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Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cookies are soft, chewy, bakery style cookies absolutely loaded with chopped mini Reese’s and chocolate chips, and they vanish from the cooling rack before they are even fully set. I bake a double batch every holiday cookie season because the girls claim a stack before anyone else gets one, right next to our cream cheese cookies with cinnamon sugar.
A simple chilled dough packed with chopped peanut butter cups bakes into thick, soft cookies with melty chocolate in every single bite.
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cookies Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 10 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 25 minutes (plus chilling)
- 🍽️ Serving: 60 cookies
- ⚡ Calories: 105kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Sweet and nutty (peanut butter cups, chocolate chips, and brown sugar dough)
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our oatmeal raisin cookies
Quick Answer
Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Cream the butter with granulated and brown sugar for 3 minutes, then beat in the eggs one at a time with the vanilla. Mix in the dry ingredients, fold in chopped mini Reese’s cups and chocolate chips, then scoop the dough and chill it overnight. Roll the chilled portions into balls, bake at 375 degrees for 9 to 10 minutes, press extra candy on top, and cool. The overnight chill is the secret to thick, soft centers.
Jump to:
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cookies Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cookies FAQs
- Other Recommended Cookie Recipes
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cookies Recipe
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- The overnight chill is non negotiable. Resting the dough hydrates the flour and solidifies the butter, so the cookies bake up thick and chewy instead of spreading thin.
- Three minutes of creaming builds structure. Whipping the butter and sugars on medium high traps air that gives the baked cookies their soft, bakery style crumb.
- Eggs go in one at a time. Fully incorporating the first egg before the second keeps the dough emulsified, which means even texture in every cookie.
- Mini cups beat chopped full size cups. Halved minis hold their shape in the oven, so you get distinct pockets of peanut butter cup instead of smears.
- Two sugars do two jobs. Brown sugar brings moisture and chew while granulated sugar crisps the edges, the classic combination for soft centers and golden rims.
- Garnish goes on after baking. Pressing extra candy into the hot cookies keeps the tops picture pretty instead of letting the chocolate melt into the dough.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Peanut butter and chocolate in every bite. Each cookie is studded with real chopped Reese’s cups, the same crave factor as our lunch lady peanut butter cookies.
- The dough is make ahead friendly. Scoop it, chill it overnight, and bake fresh cookies whenever the craving hits, the dough keeps for days.
- It makes a party sized batch. Sixty cookies means there is enough for the cookie tray, the lunchboxes, and the inevitable midnight snack run.
Key Ingredients
Pantry staples plus a bag of mini Reese’s are all this recipe asks for. Quantities are in the recipe card below; here is why each one matters.
- Mini Reese’s cups. The star. Cutting the unwrapped minis in half gives you big, distinct pockets of peanut butter cup that hold their shape in the oven.
- Unsalted butter. Softened, never melted. Creaming it with the sugars for a full 3 minutes is what makes the crumb soft and bakery style.
- Brown and granulated sugar. The duo behind chewy centers and lightly crisp edges. Pack the brown sugar for full moisture and caramel flavor.
- Semi sweet chocolate chips. They fill in the gaps between the cups so no bite is ever plain, the same trick we use in our almond cookies.
- Vanilla extract. A full tablespoon rounds out the peanut butter and chocolate and makes the dough taste like a bakery smells.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
This dough is a friendly base for all kinds of mix ins and twists.
- Go all peanut butter. Swap the chocolate chips for peanut butter chips for a double peanut butter cookie.
- Add a sprinkle of flaky salt. A pinch on top right after baking makes the sweet and salty flavor pop.
- Stuff them. Wrap each dough ball around a whole frozen mini cup for a molten peanut butter center.
- Make them festive. Use holiday colored candy coated chocolates with the chopped cups for Christmas or Easter trays.
- Love a cheesecake twist? Serve them alongside our cheesecake snickerdoodle bars on the dessert board.
How to Make Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda, and set aside.
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth, then whip on medium high for 3 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, fully mixing in the first before adding the next, then stir in the vanilla.
- Add the flour mixture a little at a time until fully combined, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Add the halved mini Reese’s cups and chocolate chips and stir just until distributed.
- Line a sheet tray with parchment paper, scoop the dough into 1 tablespoon portions placed closely together, cover with plastic wrap, and chill overnight for best results.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Roll the chilled portions into balls and place them about 2 inches apart on parchment lined baking sheets, keeping the rest of the dough in the fridge.
- Bake for 9 to 10 minutes until puffed and just golden at the edges, then immediately press extra chopped cups and chips into the tops. Cool 10 minutes on the tray before moving to a rack.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Chill the dough overnight. It is the single biggest difference maker for thick, soft, bakery style cookies that do not spread flat.
- Keep waiting dough cold. Only roll the balls you are about to bake and leave the rest in the fridge between batches.
- Pull them when they look slightly underdone. The centers finish setting on the hot tray during the 10 minute rest.
- Cut the minis in half, no smaller. Larger pieces survive the bake as real chunks instead of melting away.
- Use a cookie scoop. Even 1 tablespoon portions bake at the same rate, so no burnt small cookies next to doughy big ones.
- Freeze the extras. Baked cookies freeze beautifully for 3 months, and frozen dough balls bake straight from the freezer with 1 extra minute.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
These cookies are the anchor of any dessert tray. Stack them next to slices of our strawberry earthquake cake and a batch of old fashioned oatmeal raisin cookies for a spread with something for everyone.
For a cozy night in, serve them warm with a cold glass of milk or crumble one over a bowl of our creamy rice pudding. The melty peanut butter cups against the cool pudding is a dessert mashup the kids will request on repeat.
Baking for a crowd? Pair the cookie tray with our banana cream cheese muffins for brunch or a tin of meltaway lemon cookies for a bright contrast to all that chocolate and peanut butter.
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cookies FAQs
Overnight chilling gives the best results by far. The rest hydrates the flour and firms the butter so the cookies bake thick and chewy. In a pinch, chill the scooped dough at least 2 hours, but expect slightly thinner cookies than the overnight version.
Warm dough is almost always the culprit. If the butter was too soft, the dough skipped its chill, or the balls sat on a hot tray before baking, the cookies spread before they set. Chill the dough thoroughly and always start with a cool baking sheet.
Use mini cups cut in half rather than finely chopped full size cups, fold them in last, and chill the dough. Cold, larger pieces hold their shape during the short 9 to 10 minute bake, and pressing extras on top after baking keeps the garnish picture perfect.
Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, they stay soft for up to 5 days. A slice of sandwich bread in the container keeps them extra soft. They also freeze well for up to 3 months, baked or as raw dough balls.
Yes, and it is a great make ahead move. Freeze the scooped balls solid on a tray, then bag them. Bake straight from frozen at 375 degrees, adding about 1 extra minute. The recipe makes 60 cookies, so freezing half is the smart play.
Unwrapped mini Reese’s cups are made for this, one 7.6 ounce bag cut in half does the whole batch with extra for garnish. Avoid the snack size and full size cups; they need chopping, melt faster, and lose those distinct candy pockets.
Need more peanut butter in your life? Our fluffernutter dip takes 10 minutes and disappears even faster.
Want the sweet and salty lane instead? Our maple bacon cookies are unforgettable.
For birthday duty, our monster cookie cupcakes with peanut butter frosting steal the show.
If sandwich cookies are your weakness, our chocolate chip cookie sandwich recipe is the homemade bakery fix.
Add a batch of puppy chow to your dessert spread for a crunchy, chocolatey crowd-pleaser.
Peanut butter cookie fan? Our homemade nutter butter cookies are soft, nutty, and stuffed with creamy filling.
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 7.6 ounce bag mini reese’s peanut butter cups cut in half, plus more for garnish
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips plus more for garnish
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda, set aside.2 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- In the body of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the wet ingredients: butter, sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Place the mixture on medium-high speed and whip for 3 minutes.1 cup unsalted butter, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- Add the eggs one at a time, fully mixing in the first one before adding the next. Stir in the vanilla.2 large eggs, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Add the flour mixture a little at a time until fully combined, and scrape down the sides as needed.
- Add the cut mini reese’s peanut butter cups and chocolate stir. Stir just until distributed.7.6 ounce bag mini reese’s peanut butter cups, 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Line a sheet tray with parchment paper. Scoop dough into 1-tablespoon portions, I like to use a cookie scoop for this and place them closely on the sheet tray.
- Cover the sheet tray with plastic wrap, place it in the fridge, and chill dough overnight for best results.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Take the cookie dough portions and roll them into balls. Place them on the sheet tray about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 9-10 minutes until the cookies are puffed, appear dry on the top, and are very slightly golden brown along the edge. Keep the cookie dough you aren’t working with in the fridge until you need it.
- Immediately press in more cut-up peanut butter cups and chocolate chips for garnish if desired into the tops of the cookies. Let cool for 10 minutes on the sheet tray and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Double this recipe to have more on hand or to save for later.
- This can be frozen baked or as dough, see my tips above.
- Use any of your favorite chocolate chips, we like to use semi-sweet.
- If you do not want to use peanut butter cups, you can use Reese’s Pieces instead (you’ll want some peanut butter aspect in the recipe).
- Do not forget to chill your dough, this is an essential part of this recipe to help them not spread while baking.
Nutrition
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Best cookie recipe in a while!! I only did 2 tsp of vanilla and added like a half cup of milk chocolate chips and chopped mini reeses pieces. Thank you!
That’s right, they are only 1 tablespoon balls of dough.
Good morning…I was wondering,does this recipe really make 60 cookies? It don’t seem like enough dough for 60 cookies…Thanks in advance for any response
I can’t say for sure, I haven’t tried.
Do you think an egg substitute like applesauce would work in this recipe?