These soft, sweet Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies are topped with a peanut butter cup right after baking. SO good!
I was hit with a wave of nostalgia when I happened upon this recipe from Everyday Food. My mother used to make a very similar sweet treat. She took the quick and easy route, using refrigerated peanut butter cookie dough baked in mini muffin cups. Then, she would press a peanut butter cup into the center when they came out of the oven.
I, too, have made that version many times. However, it seems to be next to impossible to find refrigerated cookie dough that doesn’t have trans-fats. So, I’ll be sticking to this slightly more involved recipe from now on.
One of my favorite aspects of these cookies is the coating of sugar each cookie gets before they are baked. It really ups the sweetness and gives them a little something extra.
I shared a batch of these with my co-workers, and the quickly emptied container told me that they were a hit. Luckily, I managed to save a few for us and for photographic purposes. They are definitely a must-bake for all you chocolate and peanut butter fans.
Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies
Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies are soft peanut butter cookies with a peanut butter cup pressed right into the center!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar, for rolling dough
- 36 mini peanut butter cups, chilled and unwrapped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Using an electric mixer, mix the peanut butter and butter until smooth. Add the brown sugar and beat until combined. Add the eggs and vanilla, mixing until combined. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing just until combined.
- Scoop the dough by tablespoons and roll into balls. Roll the balls in granulated sugar to coat completely. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheets.
- Bake about 7 minutes, or until the cookies begin to puff slightly. Remove from the oven, and press one peanut butter cup in the center of each cookie. Bake for about 6 minutes, or until golden brown and chocolate has begun to melt.
- Cool 10 minutes on pans. Then, transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Notes
Recipe slightly adapted from Everyday Food.
35 Comments on “Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies”
I saw those in Everyday Food too and was drooling over them. Unfortunately my husband has a mis-placed palate and doesn’t like peanut butter and chocolate together! Right?! I know.
Hi Jennifer
Is that a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup in the center of the cookie.
I opened my google reader and All I saw was a huge peanut butter cup. This looks amazing.
Too bad my mother-in-law just left. She would have gone wild over these. Maybe I’ll send her some… (she even bought a huge bag of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups while she was here!)
WOW – Now this is heaven….. I love this! Great post….
I love, love, love…
It’s printed and ready to go, as soon as I find those mini pb cups.
Mmmm what Chrismas treat those are going to make!
Great pics by the way…
Your photos are always amazing.
My sister-in-law just made these over last Christmas, but she used a pb cookie mix ( 🙁 ) and the regular size Reese’s cups. They were good, but I couldn’t believe she didn’t home make the dough! Gonna have to try these.
Chocolate and PB is the ultimate combo. I grew up with the whole PB cookie and chocolate kiss combo, but the Reese’s sounds delicious!
Love it!! I always look forward to your recipes, especially because your pictures are so great! Peanut butter and chocolate is one of the best combinations, thanks for the post!
so simple and yet so delicious.
Holy crap. I think I’ll have to make these tonight!
Oh I love these! Yummy!
Okay, are you ready?
Use the peanut butter blossom recipe, but instead of kisses, hide a Nestle treasure inside (I use caramel). They melt inside the cookie – it is hands down my husband’s favorite cookie. At Christmas, we call them Santa’s hidden treasures, but have numerous different (and bawdy) names for them for other times of year.
I’ve seen the refrigerated cookie dough recipe but much prefer this one, thanks!
MMmm…all the brown sugar surely makes ’em good & chewy…yum!
Love these! Anything with peanut butter is a hit with us for sure. I do remember Mama making these for us, and I have always loved them! Thanks for sharing with us. They were great!
I saw these too and wanted to try them, now that I know that they are fabulous, I will give them a try! They look amazing!!!!
Aw, I love these!
Thanks, everyone! 🙂
reese’s are my favorite candy so of course these are gonna be my favorite cookies! i love these things-now i’m gonna have to go make some 🙂
Good for you for staying away from trans fats! If only every consumer could be as knowledgeable as you!
Jennifer, these look so good. I just made a batch of peanut butter buddy bars for my grandson. They got lost by UPS so had to be tossed. I am going to do a remake and send these to him this week. Your recipe will certainly more than make up for his disappointment. Thanks!
That looks heavenly! The “cookie” part so nice and soft! Funny thing is that I don’t really like either one, peanut butter or chocolate on its own but put them together and something wonderul happens, YUM!
YUM!
This gives me the warm fuzzy’s. My mom never made them but it is what I imagine childhood is like in a perfect world.
Oh goodness I feel like an 8 year old all over again! My mom would make these with a Hershey’s Kiss instead of a peanut butter cup. I’ll just have to make a batch of each to see which my husband and I prefer! =)
what an utterly enticing photo! It borders on cruel!
Delicious! I would like to try but it is quite difficult to find reesies here in Spain. I’m thinking about using something different instead, maybe some “typical spanish” sweet but I don’t what 🙁
Now these are right up my alley! The sugar coating makes all the difference. I’m convinced that if you took 2T of sugar out of any cookie recipe and sprinkled it on top of the cookies instead, it always ends up tasting sweeter.
This is one of my favorite recipes to make.
This happens to be one of my favorite to make now as well….too bad those little peanut butter cups are so expensive!!! You are my new best friend, I am SO happy that I stumbled across your blog while looking for a recipe for garlic knots! Thanks for sharing 🙂
these look so GOOD!
im going to try them, as soon as i can get my hands on some reese cups. xD
I think my mom made these cookies every year for the holidays. I continued the tradition with my own family and they always disappeared very quickly. They are delicious just out of the oven when they are still warm and the chocolate and peanut butter are soft and melted…delicious with a glass of milk!
Ooh…I’m making these Christmas week. I can’t wait.
I’m linking, too…I love your blog!
OOOh…these take me back to my childhood! I loved these cookies…thank you so much for the recipe. I’m going to make these for my friends and give as Christmas gifts. Can’t wait to start baking 🙂
how much would a batch of 36 peanut butter cup cookies go for