Soft and Chewy Triple Peanut Butter Cookies

Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Cup Cookies — PB is used 3 different ways in these melt-in-your mouth cookies! Batch size of just 8 cookies when you don’t ‘need’ dozens laying around!

Easy Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Recipe 

It’s no secret that I really love peanut butter. I wrote a cookbook with over 100 peanut butter recipes included. These cookies have peanut butter incorporated 3 ways because you can never have too much peanut butter.

As much as I don’t want to say that you can never have too many cookies, unfortunately sometimes, you can. I have no need for recipes that make 3 dozen cookies.

I don’t want that many cookies at once because I’ll burn out, not to mention, I don’t love cardio that much, so keeping batch sizes smaller is more practical. This peanut butter cup cookie recipe make just 8 cookies.

If you have a big family, teenage boys with supersonic metabolism, or need to make cookies for your next holiday cookie exchange, this isn’t the recipe for you. If you love super duper soft and moist peanut butter cookies that just melt in your mouth, and 8 cookies sounds about right, then these are perfect.

I studded peanut butter chips on the tops of the cookies to provide another layer of peanut butter flavor and because I thought it looked pretty. I was going to add chips to the dough, but decided I wanted the cookies to be buttery soft, smooth and uncluttered from chips, and just melt in your mouth.

And they do just that. They’re pillowy soft and puffy, and because I used baking powder rather than baking soda, there’s a lightness to them, and they remind me somewhat of Softbatch-style cookies.

They’re buttery, rich, and between the peanut butter, peanut butter cups, and peanut butter chips, they pack enough peanut butter punch to tame your fiercest peanut butter cravings.

It’s a good thing I only had 8 of these around.

What’s in Peanut Butter Cup Cookies? 

To make these peanut butter cookies with peanut butter chips and peanut butter cups, you’ll need: 

• Egg
• Light brown sugar
• Peanut butter
• Unsalted butter
• Vanilla extract
• All-purpose flour
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Mini peanut butter cups 
• Peanut butter chips 

How to Make Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Cream together the wet ingredients, then gently mix in the dry. Scoop the dough into 8 equal-sized balls, then top with a mini peanut butter cup and circle with peanut butter chips. 

Chill for at least 3 hours. Once the dough has chilled, bake until the tops are just set. It’s okay if cookies are glossy, pale, and slightly underdone in the center because they firm up as they cool.

Let the peanut butter cookies with peanut butter chips and cups cool for 10 minutes before diving in. 

Do I Have to Chill the Dough? 

Yes!! It’s a very soft dough and you absolutely must chill it before baking or the cookies will spread like crazy and bake thin and flat. That would be bad because you need them to retain some thickness so the peanut butter cup and peanut butter chips have a nice plump based to stay perched on.

Can I Use Natural Peanut Butter? 

No, you need to use a “traditional” PB brand like Jif or Skippy. Homemade and natural peanut butters are too oily and tend to separate in baked goods. 

Tips for Making Peanut Butter Cookies with Peanut Butter Cups

I used Reese’s Minis and they’re sold in pouches in the candy aisle of any major grocery store, Target, or even gas stations. Trader Joe’s has mini peanut butter cups that will work, too. Try to use a mini cup because even the next size up may be a little too large and could overwhelm the cookies.

I love underbaked cookies but if you like crunchier or firmer cookies, bake a minute or two longer.

These peanut butter chip cookies are best warm and fresh, but will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Save Saved Review Print

5 from 4 votes

Soft and Chewy Triple Peanut Butter Cookies

By Averie Sunshine

PB is used 3 different ways in these melt-in-your mouth cookies! Batch size of just 8 cookies when you don't 'need' dozens laying around!

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Chill Time: 3 hours hours

Total Time: 3 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 8

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Ingredients  

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• ▢ 1 large egg
• ▢ ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
• ▢ ⅓ cup creamy peanut butter, not natural or homemade, too runny
• ▢ 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ pinch salt, optional and to taste
• ▢ 8 mini peanut butter cups
• ▢ about 1/3 cup peanut butter chips

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions 

• To the bowl of a stand mixer (or large mixing bowl with electric mixer), combine egg, brown sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until smooth and creamed, about 5 minutes. Mixture doesn’t get as fluffy as you may be used to when typically creaming ingredients for cookies.
• Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the flour, baking powder, optional salt, and beat on low speed until just incorporated, about 1 minute.
• Divide dough into 8 equal-sized portions and roll between palms to form balls. Dough is very soft, limp, mushy, and you’ll have to be gentle with it.
• Add 1 peanut butter cup to the center of each ball, which flattens it.
• To each mound of dough, add about 8 peanut butter chips in a circle going around the peanut butter cup.
• Place dough mounds on a large plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or for up to 5 days, before baking. Do not bake with warm dough because cookies will spread and bake flat and thin.
• Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat or spray with cooking spray. Place dough mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart .
• Bake for about 10 minutes, or until tops are just set. It’s okay if cookies are glossy, pale, and slightly underdone in the center because they firm up as they cool. If you prefer crunchier or firmer cookies than shown, bake 1-2 minutes longer.
• Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for about 10 minutes before serving. 

Notes

Storage: Cookies are best warm and fresh, but will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 254kcal, Carbohydrates: 31g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 31mg, Sodium: 140mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 16g

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

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