Description

These Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies combine rich cocoa-infused dough with creamy peanut butter and melty chocolate chips, topped with a miniature peanut butter cup for an indulgent treat. Soft, chewy, and packed with intense chocolate and peanut butter flavor, they are perfect for satisfying sweet cravings with a perfect balance of textures and flavors.

Ingredients

Scale

Dry Ingredients

160 grams (1⅓ cups) all purpose flour
30 grams (¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons) cocoa powder (Dutch process)
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon kosher salt

Wet Ingredients

84 grams (6 Tablespoons; 3 ounces) unsalted butter (melted)
64 grams (¼ cup) peanut butter (creamy)
150 grams (¾ cup) brown sugar
50 grams (¼ cup) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk

Chocolate and Toppings

56 grams (2 ounces; ⅓ cup) chocolate chips
56 grams (2 ounces; ⅓ cup) dark chocolate, chopped
16 miniature peanut butter cups (dark chocolate variety)

Instructions

Preheat Oven: Place the oven rack in the center and preheat to 350° Fahrenheit (177° Celsius, Gas mark 4) to ensure the baking environment is ready for even cooking.
Mix Dry Ingredients: Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder through a fine mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Whisk these together thoroughly to blend and aerate for a consistent dough texture. Set aside.
Combine Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, stir the melted butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until well blended and smooth.
Add Eggs and Flavoring: Incorporate the vanilla extract, whole egg, egg yolk, and kosher salt into the wet mixture. Mix well until fully combined, then scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure even mixing.
Combine Dry and Wet Mixtures: Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients and stir until just a few flour streaks remain. Avoid overmixing to keep the cookies tender. Fold in the chocolate chips and chopped dark chocolate.
Portion Dough and Add Peanut Butter Cups: Measure out cookie dough in 2½ tablespoon balls (about 48 grams each). For portioning, use a #40 medium cookie scoop and combine one full scoop and a half scoop per cookie. Place the dough balls on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Top each with a miniature peanut butter cup, placing it right side up and pressing down lightly just to secure.
Bake Cookies: Arrange 6 cookies per sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 8 minutes until edges are set but centers remain soft.
Shape Cookies: Immediately after removing from the oven, use a round cookie cutter or the rim of a wide drinking glass to gently swirl and push the edges of each cookie into a uniform round shape.
Cool Cookies: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes to set. Then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely. The peanut butter and chocolate topping will be soft initially but will firm up within a few hours, allowing for stacking or storage.
Repeat Baking: Continue baking the remaining dough by repeating steps 6 to 9, baking six cookies at a time until all dough is used.

Notes

For even baking, do not overcrowd the baking sheet; bake in batches of 6.
Use Dutch process cocoa powder for a richer, deeper chocolate flavor.
Press peanut butter cups gently — too much pressure will cause them to sink or melt excessively.
Shaping cookies immediately after baking helps achieve a uniform, professional-looking round shape.
Allow cookies to fully cool before stacking to avoid smudging the melted chocolate and peanut butter.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes per batch
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: chocolate peanut butter cookies, peanut butter cups, chocolate cookies, soft chewy cookies, dessert, homemade cookies