Calling all Reese’s peanut butter cup fans! Stop everything and make this Soft & Decadent Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cup Cookies recipe stat!
You get the creaminess from the melted peanut butter, saltiness from the flaky sea salt and gooey chocolatiness from the cookie and melted peanut butter cup. Heaven.
This rich chocolate cookie base is an easy, one-bowl cookie dough that needs zero rest time. Each cookie dough ball is topped with a mini peanut butter cup (below, I talk about my favorite for this recipe), which then melts over the top of the cookie.
I give tips below the recipe to make sure every bite is the perfect peanut butter-chocolate flavor explosion!
Bonus: This cookie has the softest, most gorgeous texture. I can’t get enough of them!
Fresh from the oven, the tie-dye peanut butter cup vibe is glossy, and as the cookie cools, it will set, making the cookies stackable (and perfect for transporting and sharing).
Have fun with this DELICIOUS cookie recipe!
The Baker’s Guide to Measuring Flour
One of the biggest (and most common) mistakes in baking is how we measure flour. If you find yourself without a scale, see my top tips on how to properly measure flour for the perfect amount every time!
My Favorite Pro Baking Tips for the
Best Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
- Don’t Let Your Chocolate Get Too Hot. Keep the heat low and let it melt slowly for the best results in terms of cookie taste and texture.
- Use Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups for Best Results. The mini dark chocolate peanut butter cups melted (and tasted) better than milk chocolate peanut butter cups. See the Recipe Testing section below for more information on recommendations.
- Set the Peanut Butter Cups Just on Top of the Cookie Dough Balls. Set the peanut butter cups in the very center of the cookie dough balls and don’t press them into the dough balls. This allows the peanut butter cups to melt on top of the cookie rather than into the interior of the cookie.
Are you ready to make the yummiest double chocolate cookies made with peanut butter cups?
Step-by-Step Instructions (with photos!) for Making These
Perfect Chocolate Cookies
Recipe Testing Notes & Inspiration
When I saw The Floured Table’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies, I knew I had to make my own version! They were simply too pretty!!
I started with the base recipe from these Coffee Toffee Cookies (that are too delicious). It’s an easy, one-bowl chocolate cookie dough that doesn’t need any rest time. Perfect.
I then tested four different mini peanut butter cups: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Trader Joe’s Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups, Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups and Justin’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups.
The best mini peanut butter cup for this cookie recipe was hands down the Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups. The peanut butter cup melted by far the best on top of the cookie, resulting in the prettiest cookie. I also love how the dark chocolate tempers the richness of the cookie a bit.
My least favorite peanut butter cups were the Reese’s and Trader Joe’s milk chocolate. They spread the least and were too sweet (for me) on top of the cookie. I would love to hear your thoughts!
See image below for the differences in the peanut butter cups, and see the Notes section below the recipe on how to maximize whichever peanut butter cup you use.
Quick note on the photo below: that was the first recipe test where I used a different cookie base than the final recipe, which is why it looks a bit different than the other cookie photos.
More Delicious Chocolate Cookie Recipes
I love a double chocolate cookie moment! Also check out these Double Chocolate Chip Cookies (the dough freezes like a dream!), these Levain-inspired Coffee Toffee Cookies and these Rich & Fudgy Brownie Cookies.
You can find all of the cookie recipes here!
Have fun with these mega delicious double chocolate peanut butter cup cookies!!
Soft & Decadent Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup (170 g) dark chocolate finely chopped
- 8 tablespoons (113 g) unsalted butter cut into 8 pieces
- 1/3 cup + 2 tbsp (35 g) unsweetened dark Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons espresso powder optional
- 1 tablespoon 13 g real vanilla extract
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (110 g) light brown sugar packed
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 3/4 cups (237 g) all-purpose flour
- 26 Mini Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Candies see Notes below recipe for more information
- Sea salt flakes to sprinkle post bake optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and line several cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- To a medium bowl (that's heat safe), set over a pan of simmering water, add the chocolate, butter, cocoa powder and espresso powder. Make sure the water doesn’t boil or touch the bottom of the bowl. Stir frequently until the chocolate is melted and then remove from the heat.
- Mix in the vanilla, sugar, and brown sugar until well combined and the mixture has a thick consistency.
- Add one egg, baking powder, and salt, stirring until well blended. Then add in the remaining two eggs, one at a time, making sure the first is well blended before adding in the second. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is completely combined.
- Mix in the flour until just combined. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to make sure everything is thoroughly mixed.
- Use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop and drop the dough on the prepared cookie sheet, leaving 2 inches (5 cm) between cookie dough balls. This dough is sticky. If you don't have a cookie scoop, use two spoons. If it's too sticky to handle, you can let it sit for 10 minutes or set it in the fridge to expedite this.
- Just before baking, place a mini peanut butter cup on top of each cookie dough ball. Try to place it in the center of each dough ball.
- Bake one sheet at a time in the center of the oven for 12 minutes. The cookies will be puffed and then collapse and crack as they cool. As soon as they're out of the oven, tap the baking sheet on the counter several times to disperse the melted peanut butter cup over the tops of the cookies (see Notes below recipe for more detail). Use the edge of a spatula to nudge any misshapen cookies back into the shape of a circle.
- Let the peanut butter cup cookies cool on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling. Sprinkle with sea salt flakes, if using.
Notes
- For the Prettiest Peanut Butter Cup Cookies:
- Use Mini Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups. Dark chocolate peanut butter cups melted better than milk chocolate peanut butter cups in recipe testing. The Trader Joe’s mini dark chocolate peanut butter cups were my favorites.
- Tap the Baking Sheet on the Counter As Soon As They Come Out of the Oven. This will help spread the melted peanut butter cup over the tops of the cookies.
- If Your Peanut Butter Cups Don’t Melt Enough… you can use the back of a spoon and swirl the hot peanut butter cup over the top of the cookie. I did this with one batch and I liked the results (peanut butter cup in every bite!). Don’t over swirl or you’ll loose the distinct peanut butter and chocolate swirls and then it just looks messy.
-
Melting Chocolate Notes:
- For the melting chocolate, use chocolate that is specifically used for melting. Feves, wafers, callets and chocolate bars are all excellent choices.
- Chocolate chips resist melting and can be harder to work with (but will still work in a pinch).
- I’m loving these baking chips (a GREAT grocery store option; these are 60% cacao) and these are my favorite Callebaut callets (54.5% cacao).
- Cookie Storage: Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. Let the glossy, melted peanut butter cup cookies set and firm up before stacking. Add parchment between layers
- For Best Results: This dough is best if mixed and baked straight away; do not store the dough in the fridge.
The post Soft & Decadent Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies Recipe appeared first on DisplacedHousewife.
