Peanut butter cookie cups are soft, bite sized peanut butter cookies baked in a mini muffin tin and topped with a melty peanut butter cup and a heart sprinkle.
The dough uses pantry items and goes from bowl to tin in about 15 minutes. Each cookie bakes for just 8 minutes, and the candy goes on while they are still hot, so the chocolate softens into the center. One batch makes 30 little cups, enough for a gathering or a school treat table.
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Why This Peanut Butter Cookie Cups Recipe Works
Baking the dough in a mini muffin tin gives each cookie a deep center that holds the candy and keeps the edges tall. You get a neat cup shape without any special molds.
Both brown sugar and granulated sugar go into the dough, so the cookies get a chewy middle from the brown sugar and light, set edges from the white sugar. Peanut butter and butter together keep them rich but soft.
Pressing the candy in while the cookies are hot softens the chocolate just enough to settle into the center. A short stint in the refrigerator then firms it up so the cups pop out cleanly.
Ingredients for Peanut Butter Cookie Cups
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 30 miniature peanut butter cups, unwrapped
- heart sprinkles, for topping
- cooking spray, for the tin
Creamy peanut butter: Use a standard creamy peanut butter, not the natural style, which can be oily and make the dough crumbly.
Unsalted butter: Softened butter creams smoothly with the sugars and peanut butter. It should be soft but still cool to the touch.
Brown sugar: It packs in moisture and chew. Press it into the measuring cup so you get a full 1/2 cup.
Miniature peanut butter cups: Choose the small wrapped miniatures, not the tiny bite sized ones, so they fit the center of each cup. Unwrap them before you start so you can work fast when the cookies come out of the oven.
Baking soda: It helps the cookies puff just enough to leave a dip for the candy.
Heart sprinkles: Jumbo hearts look great, but any sprinkles will work. Add them after the candy softens so they stick.
How to Make Peanut Butter Cookie Cups
1. Heat the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a 24 cup mini muffin tin with cooking spray.
2. Cream the base. In a large bowl, beat the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 1 minute until smooth and fluffy.
3. Add the wet ingredients. Mix in the vanilla and the egg until just combined, about 20 seconds.
4. Add the leavener. Sprinkle in the baking soda and mix on low for 10 seconds.
5. Add the flour. Add the flour a little at a time and mix on low until just combined, stopping as soon as no dry streaks remain.
6. Portion the dough. Scoop and roll 1 tablespoon of dough into a ball and drop it into each cup of the tin. You will have enough dough for 30 cookies, so fill the tin once and bake the rest in a second round.
7. Bake. Bake for 8 minutes, until the edges look set and the centers still look soft.
8. Add the candy. Right away, press one unwrapped peanut butter cup into the center of each hot cookie. After a few minutes, as the chocolate starts to soften, press a heart sprinkle on top.
9. Chill and release. Refrigerate the tin for 10 to 15 minutes to firm up the chocolate, then carefully lift the cups out with a spoon.
How to Serve Peanut Butter Cookie Cups
Arrange the cookie cups on a platter for parties, lunch boxes, or bake sales. They are lovely next to peanut butter candy bar cheesecake for a peanut butter themed dessert table, or alongside fudgy chocolate chunk brownies and chewy chocolate espresso cookies. Add a slice of gooey brownie pie for the chocolate lovers, and serve everything with cold milk or hot coffee.
How to Store and Reheat Peanut Butter Cookie Cups
Store the cooled cups in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in the refrigerator if your kitchen is warm and the chocolate softens. For longer storage, freeze them in a single layer, then move them to a freezer container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.
Tips and Variations for Peanut Butter Cookie Cups
Work while hot. Press the candy in the moment the cookies leave the oven so it softens evenly.
Use a small scoop. A 1 tablespoon scoop gives even cookies that bake at the same pace.
Grease generously. A light coat of cooking spray in each cup helps the cookies release cleanly.
Unwrap first. Unwrap all the candies before baking so you are not racing the clock.
Do not overbake. Pull the cookies when the edges look set, because they firm up as they cool.
Chill gently. Ten to fifteen minutes in the refrigerator is enough, and longer can make the cups harder to release.
Swap the topping. Use mini chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or colored sprinkles in place of the hearts.
Mind the egg. The dough contains raw egg and uncooked flour, so skip tasting it, and for general guidance on keeping baked treats and leftovers safe, see this Purdue Extension article on storing leftovers.
Frequently Asked Questions About Peanut Butter Cookie Cups
How Do You Make Peanut Butter Cookie Cups?
Mix a simple peanut butter dough, bake 1 tablespoon balls in a mini muffin tin for 8 minutes, press a peanut butter cup into each hot cookie, then chill briefly.
Can I Make Peanut Butter Cookie Cups Without a Mini Muffin Tin?
You can bake the same dough balls on a lined sheet, but you will get flat cookies instead of cups. Press the candy into the center right after baking.
Why Did My Peanut Butter Cookie Cups Stick to the Pan?
The tin may not have been greased well enough. Spray every cup, and let the cookies rest for a few minutes before lifting them out with a spoon.
Can I use crunchy peanut butter?
Yes, crunchy works if you like extra texture, though the cups may be a little less smooth.
Can I make them nut free?
You can try sunflower seed butter in the dough and a nut free chocolate candy for the center. Check every label if you are serving someone with a nut allergy.
Peanut Butter Cookie Cups
Equipment
- Mini muffin tin
- Electric mixer
- Mixing bowl
- Small cookie scoop
- Spoon
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- 1 ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 30 miniature peanut butter cups unwrapped
- 2 tbsp heart sprinkles for topping
- 1 cooking spray for the tin
Instructions
Cooking
- Prep. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a mini muffin tin. Cream. Beat the butter, peanut butter, and both sugars until smooth.
- Mix. Add the vanilla, egg, and baking soda, then stir in the flour just until combined.
- Portion. Roll 1 tablespoon balls of dough and place one in each cup.
- Bake. Bake for 8 minutes, then repeat with the remaining dough.
- Top. Press a peanut butter cup into each hot cookie and add a sprinkle.
- Chill. Refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes, then lift out with a spoon.
