Description
Peanut Butter Cookie Cups: Irresistible mini treats filled with creamy peanut butter goodness. Quick, comforting, and perfect for pleasing a crowd.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (165g) packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups (300g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (250g) creamy peanut butter (use a commercial brand like Jif or Skippy for best results)
- 1/2 cup (60g) powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (omit if using salted peanut butter)
Instructions
- Step 1: Prepare Your Equipment Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and generously grease a 24-cup mini muffin tin with cooking spray or butter. This ensures your cookie cups will release easily after baking. If you have two muffin tins, prepare both as this recipe makes approximately 36 cookie cups.
- Step 2: Make the Cookie Dough In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Don’t rush this step—proper creaming incorporates air for the perfect cookie texture. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then mix in the vanilla extract until combined.
- Step 3: Add Dry Ingredients In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add this dry mixture to your wet ingredients, mixing on low speed just until combined. Be careful not to overmix, which can make your cookie cups tough rather than tender.
- Step 4: Form and Bake the Cups Roll the dough into 1-inch balls (about 1 tablespoon each) and place one ball in each cup of your prepared muffin tin. Don’t press them down—they’ll naturally form into cups during baking. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are just turning golden brown but the centers still look slightly underdone.
- Step 5: Create the Cup Indentations Remove the muffin tin from the oven and immediately use the back of a measuring teaspoon to press down in the center of each cookie, creating a cup shape. Press firmly but gently to create a good-sized cavity without cracking the sides. Let the cookie cups cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Step 6: Prepare the Peanut Butter Filling While the cookie cups cool, make your filling. In a medium bowl, beat together the peanut butter, powdered sugar, softened butter, vanilla, and salt until smooth and creamy. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a star tip, or use a ziplock bag with the corner snipped off for easy filling.
- Step 7: Fill and Finish Once the cookie cups are completely cool, pipe the peanut butter filling into each cup, creating a small mound on top. For an extra special touch, sprinkle with a few mini chocolate chips or a light dusting of powdered sugar. Let the filled Peanut Butter Cookie Cups set for about 30 minutes before serving for the best texture experience.
Notes
Fresh ingredients will always yield the best flavor results.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie cup
- Calories: 180 calories
- Sugar: 11g
- Sodium: 140mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 20mg