An extra dose of brown sugar does a few things: it adds a caramel undertone that brings out the peanut flavor, creates a wonderful chew, and provides moisture that keeps the cookies from drying out. A generous amount of salt rounds out the dough, ensuring that the cookie itself is not overly sweet and balances well with its peanut butter cup center. There’s truly no bad time to make these nutty little cookies. They’re easy enough to whip up at a moment’s notice, making them a tasty option for a last-minute treat. They also store well in an airtight container, so you can make a batch and keep them on the counter to grab throughout the day for a sweet pick-me-up.
The Best Peanut Butter for This Recipe
The best peanut butter for these cookies is creamy peanut butter in the style of Skippy or Jif. This no-stir, shelf-stable type of peanut butter yields the best flavor and texture and provides just the right amount of moisture and fat. Chunky or crunchy peanut butter also works in this recipe. However, if a bit of peanutty texture is what you’re aiming for, the chunks in the peanut butter end up being very minimal and not noticeable in the finished cookies. Natural peanut butter will work in a pinch with a few caveats. First, the best way to swap natural for no-stir creamy brands is by weight—and don’t forget to give it a good stir first. When testing with natural peanut butter, I noticed the dough and cookies were a tad drier. I suggest baking the cookies closer to 8 minutes than 12.
Tips for Making Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Use room temperature butter and egg. Room temperature ingredients incorporate more easily. If the butter is cold, it will require more mixing to smooth out the mixture, which can incorporate too much air and yield a drier cookie.
Don’t overmix the dough once the flour mixture has been added. Over-mixing can lead to tough cookies.Have your mini peanut butter cups prepped and ready to go. Although slight cracking is okay and expected, the longer you let the cookie cool before adding the peanut butter cup, the more the top will crack. For quick assembly, unwrap the candies before the cookies come out of the oven.
Try a Different Candy
Other candies that would be scrumptious in these cookies include:
Chocolate-covered caramels or caramel cups, such as RolosPlain chunks of chocolateChocolate kissesA piece of Snickers for a serious textural explosion
Make These Cookies Ahead
The dough can be made, portioned out, and stored in a resealable plastic bag in the freezer for up to 1 month. When ready to bake, prepare the mini muffin pan and oven as described in the recipe. Bake the cookies from frozen—they may need an additional few minutes of baking time.
Peanut Butter Lovers Rejoice!
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Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat together on medium speed, scraping as needed, until fully incorporated and the mixture is lightened and creamy, about 15 seconds more. Place a ball of cookie dough into each cavity of the prepared mini muffin tin. Do not press the dough down. While the cookies bake, unwrap the mini peanut butter cups. Let the cookies cool in the pan until they are slightly set up and cool enough to handle, about 5 minutes. Serve completely cooled or still warm while the peanut butter cup is melty. Leftover cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container in a single layer or stacked with a piece of wax or parchment paper between the cookies for up to 4 days. Love the recipe? Leave us stars below!
