If you’re looking for a dessert that delivers maximum flavor with minimal effort, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cookies are the perfect crowd-pleasing treat. These little bites of heaven combine the soft, buttery texture of a homemade peanut butter cookie with the iconic taste of mini Reese’s peanut butter cups. They’re nostalgic, fun, rich, and incredibly easy to make — no decorating skills required, just delicious simplicity.
This recipe is a staple at cookie exchanges, holiday parties, school bake sales, and family gatherings. In fact, this is one of the most loved and widely baked peanut butter cookie recipes in America, known for disappearing in minutes once you set them out on a table. They are also dangerously easy to pop into your mouth one after another!
Whether you’re an experienced baker or just starting out, these cookies are nearly foolproof. The trick is simple: bake the cookies in mini muffin tins, and press a mini Reese’s peanut butter cup right into the warm cookie as soon as it comes out of the oven. The chocolate melts down into the soft center, creating a creamy, peanut-buttery pool of goodness that sets as it cools.
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Below, you’ll find your original recipe — untouched — with helpful enhancements, baking tips, substitutions, and serving ideas to make your blog article complete, SEO-rich, and reader-friendly. Let’s dive in! ✨
⭐ What Makes These Cookies So Special?
✔️ They combine two classic favorites
A soft peanut butter cookie + a Reese’s peanut butter cup = perfection.
✔️ They’re bite-sized and adorable
Perfect for parties, gift tins, or snacking.
✔️ Super simple — no chilling, rolling, or shaping tricks
Just mix → roll → bake → press → enjoy.
✔️ They bake in just 8–10 minutes
Ideal for busy families and last-minute dessert needs.
✔️ They freeze beautifully
Both the dough and finished cookies freeze well for up to 3 months, making them great for holiday prep.
🍫 A Little Background: The Cookie People Make Every Christmas
These cookies skyrocketed in popularity in the 1990s and early 2000s, when home bakers started combining store-bought candies with cookie dough to create fun, surprising centers. The mini Reese’s version quickly became the most beloved because:
- Reese’s melts beautifully
- Peanut butter complements cookie dough naturally
- Kids and adults go crazy for them
They’re so well-loved that many families consider this a “must-bake” holiday cookie, right alongside sugar cookies and chocolate crinkles.
However, these cookies are not just for Christmas — they’re perfect year-round and a fantastic treat to make with children. Kids especially love unwrapping the mini Reese’s cups and pressing them into the warm cookies.
Let’s move into the recipe itself — exactly as you gave it — but now enhanced with readability, clarity, emojis, and all the professionalism your blog deserves.
🍪 Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cookies (Original Recipe With Emojis)
Ingredients:
- ½ cup butter, softened to room temperature 🧈
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter 🥜
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg 🥚
- 1½ cups flour
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 (11 oz) bag mini Reese’s peanut butter cups 🍫
Directions:
1. Preheat the Oven:
Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) and generously grease mini muffin pans.
2. Cream the Butters and Sugars:
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, peanut butter, sugar, and brown sugar until smooth and fluffy.
Beat in the vanilla extract and egg until fully incorporated.
3. Mix the Dry Ingredients:
Gradually add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the wet mixture, stirring until well combined.
4. Form the Cookies:
Roll the dough into small balls and place them in the prepared mini muffin pans.
5. Bake:
Bake the cookies for 8–10 minutes, or until just set.
6. Add Reese’s:
While the cookies are baking, unwrap the mini Reese’s peanut butter cups.
As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, press a Reese’s cup into the center of each cookie until it is flush with the top.
7. Cool and Serve:
Let the cookies cool in the pans for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies
💡 Baking Tips & Tricks for Perfect Cookies Every Time
✔️ Use room-temperature butter
Softened butter blends more smoothly, creating a creamy base that keeps the cookies tender.
✔️ Don’t overbake
These cookies should be just barely set when they come out. They firm up as they cool.
✔️ Press the Reese’s in immediately
The residual heat helps melt the chocolate just enough so it forms a smooth, delicious pool.
✔️ Let them cool in the pan first
If you remove them too early, they can fall apart.
If you leave them too long, they stick — so 3–5 minutes is perfect.
✔️ Spray the muffin tin well
This is the number one trick for making sure cookies pop out easily.
🌟 Optional Add-Ins for Fun Variations
While the classic version is perfect, you can elevate these cookies with:
- A sprinkle of sea salt on top before pressing the Reese’s 🧂
- Drizzling with melted chocolate after cooling
- Using Reese’s minis (unwrapped tiny ones) for a different texture
- Adding a tablespoon of cocoa powder to the dough for a chocolate-peanut butter twist
- Swirling in mini chocolate chips
These ideas give you extra room for creativity and allow you to turn one recipe into multiple blog posts if desired.
🔄 Substitutions
No peanut butter?
Use almond butter or sunflower seed butter.
Gluten-free option:
Use a trusted cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend.
No Reese’s cups?
Try:
- Rolos
- Hershey’s Kisses
- Mini Snickers
- Dove chocolates
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
These cookies are amazing:
- Warm with a glass of milk 🥛
- Crumbled over vanilla ice cream 🍨
- Included in dessert boards
- Packaged in holiday gift bags
- Served at birthday parties
- Frozen and eaten straight from the freezer (yes, they’re THAT good!)
❄️ Storage Instructions
- Room temperature: 3–4 days
- Refrigerator: up to 1 week
- Freezer: up to 3 months
Freeze in a single layer before transferring to a freezer bag so they don’t stick.
Print
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cookies: A Holiday Treat for Peanut Butter Lovers
Delight your holiday guests with these Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cookies, a must-have for peanut butter and chocolate enthusiasts. Soft, rich peanut butter cookies serve as the perfect base for a creamy Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup nestled in the center. These visually charming and irresistibly delicious cookies are sure to be a festive hit!
Ingredients
-
- ½ cup butter, softened to room temperature
-
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
-
- ½ cup sugar
-
- ½ cup brown sugar
-
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
-
- 1 egg
-
- 1½ cups flour
-
- ¾ tsp baking powder
-
- ½ tsp salt
-
- 1 (11 oz) bag mini Reese’s peanut butter cups
Instructions
-
- Preheat the Oven: Set your oven to 350°F and generously grease mini muffin pans.
-
- Cream the Butters and Sugars: In a large bowl, cream together the butter, peanut butter, sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract and egg until fully incorporated.
-
- Mix the Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the wet mixture, stirring until well combined.
-
- Form the Cookies: Roll the dough into small balls and place them in the prepared mini muffin pans.
-
- Bake: Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes, or until just set.
-
- Add Reese’s: While the cookies are baking, unwrap the mini Reese’s peanut butter cups. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, press a Reese’s cup into the center of each cookie until it is flush with the top.
-
- Cool and Serve: Let the cookies cool in the pans for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 25 minutes | Servings: 24 cookies
These Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cookies are a perfect addition to your holiday cookie platter, combining the classic flavors of peanut butter and chocolate in every bite. Enjoy sharing this festive treat with family and friends! 🎄🍪

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