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Kids and adults alike will love these classic peanut butter cup cookies. Miniature Reese’s cups are nestled into peanut butter cookies for an easy recipe that will be a hit all year long.

Peanut butter cup cookies arranged on a piece of parchment paper on top of a wire cooling rack.

There are a handful of cookies, like spritz cookies and thumbprint cookies, that are holiday classics. But somehow they get forgotten about the rest of the year.

This year, I think we should be better about treating ourselves to some of those classic “Christmas” cookies throughout the year.

And I think we should start with these peanut butter cup cookies. After all, there’s no reason not to enjoy them in the middle of February or April or September! 

Three peanut butter cup cookies stacked on a white plate in front of a glass of milk.

Muffin-Tin Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Have you had peanut butter cup cookies before?

They are a classic at holiday parties and cookie exchanges, along with Peanut Butter Blossoms and Rum Balls.

And honestly, it makes sense why. Peanut butter and chocolate were made to be together, and these cookies are quick and easy to make.

So easy, in fact, that we should be better about enjoying them outside of the holiday season.

Instead of baking the cookies on a cookie sheet, like you would with your other cookie recipes, the dough balls are baked in a mini muffin pan.

The muffin pan mimics the shape of the mini Reese’s peanut butter cups that get pushed into the center of each freshly baked cookie.

The whole thing makes for an adorable cookie cup that can be devoured in one or two bites.

Even better, they’re a great use for any leftover Halloween, Valentine’s, or Easter candy you might have laying around. Or even bags of holiday candy leftover from parties.

Bite from a peanut butter cup cookie, showing the peanut butter cup inside.

How to Make Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

These peanut butter cup cookies are so fun and easy to make. They’re great for beginner bakers and are a fun way to get kids involved in the kitchen!

Ingredients you’ll need

The base for these peanut butter cup cookies is a simple peanut butter cookie dough. The dough is very similar to the one used to make my Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies.

To make this recipe, you will need:

  • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ cup softened butter
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup creamy peanut butter
  • ½ cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 lightly beaten egg
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 40 unwrapped miniature Reese’s peanut butter cups 
Peanut butter cup cookie ingredients arranged on a beige countertop.

If you are buying the Reese’s brand of peanut butter cups, make sure you buy the ones labeled “miniature cups.” 

Reese’s also makes a size labeled as “minis unwrapped” – these are a tiny version that are loose in the bag. They’re smaller than what you want for these cookies (although they’re great for peanut butter cup rice krispie treats). 

Helpful resources

  • Before getting started, make sure you know how to measure flour and how to cream butter and sugar. Both of these things will help these cookies turn out perfect every time.
  • If you forget to set your butter out ahead of time to soften, check out my tips for softening butter quickly.
  • This recipe uses granulated sugar and brown sugar. Both types of sugar play a role in the texture of these cookies. If you run out of brown sugar, learn how to make a brown sugar substitute that you can use. 
  • If you reach into your pantry and find that your brown sugar is hard as a rock, don’t panic! I have several tips for softening brown sugar that will save you a trip to the store.
Three peanut butter cup cookies arranged on a wooden board. One of the cookies has been cut in half.

Making these cookies

To make these peanut butter cup cookies, start by whisking together the dry ingredients. Set those aside.

With a mixer, cream the butter, peanut butter, and both sugars together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, vanilla, and milk and mix until combined.

Finally, add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

To shape the cookies, grab a small cookie scoop and scoop the dough into the wells of a mini muffin pan. Kids love helping to scoop the dough, so it’s a great way to get them involved in the process.

Don’t add the peanut butter cups yet. Those will be added after the cookies bake!

Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes, just until they are set. Use this time to unwrap the peanut butter cups if you haven’t already.

When you pull the cookies out of the oven, immediately press an unwrapped mini peanut butter cup into each cookie while they are still in the pan. 

Set the pan on a wire rack and allow the cookies to cool before removing them from the pan. This will make sure they maintain their cute cup shape.

Peanut butter cups pressed into baked peanut butter cookies in a mini muffin tin.

Recipe FAQs

Can I make a bigger version of these cookies with full-size peanut butter cups?

Yes! You will need to use a standard-size muffin tin and double (at least) the amount of cookie dough that goes into each well. Note that you’ll get about half the number of cookies from the batch.

Bake the cookies for a couple extra minutes, then press in the full-size peanut butter cups and let the cookies cool completely.

Help! How do I get these out of the pan??

I am usually able to get these peanut butter cup cookies out of the pan pretty easily by using a small offset spatula. 

If your mini muffin tin is older and tends to stick, try placing a strip of parchment paper at the bottom of each muffin cup before adding the cookie dough, making sure the parchment is long enough to come above the edge of the cups.

Then, you can use the ends of the parchment paper to help lift the cookies out of the tin after cooling.

Can I make this recipe dairy free?

Absolutely. Use your favorite dairy-free/vegan butter in place of the butter and your favorite dairy-free milk in place of the milk in the dough.

Make sure you look for dairy-free or vegan mini peanut butter cups. There are lots of dairy-free and vegan chocolate options in many grocery stores these days; make sure to check the specialty/health food section of the store.

Overhead view of peanut butter cup cookies arranged on a wire rack next to a glass of milk.
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Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

By: Jamie
4.60 from 25 votes
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Cooling Time: 30 minutes
Total: 25 minutes
Servings: 40 cookies
Kids and adults alike will love these classic peanut butter cup cookies. Miniature Reese’s cups are nestled into peanut butter cookies for an easy recipe that will be a hit all year long.

Equipment

Ingredients 
 

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
  • Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda; set aside.
  • Cream together the butter, peanut butter, and sugars until fluffy.
  • Beat in the egg, vanilla and milk. Add the flour mixture; mix well.
  • Use a small cookie scoop to scoop equal portions of dough into 40 wells in an ungreased mini muffin pan.
  • Bake for 8-10 minutes until just set. Remove from oven and immediately press a mini peanut butter cup into each ball. Cool and carefully remove from pan.

Video

Notes

I like to use a 1-tablespoon scoop (#60) for portioning these cookies.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 118kcal, Carbohydrates: 14g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 11mg, Sodium: 116mg, Potassium: 55mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 82IU, Vitamin C: 0.02mg, Calcium: 12mg, Iron: 0.4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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15 Comments

  1. Jamie says:

    This was a super easy recipe to make and it turned out so good! I will definitely make them more often. Great for bake sales!

    1. Jamie says:

      So glad you enjoyed these, Jamie! Thanks for stopping by and sharing your feedback. Happy baking!
      Jamie

  2. cheryl naughton says:

    I tried this recipe and I was surprised by how easy it was and how fast I was able to create awesome treats.

    I’m a big fan and I appreciate your recipes and expertise!

    1. Jamie says:

      So happy to hear you enjoyed the cookies, Cheryl! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback!
      -Jamie

  3. Deb Carmicheal says:

    I have been making these for years and you are so right they are super delicious. I’ve never added milk but will try it next time I make these cookies. Which will be very soon for Christmas gifts

    1. Jamie says:

      Thanks so much for stopping by, Deb! I appreciate you taking the time to comment. Happy Baking!
      -Jamie

  4. Carol says:

    I have a recipe like this from an 1974 church cookbook. Those are made in a regular muffin pan and use full-size peanut butter cups.

    1. Jamie says:

      Thanks so much for stopping by, Carol! I appreciate you taking the time to comment. Happy Baking!
      -Jamie

  5. Amelia says:

    What a great idea! I must make these for my peanut-buttercup-loving family! Thanks for sharing /=]

  6. smanukonda says:

    I made the PB cookies on Saturday afternoon and they turned out amazing. Next time I need to double the recipe. Thanks for posting.

  7. Ingrid says:

    Your Mummy Pop looks terrific! Man you're tough! I'm going to post the cakeballs and ghosts that Babygirl and I made sometime this week…please be gentle if you stop by. LOL!

    I like your idea on how to use up the left over candy. I'm going to go the lazy route and use pillsbury dough (on sale & have a coupon)for the "cup" and then send them to school! The kids will never know! :-)
    ~ingrid

  8. Maria says:

    Yummy looking treats!!

  9. Cathy says:

    Whoa — what do you mean “feeble attempt?” That mummy pop looks perfect! These cookies sound like a dream come true for me. They are now officially “on the list!”

  10. Steph says:

    That’s amazing how you turned something so yummy into something even better!

    1. T says:

      I’ve made these and a very similar cookie, by placing a bite size Snickers in the middle!! Yum!!