Reese's Peanut Butter Cookies are a chocolate and peanut butter lover's dream, with rich chocolate dough loaded with peanut butter chips and Reese's cups. Every bite has a fudgy center with pockets of creamy peanut butter, making these cookies extra decadent and irresistible.
Reese's Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe Essentials
- 🍽️ Course: Dessert
- ⏱️ Cooking Time: 9 minutes
- 🍴 Servings: 18
- 🥜 Flavor Profile: Rich chocolate cookies packed with creamy peanut butter chips and Reese's peanut butter cups.
- 🥛 Best Served With: Cold milk, vanilla ice cream, or hot cocoa.
- 🧊 Make Ahead?: Yes, the dough can be prepped ahead, and the baked cookies store well for several days.
Summarize and Save This Content On
I wanted these cookies to have even more chocolate flavor than traditional peanut butter dough, so I went with a rich cocoa dough instead. The combination of chocolate and peanut butter is always a hit, and Ken has often asked for these cookies ever since I added them to one of our holiday dessert trays.
If you love the peanut butter and chocolate combo, I highly recommend peanut butter fluff and chocolate peanut butter popcorn.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- No need to chill the dough: This is the perfect scoop-and-bake cookie recipe. You don't need to chill the dough before baking it!
- It has two layers of peanut butter: I add not only peanut butter cups but also peanut butter chips to the cookies. The extra peanut butter complements the cocoa in the dough.
- The contrast of crispy edges and a soft center: These Reese's cookies are soft and chewy in the center, with brown, crispy edges. The texture is like that from a bakery!
Ingredients
The key ingredients for this Reese's cookie recipe are listed below. They are crucial in achieving the right texture and flavor.
- Cocoa powder: You can use natural (more classic), like in these peppermint chocolate cookies, or Dutch process cocoa (darker and fudgier) in this Reese's peanut butter cookie recipe, depending on what flavor you're going for. I go back and forth between them, but I like the natural cocoa for a more prominent peanut butter flavor.
- Peanut butter chips: Use Reese's peanut butter chips for a similar flavor profile to the peanut butter cups, but any kind of peanut butter chips will be great. If you want more chocolate, use chocolate chips instead.
- Reese's cups: Chop the peanut butter cups into quarters so you get some in every bite, but the pieces aren't small or unidentifiable.
- Egg and extra yolk: The extra yolk gives the cookies a fudgier texture, almost like a brownie. It works well in these cookies.
- Sugars: White and brown sugar work together to create the best texture: crispy edges and a fudgy center. The brown sugar also adds depth with its molasses flavor.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Stuffed cookies: Place a mini Reese's peanut butter cup in the center of each cookie dough ball to create a fun stuffed version.
- Mini Reese's cups: Swap quartered Reese's cups for mini Reese's cups to save some time.
- Reese's pieces: Trade the peanut butter cups or peanut butter chips for ½ cup of Reese's pieces.
How to Make Reese's Peanut Butter Cookies
Start by preheating the oven to 350°F and lining a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Then, you can make your Reese's peanut butter cookie dough.
Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients. Measure and pour all the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl, then whisk them until well combined.
Step 2: Prepare the butter and sugar mixture. Beat the sugar and butter with an electric mixer until fluffy, then beat in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla.
Step 3: Combine and add mix-ins. Mix the dry mixture into the egg mixture and then fold in the chopped Reese's cups and peanut butter chips.
Step 4: Scoop and bake. Scoop 3 tablespoon-sized balls onto the prepared baking sheet. Press extra peanut butter cups on top if desired, then pop the cookies in the oven. Bake them for about 9 minutes, then let them cool before serving with some peanut butter cup ice cream.
Expert Tips
- Use room temperature butter: Soften your butter to room temperature so it mixes well with the sugar. This gives you a smooth cookie dough.
- Chill the Reese's cups: I like to pop the Reese's cups into the freezer for 10-15 minutes before chopping them. It makes the cuts cleaner and keeps them from melting too much in the cookies as they bake.
- Use a cookie scoop: A 3-tablespoon cookie scoop is great for this recipe because it ensures that each cookie is the same size and will bake in the same amount of time.
- Add extra Reese's on top: Before you put your peanut butter Reese's cookies in the oven, gently press a couple extra pieces of Reese's cups on top of each one. This levels up the presentation.
- Storing the cookies: Keep your cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Another fudgy cookie featuring candy mix-ins is this recipe for chocolate M&M cookies.
Serving Suggestions
- Ice cream: Make an ice cream sandwich or enjoy a scoop on the side of one of these Reese's cookies. Try peanut butter brownie ice cream for the ultimate dessert, or your favorite vanilla.
- Dessert tray ideas: Serve a tray of treats featuring these cookies and Kit Kat cookie bars.
- Beverages: Prepare a banana peanut butter smoothie or a peanut butter shot if you want an alcoholic option.
Reese's Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can freeze both. Freeze baked cookies in a freezer bag for up to 3 months, or the cookie dough balls in a freezer bag for up to 6 months. Bake them from frozen and add 1-2 minutes to the baking time.
The edges will be fully done, and the center will be set but look slightly underbaked. The cookies will carry over bake as they sit on the pan.
When you take the baking sheet out of the oven, allow the peanut butter cookies with Reese's to cool for a few minutes on the pan before moving them to a cooling rack. If you move them too soon, they will be too warm and will crumble and fall apart easily.
More Reese's Recipes
Do you like baking with Reese's? Here are some recipes you may also like to try.
If you try this recipe and love it please leave a star rating in the recipe card below or even better, drop a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to follow along with me on Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube for more easy recipes!
Reese's Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened or 1 stick
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- ½ tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup peanut butter chips 4.3 ounces, plus more for topping
- 9 Reese's peanut butter cups quartered, plus more for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350‡F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, sea salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
- Add sugars and butter to your stand mixer and cream together for about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides if necessary.
- Add egg, egg yolk and pure vanilla extract and mix until just combined.
- Mix flour mixture in the wet ingredients until combined, then run to combine peanut butter chips and peanut butter cups.
- Using a 3-tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop balls.
- If desired, add extra peanut butter cups to the tops of the cookie dough and bake for 9 minutes or until lightly golden.
- Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
Notes
- The edges should look fully baked, while the centers will appear just slightly underdone but still set. The cookies will continue baking from the residual heat as they rest on the pan.
- Using a 3-tablespoon cookie scoop helps keep all of the cookies the same size so they bake evenly and are done at the same time.
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