Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Peanut Butter Cup Cookies are the easiest cookies you’ll ever make! This recipe utilizes store-bought cookie dough that’s enhanced with just a little added sugar on the outside and a peanut butter cup middle. Simple as they may be, these cookies ALWAYS disappear first at parties!
Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Want the most beloved cookies at the cookie exchange without having to make the dough yourself? I’ve got you covered! This recipe is one of my most favorite ways to really dress up some store-bought cookie dough. Once the dough is coated in a crunchy layer of sugar and baked to perfection with a peanut butter cup in the middle, you’d never guess they weren’t totally made from scratch!
During the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it’s easy to get overwhelmed in the kitchen. Give your stand mixer (and yourself) a break with easy recipes like this one! Soft peanut butter cookie dough bakes in a little cup shape nestled around everyone’s favorite candy. Plus, adding just a little sugar on the outside really gives it that homemade flair we all love.
You can bring these Peanut Butter Cup Cookies with you to a cookie exchange, gift them to loved ones, or leave them out for Santa. Or, if you’re anything like me… Make a big batch to (maybe) share with your family if they’re not being naughty this year! There’s really no bad way to enjoy cookies this classic cookie recipe!
Ingredients for Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
This budget-friendly recipe calls for just 3 simple ingredients!
- COOKIE DOUGH – 2 packages of Pillsbury Ready To Bake Refrigerated Reese’s Peanut Butter Cookie Dough ( 24 ct.)
- SUGAR – 1 cup granulated sugar
- REESE’S CUPS – 50 mini Reese’s peanut butter cups candy, UNWRAPPED
How to Make Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Pro tip – try not to eat all of the Reese’s Cups after you unwrap them. The temptation will be real, but the end results of these cookies is so worth it!
PREPARE. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Spray a mini muffin pan with baking spray or use mini muffin liners. If you happen to have a silicon mini muffin pan, that makes this process even easier!
ROLL THE DOUGH. Pour the sugar into a bowl for rolling the dough into. Roll each cookie dough square into a ball, then simply roll each ball into the sugar to evenly coat. Place each rolled ball into the prepared tins.
BAKE. Bake the cookies for 10 minutes.
ADD THE CANDY! As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, press one mini peanut butter cup into each ball. Let them cool for about 15 minutes on the baking sheet before you transfer them to a wire rack to fully cool.
Tips and Variations
Here are a few tips to make this easy recipe even easier!
- Unwrap the Reese’s! Make sure that you UNWRAP all the candy BEFORE you start baking. I usually put them in a bowl and put them in the refrigerator until the cookies are ready. You will need them ready to go as soon as the cookies are done baking.
- Try chilling the cookies. I sometimes put the pan in the fridge for 10 minutes to speed up the “cooling process” and help the mini peanut butter cup from melting all over the cookie.
- Keep your eye on them while they bake. Start watching the cookies around the 5 minute mark because every oven is different and they might be done sooner than 10 minutes.
Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 packages Pillsbury Ready To Bake Refrigerated Reese's Peanut Butter Cookie Dough, 24 ct.
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 50 mini Reese’s peanut butter cups candy, UNWRAPPED
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray mini muffin pan with nonstick baking spray or use mini muffin liners or if you have a silicon mini muffin pan that makes it even easier.
- Pour 1 cup of granulated sugar into a bowl for rolling the dough into.
- Roll each cookie dough square into a ball. Then roll each dough ball into the granulated sugar to coat.
- Place one dough ball into each mini muffin pan tin.
- Bake for 10 minutes ( start watching them around the 5 minute mark because every oven is different and they might be done sooner than 10 minutes).
- IMMEDIATELY press one mini peanut butter cup into each ball. Let cool for 15 minutes before moving them to a wire rack. I sometimes put the pan in the fridge for 10 minutes to speed up the “cooling process” and help the mini peanut butter cup from melting all over the cookie.
Notes
- Reese's Miniature Peanut Butter Cups: Make sure that you UNWRAP all the candy BEFORE you start baking. I usually put them in a bowl and put them in the refrigerator until the cookies are ready. You will need them ready to go as soon as the cookies are done baking.
Craving more Christmas cookies? Me too! Enjoy the best treats of the holiday season with recipes like Eggnog Cut-Out Cookies, and classic Soft Sugar Cookies.