Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Peanut butter cup cookies are soft peanut butter dough balls baked in a mini muffin tin, then fitted with a mini Reese’s cup while warm to create a bite-sized cookie cup with a melty chocolate-peanut butter center.
Last updated: June 2026
Quick Answer: What Are Peanut Butter Cup Cookies?
Peanut butter cup cookies are a two-ingredient-magic kind of treat: classic peanut butter cookie dough baked inside a mini muffin tin to form a cup shape, then pressed with a mini Reese’s peanut butter cup the moment they come out of the oven. The chocolate melts just enough into the warm cookie to create that gooey, layered center everyone keeps reaching for. No chilling, no fancy technique, no piping bag required.
The whole kitchen smells like warm peanut butter the second that dough hits the oven. These cookies disappear off the plate at bake sales, show up on every holiday cookie exchange tray, and honestly hold their own on a random Tuesday night when you need something sweet. They’re the kind of treat that looks like you tried hard but took less than 30 minutes start to finish.
What Makes These Peanut Butter Cup Cookies So Good
It all comes down to the mini muffin tin. That’s the secret most recipes skim past. The pan does all the shaping work for you: the dough puffs up against the cup walls, forms naturally scalloped edges, and creates a little well in the center that holds the Reese’s cup perfectly in place. Every single one comes out looking picture-perfect, even if it’s your first time making them.
The texture is exactly what you want. Crisp edges where the dough touched the pan, a soft and slightly chewy center, and a chocolate-peanut butter cup that’s firm on the outside but gooey where it meets the warm cookie. Neither the chocolate nor the peanut butter bullies the other flavor. They’re balanced in a way that makes you eat one and immediately reach for a second.
These are the Reese’s peanut butter cup cookies most people have in mind when they search for the recipe. No swaps, no shortcuts, no unusual ingredients. Just the classic version that’s been showing up at holiday parties and school events for decades, made the right way.
Recipe Card
| Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Cook Time | 10–12 minutes |
| Total Time | ~25 minutes |
| Yield | 36–40 cookie cups |
Ingredients
Unwrap all the Reese’s cups before your cookies go in the oven. You’ll have a tight 60–90 second window to press them in while the cookies are still hot, and fumbling with wrappers is not how you want to spend that time.
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 tbsp whole milk
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 36–40 mini Reese’s peanut butter cups, unwrapped (about 2 standard bags)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F. Spray a 24-cup mini muffin tin generously with nonstick cooking spray. You’ll bake in two batches, so keep the second tin ready to go.
- Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set it aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until the mixture looks light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
- Add the egg, milk, and vanilla. Beat until fully combined and smooth.
- Add the flour mixture gradually, mixing on low speed just until a soft dough forms. Don’t overmix, stop as soon as the streaks of flour disappear.
- Roll the dough into 1-inch balls (about 1 heaping tablespoon each) and press one ball into each muffin cup.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are just set. The tops will look barely done and puffed slightly, that’s exactly right.
- Pull the pan from the oven and immediately press one unwrapped Reese’s cup firmly into the center of each cookie. The cookie will crack slightly around the edges as it sinks in. That crack is the goal.
- Let the cookies cool in the pan for a full 10 minutes before removing them. Use a small butter knife or offset spatula to gently pop each one out.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Or eat one warm. No judgment here.
Tips for Perfect Peanut Butter Cup Cookies Every Time
These mini peanut butter cup cookies are beginner-friendly, but a few specifics make the difference between good and “everyone asks for the recipe.”
Don’t Skip the Nonstick Spray
Even if your tin is labeled nonstick, spray it anyway. The brown sugar in the dough caramelizes against the pan sides during baking, and without spray, those edges stick and tear when you try to pop them out. A quick coat of cooking spray takes five seconds and saves a lot of frustration.
The 1-Inch Ball Rule
Dough balls larger than 1 inch will overflow the cups and lose that clean, structured shape that makes these cookies look so good. A #60 cookie scoop is the easiest way to keep all 36–40 cookies consistent without measuring each one by hand.
Work Fast With the Reese’s Cups
You have roughly 60–90 seconds after the pan comes out of the oven before the cookies firm up too much. Have every cup unwrapped and lined up on the counter before the timer goes off. Once the cookies cool, the Reese’s won’t press in cleanly and you’ll lose that signature gooey center.
Use Creamy Peanut Butter, Not Natural
Natural peanut butter (the kind that separates and needs stirring) has a higher oil content that throws off the dough texture. Stick with Jif, Skippy, or any standard store-brand creamy peanut butter for consistent results every time. The old fashioned peanut butter cup cookies from church cookbooks and holiday tins always used the shelf-stable kind for this exact reason.
Underbake Slightly for a Soft Center
Pull the cookies at 10 minutes if you prefer a softer, chewier cup. Go the full 12 minutes for crispier edges. They’ll look underdone when they come out of the oven either way, and that’s intentional. They finish setting up as they cool in the pan.
Fun Variations to Try
Once you’ve made the classic version a time or two, it’s worth playing around with the base dough and the topping.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Swap ¼ cup of the all-purpose flour for ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder. The dough turns a deep chocolate brown and pairs beautifully with dark chocolate Reese’s cups. You get a double-chocolate base with the same peanut butter center, and the flavor is noticeably richer.
3-Ingredient Version
There’s a popular shortcut worth knowing: combine 1 cup creamy peanut butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, and 1 large egg, then bake at 350°F for 8–10 minutes and press in the Reese’s cups while warm. It works, and it’s fast. The result is denser and more fudge-like than the full recipe, but it scratches the same craving.
Mix Up the Reese’s
Dark chocolate Reese’s cups give a slightly more intense chocolate flavor. White chocolate Reese’s cups make these feel festive for winter holidays. If you want a different look entirely, press a small cluster of Reese’s Pieces into the top instead of a whole cup for a crunchy, colorful finish.
Betty Crocker Shortcut Version
If you’ve landed here after searching for the Reese’s peanut butter cup cookies Betty Crocker style, here’s the deal: use a box of Betty Crocker peanut butter cookie mix as your dough base and follow the package directions. Same mini muffin tin, same Reese’s press-in method, same result. It’s a great option for weeknight baking when you want the payoff with less measuring.
Make-Ahead and Storage Tips
This is where peanut butter cup cookies really shine for busy families and holiday bakers. You can prep almost everything in advance.
- Dough ahead: Roll dough balls, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and freeze solid for about 1 hour. Transfer to a zip-lock freezer bag. Frozen dough balls keep for up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozen, adding 1–2 extra minutes to the bake time.
- Baked cookies at room temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Layer parchment between rows to prevent sticking.
- Freezing baked cookies: Freeze in a single layer first, then stack with parchment between layers. They keep well for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.
- Gifting: These pack beautifully in holiday tins lined with parchment, and they travel better than most frosted cookies. If you’re looking for more ways to give baked goods as presents, a roundup of teacher gift ideas they’ll actually use includes plenty of inspiration for wrapping and presenting homemade treats. And if you want to round out a holiday dessert spread, a fruit pizza with a sugar cookie crust is another crowd-pleaser that’s easy to slice and share alongside these cookie cups.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a regular muffin tin instead of a mini muffin tin?
A standard full-size muffin tin produces cookies that are too large and won’t hold their shape around the Reese’s cup. The mini cup size (24-cup mini muffin tin) is what gives these cookies their signature look and texture. It’s worth picking one up if you don’t have one, they’re inexpensive and useful for a lot of other recipes too.
Do I need to refrigerate peanut butter cup cookies?
No. These store perfectly well at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Refrigerating them can actually dry out the cookie and make the texture less appealing. If your kitchen runs warm, a cool pantry or cupboard away from the stove works great.
Can I use full-size Reese’s cups instead of minis?
Full-size cups won’t fit neatly into the cookie cup and will overwhelm the dough-to-chocolate ratio. Mini Reese’s cups (sold as “minis” or “miniatures” in bags) are the right fit at roughly 1 inch in diameter. Two standard bags will cover a full batch of 36–40 cookie cups with a few extras for snacking.
Why did my cookies crack when I pressed in the Reese’s?
A slight crack around the edges is completely normal and expected. It’s part of the look. If the cracks are dramatic or the cookie is falling apart, one of two things happened: the cookies were over-baked before the Reese’s went in, or they’d already cooled too much before you pressed the cups in. Next batch, pull at 10 minutes and have the Reese’s cups unwrapped and waiting.
Can I make these without a stand mixer or hand mixer?
Yes. As long as your butter and egg are at room temperature, the dough comes together easily with a sturdy wooden spoon or silicone spatula. It takes a bit more effort to cream the butter and sugars by hand, but the dough is forgiving and the result is the same.
