Candy Acorn Cookies Recipe

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 06/24/21
Candy acorn recipe

The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 4 mins
Set: 30 mins
Total: 64 mins
Servings: 48 servings
Yield: 96 cookies

These autumn treats are surprisingly easy and they taste amazing! The candies are made with Hershey's Kisses, mini Nilla Wafers (or mini Nutter Butters), and chocolate chips. Melted chocolate chips or peanut butter chips make up the "glue" that holds them together. 

The acorns make a fun party favor for a birthday or Halloween parties or add them to your holiday table centerpiece. They're versatile as well. The mini peanut butter cookies are great because they have ready-made crosshatches, but mini vanilla wafers can be used if you have guests who are allergic to peanuts.

Feel free to scale the recipe up for a big party or gathering or make a smaller amount for a family snack. 

Ingredients

For Peanut Butter Acorns:

  • 48 Hershey's kisses

  • 24 or 48 Nutter Butter Bites

  • 1/2 cup peanut butter chips

  • 48 semisweet chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, or mini chocolate chips

For Nilla Wafer Acorns:

  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips

  • 48 pieces Hershey's kisses

  • 48 cookies Nilla Wafers

  • 48 semisweet chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, or mini chocolate chips

Steps to Make It

To Make the Peanut Butter Acorns

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Acorn ingredients
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Unwrap the Hershey's Kisses. Separate 24 Nutter Butter Bites and scrape off the excess filling or leave 48 whole.

    Unwrap Hershey's kisses
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Place a bowl or top of a double boiler over a saucepan of simmering water over very low heat. Add the peanut butter chips and stir until melted.

    Peanut butter
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  4. With a toothpick, dab a small amount of the melted peanut butter chips on the flat bottom of a Hershey's Kiss. Press the kiss onto the Nutter Butter cookie.

    Dab peanut butter on kiss
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  5. Place it on a plate or sheet of wax paper. Repeat with the remaining candies and cookies. Let the candies set for 10 to 20 minutes.

    Place on plate
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  6. Put a dab of melted peanut butter on the flat side of a chocolate chip and press it on the top of an acorn to make the "stem." 

    Put dab of peanut butter on outside
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  7. Let the candies stand for 10 minutes or until set.

    Let stand
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  8. Enjoy.

    Enjoy
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

To Make Nilla Wafer Acorns

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for nilla wafer acorns
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Melt 1/2 cup of chocolate chips in a bowl over barely simmering water; stir until melted.

    Melt chocolate chips
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  3. With a toothpick, dab a small amount of the melted chocolate chips on the flat bottom of a Hershey's Kiss. Press it onto the flat bottom of a Nilla Wafer.

    Dab melted chocolate
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Put a dab of the melted chocolate chips on the flat side of a chocolate chip and press it on the top of a vanilla wafer to make the "stem."

    Put chocolate chips
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  5. Place on a plate or sheet of wax paper. Repeat with the remaining candies and cookies.

    Place on plate
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  6. Let the candies stand for 10 minutes or until set.

    Acorns
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  7. Enjoy.

    Acorn
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

Tip

  • For a more authentic look, rub the Nutter Butter crosshatches gently with a small amount of melted chocolate. Or draw crosshatch lines on the vanilla wafers with a food color marker.

Recipe Variation

  • Use Hershey's Hugs, Kisses with almonds, or other seasonal flavors.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
633 Calories
37g Fat
83g Carbs
6g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 48
Amount per serving
Calories 633
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 37g 47%
Saturated Fat 19g 97%
Cholesterol 2mg 1%
Sodium 136mg 6%
Total Carbohydrate 83g 30%
Dietary Fiber 6g 21%
Total Sugars 62g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 52mg 4%
Iron 5mg 27%
Potassium 404mg 9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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