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Bite into these Caramel Peanut Butter Cookie Cups and you'll taste melty caramel, creamy peanut butter, and crunchy roasted peanuts. Soft cookies hold gooey caramel inside, plus a mix of white and milk chocolate Reese's Minis on top. It's a fun sweet bite when you want something rich—perfect if you're sharing at a party or just want a quick treat to make your day better.
Fun Perks of Cookie Cup Treats
Caramel Peanut Butter Cookie Cups hit all the sweet spots with nutty, melty, and rich flavors. Picture a chewy peanut butter center, stuffed with caramel that melts right in, all together in one awesome bite.
Key Cookie Cup Must-Haves
- Reese's White Chocolate Minis: 8 oz (226g), grab about 48 pieces of these white chocolate candies.
- Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Minis: 8 oz (226g), around 48 milk chocolate ones, unwrapped.
- Roasted salted peanuts: ½ cup (71g), roughly chopped up small, pick fresh, crunchy ones.
- Kraft caramels: 24 pieces (about 9 oz/255g), take off the wrappers, keep them soft and at room temp.
- Salt: 1 teaspoon (6g), fine sea salt is best—skip the iodized stuff.
- Baking powder: 2 teaspoons (8g), always use fresh powder and shoot for one without aluminum.
- All-purpose flour: 2½ cups (300g), sift this out so you get no clumps, unbleached is what you want.
- Vanilla extract: 2 teaspoons (10ml), make sure it's pure and that good deep color.
- Eggs: 2 large (100g total), bring up to room temp, grab the freshest you can.
- Granulated sugar: ½ cup (100g), fine crystals, pure cane sugar if you can find it.
- Golden brown sugar: 1½ cups (300g), pack it tight and check it's still fresh and soft.
- Smooth peanut butter: 1 cup (250g), use a commercial brand at room temp—give it a good stir so it's not separated.
- Salted butter: 1 cup (226g), let it soften all the way (it should press in easily), European-style is super creamy.
Simple Steps for Baking Cookie Cups
- Get Things Ready
- Heat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and stick the rack in the middle. Mist a 24-slot muffin pan with non-stick spray and make sure everything you're using is up to room temp. Have your mixer (hand or stand), scoops, measuring tools, and wire rack close by.
- Mix Up the Dough
- Start by beating peanut butter with butter on medium (use the paddle on your mixer) till it's pale and fluffy—2-3 minutes. Pour in both sugars a bit at a time, mix each in for about 30 seconds, and scrape down the sides when needed. Crack in the eggs, one by one, mixing about 30 seconds each, then splash in vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk all the dry stuff. Blend the dry batch into the wet, splitting it into three parts and barely mixing each time—just until you don't see flour bits.
- Shape the Cups
- Grab your cookie scoop (about 1.5 tablespoons per scoop) and fill each muffin space. Press down and up along the sides to make a well (aim for about 2.5 inches wide and half an inch deep). If it's a bit too sticky to handle, chill the tray for 10 minutes.
- Bake First Round
- Slide the pan in and bake for 11 to 13 minutes, stopping when the edges start going golden (look for 165°F/74°C inside if you wanna check). Pull them out and, while they're still hot, gently push down the center with the bottom of a spoon to make the wells deeper.
- Add Sweet Stuff
- Within a couple minutes from taking them out, press a room temp caramel in the middle of each cookie. Drop in two minis of milk chocolate Reese's and two minis of white chocolate, spacing them around the caramel. Sprinkle a teaspoon of chopped peanuts on top of each one.
- Finish Baking, Then Cool
- Pop the tray back in for just five minutes—enough to soften the caramels and let the chocolate candies start to melt a bit. Let cool on the wire rack for 15 minutes (you want the inside temp to cool to about 110°F/43°C). Lever them out gently with an offset spatula, then set them on the rack till they're totally cool. Wait to eat until they're firmed up and set.
How to Store and Eat
Dig in while they're still a little warm if you want that gooey caramel bonus. If you have extras, just pop them in a sealed container—they'll be good on the counter for three days.
Cool Ways to Decorate
Want to dress them up? Flick some melted chocolate over the top before serving and they'll look totally pro.
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Smart Hacks from the Pros
For the chewiest caramel middle, shove those caramels deep in the cookies while they're piping hot from the oven. They'll melt just right—still gooey but holding shape for the perfect chewy bite every time.
Common Questions
- → How can I stop my cookie cups from crumbling when I pull them out?
Let them chill in the pan for at least a quarter of an hour, so the caramel and chocolate can firm up first.
- → Is it okay to prep these ahead?
For sure! Pop them in a sealed container and they’re good for about five days, or toss them in the freezer for three months max.
- → No Kraft caramels—what should I do?
Swap in any soft caramel candies or even drizzle in some caramel sauce. Just know it might feel a little different when you eat it.
- → What happens if I swap in chunky peanut butter?
Go for it. Crunchy peanut butter gives added bite. The dough might be a tad more crumbly, but it's tasty.
- → What's the trick to not having cookie cups stick?
Liberally spray your muffin tin before filling it up, and remember to let the cups cool down before you try taking them out.