Reese’s peanut butter cookies are a peanut butter lover’s dream. A simple cookie dough that bakes up soft and chewy is loaded with mini peanut butter cups and Reese’s Pieces to create a sweet, creamy peanut butter burst in every bite of these cookies.
Cookies are a classic treat that everyone loves. They’re a delicious dessert or snack that pairs well with just about anything, and everyone always reaches for more than one when you set out a platter of them. Over the years, I’ve made all kinds of cookies, but one of my most popular varieties, especially with peanut butter enthusiasts, is these Reese’s Pieces peanut butter cookies. They’re overflowing with classic Reese’s flavor, and with a soft, chewy texture, they’re just about the best cookie you’ll ever eat.
Why You’ll Love These Reese’s Peanut Butter Cookies
- Simple Ingredients: This recipe uses basic baking ingredients found in any kitchen or grocery store.
- Easy: This recipe uses a simple dough recipe, so it’s a quick and easy cookie recipe.
- Classic Flavor: Reese’s Cups and Reese’s Pieces are the classic candy people think of when they think of peanut butter.
- Versatile: These delicious cookies are perfect for weeknight desserts, afternoon snacking, or any gathering.
Ingredients
- Butter and Shortening: The combination of butter and shortening gives the cookies a rich, buttery flavor and soft texture.
- Corn Syrup: Corn syrup is the secret ingredient for making super soft and chewy cookies.
- Chunky Peanut Butter: Chunky peanut butter gives the cookie dough delicious peanut butter flavor and adds crunchy texture.
- Reese’s Candy: Reese’s Pieces and mini peanut butter cups add sweet, rich peanut butter flavor to every bite of these cookies.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact amounts.
Flavor Variations
- Mix-Ins: Add your favorite mix-ins to the classic cookie dough recipe to make all kinds of different cookies.
- Peanut Butter Drizzle: Melt peanut butter with a bit of milk and sugar to create a delicious peanut butter drizzle for the cookies.
- Chocolate Chips: Replace either the Reese’s Pieces or mini peanut butter Cups with chocolate chips for a chocolate peanut butter cookie.
- Smooth Peanut Butter: If you prefer a cookie with no crunch, replace the chunky peanut butter with an equal amount of smooth peanut butter.
How to Make This Reese’s Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe
1: Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl.
2: Beat the wet ingredients in another bowl until fully combined.
3: Mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients until smooth, then fold in the peanut butter candies.
4: Scoop dough balls out with a 1-inch cookie scoop and place them 2 inches apart on a lightly spray baking sheet.
5: Bake until the edges begin to turn golden.
6: Cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Hint
Don’t overbake your cookies. Remove them as soon as the edges begin to turn golden, then let the heat of the baking sheet finish baking them to perfection.
Storage
Store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. For longer storage, wrap the cookies in plastic wrap and freeze them for up to 3 months in an airtight, freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag. Defrost on the counter before serving.
What to Serve with Reese’s Pieces Cookies
Cookies are always great with a glass of ice-cold milk or a cup of coffee or tea. The classic flavor and texture of these cookies also makes them the perfect dessert for any weeknight family dinner. Of course, you can never go wrong with cookies served alongside your other favorite sweet treats and parties and gatherings.
Tips
- Be sure to fully soften your butter so it creams easily.
- Remove your cookies from the oven as soon as the edges begin to turn a golden color. The key to keeping these cookies soft is letting carry-over baking time finish them off.
- Cool your cookies completely before serving so they don’t fall apart.
Frequently Asked Questions
Shortening’s high fat content helps create cookies with a softer, fluffier, and moister texture. It also helps cookies retain their shape during baking because it has a higher melting point than butter.
Corn syrup prevents the crystallization of the sugars in cookies, helping to create a soft, chewy texture.
There are two common culprits for hard cookies – using too much flour and overbaking. When measuring your flour, loosely spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife. Scooping flour directly into the measuring cup compacts it and results in using too much. When baking the cookies, remove them as soon as the edges begin to look golden. If the cookies seem fully baked, you’ve overbaked them.
Removing cookies early helps keep them soft and chewy. When using this method, leave the cookies on the hot baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. The heat from the pan will continue to bake the cookies to perfection.
More Delicious Peanut Butter Recipes
These Butterscotch Crunchies are a delicious peanut butter and butterscotch recipe that has been a tradition every year around the holidays. They are so easy to make and only takes 3-ingredients to make. Super easy, super delicious, and a family favorite.
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ¾ cup all purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ½ cup shortening
- 1 cup chunky peanut butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon corn syrup
- 1 cup mini peanut butter cups
- 1 cup Reese’s pieces
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat butter, shortening, peanut butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and corn syrup together until combined.
- Add dry ingredients into wet ingredients and mix until smooth.
- Stir in mini peanut butter cups and Reese’s pieces.
- Place cookie dough in plastic wrap and chill for an hour.
- Using a 1-inch cookie scoop, place dough balls on a lightly sprayed baking sheet 2 inches apart.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for a couple minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Video
Notes
- Be sure to fully soften your butter so it creams easily.
- Remove your cookies from the oven as soon as the edges begin to turn a golden color. The key to keeping these cookies soft is letting carry-over baking time finish them off.
- Cool your cookies completely before serving so they don’t fall apart.
Nutrition
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