Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
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Thick and soft-baked peanut butter cookies are topped with Reese’s peanut butter cups making these a peanut butter lovers’ dream cookie. Peanut Butter Cup Cookies are easy to make and perfect for any occasion all year round.
If you love peanut butter, you’ll love my Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies, Peanut Butter Muddy Buddies and Peanut Butter Cookie Bars!
PIN Peanut Butter Cup Cookies to try later!
Peanut butter and chocolate are the most incredible combination, ever. They get even better when they are combined in a cookie. Soft, thick, and totally irresistible, you won’t be able to have just one. Promise!
These Peanut Butter Cup Cookies are baked and then topped with a mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup that slightly melts into the center. The ooey-gooey peanut butter and chocolate Reese’s cup center is my absolute favorite.
If you’re looking for a cookie to bake for Santa this year, he would love these! 😉
INGREDIENTS
Butter: I prefer to use unsalted so I can control the salt.
Brown sugar: adds sweetness and will make the cookies chewy.
Peanut butter: smooth peanut butter and use creamy peanut butter. Stay away from natural peanut butter or reduced-fat/low-fat. Use the good stuff for these.
Egg: used to bind the ingredients together. It’s best if the egg is at room temperature so it can blend in with the cookie dough better.
Vanilla extract: enhances and adds flavor.
All-purpose flour: whole wheat flour could also be used as a healthier alternative.
Salt: just a pinch.
Baking powder + baking soda: used as a leavening,
Reese’s mini peanut butter cups: the best part of the cookie!
HOW TO MAKE PEANUT BUTTER CUP COOKIES
RECIPE VARIATIONS
- Drizzle melted dark or milk chocolate on top of the cookies to add even more chocolate to the cookies.
- Switch the candies up! Instead of topping these peanut butter cookies with a mini Reese’s add a Rolo, Hershey’s Kiss, Reese’s pieces, or any of your favorite chocolate candy pieces on top.
- Add sprinkles to the tops for themed occasions or holidays.
- Add mini chocolate chips to the cookie dough batter. I prefer to use mini chocolate chips since they are smaller and easier to mix in the dough.
TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST COOKIES
- Roll the cookies in sparkling sugar to make them extra pretty and sparkle.
- Use a mini ice cream scoop and then roll the cookie dough into balls for the perfect cookie shape.
- It’s always best to use regular creamy peanut butter. Do not use natural peanut butter as the consistency is not the same or low fat since it will change the flavor. Use the good stuff for these cookies such as creamy Jif or Skippy peanut butter.
- Be sure to use room-temperature eggs and butter. This will help the ingredients blend and combine well together.
- Do not over-mix the cookies. Once a cookie dough has formed, stop mixing for the best results.
STORING LEFTOVERS
Store cookies in an airtight container or ziplock bag for up to 5 days.
Freeze cookies: You can also freeze any leftover cookies for up to 6 months. Let the cookies defrost at room temperature when ready to eat.
Freeze cookie dough balls: Freeze cookie dough balls by placing the cookie dough balls on a baking sheet and flash freeze for 30 minutes or until hardened. Transfer the cookie dough balls to a large ziplock bag or airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Let cookie dough balls defrost completely and then press the mini Reese’s peanut butter cup into the cookie. Bake according to the recipe box below.
THESE PEANUT BUTTER CUP COOKIES ARE
- Easy enough for kids to make, and fun! Let them press the peanut butter cup in the center.
- Thick, chewy, and soft…the perfect cookie!
- Loaded with peanut butter flavor and has just the right amount of chocolate. See my notes in this blog post on ways to add more chocolate.
- The best dessert when served with vanilla ice cream.
I bet you can’t have just one cookie….these are too good! I’m telling you, if you need a cookie to make to please everyone. This is the cookie to bake!
You can bake these cookies all year round, not just during the holidays. Everyone loves a good peanut butter cookie, but these cookies are on a whole other level.
Bake these for parties, get-togethers, for your neighbors, teachers, add them to your kid’s lunch box, or bake a batch to have at home all week!
It’s time again for another fun blog hop that’s been hosted by Michaela from An Affair From the Heart. This time, we are making cookies…just in time for Christmas! 😉
This is how it works, each food blogger is assigned to another food blogger and we select a cookie recipe from their blog, recreate it, photograph it, try it, and then share it with you all!
This Peanut Butter Cup Cookie recipe originally comes from Sue over at SueBee Homemaker. I am so happy that I was selected to make something from Sue’s blog as I loved looking at ALL of her super delicious recipes. She has tons of recipes that are both sweet and savory– the best part is all recipes are on a reasonable budget! How awesome is that? She also has plenty of healthy recipes as well on her blog like this Healthy Taco Salad,
Other cookie recipes I was debating on making were these Brownie Crinkle Cookies, Brown Butter Toffee Cookies, and her Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars. Seriously, every single recipe I saw on Sue’s blog looks AMAZING and so easy to make. Be sure to check it out too!
Take a look at all of our 2021 Freaky Friday Holiday Cookie Exchange Recipes:
- An Affair from the Heart – Candy Cane Puppy Chow
- The Carefree Kitchen – Christmas Linzer Cookies
- Devour Dinner – Peppermint Meltaways
- Family Around the Table – Chocolate Overload Cookies
- The Foodie Affair – Easy Pecan Pie Crust Cookie Recipe
- Fresh April Flours – Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- The Fresh Cooky – White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
- Hostess at Heart – Crumbl Cookie Recipe
- House of Nash Eats – Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Kathryn’s Kitchen Blog – Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
- Lemoine Family Kitchen – Lemon Thumbprint Cookies with Strawberry Jam
- Lemon Blossoms – Cranberry Orange Biscotti
- Life Currents – Chocolate Mint Rugelach
- Life, Love & Good Food – White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
- Soulfully Made – Polar Bear Paw Cookies
- The Speckled Palate – Saltine Cracker Toffee
- Sue Bee Homemaker – Jam Thumbprint Cookies
- Take Two Tapas – Sugar Cookie Truffles
Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter; softened
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 large egg; at room temperature
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 22 mini Reese's peanut butter cups
Instructions
- Using an electric mixer or stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until light and creamy. Add in the peanut butter, egg, and vanilla. Mix until combined. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again.
- In a separate large bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Add wet ingredients and mix just until combined and a dough has formed.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for at least two hours before baking.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Roll cookies into 22 balls by using a mini ice cream scoop. Place 11 cookies on each prepared cookie sheets. Flatten with your hand just a tiny bit and bake in the center rack (one cookie sheet at a time) for 10 minutes.
- Remove cookies from oven, and let rest for two minutes. Push Reese's cups in the center of each cookie, pressing gently. Let them sit for another five minutes before removing them to the cooling rack. Enjoy!
Notes
- Drizzle melted dark or milk chocolate on top of the cookies to add even more chocolate to the cookies.
- Switch the candies up! Instead of topping these peanut butter cookies with a mini Reese’s add a Rolo, Hershey’s Kiss, Reese’s pieces, or any of your favorite chocolate candy pieces on top.
- Add sprinkles to the tops for themed occasions or holidays.
- Add mini chocolate chips to the cookie dough batter. I prefer to use mini chocolate chips since they are smaller and easier to mix in the dough.
- Store cookies in an airtight container or ziplock bag for up to 5 days.
- Freeze cookies: You can also freeze any leftover cookies for up to 6 months. Let the cookies defrost at room temperature when ready to eat.
- Freeze cookie dough balls: Freeze cookie dough balls by placing the cookie dough balls on a baking sheet and flash freeze for 30 minutes or until hardened. Transfer the cookie dough balls to a large ziplock bag or airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 6 months.
MORE COOKIE RECIPES
- M&M Santa Cookies
- Reindeer Cookies
- Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
- White Chocolate Macadamia Nut
- Lemon Sugar Cookies
- Toffee Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- Soft and Buttery Snickerdoodles
CAN’T GET ENOUGH?
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A peanut butter lover’s dream come true! These cookies are amazing!
Thank you Sheila! These really are! 🙂
These cookies speak directly to my tummy, Kathryn! Peanut butter cups are my weakness!! Thank you for sharing with us, and for being a part of our group! Happy holidays to you and your family!
Thank you so much Michaela! Also thank you, for all of your work on putting this cookie exchange together! I love being a part of this group 🙂
I love peanut butter cookies! this recipe is a must try!!
I hope you love them! 🙂
I can’t get over how thick these cookies are. I want to sink my teeth into one right now… Great recipe to mix up and freeze to bake fresh anytime!
I agree! 🙂 It’s always a good idea to have these stored in the freezer! Thank you Sandra!
Soft, thick, chewy, peanut buttery!!! All my faves, a great Christmas cookie!!
Thank you so much, Kathleen!
A soft buttery cookie topped with a peanut butter cup… what could be better?!? These are awesome!
Thank you!! 🙂
These cookies are perfection, Kathryn! Such a great choice and you did an excellent job with them. YUM!
Thank you so much Sue, your recipe is amazing and I’m so happy I made these! Can’t wait to try more from your blog 🙂
These are cookie perfection! Putting these on our baking list for this weekend!
I hope you enjoyed every bite of these cookies 🙂
These cookies were the hit of our get-together. You just can’t beat chocolate and peanut butter in a delicious cookie!
Thanks so much Julie!
My boys are obsessed with peanut butter cups!! These cookies are going to be a perfect after school surprise
I love that you are going to surprise your boys, I hope they love them!
I love peanut butter and chocolate but have never had a cookie like this until now. FOR SHAME! So glad to have been introduced to these now and cannot wait to make these again. They are just too dang good.
SO glad you loved these Erin! 🙂
You can’t go wrong with that chocolate + PB combo!
I agree, April!
I love a simple peanut butte cookie! Especially with my coffee in the morning LOL. You made them over the top with the peanut butter cups! Thank you!
Agreed! Coffee and peanut butter are an amazing combination!! 🙂
These are one of my favorite cookies to make during the holidays!
Mine too! So glad you love them 🙂
Such good tips about freezing. This is a favorite cookie in my house.
Thank you! It’s a cookie favorite at our house too! 🙂
I love this flavor combination. Delish!
Thank you Rebecca!
These cookies are AMAZING. The texture is so chewy and soft and fan-flippin-tastic! I’m going to make them again next week.
Yay! So happy you loved them! Thanks Amy 🙂