These cookies start with melted butter and brown sugar, so you can mix the whole dough with a spoon. No stand mixer, no creaming, no softened butter to remember.
Mini peanut butter cups go straight into the dough instead of on top. That means every cookie gets chocolate and peanut butter in each bite, not just the middle.
The one thing you can't skip is the chill. One hour in the fridge keeps the cookies from spreading into flat discs. If you have ever had a batch turn into pancakes, this is usually why.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Mix Butter and Sugar
Stir the melted butter and brown sugar in a large bowl until no dry sugar is left. It should look like wet sand.
2. Add Egg
Beat in the egg until it disappears into the mixture. Keep going until it looks glossy and even.
3. Stir in Peanut Butter
Add the peanut butter and vanilla and stir until smooth. Scrape the bottom of the bowl so nothing dry hides there.
4. Fold in Dry Ingredients
Add the flour, salt and baking soda. Stir just until you stop seeing streaks of flour. Overmixing makes a tough cookie.
5. Add the Cups
Fold in the mini peanut butter cups gently. Some will break, and that is fine. Those broken bits make chocolate pockets.
6. Chill the Dough
Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. This firming step is what keeps the cookies thick.
7. Heat the Oven
Set the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
8. Scoop and Space
Scoop balls about 2 inches (5 cm) wide and set them on the sheet with 2 inches (5 cm) between each one. They need room to spread.
9. Bake
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the bottom edges turn golden. Check at 8 minutes, since ovens run hot or cool.
10. Cool
Leave the cookies on the sheet for 5 minutes, then move them to a rack to cool completely.
Variations
- Add 1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts to the dough for extra crunch.
- Swap half the mini cups for mini chocolate chips if you want less peanut butter in the mix.
- Press a whole mini peanut butter cup into the top of each ball before baking for a visible center.
Pro Tips
How to Store Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Refrigerator
Keep baked cookies in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 5 days. The dough itself keeps in the fridge for 2 days before baking.
Freezer
Freeze scooped dough balls on a tray, then bag them for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen at 350 degrees F, adding 2 to 3 minutes. Baked cookies freeze for up to 2 months too.
Reheating
A baked cookie perks up in a 300 degrees F oven for 3 to 4 minutes. Ten seconds in the microwave makes it soft and warm again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why did my cookies turn out flat?
Warm dough is the usual reason. Chill the dough the full hour, scoop onto a cool sheet, and don't press the balls down before baking.
Q: Can I skip the chilling step?
You can, but expect thinner cookies that spread more. The hour in the fridge firms the butter so the cookies hold their shape.
Q: How do I know when they are done?
Look at the bottom edges. When they turn golden, take the sheet out, even if the tops still look underdone. They set as they cool.
Q: Can I use full-size peanut butter cups?
Yes, but chop them into small pieces first. Big chunks make the dough hard to scoop and can tear the cookies apart.
Q: Can I make the dough ahead?
Yes. The dough keeps in the fridge for up to 2 days. Let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes so it is scoopable.
Peanut Butter Cup Cookies With Mini Cups
Soft peanut butter cookies with mini peanut butter cups folded through the dough, chilled, scooped and baked in 8 to 10 minutes for a sweet and salty bite.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1Mix Butter and Sugar — Stir the melted butter and brown sugar in a large bowl until no dry sugar is left. It should look like wet sand.
- 2Add Egg — Beat in the egg until it disappears into the mixture. Keep going until it looks glossy and even.
- 3Stir in Peanut Butter — Add the peanut butter and vanilla and stir until smooth. Scrape the bottom of the bowl so nothing dry hides there.
- 4Fold in Dry Ingredients — Add the flour, salt and baking soda. Stir just until you stop seeing streaks of flour. Overmixing makes a tough cookie.
- 5Add the Cups — Fold in the mini peanut butter cups gently. Some will break, and that is fine. Those broken bits make chocolate pockets.
- 6Chill the Dough — Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. This firming step is what keeps the cookies thick.
- 7Heat the Oven — Set the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- 8Scoop and Space — Scoop balls about 2 inches (5 cm) wide and set them on the sheet with 2 inches (5 cm) between each one. They need room to spread.
- 9Bake — Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the bottom edges turn golden. Check at 8 minutes, since ovens run hot or cool.
- 10Cool — Leave the cookies on the sheet for 5 minutes, then move them to a rack to cool completely.
Questions or cooking notes?
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