Oh, hey there, cookie lover! Does anything bring you back faster than the smell of warm peanut butter cookies baking in the oven? For me, it’s pure nostalgia, wrapping you up like a cozy blanket. Now, add the absolute joy of Reese’s Pieces to that mix, and you’ve got something truly magical. You know those big, soft, dreamy cookies from that popular cookie shop? We’re making them at home, and trust me, they’re just as good – maybe even better because you made them!
These cookies are unbelievably easy to whip up, disappear in minutes, and satisfy that specific craving for chewy, peanut buttery goodness loaded with candy coated chocolate. Get ready for your new go-to recipe!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Fast: From start to finish, you can be enjoying warm cookies in under 30 minutes. Weeknight baking, anyone?
- Easy: No fancy techniques here! Just simple mixing, scooping, and baking. Perfect for beginners or a lazy afternoon.
- Giftable: Package these up for friends, neighbors, or bake sales. They’re always a huge hit!
- Crowd-pleasing: I mean, peanut butter and Reese’s? It’s a combination that makes pretty much everyone happy.
Ingredients
Gathering your ingredients is the first step to cookie bliss! Here’s what you’ll need:
- Unsalted butter: Make sure it’s softened to room temperature. This is key for getting that light, fluffy texture when creaming.
- Creamy peanut butter: I recommend creamy for the smoothest dough, but you can experiment!
- Granulated sugar & Packed brown sugar: The mix of sugars gives you both sweetness and that lovely chewy texture. Pack that brown sugar firmly!
- Large egg: Just one to bind everything together.
- Vanilla extract: A little splash enhances all those yummy flavors.
- All-purpose flour: The foundation of our cookie! Spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off for accuracy.
- Baking soda: Helps our cookies spread just right and get those signature crinkles.
- Salt: Balances out the sweetness and brings out the peanut butter flavor.
- Reese’s pieces: The star of the show! We’ll fold these vibrant, crunchy candies right into the dough.
- For the Peanut Butter Drizzle: Just a couple tablespoons of creamy peanut butter and a tiny bit of coconut or neutral oil (optional, but helps with drizzling!).
How to Make It
Okay, let’s get baking! You’ve got this.
1. Prep Time: First things first, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. This makes cleanup a breeze and helps the bottoms brown evenly.
2. Cream the Wet: In a large bowl, grab your softened butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Beat them together with an electric mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy. This can take a couple of minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
3. Add Egg and Vanilla: Beat in the large egg and the vanilla extract until they are fully combined with the creamy mixture. Don’t overmix here, just get them incorporated.
4. Whisk the Dry: In a separate, medium-sized bowl, quickly whisk together your all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. This distributes the leavening evenly.
5. Combine Gently: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix on low speed just until the flour streaks disappear. Be careful not to overmix – overmixing can lead to tough cookies.
6. Fold in the Goodies: Now for the fun part! Gently fold in the Reese’s pieces using a spatula or wooden spoon. You want them distributed throughout the dough without crushing them too much.
7. Scoop & Shape: Scoop the dough into large balls. Aim for about 3 tablespoons of dough per cookie (they’re meant to be big!). Place them on your prepared baking sheet, leaving plenty of space between them as they will spread. Gently press down on the top of each dough ball to flatten it slightly. This helps them bake evenly.
8. Bake: Pop the baking sheet into your preheated oven. Bake for 10-12 minutes. You’re looking for the edges to be lightly golden, but the centers should still look soft and maybe a little underdone. They will continue to cook on the hot pan.
9. Cool Down: This is important! Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes before attempting to move them. They are delicate when warm. After 10 minutes, carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
10. Make the Drizzle: While the cookies cool, make the drizzle. Place the creamy peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat it in 15-second bursts, stirring well after each one, until it’s melted and smooth enough to drizzle. If it’s still a bit thick, stir in 1-2 teaspoons of coconut oil or a neutral oil like vegetable oil until you get the right consistency.
11. Drizzle & Set: Once the cookies are fully cooled (or at least mostly cooled!), drizzle the melted peanut butter over the tops. Let the drizzle set for a bit before digging in, if you can resist!
Substitutions & Additions
Want to play around with the recipe? Go for it! Here are a few ideas:
- Peanut Butter Swap: While creamy is classic, you can use crunchy peanut butter for added texture. Note that natural peanut butter might change the texture slightly as it can be drier.
- More Chocolate: Add 1/2 cup of semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips along with the Reese’s Pieces for extra chocolatey goodness. Or chop up some Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups!
- Different Candies: Not a Reese’s fan (gasp!)? Try M&M’s, chopped peanut butter cups, or even white chocolate chips.
- Nut-Free? For a school-safe version, you could try using a sunflower seed butter and omitting the Reese’s Pieces, perhaps using chocolate chips instead. This would change the flavor profile significantly, but could work as an alternative base.
Tips for Success
Even though these are super easy, a few pointers can make them perfect every time:
- Don’t Overmix: Once you add the dry ingredients, mix just until combined. Overmixing develops the gluten too much, leading to tougher cookies.
- Measure Flour Correctly: Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a straight edge. Scooping directly from the bag can pack the flour, resulting in too much flour and dry cookies.
- Don’t Overbake: The centers should look a little soft when you pull them out. They will continue to cook and set on the hot pan. An overbaked peanut butter cookie is a sad, dry cookie!
- Use a Cookie Scoop: Using a scoop ensures all your cookies are the same size, meaning they bake evenly. Plus, it’s just easier!
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Make sure your butter and egg are truly at room temperature. This helps everything cream together smoothly.
How to Store It
Assuming you have any leftovers (a big assumption!), here’s how to keep them fresh:
Store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. If you stack them before the drizzle is fully set, you might want to separate layers with parchment paper.
You can also freeze baked cookies! Let them cool completely, then place them in a single layer on a baking sheet to freeze for about an hour. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 2-3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
Dough can also be frozen! Scoop the dough into balls, flatten slightly, and freeze on a baking sheet. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen, adding a couple minutes to the baking time.
FAQs
Here are a couple of common questions you might have:
Why did my cookies spread too much and get flat?
This can happen if your butter was too soft (or even melted a little), if your oven temperature is off, or if you didn’t measure your dry ingredients correctly (too little flour). Make sure your butter is soft but still holds its shape before creaming.
Can I use natural peanut butter?
You can, but natural peanut butter (the kind you have to stir) can sometimes result in a slightly drier or crumblier cookie due to the varying fat content. Creamy processed peanut butter usually yields the most consistent results for this type of cookie.
Enjoy baking (and eating!) these amazing peanut butter Reese’s cookies. They’re sure to become a favorite in your house!
Homemade Crumbl Peanut Butter Reese's Copycat Cookies
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Step 2: In a large bowl, beat softened butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy (a couple of minutes), scraping down the sides.
- Step 3: Beat in the large egg and vanilla extract until fully combined.
- Step 4: In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Step 5: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix on low speed just until the flour streaks disappear. Do not overmix.
- Step 6: Gently fold in the Reese's pieces using a spatula or wooden spoon, distributing them throughout the dough.
- Step 7: Scoop the dough into large balls (about 3 tablespoons each). Place on the prepared baking sheet, leaving space between them. Gently press down on the top of each ball to flatten slightly.
- Step 8: Bake for 10-12 minutes. The edges should be lightly golden, but the centers should still look soft.
- Step 9: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Step 10: While cooling, make the drizzle. Heat creamy peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl in 15-second bursts, stirring, until smooth. Stir in 1-2 teaspoons of oil if needed for consistency.
- Step 11: Once cookies are cooled, drizzle the melted peanut butter over the tops and let the drizzle set.
