This easy Peanut Butter Cup Cookies recipe features a soft, chewy peanut butter cookie stuffed with a melty-gooey miniature Reese’s peanut butter cup. Finished with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, this little PB & chocolate treat is impossible to resist!
Peanut Butter + Chocolate, all day, every day. At least that’s my husband’s motto – – and the rest of us clamor for it, too! So of course, these Peanut Butter Cup Cookies have been a win in our house. This easy cookie recipe features soft and chewy peanut butter cookies stuffed with a melty-gooey Reese’s cup. They’re so crazy good when enjoyed still a bit warm from the oven! I like to sprinkle some flaky sea salt over the top, like I do with our beloved chocolate peanut butter ritz cookies and homemade peanut butter cups – which definitely makes EVERYBODY happy!!
Why My Family Loves This Peanut Butter Cup Cookies Recipe
These easy Reese’s peanut butter cup cookies are the perfect little treat. Similar to our longtime favorite peanut butter blossoms that incorporate a Hershey’s kiss, this new recipe adds EVEN MORE peanut butter flavor with a Reese’s peanut butter cup in the center. I hope you love these cookies as much as we do!
- Makes PB & Chocolate Lovers SO HAPPY! They’re everywhere. PB & Chocolate Lovers, that is. So why not bake up this easy little treat for someone you love?!
- That little sea salt sprinkle. It’s amazing what a little sprinkle of salt does for any sweet treat, and especially when chocolate and peanut butter are involved. The contrasting sweet and salty makes these cookies POP!
- Simple ingredients, easy method. Nothing fancy here – just regular, easy ingredients you can grab at any grocery store. This keeps the recipe beautifully simple to make!
What You’ll Need
Here’s a look at the ingredients in these irresistible cookies. Find the exact ingredient amounts in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
- Butter – This adds rich texture and flavor. Make sure it’s fully softened so it incorporates smoothly with the brown sugar and peanut butter.
- Brown sugar – This adds delicious sweetness, plus extra moist texture.
- Peanut butter – Classic, creamy peanut butter (such as Jif) is key to the cookie base.
- Egg – To bind the cookie dough together and add rich flavor and texture.
- Vanilla – Pure vanilla extract enhances the peanut butter cookie dough.
- Flour – All-purpose flour adds structure to the cookie dough. Make sure to measure using the spoon and level method.
- Baking soda & baking powder – These leavening agents give the cookies a rise, plus keep them soft and chewy.
- Salt – For a little flavor contrast in the sweetened dough.
- Reese’s mini peanut butter cups – This popular candy adds a familiar chocolate + PB flavor to the cookies. So FUN!!
- Sea salt flakes – This is optional, but highly recommended. I like to finish these cookies with a little sprinkle of Maldon sea salt flakes!
How To Make Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
See how to make these cookies in the photos below. Find the detailed instructions in the recipe card lower down.
- Cream butter & sugar. First, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add peanut butter. Blend in the peanut butter, egg, and vanilla extract.
- Combine dry ingredients. In another bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
- Combine altogether. On low speed, beat the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture. Then place the dough in the fridge to chill for 15 minutes.
- Portion cookie dough. Grease two mini muffin pans and form tablespoon-sized portions of dough (a scoop works great!). Roll the dough into balls and place in wells of the muffin pans.
- Bake. Place muffin pans in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes.
- Add peanut butter cups! Remove the cookies from the oven and immediately press one mini Reese’s cup into the center of each soft cookie, then sprinkle with a little flaky sea salt (optional).
Tips for Success
A few best practices will ensure that these are the best, most chewy-soft peanut butter cup cookies ever. See my tips below.
- Use regular peanut butter. It’s best to use a peanut butter such as Jif for this recipe, as natural peanut butter has a different texture, usually with oil separation.
- Chill the dough. Because this cookie dough has a good amount of butter and peanut butter, it benefits from a brief rest in the fridge before it’s baked. Chilling helps the dough roll better.
- Immediately press in the Reese’s cups. As soon as you remove the peanut butter cookies from the oven, be ready to press the Reese’s peanut butter cups into the warm, soft dough. If you wait until the cookies have cooled, the cups will not press in!
- Sprinkle with salt right away, too. To help the sea salt flakes adhere to the cookie, sprinkle the salt as soon as you’ve finished pressing in the Reese’s cups.
- Let cookies cool in pan. Then let the finished cookies cool completely before removing them from the pan. (Unless you simply can’t resist eating them all warm and gooey!!)
Proper Storage
If you have any Reese’s peanut butter cup cookies to store away, here’s how to keep them fresh-tasting for as long as possible:
- Counter – Place cookies in an airtight container and store them on the counter at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Fridge – Place cookies in an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 10 days.
- Freezer – Add cookies to a freezer-safe, airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
More Peanut Butter Desserts
- Homemade Peanut Butter Fudge
- Peanut Butter Oatmeal Balls
- Apple Peanut Butter Cookies
- Peanut Butter Ice Cream
Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter (such as Jif)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Morton kosher salt
- 48 Reese's miniature peanut butter cups, unwrapped
- 1 teaspoon Maldon sea salt flakes, optional for sprinkling over the top
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add peanut butter, egg, and vanilla extract. Mix to combine, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- With mixer on low speed, gradually add dry ingredients to the peanut butter mixture, until just combined.
- Transfer bowl of cookie dough to the fridge and chill for 15 minutes. While the cookie dough chills, preheat oven to 350℉ and lightly grease two miniature muffin pans with nonstick cooking spray.
- Scoop out 1-tablespoon sized portions and roll them into balls. Place one dough ball into each well of the mini muffin pans.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are just golden brown but the cookies are still soft.
- Remove pans from oven and immediately press one miniature Reese’s cup into the center of each cookie. Garnish with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt while the cookies are warm, if desired.
- Allow cookies to cool completely in the pans and then transfer them to an airtight container.
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