Christmas Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

These Peanut Butter Cup Cookies are a classic treat, but with a cute Christmas twist with Reese’s mini peanut butter cup trees.

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Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe:

• Because while mini peanut butter cups are delicious, using festive shaped peanut butter cups like these Reese’s mini peanut butter trees is SO cute!
• It’s a classic cookie, full of nostalgic flavor.
• My recipe uses whole wheat flour (but you can use all-purpose flour if you choose).
• They’re simple and fun to make!

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions:

For a full ingredient list with quantities, please check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

• Flour – I use white whole wheat flour in these cookies, but there are notes in the instructions for using all purpose flour, too!
• Brown Sugar – I like using a little more brown sugar than white sugar because of the slight bit of extra flavor and moisture the brown sugar adds.
• White Sugar – you need some inside the cookie and some additional for rolling the cookie dough balls in before baking.
• Egg – an egg helps bind these cookies, and helps create a chewy texture.
• Vanilla – for flavor! You can use either vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.
• Peanut Butter – adds a creamy chewiness, plus of course the deep peanut butter flavor!
• Flour – I use white whole wheat flour in this recipe, but you can use all-purpose, too, you’ll just need a small amount more (notes in the recipe card!)
• Peanut Butter Cups or Trees – once baked, you’ll press a miniature peanut butter cup or a mini peanut butter cup tree or other shape into the center of the cookie.

How to Make Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

For complete instructions, please check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Cream the butter and sugars together, then add the peanut butter, egg, and vanilla and beat until smooth and creamy.

Stir in the dry ingredients just until mixed. Scoop the dough into balls, roll in granulated sugar, and place on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Bake, and immediately when you pull them out of the oven, add a miniature peanut butter cup or mini peanut butter cup tree and press it into the center of the cookie. Let finish cooling on the rack.

Tips and Variations

• Don’t overmix the dough. It can result in tougher cookies.
• Use creamy peanut butter – crunchy can affect the cookie texture.
• Let cookies full completely – including the center! If not, the centers are super melty and will get everywhere.

How to Store These Cookies

To store these cookies, you’ll want to make sure the cookies and the center peanut butter cups have fully cooled. If not, the chocolate peanut butter cups will still be melty and will stick to each other.

Once fully cooled, they can be stored in an airtight container on the counter for up to 4-5 days, in the fridge for up to a week, and in the freezer for up to a month.

You can also freeze the formed dough balls before baking, then simply thaw on the cookie sheet while the oven is preheating and bake as normal (you may need to add another minute or two, depending on how quickly your oven preheats/ cookie dough thaws).

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More Cookie Recipes to Love

• The Best Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie
• Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Gluten-Free Banana Cookies
• Almond Flour Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate Chips
• Gluten-Free Monster Cookies

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