These are Reese’s Pieces peanut butter cookies are the ULTIMATE peanut butter cookies. They’re soft, chewy, pudgy, extra thick and packed with peanut butter, peanut butter candies and chocolate chips. This recipe makes big, bakery-style cookies.
**This post was updated January 12, 2024 with new photos and a slightly updated recipe for bigger, bakery-style cookies**
If you’re the type of person who can eat peanut butter by the spoon and like your cookies extra soft – then these are the Reese’s pieces peanut butter cookies are for you. They’re basically the chewiest, pudgiest peanut butter cookies imaginable, and they’re filled with Reese’s pieces and chocolate chips. I sometimes find that peanut butter cookies can be too dry, or lack the flavor that I’m looking for. But these peanut butter cookies are the perfect bakery-style recipe.
Making Reese’s Pieces Peanut Butter Cookies
I’m going to walk you through the steps to make these big, bakery-style cookies. The recipe is very simple – but there are a few key steps and tips so that you end up with perfect cookies every time.
- Start by beating together the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and peanut butter. You’ll notice that we’re using more peanut butter than butter in this recipe to give a big, bold peanut butter flavor. Note that you should use commercially prepared peanut butter. Do not use peanut butter where the oil sits on top. This will lead to inconsistent results, because the amount of oil in the peanut butter will vary.
- Then you’ll beat in the egg and vanilla extract. The egg should be at room temperature for the best results. To warm up the egg quickly, place it in a bowl of warm water (not boiling) for about 10 minutes.
- Add in the flour, baking soda and salt. Then carefully beat together, starting with the mixer on a low speed. Note that this recipe uses 1 ½ cups flour for thick, pudgy cookies. Be sure to measure the flour carefully, otherwise the cookies can become dry. Fluff up the flour first, then spoon into dry measuring cups and level off the top. Or measure with a scale – 1 ½ cups flour weighs 188 grams or 6.6 ounces.
- Then stir in the chocolate chips and Reese’s Pieces. This recipe uses a lot of both Reese’s and chocolate chips – which is why why need the cookies to be extra thick so that they can hold all of the goodness.
- Cover the bowl, and chill the dough in the fridge for at least 2 hours or up to 48 hours. Chilling the dough creates super thick cookies – which is especially important if you plan on making ginormous bakery-style cookies like the ones pictured. While I have still found that these cookies will work for smaller cookies without chilling the dough, but if I highly recommend chilling the dough if you plan to make big, thick, bakery-style cookies.
- After the dough is done chilling, preheat the oven to 350F (180C) and line your cookie sheets with baking paper or baking mats. I always line my trays because it helps to prevent your cookies from getting too brown on the bottom. It’s also great because it keeps your baking trays clean.
- Then it’s time to form the dough into balls. For big, bakery-style cookies like the ones pictured form the dough into balls with ¼ cup of dough each and place then at least 2 ½ inches (about 6 cm) apart on your lined sheets. For smaller cookies, form the dough into balls with about 1 ½ tablespoons each and place 2 inches (about 5 cm) apart on the lined cookie sheets. You can press the tops of the cookies down slightly before baking for slightly less thinner cookies.
- Then it’s time to bake. Always bake 1 cookie sheet at a time in the middle of the oven. For big cookies, they’ll need about 14-16 minutes. Small cookies (made with 1 ½ tablespoons of dough) will need about 9-11 minutes. When the tops of the cookies look just set, then they’re ready to be taken out of the oven. I recommend placing a few extra chocolate chips and Reese’s Pieces on top of each cookie for the perfect bakery look. Be sure to cool the cookies on the cookie tray for at least 10 minutes, as the cookies will continue baking as they cool.
This recipe will make about 12-13 very large cookies, or you could make about 30 smaller cookies. You could also double the recipe for an extra big batch – but you will need a very large bowl. I would likely only double the recipe if you have a stand mixer, as it could be rather difficult to beat everything together with just a hand mixer.
Thick, chewy, extra soft – these are definitely the ultimate peanut butter cookies. The extra peanut butter in the batter and the Reese’s Pieces make them perfect for peanut butter lovers. And if you want a cookie that packs a peanut butter punch and maintains an incredible texture, then this is the recipe.
And for more delicious peanut butter treats, be sure to try:
- One BIG Peanut Butter Cookie for One – this is a giant single serving cookie, for when you don’t want leftovers
- 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies – for when your cupboard is bare
- Peanut Butter Cookie Cake – this is a giant peanut butter cookie that’s decorated with frosting, sliced into wedges and perfect for birthdays
Reese's Pieces Peanut Butter Cookies
Equipment
- Cookie Sheets
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter (112 grams)
- ¾ cup brown sugar (157 grams)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50 grams)
- ¾ cup peanut butter
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour (188 grams)
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup chocolate chips (135 grams) plus more for the top of each cookie
- ¾ cup Reese's Pieces (about 130-150 grams) plus more for the top of each cookie.
Instructions
- In a large bowl beat together the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and peanut butter until you no longer see lumps of butter.
- Mix in the egg and vanilla.
- Add in the flour, baking soda and salt. Beat together, starting with the mixer on a low speed and gradually increasing to medium speed until combined.
- Turn off the mixer and stir in the chocolate chips and Reese's Pieces.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 48 hours.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350F (180C) and line cookie sheets with baking paper or silicone baking mats.
- Form the dough into balls with ¼ cup of dough each for extra large cookies, or 1 ½ tablespoons of dough. Place extra large cookies 2 ½ inches apart on the lined cookie sheets, and smaller cookies about 2 inches apart.
- Bake 1 sheet at a time on the middle of the oven for 14-16 minutes for extra large cookies or 9-11 minutes for smaller cookies, or until the tops look just set.
- Remove from the oven and optionally dot the top of each cookie with a few extra chocolate chips and Reese's Pieces.
- Cool the cookies on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to continue cooling.
Notes
- Peanut Butter: Do not use homemade or natural peanut butter as it can separate. I always use classic, smooth peanut butter - such as Kraft, Skippy or Jiff.
- Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Baked and cooled cookies can be frozen for up to 2 months in an airtight container, then thaw in the fridge. Bring to room temperature before enjoying.
- Make Ahead Tips: Cookie dough balls can also be frozen in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Bake cookies from frozen - they'll need 1-2 minutes longer.
- Nutrition: Nutrition information is based on 1 cookie, assuming the recipe yields 12 very large cookies.
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