Our easy 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies with peanut butter cups (chopped up Reese’s) are a delicious 15 minute dessert you’ll want to make all the time! Your two favorite flavors combined to make the perfect chewy cookies for your family and guests.
Ok so we love sweets. I also like easy to throw together so these really hit the spot. I tried these with the bite size Reeses but it required a lot more steps and you literally get the same flavors in each bite this way so I decided to share this method (with chopped up peanut butter cups).
These came about after I made our easy cake mix peanut butter brownies but wanted to integrate some leftover Halloween candy. I went back to my original recipe when I make 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies and added more wow to them. 😉
And now we just can’t get enough…. You may have bought these at the store but skip the preservatives because baking them at home is so easy, and they freeze well too (if you have leftovers).
Ingredient Notes
To make the basic cookies we are going to amp up you just need three things. You will begin with creamy peanut butter. I don’t like the natural kind with the oil on the top because it isn’t as thick and the texture won’t be right.
To add sweetness you want white granulated sugar in the mix. I haven’t tried this with a sugar-free variety like they offer (Splenda baking mix) but if it is a 1:1 ratio I imagine it would work too.
And you will want an egg to hold the others together and create a thick dough. Have a small cookie scoop ready so they are all the same size and bake evenly.
It is cheaper to buy the regular sized peanut butter cups and cut into bite size chunks. The bite size pieces are fine but are more expensive and take longer to unwrap them all.
How Long to Bake 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies (with Peanut Butter Cups)
If you want chewy cookies (which is what I highly recommend you do) it will take about 10 minutes for this style. In the event that you don’t want to listen to me 😉 you can bake 12 minutes to get crispy cookies instead.
How do you know when they are done?
If you want the outcome to be soft and chewy the outside edges will be cracked and firmed with the center remaining soft but no longer looking raw. They will firm up as they sit on the baking sheet until they cool. For crispy they will be cracked all the way to the middle.
What are some peanut butter cookie mistakes?
#1 Just like with our Peanut Butter Oatmeal Protein Balls you want to make the dough first and gently fold in any add ins (in this case the cut up candy). This will prevent those pieces from getting mashed up.
#2 Make sure you make them all the same size so you get an even bake. Your best bet is to also gently press the top so they flatten a tad for even baking.
#3 For the best texture do not bake them too long. You want the center to be barely firming up when you take them out. Do NOT take them off the hot cookie sheet as you need this added time to firm up.
Peanut Butter Cookies with Peanut Butter Cups
Equipment
- 1 Bowl
- 1 sheet pan
- 1 knife and cutting board
Ingredients
- 1 cup peanut butter, creamy
- 1 cup sugar, white
- 1 large egg
- 8 medium peanut butter cups, Reeses regular sized, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a bowl mix together creamy peanut butter, sugar and an egg until you get a thick cookie dough.
- Chop up peanut butter cups so they are small bite size pieces, dump into bowl with batter and gently fold together.
- Use a small cookie scoop so they are all the same size. Put on to sheet pan with space between them and gently press down so they are 1/2" thick, this will make 12-16 depending on their size.
- Bake for 10 minutes until middle no longer looks raw but is still very soft for soft cookies, 12 minutes for crispy cookies. Leave on baking sheet until cook, then enjoy.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What is the best way to save leftovers so they don’t dry out?
There is a trick to keeping leftover cookies moist and chewy. Always wait until they cool off before storing in an airtight container first off. Put a piece of parchment paper in between the layers so they don’t stick together. And on day 2 if you still have some left place 1/2 a piece of bread in the container to add moisture so they don’t dry out.
