For years, the charm of muffin pan peanut butter cup cookies eluded me, all thanks to a mini muffin pan that was more trouble than it was worth. Everything stuck, and its dark finish seemed to rush the baking process. However, the recent addition of a silicone mini muffin pan to my kitchen has completely changed the game, reigniting my love for these miniature delights!
These cookies are essentially a playful twist on classic Peanut Butter Blossoms, reimagined in muffin tins and crowned with Reese’s Minis instead of Hershey’s Kisses. They are not only incredibly fun to serve and effortlessly portable but also utterly irresistible, especially for those who adore the timeless combination of peanut butter and chocolate. It’s the best of both worlds – the comforting goodness of a cookie and the satisfying sweetness of candy, all in one delightful bite.
Exploring Different Takes on Mini Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
The world of Mini Peanut Butter Cup Cookies is wonderfully diverse, with numerous recipes boasting different ingredient ratios. A common version often calls for 1 ¾ cups of flour, ½ cup of butter, and ½ cup of each sugar. Betty Crocker offers a variation that omits brown sugar entirely, and then there’s the Pioneer Woman recipe, which ingeniously utilizes refrigerated peanut butter dough. While all are tasty, I’ve found that reducing the flour yields a superior cookie. This version results in cookies that are wonderfully soft straight from the oven, requiring a bit more cooling time to firm up. However, the reward is a cookie that is less dry and bursting with a more intense peanut butter flavor.
Choosing the Right Muffin Pan Size
For the quintessential Mini Peanut Butter Cup Cookie experience, a mini muffin pan with wells approximately .7 inches deep is ideal. This type of pan will give you that classic, perfectly portioned cookie. However, if you only have a regular-sized muffin tin, don’t let that stop you! You can still create delicious, albeit slightly flatter, versions. They will look similar to the image below. For an even more refined cookie, I imagine Reese’s Thins would be fantastic, but that’s a delightful experiment for another time!
Regular size muffin pan peanut butter cup cookie
Making Vegan Mini Muffin Pan Peanut Butter Cookies
For those seeking an egg-free adaptation, the traditional Mini Muffin Pan Peanut Butter Cookie recipe can easily be made vegan. Simply substitute ¼ cup of chickpea liquid (aquafaba) for the egg. A flax egg would likely also work beautifully. To ensure the cookies are completely vegan, use vegan margarine in place of butter. Earth Balance is a popular choice and works well, especially if you enjoy its flavor profile.
The Convenience of Refrigerated Cookie Dough
If the idea of starting from scratch feels daunting, or if you are simply short on time, using refrigerated peanut butter cookie dough is a perfectly acceptable shortcut! Among pre-made doughs, peanut butter cookie dough stands out as one of the best and works exceptionally well for this type of cookie. In fact, one recipe I’ve made in the past elevates these cookies to a new level of deliciousness. I highly recommend exploring Ronna Farley’s Bake-Off winning recipe, Choco-Peanut Butter Cups. (Please excuse the older photo on my site – a recipe refresh and new photo are definitely on my to-do list!). Ronna’s recipe diverges slightly by calling for a luscious mixture of peanut butter and melted white chips instead of Reese’s Minis, topped with melted chocolate and crushed granola bars. Now, I’m suddenly inspired to make Ronna’s version again too – perhaps a side-by-side taste test is in order!
Recipe for Mini Muffin Pan Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Mini Muffin Pan Peanut Butter Cookies
By Anna
These delightful peanut butter cookies are baked in a mini muffin pan and crowned with miniature peanut butter cups for a perfect bite-sized treat.
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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Cooling Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 48
Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter, softened (114 grams)
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed (100 grams)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
- ½ cup peanut butter, lightly sweetened type (130 grams)
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (170 grams)
- 48 Miniature Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Prepare a mini muffin pan by greasing it lightly, or use an ungreased silicone muffin pan.
- In a mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth and fluffy. Beat in the peanut butter and egg until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again. Stir in the salt, baking soda, and vanilla extract. Gradually add the all-purpose flour and mix until just blended – be careful not to overmix.
- Shape the cookie dough into 1-inch balls or use a small cookie scoop for uniform portions. Place each ball of dough into the wells of the prepared mini muffin pan. There is no need to press them down; the cookies will spread naturally during baking.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes at 350°F (175°C). Remove from the oven and immediately press a miniature Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup into the center of each cookie. Return the pan to the oven for an additional 1-2 minutes to gently soften the chocolate.
- Allow the cookies to cool in the muffin pan for about 20 minutes before carefully loosening them with a thin knife or spatula. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. This cooling time is crucial for the cookies to firm up properly.
Recipe Notes
Salted Butter Substitution: If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use it. However, reduce the amount of salt added in the recipe to about ¼ teaspoon to prevent the cookies from being too salty.
Keyword: peanut butter cookies
Have you tried this recipe? Let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
