Ultimate Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Key Ingredients for Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Creating these delightful Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup cookies requires a thoughtful selection of ingredients. Each component plays a crucial role in achieving the desired flavor, texture, and overall perfection of this beloved treat. Here’s a closer look at what you’ll need and why:

• All-Purpose Flour: The foundation of our cookies, all-purpose flour provides the necessary structure. Using the correct amount is key to a tender, chewy cookie, so avoid over-packing your measuring cup.
• Baking Soda: This leavening agent helps the cookies rise slightly and contributes to their soft, tender crumb, preventing them from becoming too dense.
• Unsalted Butter (Room Temperature): Using unsalted butter gives you control over the salt content in the recipe. Room temperature butter creams beautifully with sugar, incorporating air and resulting in a lighter, more tender cookie.
• Granulated Sugar: Provides sweetness and helps create those slightly crispy edges that contrast wonderfully with the chewy interior.
• Light Brown Sugar: Essential for adding moisture, depth of flavor, and that signature chewiness. Light brown sugar also imparts subtle caramel notes that complement the peanut butter and chocolate beautifully.
• Large Eggs: Eggs act as a binder, providing structure and richness to the cookie dough. Ensure they are at room temperature for optimal emulsification with the butter mixture.
• Vanilla Extract: A splash of good quality vanilla extract enhances all the other flavors, adding a warm, aromatic depth that is indispensable in baking.
• Chocolate Chips: While Reese’s cups are the star, chocolate chips provide an extra layer of chocolatey goodness. You can use semi-sweet, milk, or even dark chocolate chips, depending on your preference. For variety, consider using peanut butter chocolate chips for an even richer peanut butter profile, or mini chocolate chips for more even distribution. You could also swap them for Reese’s Pieces for added color and crunch.
• Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups: The undeniable highlight of these cookies! You can use mini peanut butter cups, chopped into quarters, or larger Reese’s cups cut into ½” pieces. Chopping them ensures that you get that fantastic peanut butter swirl and chew in every bite. Freezing the Reese’s cups before chopping can help prevent them from melting too quickly into the dough during mixing.

How to Make Irresistible Reese’s Peanut Butter Cookies

Crafting these delectable Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup cookies is a straightforward and rewarding process. Follow these detailed steps to ensure perfectly soft, chewy, and flavor-packed results every time:

1. Prepare Your Dry Ingredients & Cream Wet Ingredients: Begin by preheating your oven to 325 degrees F (160°C). In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt until they are thoroughly combined. This ensures even distribution of the leavening and seasoning. Set this aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat them on medium-high speed until the mixture becomes light, fluffy, and noticeably pale in color, typically 3-4 minutes. This creaming process is crucial for incorporating air, which contributes to the cookies’ final texture.
2. Incorporate Eggs and Final Mix: With the mixer on low speed, add the large eggs one at a time. Mix well after each addition, ensuring the egg is fully incorporated before adding the next. Don’t forget to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed to ensure all ingredients are evenly mixed. Once the eggs are incorporated, gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix on low speed just until combined. Be careful not to overmix, as this can lead to tough cookies.
3. Fold in the Goodies: Remove the bowl from the mixer. Gently fold in the chocolate chips and half of the chopped Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups using a rubber spatula. Continue to mix by hand, making sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to evenly distribute all the delicious additions throughout the dough. Reserve the remaining Reese’s for sprinkling on top after baking.
4. Scoop and Shape the Dough: Using a small ice cream scoop (approximately 1¼ inches in diameter) or a spoon, portion the cookie dough into uniform balls. Roll them gently between your palms if desired for a smoother finish. Arrange the dough balls about 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper or a Silpat baking mat. This spacing allows for proper air circulation and prevents the cookies from spreading into each other. Then, gently press down each dough ball with the palm of your hand until it is about ¾ inch thick. This slight flattening helps create a perfectly shaped cookie with a soft center.
5. Bake to Golden Perfection: Place the baking sheets in your preheated 325-degree F (160°C) oven. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies just begin to turn a light golden brown. The centers may still look slightly soft or underbaked – this is exactly what you want for a perfectly chewy cookie! Overbaking will result in dry, hard cookies. As soon as you remove them from the oven, immediately sprinkle the reserved chopped Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and any extra chocolate chips on top of the warm cookies. The residual heat will slightly melt them, making them adhere beautifully and look appealing.
6. Cool and Enjoy: Allow the baked cookies to cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes. This crucial step helps them set and prevents them from breaking when transferred. After a couple of minutes, carefully move the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, they are ready to be devoured! Enjoy the delightful combination of flavors and textures in these homemade Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup cookies.

Expert Tips for Baking the Best Reese’s PB Cup Cookies

Achieving bakery-quality Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup cookies at home is entirely possible with a few insider tips. These simple tricks can significantly enhance the flavor, texture, and appearance of your cookies, turning a good recipe into an exceptional one.

• Chill the Dough for Superior Flavor and Texture: If time allows, chilling your cookie dough is a game-changer. Refrigerating the dough for at least an hour or two, or even better, overnight (up to 24-48 hours), allows the flour to fully hydrate, intensifying the flavors and creating a chewier texture. It also firms up the butter, which prevents the cookies from spreading too much in the oven, resulting in thicker, more substantial cookies. You can chill the dough either before or after scooping, whichever is more convenient for your schedule.
• Freeze Your Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups: This is a brilliant trick for ensuring those precious peanut butter cups hold their shape and stay within the cookie rather than melting and oozing out completely during baking. Pop your mini or chopped Reese’s into the freezer for at least 30 minutes before adding them to the dough. This helps them stay firm enough to retain their distinct presence in the baked cookie, creating those pockets of gooey peanut butter bliss.
• Do Not Overbake: The Key to Softness: This is perhaps the most crucial tip for soft and chewy cookies. Keep a vigilant eye on your cookies while they’re in the oven. You want to remove them just as their edges begin to turn a very light golden brown. The centers will still appear slightly pale, puffy, and possibly a bit wet or unset. This is perfectly normal! Cookies continue to bake for a few minutes on the hot baking sheet after being removed from the oven. If you wait until the centers look fully set and golden, your cookies will be hard and dry once cooled. Err on the side of underbaking for maximum chewiness and softness.
• Room Temperature Ingredients are Non-Negotiable: Ensure your butter and eggs are at true room temperature. This allows them to cream together effectively, creating a smooth, emulsified mixture that traps air. This air creates lift and a tender crumb in your cookies. Cold ingredients won’t combine properly, leading to a denser, less appealing texture.
• Use Parchment Paper or Silicone Baking Mats: These not only prevent sticking but also promote even baking by insulating the bottom of the cookies, preventing burnt bottoms and encouraging consistent browning. They also make cleanup incredibly easy.
• Don’t Overmix the Flour: Once you add the dry ingredients to the wet, mix only until just combined. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour, which can lead to tough, dense cookies. A few streaks of flour are acceptable; a final gentle stir with a spatula will take care of them.

Frequently Asked Questions About Reese’s Cookies

Here are answers to some common questions you might have when baking these delightful Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cookies:

Storing and Freezing Your Delicious Cookies

Proper storage is key to maintaining the freshness and deliciousness of your Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cookies. Whether you plan to enjoy them over a few days or save them for a future treat, these guidelines will help.

• Room Temperature: Once completely cooled, store your baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Placing a slice of bread in the container can help keep them soft and moist by absorbing excess moisture.
• Refrigerator: For slightly extended freshness, you can store the cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Bring them to room temperature or warm them gently in the microwave for a few seconds before serving for the best texture.
• Freezer (Cookie Dough): To store cookie dough, portion it into balls as if ready to bake. Place the dough balls on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Once solid, transfer them to freezer bags or an airtight freezer-safe container. The cookie dough can be stored this way for up to 2 months. When ready to bake, simply place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake from frozen, adding an extra 2-3 minutes to the baking time, or thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
• Freezer (Baked Cookies): Baked cookies can also be frozen. Once completely cooled, arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Then, transfer the frozen cookies to freezer bags or an airtight container, separating layers with parchment paper to prevent sticking. They will keep well for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature or gently warm in the microwave.