Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

5 from 4 votes

These thick and chewy peanut butter cup cookies surround a chocolate peanut butter Reese's cup for the ultimate peanut butter cookies. They're exactly like classic peanut butter blossoms, but with a peanut butter cup!

Prep Time20

Cook Time9

Total Time29

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Keyword: christmas cookies, peanut butter, peanut butter dessert

Servings: cookies

Author: Molly Thompson

Equipment

24-count (or 2 12-count) mini muffin pan (Note 3 Sheet Pan)

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups (188g) all purpose flour gluten-free if needed (Note 1)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick; 113g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
3/4 cup (194g) creamy peanut butter (Note 2)
1/3 cup (66g) granulated sugar
1/3 cup (66g) packed light brown sugar
1 egg at room temperature
1 Tablespoon (15ml) milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup extra sugar for rolling
24 mini Reese's peanut butter cups unwrapped

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F degrees. Spray a 24-count (or 2 12-count) mini muffin tin with nonstick spray and set aside.
Unwrap all of the Reese’s peanut butter cups.
Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
In a large bowl using a electric mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and peanut butter together until well combined, 1-2 minutes. Add the white sugar and brown sugar and beat until light and fluffy, at least 2-3 minutes. With the mixer on medium low speed, add the egg, milk and vanilla and beat until combined.
Turn the mixer on low and gradually add the dry ingredients, scraping down the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed. Continue to mix until full incorporated.
Place the extra cup of granulated sugar in a small bowl. Use a heaping teaspoon to scoop the dough and roll them into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in the sugar and place them in the prepared muffin tin.
Bake them for 7-9 minutes, until puffed and slightly golden around the edges. Immediately press the unwrapped Reese’s peanut butter cups into the center of each cookie, so that the candy is inside and the cookie comes up and around the edges.
Cool them in the pan for 10 minutes then use a knife of fork to pop the cookies out of the tins and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. The Reese’s cups will melt and harden again as they cool.

Notes

Note 1. Flour. Always weigh your ingredients, especially the flour, whenever possible for best results. We tested this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour (which includes xanthan gum) and it worked perfectly.

Note 2. Peanut Butter. Use a no stir, thick, peanut butter, like JIF. Natural peanut butter that is drippy and needs stir will yield a different consistency that i don’t recommend!

Note 3. Mini Muffin Pan. You can make this recipe on a standard baking sheet if you don’t have a mini muffin tin. Chill the dough for 1 hour to ensure they don’t spread on the pan. Scoop 1 Tablespoon of dough out onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, roll in sugar, and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until puffed and set.

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