Peanut Butter Reese’s Pieces Cookies
These soft and chewy peanut butter cookies are packed with colorful Reese’s Pieces and rich peanut butter flavor in every bite. Baked until golden with lightly crisp edges and tender centers, they’re a fun, bakery-style cookie that’s easy to make and perfect for parties, cookie boxes, or whenever a peanut butter craving hits.
Servings 20 cookies
Calories 240kcal
Cost $8 for entire recipe
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Hand or stand mixer
- Rubber spatula
- Baking Sheets
- Parchment paper
- Cookie scoop (2 tbsp size)
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
- ¾ cup creamy peanut butter not natural
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup light brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Mix-ins
- 1 cup Reese’s Pieces candy
- Optional: ½ cup peanut butter chips for extra PB punch
Instructions
Mix dry ingredients
- In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Cream butter & sugars
- In a large bowl, beat butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes).
Add egg & vanilla
- Beat in egg and vanilla until smooth and fully incorporated.
Combine
- Gradually mix in dry ingredients until just combined—don’t overmix.
Fold in Reese’s Pieces
- Gently fold in Reese’s Pieces (and peanut butter chips if using).
Chill dough
- Cover and chill for 30 minutes for thicker cookies.
Bake
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Scoop dough onto lined baking sheets, spacing 2½ inches apart.
Optional press
- Lightly press extra Reese’s Pieces on top for bakery-style looks.
- Bake 10–12 minutes
- Edges should be set, centers soft and slightly underbaked.
Cool
- Let cool on pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack.
Notes
- Peanut butter matters: Use a regular creamy peanut butter (like Jif or Skippy). Natural or oil-separating peanut butter will make the dough dry or crumbly.
- Chill for thickness: Chilling the dough for 30 minutes helps the cookies stay thick and prevents spreading.
- Don’t overbake: Pull the cookies when the centers look slightly underdone—they’ll set up as they cool and stay soft.
- Extra bakery look: Press a few Reese’s Pieces into the tops of the dough balls before baking.
- Sticky dough tip: If the dough feels sticky, lightly flour your hands or chill an extra 10 minutes.
- Even baking: Use light-colored baking sheets and rotate halfway through baking for consistent results.
- Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze baked cookies for up to 2 months.
- Flavor boost: A pinch of flaky sea salt on top right after baking makes the peanut butter flavor pop.
🔁 Variations
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Lovers: Swap half the Reese’s Pieces for mini chocolate chips
- Extra Thick Cookies: Chill overnight and bake straight from fridge
- Salted PB Cookies: Sprinkle flaky sea salt on top before baking
- Gluten-Free: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend