I present Peanut Butter Cookies With Reeses Cups that hide a giant Reeses peanut butter cup in the center, concealing a sweet surprise.

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I didn’t mean to invent the kind of cookie that ruins every diet plan, but here we are. I stuff a big Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup into a peanut butter forward dough made with creamy peanut butter and it just melts into an almost ridiculous center.

People call them Reese Stuffed Cookies and once you bite in you’ll get why. It’s basically a Cookie With Reeses In The Middle that eats like dessert and candy at the same time.

I promise they look messier than they actually are, and you will want to hide them from everyone else.

Ingredients

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Provides structure and carbs, little fiber, not much nutrition, makes cookies chewy
Adds richness and fat, makes cookies tender and flavorful, high in calories
Gives protein, healthy fats and bold peanut flavor, creamy texture, not low calorie
Sugars give sweetness and chew, brown adds moisture and caramel notes, lots of carbs
Egg binds the dough, adds protein and moisture, helps cookies hold together
Reese’s cups are candy centers, very sweet, its peanut chocolate overload, melts gooey
Cornstarch softens crumb and makes cookies tender, small amount, barely any calories

Ingredient Quantities

1 3/4 cups (220g) all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional, makes cookies softer)

1/2 cup (1 stick, 113g) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar

1/2 cup (110g) light brown sugar, packed

3/4 cup (180g) creamy peanut butter, room temp, dont use crunchy

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

12 regular size Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, unwrapped

Coarse sea salt for sprinkling, optional

How to Make this

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1. Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

2. In a bowl whisk together 1 3/4 cups (220g) all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon cornstarch if using. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl cream 1/2 cup (1 stick, 113g) softened unsalted butter, 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar and 1/2 cup (110g) packed light brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes with a mixer or a little longer by hand.

4. Add 3/4 cup (180g) creamy peanut butter, then beat in 1 large egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth. Make sure ingredients are room temp so it mixes easy, and dont use crunchy peanut butter.

5. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet just until no streaks of flour remain, do not overmix. The dough will be soft and a little sticky.

6. Divide dough into 12 even portions. Use a cookie scoop or weigh about 45 to 50 grams per piece. Flatten each portion into a disc big enough to fully cover one unwrapped regular size Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.

7. Place a Reese’s cup in the center of each disc, then bring dough up and around the candy, sealing seams well and rolling gently into a smooth ball. If dough is too sticky chill the dough balls 15 to 30 minutes or chill briefly after forming to make handling easier.

8. Arrange dough balls on prepared sheets spaced about 2 inches apart, seam side down. Sprinkle a tiny pinch of coarse sea salt on top if you like sweet and salty.

9. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until edges are set and tops look slightly cracked but centers still soft. Rotate pans halfway if needed for even browning. Dont overbake or cups can melt too much.

10. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet 5 minutes so they firm up, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temp up to 3 days or freeze for longer.

Equipment Needed

1. Two rimmed baking sheets (lined with parchment paper or silicone mats)
2. Mixing bowls — one large for creaming, one medium for the dry stuff
3. Electric hand mixer or stand mixer, or a strong wooden spoon if you wanna do it by hand
4. Measuring cups and spoons plus a kitchen scale (grams make these exact)
5. Cookie scoop or tablespoon and a kitchen scale to portion about 45–50 g each
6. Whisk for the flour, baking soda, salt and cornstarch
7. Rubber spatula for scraping the bowl and folding the dough
8. Wire cooling rack to let cookies set evenly

FAQ

Q: Can I use crunchy peanut butter? A: Try not to, use creamy. Crunchy makes the dough gritty and the cups won't seal as well. If that's all you got, stir or blend it until mostly smooth before mixing.

Q: How do I stop the Reese's from oozing out while baking? A: Seal them up good, press dough around the cup so there's no gap, then chill the filled balls 15 to 30 minutes before baking. Chilling firms the dough so the cups stay inside. You can also freeze them 10 minutes if you want extra insurance.

Q: How do I know when the cookies are done? A: The edges should look set and a little golden, the center will still seem soft. They firm up as they cool, so don't overbake. If the tops are cracked and edges look finished, they're ready.

Q: Can I make these ahead or freeze them? A: Yes. Freeze unbaked, filled cookie balls on a tray, then transfer to a bag for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, add a minute or two to the time. Baked cookies keep at room temp in an airtight container 2 to 3 days, or freeze baked ones for months.

Q: What can I use instead of regular Reese's cups? A: Mini cups work fine but they'll bake faster, so watch the time. You can also use other filled chocolates or chopped peanut butter cups, though texture and melt will vary.

Q: My dough is too sticky or too crumbly, what do I do? A: If it's sticky, chill it 20 to 30 minutes or pop it in the fridge while you unwrap the cups. If it's crumbly, add a teaspoon of milk or warm the peanut butter slightly and mix more, until it holds together. Trust your hands, not the clock.

Reese’s Stuffed Cookies Recipe Substitutions and Variations

All purpose flour: swap with cake flour for a softer, more tender cookie (use the same amount, they may spread more). For gluten free use a gluten free 1:1 baking blend (same amount, add 1/4 tsp xanthan if the blend has none).
Baking soda: replace with baking powder at about 3 times the amount so 1 tsp soda = 3 tsp powder, note the cookies will rise differently and brown less.
Unsalted butter: use salted butter cup for cup but skip any added salt, or use solid coconut oil cup for cup, expect a slightly crisper cookie and a hint of coconut.
Creamy peanut butter: swap with almond butter 1:1 or sunflower seed butter 1:1 for a nut free option, these can be thinner so chill the dough a bit before baking.

Pro Tips

– Chill the candy for 10 to 15 minutes before you wrap it so it stays firm and is way easier to encase, otherwise it melts into the dough and gets messy.

– If you want an extra tender cookie, stir in a little cornstarch to the dry mix, but dont overdo it or the texture gets weird.

– Seal the seams really well and roll gently to a smooth ball, press a tiny dab of water on the dough edge if it wont stick, that little trick stops leaks while baking.

– Watch the cookies, not the clock; pull them when the edges look set but centers are still soft, then let them rest on the sheet a few minutes so they finish firming up.

Reese’s Stuffed Cookies Recipe

Recipe by Tessa Jones

0.0 from 0 votes

I present Peanut Butter Cookies With Reeses Cups that hide a giant Reeses peanut butter cup in the center, concealing a sweet surprise.

Servings

servings

Calories

383

kcal

Equipment: 1. Two rimmed baking sheets (lined with parchment paper or silicone mats)
2. Mixing bowls — one large for creaming, one medium for the dry stuff
3. Electric hand mixer or stand mixer, or a strong wooden spoon if you wanna do it by hand
4. Measuring cups and spoons plus a kitchen scale (grams make these exact)
5. Cookie scoop or tablespoon and a kitchen scale to portion about 45–50 g each
6. Whisk for the flour, baking soda, salt and cornstarch
7. Rubber spatula for scraping the bowl and folding the dough
8. Wire cooling rack to let cookies set evenly

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups (220g) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional, makes cookies softer)
1/2 cup (1 stick, 113g) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (110g) light brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup (180g) creamy peanut butter, room temp, dont use crunchy
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 regular size Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, unwrapped
Coarse sea salt for sprinkling, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
In a bowl whisk together 1 3/4 cups (220g) all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon cornstarch if using. Set aside.
In a large bowl cream 1/2 cup (1 stick, 113g) softened unsalted butter, 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar and 1/2 cup (110g) packed light brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes with a mixer or a little longer by hand.
Add 3/4 cup (180g) creamy peanut butter, then beat in 1 large egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth. Make sure ingredients are room temp so it mixes easy, and dont use crunchy peanut butter.
Stir the dry ingredients into the wet just until no streaks of flour remain, do not overmix. The dough will be soft and a little sticky.
Divide dough into 12 even portions. Use a cookie scoop or weigh about 45 to 50 grams per piece. Flatten each portion into a disc big enough to fully cover one unwrapped regular size Reese's Peanut Butter Cup.
Place a Reese's cup in the center of each disc, then bring dough up and around the candy, sealing seams well and rolling gently into a smooth ball. If dough is too sticky chill the dough balls 15 to 30 minutes or chill briefly after forming to make handling easier.
Arrange dough balls on prepared sheets spaced about 2 inches apart, seam side down. Sprinkle a tiny pinch of coarse sea salt on top if you like sweet and salty.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until edges are set and tops look slightly cracked but centers still soft. Rotate pans halfway if needed for even browning. Dont overbake or cups can melt too much.
Let cookies cool on the baking sheet 5 minutes so they firm up, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temp up to 3 days or freeze for longer.

Notes

Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.