Cookie dough is baked and stuffed with mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups while still warm to create these cute little Peanut Butter Cookie Cups. These classic cookies are great for Christmas or anytime of year.
Almond Joy Cookies are another cookie/candy mashup we love!
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This easy cookie recipe is almost as fun to bake as it is to eat! Almost.
Part cookie, part candy, and totally delicious.
Peanut Butter Cookie Cups are super easy to make and it’s sort of satisfying to press a peanut butter cup into warm cookie dough to form these little cookie cups.
Everyone loves ’em from wee little ones on up to adults.
Table of contents
Ingredient Notes
- Mini peanut butter cups – You’ll need two 10.5 ounce bags of Reese’s Miniature Peanut Butter Cups.
- Butter – Softened at room temperature.
- Sugar – Granulated sugar and light brown sugar.
- Peanut butter – I use creamy peanut butter but this recipe will work with crunchy peanut butter too.
- Egg
- Pure vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
How to Make Peanut Butter Cookie Cups
- Add the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and peanut butter to a large mixing bowl.
- Using an electric mixer, beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add the egg and vanilla and continue beating until well mixed.
- Add the flour, baking soda, and salt and beat at low speed, scraping the bowl often, until well mixed.
- Use a small cookie scoop to scoop the dough, then use your hands to shape the dough into 1-inch balls. Place them in a miniature muffin pan that you’ve coated with nonstick cooking spray.
- Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 12 to 13 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove the muffin pan from the oven and immediately press a chilled peanut butter cup in the center of each cookie until it is level with the top of the cookie cup. Cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then use the tip of a sharp knife to help lift the cooled cookie cups from the pan.
Tips and Variations
- Chill – Unwrap the peanut butter cups, place them on a plate or small baking sheet, and transfer them to the freezer to chill while the cookies bake. This will help them hold their shape as you press them into the hot cookie cup.
- Size – Use a small cookie scoop to ensure the cookie cups are evenly sized. The dough balls may look small, but they will puff up to be level with the top of the pan as they bake.
- Cool – Allow the cookies to cool in the pan for 30 minutes after they come out of the oven so the peanut butter cups can set up and retain their shape when you remove the cookies from the pan.
- Holidays – Line the muffin pan with red, green, and gold metallic mini cupcake liners to dress them up for the holidays.
- Flavors – Mini Reese’s Cups come in white and dark chocolate too. Mix it up for some variety!
Storage Tips
Chill the cookies to firm up the chocolate before storing. When firm, stack rows of the cookies between layers of parchment paper in an airtight container. The cookies will stay fresh for up to 4 to 5 days.
Freezing Peanut Butter Cookie Cups
Follow the recipe as directed to make the cookie dough and roll it into balls. Place the balls about 1-inch apart on a large baking sheet and freeze until solid, about 2 to 3 hours. Once frozen, you can transfer the balls of cookie dough to a freezer-safe plastic storage bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
When ready to bake, thaw the dough overnight in the refrigerator or bake from frozen for a few minutes longer. Follow the directions to press the chilled peanut butter cups into each cookie after baking.
More Easy Cookie Recipes You’ll Love
- Butter Toffee Cookies
- Jam Thumbprint Cookies
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies
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Peanut Butter Cookie Cups
Ingredients
- 42 Reese's Miniature Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups, from two 10.5 ounce bags
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup peanut butter, creamy or crunchy
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a miniature muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray. Alternately, line the pan with mini paper or foil baking cups. Set aside.
- Unwrap the peanut butter cups, place them on a plate or small baking sheet, and transfer to the freezer to chill while the cookies bake. (This helps them hold their shape as you press them into the hot cookie cup).
- Add the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and peanut butter to a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add the egg and vanilla and continue beating until well mixed. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt and beat at low speed, scraping the bowl often, until well mixed.
- Use a small cookie scoop to scoop the dough, then use your hands to shape it into a 1-inch ball. Place the ball into one of the prepared miniature muffin cups. Repeat with the remaining dough to fill the muffin pan. (Balls will look small in the muffin cups but will fill out as they bake and rise to be level with the top of the muffin pan.)
- Bake for 12 to 13 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Remove the muffin pan from the oven and immediately press a chilled peanut butter cup in the center of each cookie until it is level with the top of the cookie cup. Repeat with remaining peanut butter cups. Cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool completely. To remove easily, run a small knife (like a steak knife) around the edge of each cookie cup to release it from the sides and it should lift out easily.
Notes
- Chill – Unwrap the peanut butter cups, place them on a plate or small baking sheet, and transfer them to the freezer to chill while the cookies bake. This will help them hold their shape as you press them into the hot cookie cup.
- Size – Use a small cookie scoop to ensure the cookie cups are evenly sized. The dough balls may look small, but they will puff up to be level with the top of the pan as they bake.
- Cool – Allow the cookies to cool in the pan for 30 minutes after they come out of the oven so the peanut butter cups can set up and retain their shape when you remove the cookies from the pan.
- Holidays – Line the muffin pan with red, green, and gold metallic mini cupcake liners to dress them up for the holidays.
- Flavors – Mini Reese’s Cups come in white and dark chocolate too. Mix it up for some variety!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
Like this? Please rate & comment below!Adapted from Land O Lakes
