Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookie Cups — Supremely soft cookie cups that are ready in 20 minutes! No need to chill the cookie dough because the cookies can’t spread in the oven!
Deep Dish Peanut Butter Cookie Cups with Chocolate Chips
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?
These PB cookie cups are 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.
Pass the napkins and enjoy!
Ingredients for the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Cups
These deep dish PB cookie cups call for the following ingredients:
- Unsalted butter
- Egg
- Light brown sugar
- Creamy peanut butter
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
How to Make Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookie Cups
I’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.
- Divide the dough between 12 greased muffin cups. I baked them for 11 minutes at 350F and they’re incredibly soft, melty, and squishy. If you like crunchier cookies, bake longer.
FAQs
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 nowhere 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.
I’m sure it would be fine to use a mini muffin pan instead of a regular muffin pan, but because I never have I cannot give a baking time. Just watch them and use your judgment!
No, I recommend using a no-stir peanut butter, such as Jif or Skippy. Natural and homemade nut butters are runnier and oiler and can result in oily, crumbly cookies.
If you don’t have a muffin pan to make this recipe, I suggest making my chocolate peanut butter bars instead. They’re similar in flavor and texture, but the bars are made in a square baking dish rather than a muffin pan.
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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
Instructions
- 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
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 361Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 293mgCarbohydrates: 44gFiber: 2gSugar: 28gProtein: 6g
More Cookie Cup Recipes:
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Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Cups — The cookies are rich, dense, and there’s plenty of peanut butter flavor between the cookies themselves and the glorious peanut butter cups.
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Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups – The browned butter adds so much incredible flavor!
Caramel-Stuffed Cookie Cups — The cookies are buttery soft with squishy interiors, and a slight chewiness around the edges.
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.
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!
These were delicious a definite hit with my family!!
Thanks for trying the recipe and glad it came out great for you!
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!
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.
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! :)
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!! :)
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 :)
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!
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.
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!
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 :)
Oh my goodness, I am literally drooling all over my laptop — these sound delicious!
Thank you :)
These sound fabulous!! I could just eat every single one of them! ;) Pinned!
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 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! :)
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. :)
Best cookie ever! I’ve decided nut butters are a staple food group in my diet (along with chocolate of course!)
These look amazing. I saw them on foodgawker and can’t wait to make them!!!!
Thanks for finding me from FG!
OMG! so happy I stumbled across this on foodgawker I recently made some peanut butter cupcakes so I think I will substitute the peanut butter for Biscoff!!!
Wow such a novel idea! These cookie cups look gooey and delicious!
These look delicious, love chewy cookies!
I had a thin, crispy chocolate chip cookie earlier and I kept thinking about how I really prefer thick and chewy cookies much better! One (or two) of these would have been perfect :)
These might be my fave cookie cups that I’ve seen! I love the peanut butter and just how gooooey and delicious and perfect they look!
I just want to clarify: Does it really call for a tablespoon of vanilla? A tablespoon seems like a lot…just wanted to double check before I made them :) They look amazing!!
Yes, correct. Use less if you want. 3 tsp = 1 tbsp. And I always use 2 tsp, so why not 3 :)
Thank you! I made them today for an Easter dinner, and they were a HUGE hit!! I’m making another batch to bring to work tomorrow. Teachers going back to school after spring break…we need a little morning treat :)
What a nice friend/coworker you are to make another batch & bring them in to share! So glad you like the recipe – enough to make it twice in 2 days :)
No mixer, yay! I’m in. Your everlasting devotion to all things PB keeps me coming back for more!
Oh yum! I want to eat these right now. They look so soft, chewy and delicious!
Ugh you have no idea how good these sound!!! I might just need to make them when I get back tomoz!! Nothing in the world is like homemade cookies and these fit the bill!! Think I might like them a la mode :)
They’d be perfect little holders for some ice cream indeed! :)
I love cookie cups Averie and these peanut butter cookie cups look like cookie cup gold!! Pinned and thanks for another wonderful recipe :D
Thanks for pinning!
I think I’d eat the whole batch!
This is my favorite type if cookie – chocolate chip with peanut butter. Can’t get any better than that! And I love making cookies in a muffin tin! Just made some tonight similar to yours – Chocolate chip stuffed with peanut butter. YUM! As always, great recipe, Averie. :)
Your cookie posts always have me drooling! I love that there is no chill time, since I’m really impatient when it comes to cookies.
I’m in love with these, as always!!!
These are calling my name! Love the chewiness of these! Also, it’s great that you don’t need to chill the dough.
I spied these on Pinterest first. Just yum!!
I love how thick and chewy these cups look! With PB and chocolate, I’d never be able to say no to these!
hehe cookies that have no where to spread! I don’t know why that cracked me up so much, but it did and here we are.
These cookie cups look delicious! Soft, chewy and thick and…oh dear. Why don’t I have these in my oven right now?! Good thing they only take 20 minutes ;-)
I love the idea of cookie cups (and obviously anything with pb) – it’s like the best of the cookie and cookie pie (from the Great AMerican Cookie Company!) but in bite size form. DELISH.
Stunning photos, per usual. :D
This was my first photo shoot here when I got here and the first few out of the gate are always rough to say the least. So thank you :) Cookie meets Great American Cookie Co. pie = YES!
Ohh these cookie cups look perfeeect. Soft, chewy, and perfectly underbaked just how I like ’em. Boy do I want to sink my teeth into a few of these gorgeous cups this morning. ;) And kudos to you on persevering with an oven like that! I don’t think I would be able to stand using an un-reliable oven. LOL.
A cookie in a muffin pan has to be the ultimate thick chewy treat! I’d be tempted to put a little ice cream sundae on top of one of these. Have a nice Easter weekend! I am visiting my family and looking forward to my stop at Trader Joe’s on my way back tomorrow (oh the little things in life).
Happy Easter, Paula, and enjoy your family (and your TJs trip!!)
We loved your cookie cups with the chocolate PB in the center so I’ll have to try this. I’d like to make it in mini-muffin tins cuz I think they would be cute (and go further)–do you think 5-6 minutes baking time would be about right?
I never bake recipes like this as mini, just because I don’t have the patience :) But I think your guess sounds just about right!
I did mine in a mini muffin tin – 10 min. in my oven and they turned out perfectly! These were a huge hit – my sons new favorite!
Wonderful to hear they worked great as minis for 10 mins & your son has a new fave! :)
Thanks, Julie–yup, it was about 10 minutes for me as well. Delicious! A mini cookie cup is just about the right amount for me. Averie, I also found that I needed to let them sit in the pan for closer to 1/2 hour or 45 minutes (rather than 15–even though I really really wanted to dig into it right away) to firm up well–they came out much more neatly and it was less frustrating to get them out of the pan, for whatever that information is worth!
Maybe I just used a ridic amount of non-stick spray, which I’ve been known to do :) But yes, the longer you wait, the easier it is. I know, it’s hard to wait!
These cookie cups are a new (to me) form of cookie! Hurrah, can’t wait to try them!
Cookie cups are always a winner. Mine sank a ton in the center the last time I made them and I don’t know why. They were definitely not underbaked
I think it’s a depth vs. surface area kind of thing. That somehow the depth of the cookie cup, given the surface area, that on some mathematical/physics level cups are more prone to sinking than just normal cookies that are flat and don’t have as much ‘weight’ from the underside pulling the topsides down. I’ve thought about this before and somehow there’s got to be a scientific explanation over and beyond underbaking (which of course will do it, too – that’s with any cake, muffin, banana bread etc, if you underbake the center will likely fall).
I’ve been craving cookies this week. I my have to rustle up these delicious cookies. The crater in the middle would be great for holding a small scoop of ice cream