Name: Reese Cup Chocolate Chip Cookies
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking powder; pinch kosher salt; 1/4 teaspoon baking soda; 1 cup unsalted butter (softened); 3/4 cup granulated sugar; 3/4 cup light brown sugar (packed); 2 eggs; 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste (or extract); 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips; 2 cups mini Reese cups (cut in half, divided)

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These easy Reese’s peanut butter cup cookies are sure to be your next family favorite! They start with a soft, chewy chocolate chip cookie dough and get loaded with chopped mini Reese cups, inside and on top.

The dough chills for an hour, then the cookies bake for just 9 to 10 minutes at 375°F. Pull them while the centers still look a little underbaked, and they finish soft and chewy every time.

The Best Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cookies (Soft and Chewy)

I admit it, I am a chocolate peanut butter addict. If something has this combo, I’m in love, that’s just how it is. So, naturally, Reese cups are my absolute favorite candy. It’s a problem.

I also love a simple, classic chocolate chip cookie. I mean, what’s not to love? I like them soft and chewy, and I have a pretty amazing recipe for the classic. Humble brag, I know!

So, why not mash up my two loves into one epic cookie? And, yes, the results were EPIC. WOW, these are definitely my new favorite cookie, and I know they will soon be yours too. I don’t know if I can ever make plain chocolate chip anymore, they are that good!

Okay, let’s be real. I will still make my traditional chocolate chip cookies from time to time, but when I want a little more pizzazz I’ll make this recipe instead!

To get a soft and chewy cookie, you really cannot overbake these. Bake tablespoon sized cookies at 375 degrees for 9 minutes, no more, no less. They might not look completely done on the inside, but the cookies will keep cooking while they cool. 9 minutes in my oven works perfectly every time.

Why You’ll Love These Reese Cup Cookies

Two favorites in one. A classic chocolate chip cookie meets chopped mini Reese cups.
Soft and chewy. A short bake and a chilled dough keep the centers tender.
Peanut butter cups on top. Extra halves pressed on top make every cookie look bakery pretty.
Simple pantry dough. Butter, two sugars, eggs, vanilla and flour, mixed with a hand or stand mixer.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.

All purpose flour: Gives the cookies their structure. Spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off instead of scooping straight from the bag, since packed flour makes dry, cakey cookies.
Baking powder and baking soda: This recipe uses a teaspoon of baking powder and just a quarter teaspoon of baking soda. Together they give a little lift and help the edges turn golden while the centers stay soft.
Kosher salt: Just a pinch. Salt makes the peanut butter and chocolate taste richer and keeps the cookies from tasting flat.
Unsalted butter: Softened, so it creams smoothly with the sugar. It should hold a fingerprint when pressed but not look greasy or melted. Unsalted lets you control the salt.
Granulated sugar and light brown sugar: White sugar helps the edges crisp, and packed brown sugar adds moisture and a caramel flavor for that chewy middle.
Eggs: Bind the dough and add richness. Room temperature eggs blend into the creamed butter more evenly.
Vanilla bean paste or extract: Vanilla bean paste gives little flecks of vanilla and a deeper flavor, but pure vanilla extract works just as well.
Semi sweet chocolate chips: The classic chocolate chip cookie part of the mash up. Semi sweet balances the sweet peanut butter cups.
Mini Reese cups: Cut in half and divided. Most of them get folded into the dough, and the rest are pressed on top of each cookie for presentation. Mini cups chop cleanly and spread evenly through the dough. Chilled peanut butter cups are easier to cut neatly.

Since the dough needs an hour in the fridge, it is a good idea to set your butter out to soften ahead of time and have everything measured before you start.

How to Make Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, add the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Mix to combine and set aside.
Cream the butter and sugars. In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar with a hand or stand mixer until creamy, light in color and fluffy.
Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix until combined and smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
Add the dry ingredients. Slowly add the flour mixture a little at a time, mixing until fully combined and no dry streaks remain.
Fold in the chocolate. Fold in the chocolate chips and 1 1/2 cups of the chopped Reese cups with a spatula, so the pieces are spread through the dough.
Chill the dough. Place the bowl in the fridge for one hour. Cold dough spreads less in the oven, so the cookies stay thick and chewy.
Scoop and top. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Dollop tablespoon sized dough balls onto parchment lined baking sheets, about 4 inches apart. Press one of the remaining peanut butter cup halves on top of each.
Bake and cool. Bake for 9 to 10 minutes. Do not overbake. The edges should be set and lightly golden while the centers still look slightly underbaked. Let them cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Tip: Do a test run of one cookie to get the cooking time down first before throwing in a whole tray. Every oven is a little different, and these are best pulled while the centers still look underdone.

Ways to Customize These Cookies

Swap the chips. Use milk chocolate or dark chocolate chips instead of semi sweet.
Use full size cups. Chop regular Reese cups into small pieces if you can’t find minis.
Add peanut butter chips. Replace some of the chocolate chips for even more peanut butter flavor.

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cookies FAQs

Do I have to chill the dough? Yes. One hour in the fridge firms up the butter so the cookies don’t spread too thin, and it helps them bake up thick and chewy.
Why do the cookies look underbaked? That is what you want. They keep cooking on the hot pan while they cool, which gives you soft, chewy centers.
Does this recipe use baking soda? Yes, but only a quarter teaspoon, along with a teaspoon of baking powder. Leaving either out will change how the cookies rise and spread.
Can I use vanilla extract instead of vanilla bean paste? Yes. Use the same amount of pure vanilla extract.
How far apart should I space them? About 4 inches apart on parchment lined baking sheets, so they have room to spread.
How do I store them? Keep cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days. A slice of bread in the container helps keep them soft.
Can I freeze the dough? Yes. Scoop the chilled dough into balls, freeze them on a sheet, then move them to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen, adding a minute or two.

Reese Cup Chocolate Chip Cookies

Dana DeVolk

Reese cup chocolate chip cookies made with a classic butter and brown sugar dough, semi sweet chips and halved mini Reese cups. A chilled dough and a short bake keep them soft and chewy.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Total Time 20

Ingredients

2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup unsalted butter softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar packed
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups mini Reese cups cut in half, divided

Instructions

In a medium-sized bowl, add the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Mix to combine, set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until creamy with a hand or stand mixer. Add the eggs and vanilla, mix to combine. Slowly add the dry ingredients a little at a time until fully mixed. Fold in the chocolate chips and 1 1/2 cups of the Reese cups. Place bowl in the fridge for one hour to chill.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Dollop 1 tablespoon-sized dough balls onto parchment lined baking sheets, about 4 inches apart. Taking the remaining cut up peanut butter cups, add one on top of each piece of cookie dough for presentation. Bake for 9-10 minutes but do not overbake. Cookies will look slightly underbaked in the center. Let cool on a sheet tray for 5 minutes, transfer to a wired rack to cool completely.

Made these cookies? Leave a star rating in the recipe card and tell us how they turned out in the comments below. Your feedback helps other bakers, and we love hearing about your swaps.