Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
In less than 30 minutes, these easy peanut butter cup cookies are ready to eat. The peanut butter chocolate combination is simply delicious and always a hit with kids and adults alike! This is the perfect treat to bake for Halloween, Christmas or whenever you need a quick crowd-pleasing treat.
If you’re a fan of Reese’s, then you will love these peanut butter cookies made in a mini muff tin. Each cookies is pressed with a mini peanut butter cup! The mini muffin size make these treats easy to pop in your mouth. I ate about three of them without thinking twice! Totally worth it.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ready in 30 minutes. It takes only a few minutes to make the dough and then only 8 minutes of time in the oven.
- Easy to make. The recipe uses simple ingredients. No fancy ingredients or special equipment required.
- Reliable recipe. I used my popular peanut butter blossom cookie recipe as the base for the dough. It guarantees and soft and chewy texture!
- Peanut butter chocolate flavor. The dynamic duo is back and hard to resist in these bite-sized cookies!
Ingredient Notes
- Flour: All purpose flour is the base of the dry ingredients.
- Baking soda: This leavening agent helps the cookie dough rise. Check that it’s fresh and not expires.
- Salt: To activate the baking soda, salt is added to the dry ingredients.
- Peanut butter: For the best flavor and texture, use no-stir creamy peanut butter. Do not use the kind of peanut butter that separates with the oil on top.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter that is room temperature. Various brands of salted butter have different amounts of salt added. It’s best to control the amount yourself.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar adds sweetness and moisture to the dough.
- Brown sugar: You can use light or dark brown sugar. It adds a chewy texture to the cookies!
- Egg: To help bind the ingredients, use one large egg that is room temperature.
- Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract adds a subtle cozy flavor.
- Mini peanut butter cups: Unwrap the mini peanut butter cups and freeze them before using in the recipe.
Refer to the recipe card for ingredient details and measurements.
Recipe Variations
Swap out for a different chocolate candy. You can use Hershey’s kisses, Rolos or other flavored peanut butter cups!
Make peanut butter and jelly cups. Omit the peanut butter cup and instead use a teaspoon to press an indentation into every cookie. Immediately add a teaspoon of jelly and let the cookies cool completely.
Add a salty twist. Press a mini pretzel on top for a salty, crunchy addition.
How to Make Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
- Whisk together the dry ingredients—flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- Mix the wet ingredients. Beat the butter, brown sugar and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg, vanilla and milk.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Mix until combined.
- Scoop 2 teaspoons of dough and roll into balls. Place each ball in the cup of a greased mini muffin tin. Bake at 375℉ for 8 minutes.
- While the cookies are still warm, press frozen mini peanut butter cups into the center. Cool completely.
Expert Tips
Freeze the mini peanut butter cups. Unwrap them first, the place the chocolates on a parchment lined baking sheet or plate. Freeze while making the dough. This will help prevent the cups from melting too much and losing their shape when pressed into the warm cookies.
Use no-stir creamy peanut butter. This will result in the best texture for the cookies. Do not used the kind of peanut butter where the oil sits on top. It will cause the cookies to be crumbly and fall apart.
Do not over-bake. These cookies need no more than 8 minutes in the oven. Remember, they keep baking in the warm pan once removed from the oven!
Make Ahead and Storage Tips
Make ahead the dough and store covered in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours. The dough can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator before bringing to room temperature and scooping into balls.
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
Freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months. Wrap 4 or 5 cookies together in plastic wrap, then place in an airtight container or freezer bag. Store in the freezer and defrost before serving.
Recipe FAQ
No, it will make the cookies crumbly.
Yes, but the baking time will be longer. I suggest baking at 375 F for 12 to 14 minutes. You can use regular sized peanut butter cups or mini in this variation.
Yes, the recipe for the dough comes from my peanut butter blossom cookies. Follow the recipe and use peanut butter cups instead of chocolate kisses!
Related Recipes
Looking for more ways to bake with peanut butter? Check out these recipes next!
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Get the Recipe: Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups (218 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (115 g) creamy peanut butter, (not the kind that separates)
- ½ cup (100 g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons milk
- 40 mini chocolate peanut butter cups, unwrapped and frozen
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375℉. Grease a mini muffin pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- Unwrap mini peanut butter cups and place them on a parchment-lined plate in the freezer.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter, peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla and milk.
- Add the flour mixture to the dough and mix just until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Use a small cookie scoop to scoop about 2 teaspoons of dough. Shape into a ball and place in the cup of prepared mini muffin pan. Repeat filling each cup. If necessary, work in batches.
- Bake cookies at 375℉ for 8 minutes.
- Remove cookies from the oven and immediately press a mini peanut butter cup into each cookie. Let the cookies cool completely before removing from the pan.
