These Reese's Peanut Butter Cookies are a must-try for any peanut butter lover! They are made with two kinds of peanut butter candies, so they are extra delicious. Plus, they stay soft and chewy for days.
If you love cookies with pudding, try these Reese's chocolate cookies, too. They are just as amazing!
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Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe
I love baking a big batch of cookies at the beginning of the week to have on hand for lunches and snacking. With hungry kids in the house, they usually only last a few days.
This week, I cleaned our pantry and found an extra bag of peanut butter cups and Reese's Pieces. So, I changed these peanut butter pudding cookies with all the candies.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
These Reese's peanut butter cookies are soft, puffy, and so full of peanut butter goodness. You won't be able to get enough of these delicious treats.
They are perfect for parties, events, or just because you are craving peanut butter cookies.
- These peanut butter cookies stay soft for days!
- Each cookie is loaded with Reese's peanut butter cups and Reese's Pieces.
- This recipe is easy to change based on what candy you have in your pantry. Try using M&M's, Butterfinger, or Snickers instead.
- They will satisfy your chocolate and peanut butter cravings with just one bite!
Pudding Cookies
Adding instant pudding mix to cookies makes them soft and chewy and adds more flavor. Pudding cookies stay soft for days. Trust me—this is the best pudding cookie recipe out there!
On a very rare occasion, one or two peanut butter pudding cookies were left in the jar a week later, and they were still soft and chewy.
Key Ingredients
These peanut butter cookies call for simple ingredients you probably already have.
- Butter: Gives the cookies a great flavor. We use unsalted ingredients in all our recipes but feel free to use salted ingredients and adjust the salt in the recipe.
- Creamy Peanut Butter: This is the most essential addition to a peanut butter cookie.
- Sugar: A mixture of brown sugar and granulated sugar sweetens the cookies.
- Vanilla Pudding Mix: Adds a soft and chewy texture to the cookie dough. Just make sure you only use the DRY powder in the cookie batter.
- Flour: We usually use all-purpose flour in all of our baking. Most baking problems result from not knowing how to measure flour.
- Mix-Ins: We love using chocolate chips, peanut butter cups, and Reese's Pieces to give these pudding cookies a fun flair.
How to Make Reese's Peanut Butter Cookies
Another thing I love about pudding cookies is that you do not have to chill the dough. As soon as you mix together your ingredients, you can scoop it up and bake it.
- Beat the butter, peanut butter, and sugars in a large bowl until creamy.
- Add the eggs, honey, and vanilla and beat again.
- Stir together the dry ingredients and slowly mix it into the butter mixture. A stand mixer really does work best to mix the dough together because it is thick and sticky.
- Add the chocolate chips, Reese's Pieces, and peanut butter cups and then stir by hand gently.
- Use a cookie dough scoop to make 36 even dough balls. Top each dough ball with the extra candy.
- Place the cookie balls on a baking sheet and bake 10 minutes. Do not over bake.
- Remove and let the cookies sit on the hot cookie sheet for 1-2 minutes. Gently remove and place the cookies on parchment paper until they cool completely.
BruCrew Tip: Save some of the candy to press into the top of the dough balls so they bake up extra pretty.
Storage Recommendations
On the Counter: Store the cooled peanut butter pudding cookies in a tightly sealed container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
In the Freezer: Wrap each cookie individually in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer bag for 1-2 months. Thaw on the counter for a few minutes before serving.
Tips and Tricks
- We love using creamy peanut butter, but crunchy adds a fun texture to these cookies. An oily or natural peanut butter is NOT recommended.
- These cookies are thick and puffy when they come out of the oven. Because they are loaded with candies, they do not spread as much as regular peanut butter cookies.
- Use a flat spatula to gently tap the tops of the hot cookies to flatten them slightly. Be very careful doing this because it can mess up the tops of the cookies.
- Want to make these into bar cookies? Press the dough into a greased 11x17 baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 11-12 minutes.
More Pudding Mix Cookies
- Vanilla Pudding Cookies
- Nutella M&M Cookies
- Butterscotch Pudding Cookies
- S'mores Pudding Cookies
- Mint Pudding Cookies
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Recipe
Reese's Peanut Butter Cookies
These Reese's Peanut Butter Cookies are a must-try for any peanut butter lover! They are made with two kinds of peanut butter candies, which makes them extra delicious. Plus, they stay soft and chewy for days.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 1 (3.4 ounce) box instant vanilla pudding
- 1 cup chocolate chips (semi-sweet or dark)
- 1 ¼ cups halved Reese's mini peanut butter cups, divided
- 1 cup mini Reese's Pieces, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a Silpat.
- Beat the butter, peanut butter, and sugars until creamy. Add the eggs, honey, and vanilla and mix again.
- Stir the flour, baking soda, salt, and dry pudding mix in a bowl. Slowly add to the peanut butter mixture until everything is mixed in.
- Gently stir the chocolate chips, 1 cup peanut butter cup halves, and ¾ cup Reese's Pieces into the dough, making sure all the candies are mixed in evenly.
- Use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to make 36 even dough balls. Press the extra candy into the tops of the dough balls to make them bake pretty.
- Place 12 dough balls on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Let the cookies rest on the hot cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then gently move to a piece of parchment paper to cool completely.
Notes
- We love using creamy peanut butter, but crunchy would add a fun texture to these cookies. A natural or oily peanut butter is NOT recommended.
- These cookies are thick and puffy when they come out of the oven. Because they are loaded with candies, they do not spread as much as regular peanut butter cookies.
- Use a flat spatula to gently tap the tops of the hot cookies to flatten them slightly. Be very careful doing this because it can mess up the tops of the cookies.
- Want to make these into bar cookies? Press the dough into a greased 11x17 baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 11-12 minutes.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 36 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 211Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 143mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 1gSugar: 16gProtein: 4g
Nutrition facts are an estimate and are not guaranteed to be accurate. If you need special diet advice, please see a registered dietician.
This post was first published in August 2012. The pictures were updated in August 2018, and the post was republished in May 2022.
Emily
I am not normally one to leave comments on recipes but I will stalk the comments to see if it’s something worth trying…. I’m glad I didn’t listen to the negative comments on this recipe because these cookies were AMAZING. Literally one of the best cookies I’ve made. Everyone at work couldn’t stop talking about them. About to make my second batch!!!!
Patrick
These cookies are dy-no-mite. People went gaga over them. They cooked up beautifully; like all pudding cookies, they retained a soft texture. The cups, pieces, and chips made for great texture and flavor. These will be made again. They were also super easy to make with a stand mixer.
Stacey
These cookies are delicious...omg. I made these tonight, pretty easy to follow! I did everything as it said, to die for!!! Yummm! My dough was the perfect consistency. And 10 minutes was perfect!! Only thing is I can't stop eating them!!😆😆Oh it broke that one's mine!! Thank you!!
Krystal
Where do you find your mini Reese's pieces? I can't seem to find them anywhere. I only find the regular sized.
Jocelyn
It has been hit or miss lately for me to find the minis too. I did just pick up a bag of the mini Reese's at Walmart with the ice cream toppings. Sometimes I can find the mini Reese's cups and Pieces in a bag like chocolate chips. And if you can't find them, the regular Reese's Pieces are just as good in these cookies.
Justin
So I followed everything to a t with measuring and order and I followed the cook time too. They seem very soft and almost like raw on the inside.
Jocelyn
I'm so sorry to hear yours seemed soft. How long did you let them cool on the cookie sheet after taking them out of the oven? Was it cool completely before you tried eating one? They do set up after they cool completely.
Tish
This is the second time that I have made these. They are a great cookie for Halloween!
Very good and not dry at all.
J Davis
What can you substitute for honey? I know some people thar can't have honey. Thank you
Jocelyn
You can leave the honey out. The cookies will be fine without it. I hope you enjoy the cookies!
Stefanie Smith
Hi! I thought I would let you know that the printable recipe does not match up to the website. It doesn't mention at all when to put the honey in and also has some of the things in different order. I am making these now though and can't wait to see how they turn out!
Jocelyn
Hi, Stefanie. I just took a look at the post and the printable recipe and everything matches. I'm not sure where you are seeing differences. Step 3 in the recipe card says to add the eggs, honey, and vanilla. I hope you enjoy the cookies.
Mary
I have made a lot of these cookies but we have made them with both vanilla and chocolate pudding. The chocolate pudding makes them taste like a reese's cup!
Rick
I made these last Sunday (5/17) and got to the very last step and realized I didn't add the peanut butter earlier. So I added it on the last step. The dough was extremely thick and hard to mix. After a while the dough became crumbly and wouldn't solidify. I ended up baking the dough as it was and the cookies seemed to be ok. But I just wonder, would they have turned out better had I added the peanut butter earlier on as indicated? Also the add-ins seemed a little too excessive. If I make these again, I would cut back on some of the add-ins.
Jocelyn
Yes, if the peanut butter was added earlier it would have been much easier to mix in. And totally feel free to cut back on the extra candies and chocolate chips. We prefer them loaded with the extra goodies!
Debbie
I added the peanut butter correctly and mine still came out too thick and crumbly. Then the cookies wouldn't flatten out and the candies kept falling out because there were too many. I reread the directions thinking I did something wrong but I did everything right. If I attempt this again, I will cut the amount of candy in half. The issue was too much candy. I even skipped putting the remainder on top because it was candy overload.
Ashley
My kids and I love these cookies very simple to make and they keep very soft
Lindsay
Hi-
Do you use unsalted or salted butter? thanks!
Jocelyn
I use unsalted butter in all my recipes, so I can control the amount of salt. You can use salted if that is what you have, just make sure to reduce the amount of salt. Enjoy the cookies!
Trish
Could these b made into bar cookies? Put the dough in a pan
Jocelyn
You sure can. The baking time will depend on what size pan you use. Here is another peanut butter cookie recipe that is very similar and I baked it as bars. https://insidebrucrewlife.com/peanut-butter-nutella-cookie-bars/
Tiffiny
Omg, I just finished making these and 8 are already gone between my kids, my husband, and myself. They are SO good! Thank you si much for this phenomenal recipe!
Jocelyn
Yay! I love hearing that! I'm glad you guys are enjoying them!!!
Kristin
I have made these so many times! I even did a Christmas version with red/green m&m’s instead of the Reese’s Pieces and peanut butter chips in place of the chocolate chips. My family cannot get enough of these!! I love how soft and chewy they are and they stay that way too! This recipe is now in my arsenal of regular cookie baking. SIMPLY INCREDIBLE!
Katharine Mulfinger
This is my go-to cookie recipe. I'm actually making some now for my sister and her fiance upon request. They stay soft and moist. Awesome recipe.
Jocelyn
Yay! That makes me so happy to hear that!! Thank you for stopping by and sharing that with me!
Kelly
I have made these cookies a bunch and they are always a crowd-pleaser! Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Jocelyn
That is so awesome to hear. Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and let me know. I appreciate that so much 🙂
Kristi
Can this dough be made into bar cookies ?
Jocelyn
Yes it can. Here is another one that I did in bars. It just uses cornstarch instead of a pudding mix. https://insidebrucrewlife.com/peanut-butter-nutella-cookie-bars/
Melissa caceres
These are my husband’s favorite cookies!!!! I make them weekly for his lunches!! I appreciate your recipe because they are sooo delicious!! Thank you sooo much!!!
Jocelyn
Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I am so happy to hear that these are a favorite in your house!!! Happy New Year!!
Sarah
Should the brown sugar be packed?
Jocelyn
Yes, brown sugar should always be packed unless the recipe states differently. I hope you enjoy the cookies!
Melissa
Did you intend for the baking soda to be baking powdere or no? Normally when you use AP flour, you add Baking Powder and Salt. You did not specify which clout in the recipe so if you could clarify, that would be great. Thanks.
Jocelyn
The recipe ingredient list and instructions clearly state that you are to use baking soda. I always use all purpose flour in all my recipes, unless otherwise specified. I hope you enjoy the cookies!
Melissa
Yes, I said I saw it said baking soda, I just wanted to be sure because I do not not.ally use baking soda in cookies, I use baking powder. I have never been to your page and arrived there from Pinterest so I had no idea which clout you use. My apologies.
That being said, I made them yesterday and they were amazing. Everyone loved them.
I do have one other question. Did you use Milk chocolate chocolate chips or semi sweet? I wasn't sure so I used half Milk chocolate and half semi sweet but I would like to know which ones you use.
Again, these cookies were amazing. So glad I made them. Thank you for posting.
Melissa
Wow, sorry for the typos. Typed on my phone and even when I type it write, it changes it to what it thinks it should be. Drives me insane. Of course that 1st typo should have said Normally and the 2nd should have said flour. Thanks again
Jocelyn
No worries at all! 🙂 I'm glad you tried the cookies and loved them. It's one of our favorite family cookies. I usually use semi-sweet, but I also change it up sometimes and use dark chocolate. There is really no wrong way to add chips. You could even do a mix of white, milk, and dark for a fun twist.
Heather Smith
I made these last month for our road trip to Disney :). Everyone LOVED. Reading this recipe again because I am making again today for bake sale at work :). Thanks for sharing it!!