Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
These peanut butter cup cookies are one of my all-time favorite cookie recipes! Soft and chewy peanut butter cookies are rolled in sugar, baked, and topped with a peanut butter cup. They're easy (no muffin pan) and delicious!
Servings: 24 Cookies
Cost: $8
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter (softened)
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 Tablespoon whole milk
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar (packed)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar (for coating)
- 24 peanut butter cups (unwrapped and frozen)
Instructions
Freeze the Peanut Butter Cups
- Unwrap 24 peanut butter cups. Place unwrapped candies in a container and put them in the freezer.
Make & Chill the Dough
- In a small bowl mix together flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder cinnamon. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and peanut butter for 1 minute.
- Add sugars and beat for an additional 1 minute, until light and fluffy.
- Then add the milk, egg and vanilla and beat for 1 minute, until the mixture is light in color and the sugar is dissolved.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until combined.
- Transfer dough to an airtight container.
- Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, and for up to 2 days.
Bake the Cookies
- Preheat oven to 375℉ (177℃). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside.
- Use a cookie scoop to measure 1 ½ to 2 TBS dough and roll it into a ball. Repeat until all the dough has been used.
- Roll the balls of dough in granulated sugar until lightly and evenly coated.
- Place the cookies on a baking sheet with at least 1 ½ inches between them (usually 12 fit on a standard large baking sheet).
- Bake in preheated oven for 8-9 minutes until the cookies look set and puffed.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and immediately place one frozen peanut butter cup in the middle of each cookie and gently press it into the cookie.
- Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Let the cookies cool for at least 3 hours for best texture.
Video
Notes
Ingredient Notes/Substitutions
- Salted Butter. unsalted butter or vegan butter are good substitutes.
- Peanut Butter. I recommend using a variety of peanut butter that is solid at room temperature.
- Whole Milk. You can substitute heavy cream or half and half for the milk.
- Light Brown Sugar. For a bolder molasses taste use dark brown sugar.
- Granulated Sugar. White sugar or organic cane sugar are the best choices.
- Cinnamon. This adds so much flavor to this recipe, but you can omit it if you prefer.
- Peanut butter cups. Use your favorite variety. I prefer these Unreal peanut butter cups. But you can use the classic Reese's if you prefer. I like the flat, regular size peanut butter cups because then you get more of them in each bite of cookie. However, you can use the minis if you'd prefer!
Nutrition
Serving: 1Cookie | Calories: 250kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 189mg | Potassium: 141mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 139IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg