Reese’s Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies: The Ultimate Peanut Butter Lover’s Dream

Prepare for an extraordinary treat that will elevate your baking game: soft, chewy chocolate chip cookies generously stuffed with a full-size Reese’s peanut butter cup. These Reese’s stuffed cookies are an absolute dream come true for anyone who adores the classic combination of chocolate and peanut butter. Imagine biting into a warm, gooey cookie to discover a decadent, molten peanut butter cup center – it’s an experience that’s truly unforgettable!

For years, my traditional chocolate chip cookie recipe has been a beloved staple among readers, praised for its perfect balance of softness and chewiness. I honestly thought that recipe couldn’t be improved upon. That was, until I embarked on the delicious adventure of stuffing them with peanut butter cups. And let me tell you, this ingenious twist has officially become my new favorite way to bake cookies! It transforms a classic into an indulgent masterpiece, making every bite a celebration of flavor and texture.

The foundation of these incredible cookies is a slightly scaled-down version of my classic chocolate chip cookie dough, yielding about 15 to 16 generously sized cookies. Each cookie bakes up beautifully, achieving that coveted soft and chewy interior with delightfully golden edges. But the real magic lies within: a whole Reese’s peanut butter cup nestled inside every single cookie. This ensures an explosion of rich chocolate and creamy peanut butter flavor in every mouthful, making them incredibly satisfying and utterly irresistible.

If you’re searching for a fun, impressive, and undeniably delicious twist on a timeless favorite, this recipe for chocolate chip peanut butter cup cookies is an absolute must-try. It’s more than just a cookie; it’s an experience that will delight your taste buds and impress everyone you share them with (if you can resist eating them all yourself!). Get ready to bake the best Reese’s stuffed cookies you’ve ever had!

Key Ingredients for Perfect Reese’s Stuffed Cookies

Crafting these amazing stuffed chocolate chip cookies begins with understanding the role each ingredient plays. Here’s a detailed look at what you’ll need and why:

• Unsalted Butter: Always opt for unsalted butter in baking to have complete control over the salt content in your final product. If you only have salted butter on hand, simply reduce the added salt in the recipe to just ⅛ teaspoon. Ensure your butter is softened to room temperature for optimal creaming with the sugars, which creates a light and airy base for your cookie dough.
• Granulated and Brown Sugar: The secret to perfectly balanced flavor and texture lies in using a combination of both sugars. Brown sugar is key for adding moisture, a subtle caramel-like depth, and that characteristic chewiness we all love in a chocolate chip cookie. Granulated sugar, on the other hand, contributes sweetness and helps the cookies spread beautifully in the oven, ensuring they don’t become too thick or dense.
• Egg + Extra Egg Yolk: The addition of an extra large egg yolk is a game-changer for these cookies. It significantly enhances the richness and chewiness, giving your cookies a truly luxurious texture. Don’t discard the leftover egg white! Use it as an opportunity to whip up some delicious candied pecans or add it to an omelet.
• All-Purpose Flour: Flour provides the essential structure for your cookies. Achieving the correct measurement is crucial for preventing dry, crumbly cookies. Always measure your flour by stirring it first to aerate it, then gently spooning it into your measuring cup, and finally leveling it off with the back of a knife. Never scoop the flour directly from the bag, as this compacts it and results in too much flour, leading to a dense, dry cookie.
• Cornstarch: This might seem like an unusual addition, but a touch of cornstarch works wonders in keeping these stuffed cookies incredibly soft and tender, even after they’ve cooled. It helps create that delightful melt-in-your-mouth texture. If you don’t have it, you can omit it, but it truly elevates the softness.
• Baking Soda and Baking Powder: Through extensive recipe testing, it was discovered that relying solely on baking soda could cause the cookies to spread excessively, especially with the peanut butter cup inside. The ingenious solution? A slight reduction in baking soda paired with the addition of baking powder! This combination ensures the cookies spread just enough to bake evenly around the Reese’s, while maintaining their thick, soft, and perfectly structured form. For those who love the science of baking, you can learn more about the difference between baking soda and baking powder.
• Chocolate Chips: Semi-sweet chocolate chips are a classic choice, offering a balanced sweetness that complements the peanut butter. However, feel free to get creative! You could use milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or even white chocolate chips. For an extra burst of peanut butter goodness, consider swapping some or all of the chocolate chips for peanut butter baking chips.
• Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups: Unlike recipes that call for mini peanut butter cups, these cookies are designed for the full-sized Reese’s experience! This ensures a substantial, gooey peanut butter core in every cookie. Snack-size Reese’s will also work if that’s what you have, just be aware they are slightly smaller and will result in a less pronounced center. Make sure to unwrap them all before you start assembling!

How To Make Irresistible Reese’s Stuffed Cookies

Creating these delightful peanut butter cup cookies is simpler than you might think. Follow these clear steps to achieve bakery-quality results right in your own kitchen:

1. Prepare the Cookie Dough: In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. This step is crucial for incorporating air and creating a tender cookie. Next, beat in the egg, the extra egg yolk, and the pure vanilla extract until fully combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients: flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Finally, gently fold in the chocolate chips until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough. Once the dough is ready, cover it tightly and transfer it to the freezer for a quick 20-minute chill. This brief freeze makes the dough much easier to handle when stuffing.
2. Freeze the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups: While your cookie dough is chilling, prepare your Reese’s cups. Unwrap all 15-16 full-sized peanut butter cups and arrange them in a single layer on a small baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the baking sheet in the freezer. Freezing the Reese’s is a vital step as it helps them maintain their shape and prevents them from melting too quickly when encased in the warm cookie dough and baked in the oven.

3. Scoop the Cookie Dough: Retrieve your chilled cookie dough from the freezer. For consistent cookie size and even baking, I highly recommend using a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop. Scoop out portions of dough, aiming for 30 to 32 individual balls. These will be used to encase each Reese’s cup. Place them on a separate baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
4. Stuff the Cookies with Reese’s: Now for the fun part! Take one ball of cookie dough and gently flatten it into a disk in the palm of your hand. Place a frozen Reese’s peanut butter cup squarely in the center of the flattened dough. Take a second flattened ball of cookie dough and carefully place it on top of the Reese’s, essentially creating a sandwich. Carefully bring the edges of the top and bottom dough together, sealing them completely around the peanut butter cup. It’s crucial that the Reese’s is fully enclosed to prevent it from melting out during baking. Repeat this process with the remaining cookie dough balls and frozen Reese’s, resulting in 15 to 16 large, perfectly stuffed cookie dough balls.

5. Chill the Stuffed Cookie Dough: Once all your cookies are stuffed and sealed, transfer the baking sheet with the dough balls to the refrigerator. Chill them for at least one hour, or even up to 24 hours. This second chill is absolutely essential! It allows the butter in the dough to firm up again, which prevents the cookies from spreading too much in the oven, ensuring they maintain their thick, plush shape and don’t turn into flat puddles.
6. Bake the Cookies to Perfection: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) with racks in the middle positions. Line two to three large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Arrange the chilled cookie dough balls on the prepared sheets, leaving about 2 inches of space between each one to allow for spreading. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes. You’ll know the cookies are perfectly done when their edges are lightly golden brown and their centers look set but still slightly soft and puffy. Remove them from the oven. If any cookies aren’t perfectly round, gently nudge their edges with the back of a spoon immediately after taking them out of the oven to shape them. Let them cool on the baking sheets for 10-15 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This cooling time on the hot sheet allows them to finish baking and firm up without becoming too fragile.

Delicious Recipe Variations

One of the best things about these stuffed cookies is how versatile they are! Feel free to get creative and customize them to your heart’s content:

• Experiment with Different Baking Chips: While semi-sweet chocolate chips are classic, don’t hesitate to swap them out or combine them with other varieties. Consider using rich dark chocolate chunks for a more intense chocolate flavor, creamy milk chocolate chips for extra sweetness, or even white chocolate chips for a different twist. As mentioned, peanut butter chips are also fantastic for an ultimate peanut butter experience!
• Explore Other Nut Butter-Filled Cups: Reese’s are amazing, but the world of nut butter cups is vast! You can easily substitute the Reese’s with almond butter cups, cashew butter cups, or even sunflower seed butter cups (Sunbutter cups) for a nut-free option. Each will bring its own unique flavor profile to the cookie.
• Stuff with Different Fillings: If you’re feeling adventurous and want to try something beyond peanut butter, these cookies are incredibly adaptable. Imagine stuffing them with whole Oreos for a cookies-and-cream surprise, caramel candies for a chewy, sweet center, or even a mini brownie bite for a double-dessert delight. The possibilities are endless!
• Add a Topping: Before baking, sprinkle a pinch of flaky sea salt on top of each cookie to enhance the chocolate and peanut butter flavors. Or, after baking and cooling slightly, drizzle with melted chocolate or peanut butter for extra flair.

Reese’s Stuffed Cookies Recipe

These soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies are bursting with a full-size Reese’s peanut butter cup, making them the ultimate indulgence for any peanut butter lover!

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 14 minutes

Chilling Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Yields: 15-16 cookies

Ingredients

• ¾ cup (170 grams; 1.5 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• ¾ cup (150 grams) packed light brown sugar
• ⅓ cup (67 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
• 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 ¼ cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups (270 grams) semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 15 to 16 full-sized Reese’s peanut butter cups, unwrapped

Instructions

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large mixing bowl with a handheld mixer), cream together the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar for 1 to 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
2. Mix in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Be sure to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure everything is well combined.
3. In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Then, mix in the chocolate chips until they are fully incorporated into the cookie dough.
5. Cover the cookie dough tightly with plastic wrap and transfer it to the freezer for 20 minutes. This optional step makes the dough easier to handle.
6. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the unwrapped Reese’s peanut butter cups on the baking sheet, then put the sheet in the freezer to chill while you work with the dough.
7. Line a separate large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set it aside.
8. Remove the cookie dough from the freezer. Using a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough into balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet. You should have approximately 30 to 32 balls of cookie dough.
9. Remove the frozen peanut butter cups from the freezer.
10. To stuff each cookie: Take one ball of cookie dough and flatten it into a disk. Gently press one frozen Reese’s into the center of the flattened dough. Flatten another ball of cookie dough and place it on top of the Reese’s. Carefully seal the edges of the dough together, ensuring the Reese’s is completely covered. Place the stuffed cookie dough ball onto the prepared large baking sheet. Repeat this process with the remaining dough balls and Reese’s cups, yielding 15 to 16 large stuffed cookie dough balls.
11. Cover the stuffed cookie dough balls with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour (or up to 24 hours). This chilling period is crucial for preventing the cookies from spreading too much during baking.
12. Once the dough is almost chilled, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
13. Line two to three additional large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Divide the chilled, stuffed cookie dough balls evenly between the prepared baking sheets, making sure to leave about 2 inches of space between each cookie to allow for proper spreading.
14. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are lightly golden brown and the tops appear set. Remove from the oven. If desired, use the back of a spoon or a round cookie cutter to quickly reshape any cookies into perfect circles while they are still warm.
15. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 10 to 15 minutes to firm up. Then, carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

• Storage Instructions: Store any leftover Reese’s stuffed cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. They remain soft and delicious!
• Freezing Instructions: Unbaked cookie dough balls (stuffed or unstuffed) can be frozen for up to 3 months. Place them on a baking sheet and freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag. Thaw them overnight in the fridge before assembling (if unstuffed) and baking as directed. Baked cookies can also be frozen for up to 2-3 months. Thaw at room temperature or gently warm in the microwave for a fresh-baked taste.

Cuisine: American

Course: Dessert

Author: Danielle Rye

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