An easy recipe for soft Reeses Peanut Butter Cookies. Simply bake the cookies in a mini muffin tin then press a miniature Reeses cup into the center of each one. They are perfect for those who love chocolate and peanut butter cup cookies!
I posted this recipe almost 6 years ago when I first started blogging, but the pictures were horrendous and considering I was the only one who knew about this blog in 2011, it’s a necessity that it is shared again. I’m sure most of you have heard of or had Reeses peanut butter cup cookies before, so this isn’t some revolutionary idea.
But it’s one of those tried & true family recipes that we make year after year that everyone loves so I wanted to pop in and share my tips for achieving soft, delicious cookies! (Plus, you can turn them into adorable holly cookie cups for the holidays if you’re looking to get a little fancy!)
In this post you will learn how to make peanut butter cup cookies from scratch! I’ve seen people make these cookies with premade dough, but I will say that the extra work to make these homemade is SO worth it. They are melt-in-your-mouth delicious and are one of those recipes that friends ask me to make time and time again.
How to Scoop the Perfect Cookies
The key to making these cookies the perfect size is to scoop the dough into equal sized balls. To do this, I use a one-tablespoon sized cookie scoop and level off the top of each one. After scooping, use your hands to roll each scoop into a ball and then place in a greased mini muffin tin.
What Muffin Pan to Use for Peanut Butter Cup Cookies?
For these bite-sized cookies, you’ll need a mini muffin pan like this. I recommend a non-stick, teflon coated pan for the most ease in removing the cookies. Whatever type of mini muffin pan you use, you’ll want to be sure to spray it with non-stick cooking spray beforehand.
Can you make peanut butter cup cookies without a muffin pan?
If you don’t have a mini muffin tin, you can bake these on a normal pan but just keep in mind that they will spread (leaving you without a nice, little cup shape to fit the Reeses cup into). As an alternative, you could make these flatter Reeses cup cookies by using normal sized Reeses (since they’re flatter) and pressing them into a larger sized cookie.
How Do You Make Reeses Peanut Butter Cookies So Soft?
The trick to making these super soft is to only bake them for 8 minutes. A minute or two longer and you’ll have a crunchy, brown cookie (which isn’t bad if you like crunchy cookies, but I like mine soft!).
After 8 minutes, you will likely look at the cookies and think they look too doughy and be tempted to put them back in the oven. But trust me on this, take them out a 8 minutes and they will finish baking on the cooling rack.
After removing from the oven, immediately insert a mini Reeses peanut butter cup into the center of each one and allow the pan to cool on a cooling rack. Do not try removing the cookies from the pan while they’re still warm or they will break!
How to You Remove the Cookies Without Breaking Them?
After inserting the Reeses, allow the cookies to cool on a cooling rack for about 20 minutes. At this point, your chocolate will likely still be melted so you will then place the entire pan in the fridge for about 15 minutes or until the chocolate sets.
Once the chocolate is hardened, use a spoon to gently “scoop” out the cookies. This is where spraying the muffin tin before baking is crucial, otherwise your cookies will stick to the pan!
Can peanut butter cup cookies be frozen?
Yes, they freeze beautifully so that you can make them ahead of time! After cooling and allowing the chocolate to reharden, place the cookies in an airtight container and freeze (best up to 2 months). I actually prefer these half-frozen, so definitely try that (if you happen to have any left, that is!).
Reeses Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup sticks butter, softened (1.5 sticks)
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 60 mini Reeses Peanut Butter cups (about 5 dozen)
Instructions
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In a large bowl, cream together butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and white sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add in vanilla and eggs and continue to mix for 10 seconds.
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Add baking soda and mix on low speed for 10 seconds. Add flour and continue to mix until all flour is incorporated.
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Scoop & roll dough into 1 tablespoon sized balls and place each in a greased, mini muffin tin.
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Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Remove from oven, and immediately press one mini Reeses peanut butter cup into the center of each cookie.
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After inserting the Reeses, allow the cookies to cool on a cooling rack (while still in the muffin pan) for about 20 minutes. At this point, your chocolate will likely still be melted so you should then place the entire pan in the fridge for about 15 minutes or until the chocolate sets. Once the chocolate is hardened, use a spoon to gently "scoop" out the cookies. This is where spraying the muffin tin before baking is crucial, otherwise your cookies will stick to the pan!
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If not serving immediately, store in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze for long-term storing.
Nutrition
Our family makes this very recipe every year and it is the first to go on holiday trays. They freeze great, which makes them great for making ahead. And after the chocolate hardens, they are a great cookie to travel with since they don’t require messy frosting and won’t break apart on the road.
In my opinion, they are better when they’re slightly frozen since it’s basically like a soft ball of cookie dough with a frozen Reeses inside. With it being Thanksgiving, these would be a great last-minute cookie to bring to your family gathering, or save it until Christmas and decorate them like this. But either way, make these and your family will be that much more thankful for your existence.
Karly says
My absolute fave. SO happy to have finally found a staple recipe that I can keep for all the holidays to come- these little guys are the best!
Jo says
Just made these cookies and they are great. Thank you for the recipe.