs and mistletoe, dreidels and tinsel, latkes and... peanut butter blossoms. They were the one thing tying it all together, a true holiday MVP.

Peanut butter blossoms have become a cultural touchstone, celebrated far beyond our home. In fact, their journey from Freda Smith’s kitchen to becoming an American icon is a story I couldn’t resist digging into—literally. When I discovered that Freda’s original recipe was preserved in the Smithsonian Museum of American History Archives, I knew I had to see it for myself.

Digging Into the Sweet History of Peanut Butter Blossoms

Gabby (a member of our marketing team) and I, armed with equal parts curiosity and caffeine, set off on what can only be described as the Indiana Jones of baking adventures. We grabbed coffee at Compass Coffee at 650 F Street in Chinatown and made the trek to the Smithsonian Museum of American History. Instead of dodging boulders and outrunning snakes, we wove our way through the maze of archival bureaucracy—sending endless emails, filling out forms, and navigating appointment schedules like pros.

Finally, our efforts paid off, and we arrived at the archives, where we were greeted with a process so meticulous it felt like entering a secret society of librarians. White gloves? Check. Green foam book supports? Check. Tiny beanbags to hold open fragile pages without so much as a crease? Double-check. One by one, they wheeled out carts stacked with decades of Pillsbury Bake-Off treasures—recipes, promotional materials, and photographs, each one capturing a delicious slice of mid-20th-century Americana.

And there it was: Freda’s recipe, right where it belonged, nestled among other relics of culinary history.

The 1957 Pillsbury Bake-Off was a spectacle of its own—a culinary carnival set in the ballroom of the Beverly Hills Hotel, marking the first time the event ventured outside New York. Picture this: 100 kitchens, 100 contestants, each a blend of amateur bakers, self-proclaimed professionals, and full-fledged pros, whipping up creations like fudge skillet cake and (less fortunately) gourmet salmon pie. Judges and spectators roamed the space armed with maps detailing every baker’s station, story, and recipe. Votes were cast, tallied, and prizes awarded, including a jaw-dropping $25,000 grand prize—about $280,000 in today’s money.

FREDA F. SMITH - of Gibbonsburg, Ohio, is married to Chester Smith, owner of a trucking business. They have three grown children and 11 grandchildren. Mrs. Smith's winning entry is a COOKIE she made up herself by combining several recipes. Her cookie is basically a butter cookie with special additions to please her young grandsons. Mrs. Smith has been baking bread since she was eight years old, and still bakes bread and rolls every week in addition to preparing all kinds of special treats. This is her ninth try at the Grand National, although she has won several prizes in smaller cooking and recipe contests. Mrs. Smith's hobbies are cooking, reading, playing the organ, and collecting antique glass. She is a member of the American Legion Auxiliary, president of her Church Altar Society, and belongs to the Fire Auxiliary and a Bridge Club. If she wins, she will use her prize money to remodel her home.

Freda didn’t take home the grand prize, but her peanut butter blossoms transcended the contest. Crowned runner-up and Senior Grand National Cookie Division champion, her cookies took on a legacy that lasted decades beyond her submission. Pillsbury, savvy as ever, compiled the recipes into branded cookbooks each year, turning Bake-Off entries into viral sensations decades before TikTok was even a thought. It’s genius, really—an early masterclass in building a brand that sticks.

Leafing through those archives, surrounded by decades of Bake-Off history, I couldn’t help but appreciate how Freda’s peanut butter blossoms became so much more than just cookies—they’re a piece of American history. These little treats connect generations of bakers with a shared love for simple, delicious traditions. Seeing her recipe enshrined in the Smithsonian alongside Edison’s lightbulb and Kermit the Frog felt exactly right. Sometimes the smallest things—like a perfectly baked cookie—can leave the biggest mark.

Due to legal concerns from the Smithsonian, we are not allowed to take photos of the original recipes. There is a byzantine approvals process that could take years to go through. Thanks to a little digging and some questionable late-night eBay purchases, here’s Freda’s original recipe that started it all:

Here is the 1957 Version:

BAKE at 375° for 10 minutes, then MAKES about 3 dozen cookies.

Sift together:

1 3/4 cups sifted Pillsbury’s Best All Purpose Flour*
1 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon Morton Salt

Cream together:

1/2 cup Crisco
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar, creaming well.

Add:

1 unbeaten egg
1 teaspoon French Vanilla; beat well.

Blend in:

The dry ingredients gradually; mix thoroughly.

Shape:

Dough into balls using a rounded teaspoonful for each. Roll balls in sugar and place on greased baking sheets.

Bake:

In moderate oven (375°) 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Top each cookie with a solid milk chocolate candy kiss, pressing down firmly so cookie cracks around edge. Return to oven; bake 2 to 5 minutes longer until golden brown. Store in flat container covered with “quilted” Kaiser Heavy Duty Foil.

Here is the 2023 Version from Pillsbury:

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg
• Sugar
• 48 Hershey's® Kisses® Brand milk chocolates, unwrapped

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, shortening, peanut butter, milk, vanilla, and egg; mix with an electric mixer on low speed until stiff dough forms.
2. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake at 375°F for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately top each cookie with 1 milk chocolate candy, pressing down firmly so the cookie cracks around the edge; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 1 hour or until chocolate is set.

But Peanuts Aren’t Paleo!

Peanuts are, of course, forbidden on the paleo diet—not because they’re evil, but because they’re impostors. Peanuts, dear reader, are legumes masquerading as nuts. And like every other legume, they come armed with their natural defense mechanisms: anti-nutrients that leach away vitamins from your body.

Paleo simplified: Eat things that evolved to be eaten. Strawberries want to be eaten. They want animals to gobble them up, poop out their seeds, and spread the strawberry gospel. Peanuts? Not so much. They evolved to not be eaten, deploying chemical deterrents to protect themselves. They’re like the bitter exes of the food chain—clingy, anti-nutrition, and toxic in large doses.

Almonds are the real deal—nutrient-dense, gut-friendly, and actually a nut. So, when reimagining the peanut butter blossom, almond butter was the clear choice. It’s simple, packed with nutrients, and easy to make at home with just almonds and a blender. Plus, making it at home couldn’t be easier. With just almonds and a blender, you’ve got yourself a fresh, creamy spread that’s worth the swap.

Reinventing the Blossom

With the almond butter ready, it was time to tackle the cookies. This wasn’t just about replacing the peanut butter—I wanted the whole cookie to be paleo-friendly while still tasting like the holidays. The result? Almond butter blossom cookies that are everything you love about the original, and none of your guests would know that they’re completely Paleo.

For the cookies I like to use Bob’s Red Mill recipe. Instead of peanut butter centers, I prefer Hu Chocolate. It’s a great paleo alternative that you can find at most grocery stores and definitely Whole Foods.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups Almond Flour
• 1/4 cup Organic Coconut Flour
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• Pinch Salt
• 1/4 cup Coconut Oil
• 3 Tbsp Natural Almond Butter
• 1/4 cup Maple Syrup
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 bag of Hu Chocolate Gems

Instructions

1. Lay out your ingredients because you are fancy and responsible and know how to properly utilize mise en place. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl and set aside: almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl whisk together wet ingredients: coconut oil, peanut butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
3. Form dough into small 1 1/2-inch circles and place on parchment lined baking sheet. Chill cookies for 10 minutes in refrigerator, then bake for 10-11 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press one peanut butter cup into each cookie. Place cookies on a cooling rack to finish cooling.

The Sweet Spot

And there you have it—almond butter blossoms that may not be exactly what Freda dreamed up back in 1957, but they’re still ridiculously delicious. They’re a nod to my mom’s holiday MVP and a celebration of how traditions can evolve without losing their magic. They might not belong in the Smithsonian alongside Freda’s original, but they’ll definitely earn a spot on your holiday table.