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.
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Soft and Chewy Triple Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 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
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
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Peanut Butter Cookie Recipes:
All of my peanut butter recipes!
Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Chip Cookies – Super soft, perfectly chewy, BROWNED BUTTER cookies that are LOADED with two kinds of chips!! An EASY one-bowl, no-mixer recipe for irresistibly DELISH cookies!!
Lofthouse-Style Soft Peanut Butter Chip Sugar Cookies — Similar to Lofthouse Soft-Frosted Sugar Cookies, but these are for peanut butter fans! I added peanut butter and frosted them with peanut butter buttercream.
Peanut Butter Blossoms— These peanut butter blossoms feature soft and chewy peanut butter cookies topped with a Hershey’s chocolate kiss. A classic Christmas cookie recipe!
Reese’s Pieces Soft Peanut Butter Cookies — These Reese’s Pieces cookies are are LOADED with Reese’s Pieces and oozing, melted chocolate chips. Perfect any time of year!
The Best Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies — Soft, chewy and they’ll be your new fave PB cookies!! One bowl, no mixer, no butter, naturally gluten-free! Love it when something so easy tastes so amazing!!
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies – My favorite ‘basic’ peanut butter cookies on my blog. My other favorites are in my book. There’s NO Flour, NO Butter, and NO White sugar! Soft, chewy & oozing with dark chocolate
Soft and Puffy Peanut Butter Coconut Oil Cookies – NO Butter and NO White Sugar used in these soft, puffy cookies that are bursting with peanut butter flavor!
Peanut Butter Comfort – My cookbook featuring over 100 Peanut Butter Recipes!
A dream come true…
Found this on pinterest and they’re in the oven right now (though I doubled the recipe). The dough was delicious and I have no doubt the finished product will be too! Thanks for a great recipe :) I cant wait to look around your blog more.
Thanks for trying the recipe & for finding me! Glad the dough was good :) Keep me posted how they go!
Love that this is a small batch because, like you, I do not like cardio and do not wish to do any more than I absolutely have to. Even if it means sacrificing the rest of the cookies in a normal batch, haha. This is peanut butter overload at its finest!
PB overload is my middle name :) And btw I saw that pic of you and Brandy G. on your IG. SO JEALZ! Love her!!!
Love these cookies-a dozen of these would make me a happy girl!
I love cardio, but not 2 dozen cookies worth. These look amazing. The innards look so peanut buttery and soft. Cravings are a coming! Pinned.
Thanks for pinning and yes, not 2 dozens worth, totally agree :)
I love that this recipe only makes 8 cookies! It’s just me and my bf, so we don’t need 3 dozen cookies sitting around either.
These look soooo delicious – you always have the best peanut butter recipes!
Thanks, Maggie! I love PB and even after writing a book about it, it’s still my fave thing to bake with!
I saw these cookies on Foodgawker and dropped something – my jaw, the papers I was holding, myself to the floor… so I guess I dropped somethingS. If there was ever any doubt that you are the official Princess of Peanut Butter, there isn’t anymore. NO DOUBT!!!
Glad you noticed them on FG. They buried my on like pg 3 or 4 yesterday. I was like what was wrong with them? LOL I guess just bad luck of the draw. But thank you for your sweet compliments, as always! xo
I just want you to know that I was dreaming about these cookies last night. I think I need to make the batter when I get home so they will be ready to bake by the time I go to bed! ;)
Dreaming about them, for real? Okay that’s awesome though! I hope you make them!
I LOVE that this recipe only makes 8 cookies! There are only three people in my family, so I am always looking for recipes that make smaller batches. We don’t need 3 dozen cookies either! Plus these are peanut butter and Reese’s are my fave. These cookies look wonderful, as usual! :)
Smaller batches are so key for people with smaller families or singles!
Hi Averie! I’m 16 and I’m one of your biggest fans! I LOVE that you came up with such a perfect compilation of peanut buttery goodness :) I can’t wait to try out the peanut butter stuffed peanut butter cups! Averie, I was wondering, if it is not too much to ask, if I could send you an email somehow? I’ve sent you a couple before and I haven’t gotten a reply- of course, I understand you’re very busy :) On my blog I interview foodies and I would be overwhelmed and SO honored if I could interview you.
Thanks for asking and so sweet of you! But for right now, I’m so overwhelmed with projects and work that I barely have time to write my blog posts and answer reader questions, so I’ll have to take a pass on the interview. Thanks anyway though :)
The photos of the cookies cut in half are killing me! They look like big slabs of peanut butter fudge … almost. ;) Wow, these sound perfect for those peanut butter fixes. I love the small batch, but I think I would have to make it at least twice to keep up with my mouth!
big slabs of peanut butter fudge = YES for sure!
I love sticking to small batches when I’m baking, Averie … apart from the reasons you mentioned I just hate seeing any go to waste! You can always double up when you need more! Love the sound of these … it’s a bit of a challenge to find Reese’s where I am but probably not impossible!
I agree – it’s a lot easier to double than it is to reduce batches, especially in baking, so the work is done for you here :)
I love the small batch and would love to see more of them. I can’t keep big batches in the house because I am addicted to sweets but 8 is just enough for 2 per member of my family and great for when I want a sweet treat! :-)
Totally understand, Gloria! Most of my recipes are on the smaller end anyway bc I bake so much, I am mindful to keep it SMALL otherwise I just have more to donate to others and I already do plenty of that :)
You always amaze me. Every peanut butter recipe after the next is a winner and one I could devour in minutes! The small is genius and even though I do tend to love the cardio, sometimes it just does not happen. These are perfect and pretty photos too!
Thanks, Tieghan. Yes I have made more than my share of PB recipes but honestly it’s my fave ingredient to bake with & I’m not sick of it yet :)
This is dangerous for a peanut butter and chocolate lover like myself! I will definitely have to try these, then pawn them off to my boyfriend so I don’t eat the whole batch myself haha. Love your blog – I’m your newest follower :)
https://www.simplyhsquared.com
Thanks for following and at least the batch only makes 8 cookies :)
These cookies and all the PB variations are amazing! So glad to be a subscriber to your blog; it’s like treat after treat in my inbox:-)
What an awesome comment & thing to say – thank you!! :)