Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups
If you like super soft, melt-in-your mouth, easy cookies, these are for you.
Is there anyone who doesn’t like those things? I hope not.
The cookie cups are ready from start to finish in 20 minutes.
Faster than going to the grocery store to buy dough-in-a-tube when you’re struck with an overwhelming desire for cookies, immediately. You can relate, right.
Baking cookies in a muffin pan is one of the best tricks out there. If you’ve ever had problems with cookies that spread all over your baking sheet, it’s impossible here. There’s no where for the cookies to spread because the dough is contained in the muffin cavity.
Another nice thing is that you don’t have to chill the dough before baking. I recommend dough chilling with almost all my cookie recipes so they don’t spread, but it’s not necessary here.
And it’s such simple dough to make. You don’t need a mixer and can stir it together by hand in minutes. Melt butter, add an egg, sugars, peanut butter, and vanilla. Stir in the dry ingredients, chocolate chips, and you’re ready to bake.
I made these while at my home in Aruba. My kitchen here is small, hot, has the world’s most uneven-heating oven that also runs ferociously hot, and is in Celsius. Fun times.
I baked them for 11 minutes at 350F and they’re incredibly soft, melty, and squishy. I’m no stranger to this oven producing supremely melty, gooey things.
Given the humidity, they continued to get softer as time passed and fell a bit in the center. In normal ovens and climates, I think about 12 minutes would be ideal, but use your judgment. If you like crunchier cookies, bake longer.
They’re rich, dense, and there’s enough peanut butter to provide a nice, mellow peanut butter flavor profile without being overwhelmed by it. If you want to be overwhelmed, make these or this.
There’s a hint of chewiness around the edges, which is a nice contrast to the super soft centers.
Pass the napkins and enjoy.
Have a nice holiday if you’re celebrating. I’ll be celebrating with cookies and as many of these as possible.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups
If you like super soft, melt-in-your mouth, easy cookies, these are for you. You don’t need a mixer, can stir the dough together by hand, and the cookie cups are ready from start to finish in under a half hour. If you’ve ever had problems with cookies that spread all over your baking sheet, it’s impossible here because the muffin pan prevents it. They’re rich, dense, and there’s enough peanut butter to provide a nice, mellow peanut butter flavor profile without being overwhelmed by it. There’s a hint of chewiness around the edges which is a nice contrast to the super soft centers.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (I recommend storebought and not homemade which is much runnier)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch teaspoon salt, optional and to taste
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350F and spray a 12-count standard-sized muffin pan extremely well with floured cooking spray or grease and flour the pan (I prefer cosmetically to not use liners); set pan aside.
- In a large, microwave-safe mixing bowl, melt the butter, about 1 minute on high-power.
- Wait momentarily before adding the egg so you don’t scramble it. Add the egg, brown sugar, peanut butter, granulated sugar, vanilla, and whisk until smooth.
- Add the flour, baking soda, optional salt, and stir until just combined; don’t overmix.
- Stir in 1 1/4 cups chocolate chips; reserve remainder to place on cookie tops before baking.
- Distribute dough equally among the 12 muffin pan cavities; each will approximately be filled to about three-quarters full. The cookies don’t rise much (nothing like muffins) so it’s okay if dough seems high in the cavities.
- Evenly divide remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips by placing a few chips on each cookie top, which creates a nice visual appeal.
- Bake for 11 to 12 minutes, or until tops have set and are pale golden. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. Depending on your climate, muffin pan, brand of ingredients, taste preferences, etc. baking times will vary. Watch your cookies and not the clock; bake until done. Allow cookies to cool in pan for at least 15 minutes before removing them. If they have stuck to the pan, gently wedge the tip of a soft spatula into the muffin cavity to dislodge the cookies, rather than rimming with a knife so you don’t scratch your pan. Cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Adapted from Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups
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These look amazing. I saw them on foodgawker and can’t wait to make them!!!!
Thanks for finding me from FG!
Best cookie ever! I’ve decided nut butters are a staple food group in my diet (along with chocolate of course!)
Averie, I’m always impressed by how gorgeous your cookie photographs turn out. They have the perfect bits of melted chocolate showing through without looking messy — so inviting and tempting! If only I could hone that skill… I usually end up sticking my finger or wrist in the melted chocolate chips and end up getting it all over the place. Oh well, more to lick off my fingers, right? ;) Have a wonderful time in Aruba and soak up some of that gorgeous sun for me!
Trust me, I don’t love these images, at all. But it was either just accept that this is the best I can do in a very warm environment and post it, regardless; or not post at all. Because it’s super hard to get things to look perfect here so I just do what I can – I don’t ever like my photos here, but I try :) Thanks for the vote of confidence!
We’re always our own worst critics! As a stellar photographer, you probably hold yourself to high standards, and it’s understandable that it’s harder to shoot at your home-away-from-home in paradise. But still, even this recipe’s shoot is something many food bloggers would love to achieve on their best days! And that small crumb with melted chocolate falling off the cookie in your last image? Definitely the little touch of an extremely talented photographer. :)
These look so yummy Averie! Love that you make them in a muffin tin so they have no way of spreading. Soft, thick cookies are the way to go :0)
Thank you, Julie! :)
I made these yesterday. I needed something quick to bring to my friend, who loves pb + chocolate. These were so easy, quick, and were ready in the time it took me to get ready to go. I love that it’s a small batch, one and done, not pan after pan of dropping and baking cookies. This will be my go-to, need-something-baked-in-a-pinch recipe! Thanks!
Thanks for trying these and for everything you said which mirrors what I think from the fast, easy, small batch, one and done, and not pan after pan – amen, right! :) So glad you’re happy & have a new in-a-pinch go-to recipe!
These sound fabulous!! I could just eat every single one of them! ;) Pinned!
Oh my goodness, I am literally drooling all over my laptop — these sound delicious!
Thank you :)
I am currently in the Dominican Republic and have the same problem with my oven – it is small, in Celsius and always seems to run really hot. I will have to give these a try!
I can totally understand!! Enjoy these :)
Hey Averie! I was just asking, could I make this recipe WITHOUT the peanut butter? I really want to make them, but we don’t have any PB, so could I just leave it out?
Make the browned butter choc chip cookie cups that are linked in the post then instead! You don’t even have to brown it and can simply melt it if you don’t want to bother.
I just made them (I browned the butter… after a couple unsuccessful attempts where I ended up burning it) and oh my goodness, they are the best things I have tasted in a loooong time. My whole family devoured them- they’re so moist and good! Thanks :)
So glad they were a hit!
Hi Averie :) Ive been wanting to try these out, but I am allergic to peanut butter :( is there some way I can enjoy the cookie cups without getting allergy symptoms?
Oh no, I’m really sorry for the ‘repeat’ comment! My eyes slipped, how careless. Would there be much of a difference if I did not brown the butter like the recipe requires?
I replied to this in a previous comment reply to you.
Made these last night for National Chocolate Chip Day. I loved them! Mine took longer than 12 minutes to bake, but that may have been because the oven had been cooking something else at 325 when I was making them and I forgot to wait for the preheat light to go off before putting them in. Oops.
They turned out delicious anyway. Thank you for sharing!
With these, baking at 350F with a preheated oven is the way I recommend but sounds like you figured it out and they turned out great!
Yeah, I know! It’s weird; I don’t know if I’ve ever done that before! And making that mistake for cookies is definitely worse than for cake which takes much longer to bake. But in my case it had started out at 325, and it had preheated some more since that before I put it in, so it was close enough and it was all good! Phew!
These are delicious! Loved the subtle peanut butter taste! My friends went crazy over these :) I tried baking one of the pans for 5min extra, as I know that some of my friends generally prefer crispy cookies. Despite this, I definitely preferred the 13 min cookie! Chewiness is the way to go :) thank you for the post!
So glad you and your friends loved them and so sweet of you to bake for your friends and even (over)bake for their sake of wanting crisper cookies. I’m with you, softer is better :)
Grateful for the day I began stumbling across your recipes on Pinterest. You have made me a believer in peanut butter baked goods once again, saved me from a life of dry, crispy, highly overrated peanut butter cookies. So, thanks. And good work. And keep ’em coming. :)
Love your comment and your spirit :) Thanks for finding me! And thanks for this ‘saved me from a life of dry, crispy, highly overrated peanut butter cookies’ – amen!! :)
Hi Averie! I’ve made the browned butter version and I’m addicted! I’m hosting a baby shower/girls night and the guest of honor loves all things caramel and peanut butter. Do you think stuffing a rolo in these would work, or would those caramel baking bits be better? Advice please! :)
I would go with a Rolo. They make the best soft, chewy, and gooey filling. Caramels have a tendency to stay firm and not get gooey when stuffed.
Thank you! Will do and let you know! :)
Just made these cookies they are soooo quick and easy to make. Have workmen in at the house who have just about demolished them I had better make some more for when the children are home from school. Wish you would also convert to grams for UK. Took me a while to sort how much of each ingredients I needed but found a converter on google but just prolonged my making them and was desperate to try. thanks.
Just made these! Pretty decent but mine filed up 14 not 12 and I left them in the same amount and overcooked them a tad. I also put peanut butter chocolate chips mixed in with chocolate. So delicious! Will make again. I love that you can freeze them
Thanks for trying the recipe and probably because you made yours skimpier/smaller (14 rather than my 12) they cooked faster than mine did but sounds like they were fine. Love the PB chip idea too!
These were delicious a definite hit with my family!!
Thanks for trying the recipe and glad it came out great for you!
Can these be made by adding PB to the refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough? I want to make them with a 2 year old but doing all from scratch is too time consuming for her level of patience.
I haven’t tried the recipe any other way than how I wrote it. Honestly, I made these on vacation in a kitchen that is not my normal one, and they came together in minutes. I didn’t want to spend too long in the kitchen :) I think you will be fine with her – or else just pre-start a few things before she starts ‘helping’ would be my suggestion. Enjoy!
Can you make these in mini muffin tins? How long would they bake for?
I’m sure it would be fine but because I never have I cannot give a baking time. Just watch them and use your judgment.