Preheat your oven for a mini recipe version of Easy Peanut Butter Cup Cookies that are the perfect balance of sweet and salty flavors.
Aside from the iconic chocolate chip cookies, it doesn’t get much more classic than good ol’ Easy Peanut Butter Cup Cookies. This recipe is a longtime family favorite at our house and stars a soft and chewy peanut butter cookie filled with a Reese’s peanut butter cup. It’s salty-sweet perfection!
How to Make Easy Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
When it comes to logistics, turn to an ice cream scoop for quick portioning out of the dough. This is a softer cookie dough, so while two spoons will definitely work, an ice cream scoop is the most efficient and ensures all of your cookie cups will be the same size.
Tip #2: It’s important to push the Reese’s peanut butter cups into the cookies as soon as they come out of the oven. Doing so will ensure they’re nestled well into each cookie cup, and you get the added bonus of the chocolate melting ever-so-slightly. Big win!
I love that these Easy Peanut Butter Cups are an ideal size for snacking. They’re a perfect two-bite treat that would shine on a dessert spread or be a sweet after-school snack with the added benefit of a bit of protein. (Yes, I’m actually pretending the peanut butter in these counts as quality protein. A girl can dream!)
If the balance of salty-sweet flavors and soft and chewy textures is your idea of cookie perfection, then preheat that oven and grab the peanut butter for this classic confection!
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 34 mini peanut butter cups
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a mini muffin tin with cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set it aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating between each addition, then beat in the peanut butter and vanilla extract.
- Add the flour mixture to the stand mixer, beating just until combined.
- Using a small ice cream scoop (or two spoons), scoop heaping 1-tablespoon portions into the muffin tin cups.
- Bake the cookies for 18-22 minutes.
- Remove the cookies from the oven, then immediately push a mini peanut butter cup into the center of each cookie. Let the cookies cool completely in the pan then serve. (See Kelly’s Note.)
Kelly's Note:
- It’s important to let the cookies cool completely so that they naturally release from the sides of the pan. If you really need to get them out before they’ve completely cooled, trace around the edges with a knife then pop them out.
- ★ Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to give it a star rating below!
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Easy and so good. Everyone loves these. In a pinch though I’ve cheated and used a roll of choc chip cookie dough from dairy case. Filled ups up 3/4 of the way and baked as stated on cookie directions. Pipe the peanut butter cups in when out of the oven and let cool. This is the trick to getting them out in one piece!!! Just my variation and one my granddaughter can whip up in minutes.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Katie!
Cooked my first batch for 16 minutes/too well done. Other batches 12 minutes/ worked better. I was able to get 44 cookies.
Thanks for the comment!
Time is only 8 – 9 minutes in my oven 9 minutes was really brown. They turned out great even with my hot oven.
Thank you
I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe, Jeanine!
Great recipe! Really good cookies. I used a mini muffin pan, 24 count. First batch, I used a cookie scoop that was 2 tbs. and scaped flat across the bowl. This resulted in a cookie that spilled over the side of the cup in the oven. Second batch, I used a cookie scoop that was 1 tbs. and had batter heap a bit. This was a good amount. The total cookies made was about 40.
Thanks for the recipe! They are yummy!
You are so welcome, April! I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe!
Mine came out delicious but they overflowed the cup so the result was that they were all touching each other instead of yours that look beautiful and neat. The taste was delicious and because where I live peanut butter cups are not available I placed chunks of chocolate and came out lovely. What could I have done wrong? I’m sure that the size of the scoop was just like you described.
Hi Maria – Did you measure out a heaping 1-tablespoon portion into each cup?
Would this work with a gluten free all purpose flour?
Hi Rose – You could try using a gluten-free flour such as Cup4Cup that’s a 1:1 ratio as regular flour. I’ve never tried this substitution so I’m not sure what the result would be. I would love to hear your results if you give it a shot! :)
Delicious and simple to make!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Jennifer!
Are those mini cupcake pans
Yes :)
Deeeelicious!!! The recipe was actually fun to make. I had to pack and freeze them so there would be some left for Thanksgiving week. Thank you for adding a fantastic recipe to my repertoire!
You are so welcome, Emily! I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe!
These turned out perfectly! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
I’m so thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Barb!
Easy to roll into small balls and drop into mini muffin tin. They work out perfectly and yummy!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Judy!