Valentine cookie cups are mini peanut butter cookies baked in a muffin tin, filled with a peanut butter cup, and topped with a heart sprinkle for a sweet Valentines Day treat.
The dough is quick to mix and the whole batch of 30 is done in under an hour, which makes the recipe easy to team up on with kids. It works for classroom parties, galentine gatherings, or a plate left on the counter for someone special.
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Why This Valentine Cookie Cups Recipe Works
A soft peanut butter dough holds its shape in a mini muffin pan, so each cookie bakes into a little cup with a built in spot for the filling. There is no rolling or cutting, and you need nothing more than a spoon and a pan.
The melted chocolate from the candy bonds to the warm cookie, so the filling stays put instead of sliding off. A short chill locks it in so the cups travel well to parties.
Heart sprinkles turn an everyday peanut butter cookie into a seasonal treat, and you can swap them for any shape to reuse the same recipe for birthdays, Easter, or Christmas.
Ingredients for Valentine Cookie Cups
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 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
- jumbo heart sprinkles, for topping
- cooking spray, for greasing
Peanut butter: Creamy peanut butter blends smoothly. Crunchy works if you like texture, and an equal amount of sunflower seed butter makes a nut free dough.
Brown and granulated sugar: The mix gives a cookie that is soft in the middle and just set around the edges.
Baking soda: Mix it in briefly so it spreads evenly. Too much mixing at this stage can toughen the dough.
All purpose flour: Add it gradually until the dough is soft and slightly sticky. Overworking it makes the cookies dry.
Miniature peanut butter cups: Use the small wrapped miniatures, and press them in right after baking while the cookies are very warm.
Jumbo heart sprinkles: These look great on top, but any sprinkle that fits the seasonal works.
How to Make Valentine Cookie Cups
1. Preheat and grease. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a mini muffin pan.
2. Beat the base. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until fully combined and creamy.
3. Add the egg and vanilla. Mix in the egg and vanilla until the mixture is smooth.
4. Add the baking soda. Briefly mix in the baking soda so it spreads evenly.
5. Add the flour. Gradually mix in the flour until just combined. The dough should be soft and slightly sticky.
6. Fill the pan. Roll the dough into 1 tablespoon balls and place one in each cavity of the pan.
7. Bake. Bake for 8 minutes, until the edges are set while the centers stay soft. Bake the remaining dough in a second round.
8. Press in the candy. As soon as the pan comes out of the oven, press one miniature peanut butter cup into the center of each cookie.
9. Decorate and chill. Once the chocolate softens a bit, gently press a heart sprinkle onto each cup, then refrigerate the pan for 10 to 15 minutes to set the chocolate and carefully lift the cups out.
How to Serve Valentine Cookie Cups
Pack the cups into a box lined with parchment for a Valentines Day gift, or set them out on a platter at a class gathering. They pair well with red velvet brownies and chocolate covered strawberry cheesecake for a romantic dessert spread. For a berry option beside them, add a slice of creamy strawberry swirl cake, and for a chewy contrast offer thick bakery chocolate chip cookies.
How to Store and Reheat Valentine Cookie Cups
Keep the cups in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, with parchment between the layers so the sprinkles do not stick to the cups above. In a warm kitchen, store them in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months, then thaw them at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
Tips and Variations for Valentine Cookie Cups
Use soft butter. Softened butter blends easily with the peanut butter and sugar.
Do not press too hard. Press the candy in until it sits level with the top, not all the way through the cookie.
Add sprinkles last. Wait a minute or two so they stick instead of sliding off.
Make it a team job. Kids can roll the dough, unwrap the candy, and place the sprinkles.
Release with a spoon. Slide a small spoon under each cookie to lift it out without breaking the cup.
Try different candy. Use small chocolate squares or chocolate drops in place of the peanut butter cups for another flavor.
Bake in batches. Let the pan cool for a few minutes between rounds so the dough does not soften before baking.
Keep them safe. Because the dough has raw egg, do not taste it, and for general guidance on safe handling of leftovers and baked treats, see this University of Wisconsin Extension leftovers food safety post.
Frequently Asked Questions About Valentine Cookie Cups
What Are Valentine Cookie Cups?
They are mini peanut butter cookies baked in a muffin pan, then filled with a peanut butter cup and topped with a heart sprinkle.
Can I Make Valentine Cookie Cups Ahead of Time?
Yes. Bake them up to 3 days ahead and keep them in an airtight container, or freeze them for up to 3 months and thaw before serving.
How Many Valentine Cookie Cups Does This Recipe Make?
It makes about 30 cookie cups, which fills a 24 cup mini muffin pan once, with a second round for the rest of the dough.
What if I do not have a mini muffin pan?
You can bake the dough balls on a parchment lined sheet, then press the candy into each cookie right after baking. They will be flatter but taste the same.
Can I freeze the dough?
Yes. Roll the dough into balls, freeze them on a tray, and move them to a bag for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes.
Valentine Cookie Cups
Equipment
- Mini muffin pan
- Electric mixer
- Mixing bowl
- Small spoon
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 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 jumbo heart sprinkles for topping
- 1 cooking spray for greasing
Instructions
Cooking
- Heat. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a mini muffin pan. Beat. Mix the butter, peanut butter, and both sugars until creamy.
- Combine. Stir in the egg, vanilla, and baking soda, then add the flour until just combined.
- Scoop. Place a 1 tablespoon ball of dough in each cavity.
- Bake. Bake for 8 minutes, then bake the rest of the dough in a second round.
- Fill. Press a peanut butter cup into each hot cookie, then add a heart sprinkle.
- Set. Chill for 10 to 15 minutes and lift out with a spoon.
