Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Soft-baked and super thick peanut butter cookies topped with Reese’s peanut butter cups. They’re exactly like peanut butter blossoms but with a peanut butter cup!

Welcome back to 2014! I kid, I kid. Today I’m republishing one of my favorite cookie recipes. Many of you were so excited when I republished my favorite banana bread last month, so I figured why not. I rephotographed the cookies and added some extra baking tips to help guarantee a successful batch of peanut butter cup cookies. 🙂

These peanut butter cup cookies are complete with sparkly sugar and a gooey peanut butter cup nestled on top. Guaranteed to be the thickest peanut butter cookies you ever taste!

Have you tried my go-to peanut butter cookie dough yet? Soft ‘n’ thick peanut butter cookies exploding with peanut butter flavor. They’re the most peanutbutteriest cookies I’ve ever tasted (technical terms here, of course). In fact, a couple readers have even told me that the cookies taste like the peanut butter filling of a peanut butter cup. Now how good does that sound?!

I have so many peanut butter cookie recipes using my peanut butter cookie dough:

• Soft-Baked Peanut Butter Lovers’ Cookies


• Peanut Butter M&M Cookies


• Peanut Butter Sweethearts


• Rolo-Stuffed Peanut Butter Cookies


• S’more Peanut Butter Cookies


• Peanut Butter Blossoms


• Reese’s Stuffed Peanut Butter Cookies

Today’s peanut butter cup cookies are my personal take on traditional peanut butter blossom cookies, which are typically made with chocolate kiss candies. I simply used peanut butter cups instead. Whenever there’s an opportunity for more peanut butter, just say yes.

How to Make Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

They’re snap to make! Simply mix up the peanut butter cookie dough, chill for about 1 hour, then roll into balls.

• Baking tip: Roll the cookie dough balls in a little granulated sugar. This gives the finished peanut butter cup cookies a little sparkle.

Bake the cookies for only about 9-10 minutes.

• Baking tip: The trick to their softness is slightly underbaking, so make sure you don’t keep them in the oven for too long. The cookies will be very puffy and soft-looking, but they’ll set as they cool.

Cool the cookies for about 5 minutes, then press a peanut butter cup on top.

• Baking tip: Quickly transfer the cookies to a plate and freeze for about 10 minutes or  until the peanut butter cup has set. Some peanut butter cups will melt into the cookies, but that’s completely fine.

You will LOVE how thick these peanut butter cup cookies are! If you have any cookies left by day 4 or 5, you’ll be pleasantly surprised that they remain just as soft. In fact, these cookies get softer as the days go by! They completely defy cookie science. And I love it.

If you…

• Have a peanut butter lover in your life, you have to make these cookies.


• Love peanut butter as much as I do, you have to make these cookies.


• Have any tastebuds at all, you have to make these cookies. Case closed.

Print

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

• 
  Author: Sally


• 
  Prep Time: 1 hour, 25 minutes


• 
  Cook Time: 10 minutes


• 
  Total Time: 1 hour, 35 minutes


• 
  Yield: 24 cookies


• 
  Category: Cookies


• 
  Method: Baking


• 
  Cuisine: American

Print

Pin

---

Description

Soft-baked and super thick peanut butter cookies topped with Reese’s peanut butter cups. They’re exactly like peanut butter blossoms but with a peanut butter cup! This cookie dough requires 1 hour of chilling in the refrigerator.

---

Ingredients

• 1 and 1/4 cups (160g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)


• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda


• 1/4 teaspoon salt


• 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature


• 1/2 cup (103g) packed light or dark brown sugar


• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar


• 3/4 cup (185g) creamy peanut butter*


• 1 large egg, at room temperature*


• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Topping

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar (for rolling, optional)


• 24 Reese’s Miniature Peanut Butter Cups, unwrapped

---

Instructions

1. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.


2. In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together on medium speed until combined. On low speed, beat in the peanut butter, egg, and vanilla extract. Turn the mixer up to high and beat until light in color and smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. On low speed, slowly pour in the dry ingredients. Mix until combined.


3. Cover tightly and chill the cookie dough for at least 1 hour and up to 4 days. Chilling is recommended; this soft cookie dough will overspread unless chilled.


4. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (Always recommended for cookies.) Set aside.


5. Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator. Measure cookies to be 1.5 Tablespoons each. I recommend this cookie scoop. Pour extra 1/4 cup granulated sugar for the topping in a bowl. Roll each cookie dough ball in the granulated sugar and arrange 3 inches apart on the baking sheets.


6. Bake for 10 minutes. Cookies will look very soft. Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Working quickly, press 1 peanut butter cup into the center of each cookie. Quickly transfer the cookies to a freezer-safe dish (I use a plate) and freeze for 10-15 minutes or until the peanut butter cup has set. Some of the peanut butter cups will melt slightly – that’s ok.

---

---

Notes

1. Make Ahead Instructions: Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week. You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, then continue with step 4. Baked cookies with peanut butter cup on top freeze well for up to 3 months. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well for up to 3 months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw. Click here for my tips and tricks on freezing cookie dough.


2. Why Room Temperature Ingredients? Room temperature egg is best for cookies. General rule of thumb: when using warm or room temperature butter, I recommend room temperature egg as well. To bring egg to room temperature quickly, simply place in a cup of warm water for 5 minutes.


3. Peanut Butter: Thick, non-natural creamy peanut butter is preferred. If using natural style, make sure the peanut butter is thick and not oily in the slightest. Natural style peanut butters create a thin, slippery, and crumbly dough. I recommend Jif or Skippy.


4. Double Batches: This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled by doubling or tripling each ingredient. Chill for at least 90 minutes if doubling or tripling.


5. Be sure to check out my top 5 cookie baking tips AND these are my 10 must-have cookie baking tools.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @sallysbakeblog on Instagramand hashtag it #sallysbakingaddiction

Share this post