• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
    • Contact
    • Subscribe
  • Recipes
    • Easy Dinners
    • Dessert
    • Breakfast and Brunch
    • Thai
    • Gluten-free
    • Vegetarian

Inquiring Chef

menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Easy Dinners
  • About
  • Subscribe
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home > Recipes > Cookies

    Peanut Butter Cookie Cups

    Published: Nov 28, 2017 · Modified: Apr 4, 2022 · by Jess Smith · Jump to Recipe · 5 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Peanut Butter Cookie Cups with a glass of milk
    Peanut Butter Cookie Cups on a wooden tray
    Peanut Butter Cookie Cups in a mini muffin tin
    peanut butter cookie cups

    Peanut Butter Cookie Cups on a wooden tray

    Soft peanut butter cookie cups stuffed with chocolate peanut butter cups - these are always a crowd favorite. We keep the dough in the freezer to bake throughout the holidays.

    I don't like to play favorites, but peanut butter cookie cups are definitely a contender. I love them best shown just as they are above and below. Still a bit warm and filled with melty chocolate.

    a hand holding a peanut butter cup cookie with a bite taken out

    The recipe for this peanut butter dough is printed on an old card from my mom's recipe box. "From the kitchen of Shirley S." It is usually the base for peanut blossom cookies (with a Hershey's kiss on top), but makes amazing, super soft Peanut Butter Cup Cookies. I have no idea who Shirley S. is (thank you for the great recipe, if you're out there Shirley!), but we've made some version of these cookies every year as long as I can remember. It's a great one for kids to assist with. No matter what age, everyone always loves the job of unwrapping the peanut butter cups.

    And sneaking a few...

    Peanut Butter Cookie unwrapped in a white bowl

    As I mentioned, this dough is super soft. It is rolled in a bit of sugar and baked in a mini muffin tin which makes it bake into perfectly shaped cups.

    rolled balls of dough in a mini muffin tin

    And a chocolate peanut butter cup is pressed into the warm cookies just after baking.pressing a peanut butter cup into dough

    Instant gooey chocolate goodness...

    Peanut Butter Cookie Cups in a mini muffin tin

    To Freeze

    These cookies are great for freezing. Roll the dough into balls and roll the balls in sugar per the directions. Place the balls close together on a sheet pan and freeze until solid. Transfer to a plastic zip-top bag and freeze for up to 3 months. I also unwrap the peanut butter cups and freeze those in a separate bag so they're ready to go.

    Just bake the dough straight out of the freezer (add 1 to 2 minutes t the bake time).

    And serve with a glass of cold milk.

    Peanut Butter Cookie Cups next to a small glass of milk

    More Chocolate and Peanut Butter Combinations

    • Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Bars
    • No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
    • Peanut Butter Chocolate Oat Smoothie
    • Chocolate Peanut Butter (Buckeye) Brownies
    • Chocolate-Chip Peanut Butter Cookie Cake
    • Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies
    • Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Bars

     

    Favorite Tools

    • Stand Mixer or Handheld Mixer
    • Mini Muffin Tin
    • Cooling Rack
    Peanut Butter Cookie Cups on a wooden tray
    Print Recipe
    5 from 6 votes

    Peanut Butter Cookie Cups

    Soft peanut butter cookie cups stuffed with chocolate peanut butter cups - these are always a crowd favorite. We keep the dough in the freezer to bake throughout the holidays.
    Prep Time1 hr 20 mins
    Cook Time7 mins
    Total Time1 hr 27 mins
    Course: Dessert
    Keyword: chocolate and peanut butter, Christmas, cookies
    Servings: 48 cookie cups
    Calories: 104kcal
    Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef
    Cost: $5.00

    Equipment

    • Stand or Handheld Mixer
    • Mini Muffin Tins
    • Cooling Rack

    Ingredients

    • 1 ¾ cup All-Purpose Flour
    • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
    • ½ teaspoon Salt
    • ½ cup Butter, unsalted and softened to room temperature
    • ½ cup Granulated Sugar, plus more for rolling dough
    • ½ cup Light Brown Sugar
    • 1 Egg
    • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
    • ½ cup Peanut Butter (see note)
    • 48 Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups, unwrapped

    Instructions

    • Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.
    • In the bowl of a standing mixer or with a handheld mixer (or by hand) beat the butter until soft and smooth, ~2 minutes. Add both sugars and continue beating until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
    • Add egg and mix on medium until smooth. Add vanilla and mix for 1 minute more.
    • Add peanut butter and mix until smooth.
    • Pour dry ingredients in the bowl and mix on low just until the dry ingredients are fully incorporated.
    • Refrigerate the dough until it is firm enough to roll into balls, ~1 hour (see note).
    • If you haven't already, remove chocolate peanut butter cups from their wrappers and set aside.
    • Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a mini muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.
    • Fill a shallow bowl or dish with granulated sugar. Roll dough into balls 1 ½ inch in diameter (they should be about 1 tablespoon of dough each).
    • Place dough balls into prepared mini muffin tin. Bake until dough has filled out the tin and is just barely golden on top, 6 to 8 minutes.
    • As soon as you remove the dough balls, press chocolate peanut butter cups into the dough. Let cool for a few minutes and then remove cookie cups from the baking tin. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

    Notes

    I prefer creamy peanut butter for these. Note that this recipe does not work as well if using natural peanut butter.
    When I'm in a rush, I often roll this dough into balls right away and skip the refrigeration step. The dough is very soft without the refrigeration, so I use a spoon to scoop out even sized portions of dough and drop them straight into the sugar. Once they are gently rolled in sugar, they are easier to pick up and roll into balls. They can be baked right away, but will be done on the lower end of the cook time, likely right at 6 minutes.
    To freeze, form the dough into balls and roll them in sugar. Place the dough balls on a sheet pan and freeze until firm. Transfer to a plastic zip-top bag and freeze for up to three months. They can be baked straight out of the freezer but will need an extra minute or two added to the bake time.
    Print and attach the label below so cooking instructions are ready when you are!
    peanut butter cookie cups freezer label

    Nutrition

    Calories: 104kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 107mg | Potassium: 51mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 68IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg

    One more from decorating the Christmas tree this weekend!
    Clara holding a Christmas ornament

    *This post contains affiliate links*

    SaveSave

    SaveSave

    SaveSave

    Related

    « Christmas Tree Meringues
    Chocolate Mint Pinwheel Cookies »

    About Jess

    Hi! I'm Jess. I am the recipe creator and photographer behind the 900+ recipes you’ll find on Inquiring Chef. As a mom to three young kids and professional cook, my mission is to make every moment in the kitchen and around the table count. If you’re looking for easy, flavorful, family-approved recipes, you’ve come to the right place! Learn more about me here.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. C semsack

      November 28, 2017 at 8:09 pm

      The preparation steps call for adding vanilla and milk, but after rereading the list of ingredients, there is no milk listed,

      Reply
      • Jess

        November 28, 2017 at 8:14 pm

        Thanks so much for catching that. The original recipe actually calls for 2 Tbsp of milk added to the batter, but that's the only change I make from the original. The recipe is now updated and correct. Thanks again!

        Reply
    2. Ron

      November 29, 2017 at 4:33 am

      5 stars
      Oh what fun these look to be. A combination of two great sweets. Alas, we don't have the small peanut cups here, but we have a candy that's very Swedish called Dumle (https://www.fazer.com/our-brands/dumle/). They are a caramel with a slight hint of coconut that are then covered in chocolate. Very additive.
      My question is, do you know how much by weight the peanut butter cups are? My thought is that I could use an equal amount of Dumle in place of the peanut butter cups. Thanks for another great holiday cookie post. I'm sharing this one on FB.

      Reply
    3. ngachip

      December 01, 2017 at 12:57 am

      5 stars
      Thanks for this. i love it.

      Reply
    4. quat tran den

      February 02, 2018 at 8:13 pm

      Although I am losing weight, this may not happen. Thank you for this interesting post.

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Welcome! We're Jess and Frank. Since 2010, we have been serving up easy, original recipes here on Inquiring Chef.

    More about us →

    Latest Recipes

    • Cashew Cream Sauce
    • Vegetable and Rice Stuffed Peppers
    • Lasagna Bolognese
    • Falafel Sandwich

    Trending Recipes

    • Crispy and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
    • Honey Ginger Chicken Stir-Fry
    • Mason Jar Overnight Oats
    • Beef and Broccoli Ramen Stir-Fry

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Us
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates
    • Follow us on Instagram and Pinterest

    Contact

    • Email Us

    Copyright © 2023 Inquiring Chef