Peanut Butter Cup Cookies — Have problems with cookies spreading? It’s impossible with these easy, no-mixer, goofproof peanut butter cookies baked in a muffin tin!! The peanut butter cups make them SO irresistible!!
Deep Dish Reese’s Cup Cookies
Who can resist soft, thick, peanut butter cookies with peanut butter cups? I sure can’t.
This peanut butter cup cookies recipe is fast, easy, and goofproof. It’s a one-bowl, no-mixer recipe and you don’t even need to chill the dough.
Normally you want to chill cookie dough so it doesn’t spread, but since these cookies are baked in a muffin pan the dough is contained and there’s no need to chill it.
The deep dish cookies are rich, dense, and there’s plenty of peanut butter flavor between the cookies themselves and the glorious peanut butter cups. The texture contrast between the soft yet slightly chewy cookies and the smooth peanut butter cups makes them so irresistible.
What’s in the Peanut Butter Cup Cookies?
These deep dish peanut butter cookies with peanut butter cups have a short ingredients list:
- Unsalted butter
- Egg
- Light brown sugar
- Creamy peanut butter
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Mini peanut butter cups
How to Make Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
To make the peanut butter cookies with Reese’s cups, you’ll first need to grease and flour a 12-count standard muffin pan. Once the cookie dough is made, use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to divide it amongst the greased muffin cups.
Bake the deep dish cookies until the tops have set and are pale golden. As soon as you remove them from the oven, press a mini peanut butter cup into the center of each cookie.
Allow the peanut butter cup cookies to cool for at least 15 minutes before removing them from the muffin tin and eating them.
Can These Cookies Be Made in Advance?
Yes, I actually think these cookies taste best on day two after they’ve had time to set up. At room temperature, they’re ultra thick and chewy!
Can I Use Natural Peanut Butter?
No, you need to use a traditional peanut butter brand like Jif or Skippy. Natural peanut butter is too oily and tends to separate in baked goods.
Tips for Making Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
I’ve only made this recipe using regular peanut butter, but you might be able to use almond butter or another nut butter if desired.
Make sure to press the mini peanut butter cups into the deep dish cookies as soon as they come out of the oven. The cookies will be soft at that point and you can easily insert the PB cups without damaging them.
Don’t try to eat the Reese’s cup cookies right away. They need time to set up, otherwise they’ll fall apart as you try to take them out of the muffin pan.
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Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
- heaping 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, not ‘natural’ and not homemade, they’re too runny
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 15 mini peanut butter cups, unwrapped
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; set pan aside.
- To a large, microwave-safe bowl, add the butter and heat on high power to melt, about 1 minute.
- 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, salt, and stir until just combined; don’t overmix.
- Using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop or your hands, form approximately 15 equal-sized mounds of dough and place one mound of dough into each cavity of the muffin pan. (Rather than using a second muffin pan for the remaining 3 mounds of dough, I baked the last 3 cookies on a baking sheet lined with a Silpat for 8 minutes.)
- Bake for 12 to 13 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.
- Press 1 peanut butter cup into the center of each cookie.
- 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 or gently rim with a paring knife.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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There’s nothing not to love about these-so chewy and peanut buttery!
I made these last week, and they were a true hit! They were totally addictive, even with my substitutions of corn oil (for butter) and my own gluten free flour blend. Goodness gracious, Averie, you must work so hard to bring everything to such perfection. Your recipes have the best ratio of everything-to-everything-else.
Thanks for all the compliments – I appreciate it! :)
And glad these were a true hit and that your subs worked out great!
Peanut butter cups are a guilty pleasure of mine. Especially the dark chocolate ones form TJ’s! I am pretty sure I would love them in cookie form :)
I know those dark chocolate ones are deadly to have around!
oh yummy!
Love love all these recipes….not one is bad……I want to make them all……you out did yourself on these…..love these reese cup cookies, and all the rest…..
Thanks for all the compliments and glad you’re enjoying!
Yum so moist!
OMG! Love, love, love these. I’ve been making them for over 20 years. Whenever I make them I try to get lil’ mini baking cups in the theme of the season…Valentine’s Day, Christmas or Halloween. I find it makes getting them out of the tin much easier and they look pretty too. If you find the DARK chocolate peanut butter cups…even better! I think I need to make some this weekend. Thanks for the reminder…
Glad you’re a fan of cookies like this!
One million times yes on this recipe!!!!
Oh man, we make these for Christmas every year–but your version looks so PUFFY AND FLUFFY AND SOFT. Mmmmph. Gonna have to try these. So delectable!
Ooh, your peanut butter love is resurfacing. :) I’ve made your other cookie cup recipes and they are a hit. So fun and I love not having to wait for the dough to chill. You can’t go wrong when you include Reeses!
Everyone loves peanut butter, right :) I love cookie cups too because no dough to chill and you can whip up a batch and be eating them in less than a half hour!
This is the best kind of PB cookie–substantial looking and topped with a PB cup. I like thick cookies but don’t always want to wait to chill the dough (or just didn’t plan ahead)!
Totally understand about the planning ahead part and that’s where cookie cups come to the rescue!
These cookie cups are life! You just put my favorite flavors into one perfect little bundle of peanut butter job. I need to have these in my life.
This is my all-time favorite number one most happy cookie ever. I’ve always loved these, and the softer, the better! Having a big love moment here!!
Glad you’re having a cookie love moment! I have those too :)