Reese’s Pieces Cookies are the perfect easy dessert for peanut butter lovers! These soft, crumbly cookies can even be customized with all your favorite toppings.
Table of Contents
Let me tell you, these cookies are destined to be a favorite in your house just like they are in mine. Here’s why you’ll love them:
- Tons of Peanut Butter Flavor: These cookies are packed with rich peanut butter flavor, making them a slam-dunk for peanut butter lovers.
- Perfect Texture: The combination of ingredients and careful mixing results in a soft, fluffy, yet chewy texture that’s comforting and satisfying.
- Colorful and Crunchy: The Reese’s Pieces not only add a burst of color, they also add an irresistible crunch!
- Quick and Easy: This recipe is easy to follow, making it a great choice for both beginners and experienced bakers. The prep and baking time are short, too, so you can enjoy freshly baked cookies in no time.
Love Reese’s like I do? Then be sure to check out these giant reese’s peanut butter cookies and this incredible reese’s peanut butter pie!
The Ingredients You’ll Need
If you have a few basic baking items, you can create these indulgent Reese’s Pieces cookies. No Reese’s Pieces? No problem! See the “Variations” section below for all kinds of substitutes. For full ingredient amounts and directions, scroll to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Flour: Basic all-purpose flour is what you need for this cookie recipe.
- Baking Soda: Make sure you use baking soda, not baking powder, or the cookies won’t rise correctly.
- Salt
- Butter: Unsalted butter, at room temperature.
- Peanut Butter: Creamy peanut butter is my favorite, although crunchy will work if that’s what you have. (I use commercial, not natural peanut butter for the best texture).
- Sugar: You’ll need regular granulated sugar, as well as brown sugar.
- Egg: One large, whole egg adds structure to the cookie dough and binds it together.
- Vanilla
- Reese’s Pieces: And/or any of the mix-ins from the Tips section below!
I like to use my stand mixer for this recipe, but you could also use a hand mixer, or even make them with just a good strong whisk and a spoon. Be sure to beat the butter mixture until light and creamy, however you choose to do it.
- Make the Cookie Dough: Combine the dry ingredients in one bowl, and cream the butter, peanut butter, and sugars in a separate bowl. Once they’re light and fluffy, beat in the egg and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to form a smooth dough.
- Shape the Cookies: Stir the Reese’s Pieces into the cookie dough, and then form it into balls (about one tablespoon of dough for each ball). Flatten them on parchment-lined baking sheets, and press a few extra Reese’s Pieces on each if you like.
- Bake: Bake the cookies for about 9 minutes.
- Cool: Take out the cookies, and let them cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer to wire racks, and cool completely. Serve and enjoy!
While these cookies are soft, chewy and a little crumbly, they shouldn’t be dry or fall apart. Here are some common issues that can mess with the texture of your peanut butter cookies…
- Overmixing: Overmixing cookie dough (after you add the flour) can lead to dry, crumbly cookies. When you overmix, you develop too much gluten in the flour, which can create texture issues.
- Measuring Incorrectly: Measure everything carefully, but especially the flour. Too much flour can make for a dry cookie. Spoon flour into your measuring cup, and level it off with a butter knife, so it doesn’t get packed down.
- Overbaking: Baking too long or at too high a temperature can cause cookies to dry out. These cookies may seem very soft when you take them out, but that’s a good thing! They firm up as they cool.
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Baker’s Notes
Before you start baking, be sure to read through this section! These helpful tips will ensure that your Reese’s Pieces cookies turn out perfectly every time.
- Softened Butter: To make sure that your butter and sugars beat up together nicely, set the butter out to soften about 30 minutes before you start baking. You can also cut it into small pieces and knead them with your hands to warm them up and soften them.
- Peanut Butter: Natural peanut butter is wonderful, but commercial peanut butter is less likely to melt and become grainy in baking dishes. I use commercial peanut butter for most dessert recipes for the perfect smooth, even result.
- Evenly Sized Cookies: A cookie scoop or a measuring spoon is great for portioning out the dough. You’ll get evenly sized cookies that all finish baking at the same time.
- Additional Reese’s Pieces: You can try pressing a few extra Reese’s Pieces on top of each cookie before baking. This makes a prettier presentation (and who doesn’t love more candy?).
- Doneness: These cookies will not spread much at all in the oven, but that’s a good thing! They’ll stay thick and moist. You may feel that they don’t look done when you take them out, but they will become firm as they cool.
Fun Variations
This Reese’s Pieces cookie recipe is my favorite base for all kinds of delicious combinations. Everything goes with peanut butter, right? Here are just a few ways I’ve changed up the recipe. Feel free to share yours in the comments of this post!
- Mini Marshmallows: Mini marshmallows soften and melt while baking, and add an utterly gooey, soft, specialness to this recipe.
- Plain Chocolate Chips: Reese’s Pieces don’t have a big chocolate flavor, so mixing in semisweet chocolate chips ups the ante big time.
- Mini Reese’s Cups: Oh. Oh my. That is all.
- Plain: Let’s be real – sometimes, you just want a plain, simple, peanut-buttery cookie. These are wonderful for a simple, cafe-style peanut butter cookie. A little sea salt sprinkled on top brings out the best!
These cookies are safe to store at room temperature for up to one week. To keep them as fresh as possible, store them in an airtight container or zip-top bag.
Can I Freeze These?
Definitely! If you’d like to freeze your Reese’s Pieces cookies, just cool them down to room temperature first. Then place them in an airtight container or a freezer bag, with parchment paper in between layers of cookies so they don’t stick to each other. Freeze them for up to three months, and thaw to room temperature before serving.
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Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¾ cup peanut butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup Reese's Pieces, about 8 oz
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter, peanut butter and sugars, until light and fluffy. Add in the egg and vanilla.
- Gradually add in the flour mixture on low speed. Stir until dough forms. Then stir in Reese’s Pieces by hand.
- Using a cookie dough scoop or your hands, form balls of dough with 1 heaping tablespoon of dough. Gently flatten cookie dough (to form a disk shape) and place on prepared baking sheets. (If desired, press a few extra Reese's Pieces candies into the top of each cookie.)
- Bake for 9 minutes and remove from oven. Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Test Kitchen Review
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These cookies smell so yummy..I just made them. The only thing is…why are they crumbly? I think I did something wrong.
Just made these–YUM!
These are amazing! I had everything on hand except for the Reese’s pieces so I subbed in chocolate chips, best cookies I have made in a long time!
Thanks for sharing your recipes. I follow your blog all the time and have tried a few of your recipes with success. By the way, sorry to point it out but Reese’s was misspelled in the heading of this blog (or maybe this was intentional(?)).
Ha! We can all thank pregnancy brain for my major spelling error there. Thanks for the heads up!!! 😉
@Jessica Wow, lol sorry about that! I completely didn’t notice it in the recipe, thanks for the heads up. Good to know we see eye-to-eye on peanut butter in cookies 😀 Also thanks for letting me know about the straws!
I make almost the same recipe except I use some choc chips, too! You’re right, there’s very little that can top a PB cookie!
Yum! I love how puffy and delicious they look.
I choose peanut butter cookies over CCCs also!! Wise choice.
Peanut butter everything is always better! And I think your frame of mind is what puts you in with the uber cool food blogger group. I know what you mean about not eating real meals when it’s just you. On days when it just myself and my toddler, I am more than happy to eat yogurt, crackers and some fruit for dinner (which is usually also out lunch….. and breakfast, too). anyway, these cookies look to die for and I think I will need to try it with mini marshmallows and Reese’s pieces too!
while I can’t say I love PB cookies over classic choc chip (though obv, offer me either and I’ll eat 10) I totally do the snacking thing when my fiance isn’t around, so I feel ya on skipping full meals and just gobbling up a bunch of these yummy thangs instead 🙂
These are scrumptious! I just made them- doubled the recipe and put the reeces pieces on the top instead of mixing them in so they look as pretty as the ones in the picture. Very tender, sandy and peanutty!! 🙂
Ooh, these cookies look great for right about now, thanks for the recipe 🙂 Would make late night snacking a breeze – if they could only last that long! But I wonder, if I wanted to go full out on peanut butter flavour, how could I incorporate peanut butter into the dough?
Also, I’m dying to know where you got those delectable straws and milk jar from 😀
They already have peanut butter in the dough! Actually – it’s more peanut butter than butter. 😉 And the straws are form World Market a few years ago.
these look so fantastic! pb cookies are one of my favorites!
I’m the same as you when I’m on my own for dinner…it’s always some random snacky combination that my boyfriend would never consider a meal. An entire baguette smeared with goat cheese? Yes, please. Anyway, these cookies look wonderful. Peanut butter cookies are my fave too, and these look like an amazing version!
Peanut butter cookies are the best! Love how thick and loaded with Reese’s pieces these are!
They look perfect! I could eat them all 🙂
These sound ohhhh so good and look just beautiful!!
Cookie perfection! I’d like a plate full, please!
These sound amazing! I am a fan of peanut butter cookies too!
I love peanut butter cookies more, too. And these look absolutely glorious!! Currently craving cookies for breakfast…