Peanut butter cup cookies are easy to make with a soft peanut butter cookie base topped with a mini Reese’s peanut butter cup! They are a delicious addition to a holiday cookie plate or enjoy anytime of the year!
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Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
I love peanut butter cookies and I love Reese’s peanut butter cups so it seemed only natural to put those two together! These amazing cookies are a play on my 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies kind of like these Halloween spider cookies I make every year, so they take almost no effort to make.
You’ll be happy to know, they’re an easier version of a peanut butter blossom with a Reese’s cup on top instead of a Hershey kiss, so they’ve not only got the chocolate on top but a little extra peanut butter to boot!
If you love peanut butter and chocolate, put these chocolate chip peanut butter cookies on your baking list, too!
Recipe Ingredients
Only 4 ingredients are needed to make this peanut butter cup cookie recipe!
- Peanut butter: Creamy peanut butter, use your favorite brand, but avoid natural peanut butter that you have to stir.
- Granulated sugar: Granulated sugar will provide the best texture.
- Egg: One egg is used for binding.
- Reese’s peanut butter cups: You will need 12 mini Reese’s cups or you could use thins.
Variations
- Other candy bar: The easiest way to add variety! Instead of adding a Reese’s cup to the center insert a similar bite sized candy such as mini Snickers, mini Milk Ways, mini Butterfingers, Rolo candy or Hershey’s kisses.
- Different Reese’s cup flavor: Another easy way to add some variety! Use white chocolate peanut butter cups or try Reese’s dark.
- Crunchy peanut butter: Instead of smooth peanut butter add a little crunch!
How to Make Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Get ready for one of the easiest cookie recipes out there!
- Combine ingredients: Mix peanut butter, sugar, and egg in a large bowl.
- Roll dough: Roll the dough into balls (or use a cookie scoop for even sizes) and drop into the sugar. Toss to coat.
- Bake cookies: Place on a prepared cookie tray and press down with a fork to make that signature cross on top. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
- Add peanut butter cup: Rest for 2 minutes before placing peanut butter cup minis upside down in the center of the top of the cookie. Allow cooling completely on a wire rack.
Baking Tips
- Chill dough. If the peanut butter cookie dough is too sticky once combined, stick it in the refrigerator to chill for 10-20 minutes.
- Mixer. The dough is easy enough to come together by hand, but feel free to use a stand mixer on low speed if desired.
- Don’t over bake. Watch the cookies as they bake. They will be lightly browned on the bottoms when they’re done.
- Criss cross on top: The cross will be covered with the peanut butter cup, so feel free to omit that part unless you want only peanut butter cookies!
FAQs
Store at room temperature, covered, for up to 3 days. I highly doubt you’ll still have any left by then, but just in case!
Yes! Either freeze your baked cookies in a freezer safe bag for a few months and just thaw before eating or freeze unbaked peanut butter dough balls (without the peanut butter cup) thaw, bake and then add the PB cup.
You possibly could make peanut butter cookie cups, but I prefer to bake them round as there is no fight to remove them from the mini muffin pan!
More Reese’s Cups Desserts:
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Blondies
- Reese’s Muddy Buddies
- No Bake Peanut Butter Bars
- Reese’s Ice Cream
- Reese’s No Bake Cheesecake
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Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar , plus more for rolling
- 1 egg
- 12 miniature Reese's peanut butter cups , or Reese's thins
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line one baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat and set aside. Mix together the peanut butter, sugar and egg in a medium bowl. If the dough is too sticky, you can refrigerate for 10-20 minutes.
- Roll dough into 12 (1″) balls (I like to use a medium cookie scoop) and drop into the sugar. Roll in sugar and then place onto prepared baking sheet. Press down with a fork creating a cross (or use the bottom of a cup).
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until very lightly browned on the bottoms. Remove from oven and let rest on pan for 2 minutes.
- Place the peanut butter cups on top of the cookies while they're still warm. Then allow cookies to cool on a cooling rack.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
I LOVE peanut butter cup cookies! & these cookies turned out SO GOOD!
So happy to hear that, Jen!
Yum – these are family favorite. Great recipe simple to make, my kids love making them too!