Cookie Dough Peanut Butter Cups (Printable Version)

Rich peanut butter cups filled with eggless chocolate chip cookie dough and coated in silky chocolate.

# What You Need:

→ Cookie Dough

01 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
03 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
04 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
05 - 1 tablespoon milk
06 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, heat-treated
07 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
08 - 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

→ Peanut Butter Layer

09 - 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
10 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
11 - 1/4 cup powdered sugar
12 - Pinch of salt

→ Chocolate Coating

13 - 2 cups semisweet or milk chocolate chips
14 - 2 teaspoons coconut oil or vegetable oil

# How-To Steps:

01 - In a medium bowl, cream together softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth. Mix in vanilla and milk. Add heat-treated flour and salt; mix until combined. Fold in mini chocolate chips. Chill in the refrigerator while preparing the chocolate.
02 - Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
03 - Melt chocolate chips with coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring until smooth.
04 - Spoon approximately 1 tablespoon of melted chocolate into each liner. Tilt or tap the pan to coat the bottom evenly. Chill in the freezer for 10 minutes.
05 - Mix peanut butter, melted butter, powdered sugar, and a pinch of salt until smooth and well combined.
06 - Remove muffin tin from freezer. Drop a heaping teaspoon of peanut butter mixture onto the set chocolate in each cup, flattening it slightly.
07 - Scoop approximately 1 teaspoon of chilled cookie dough and gently press onto the peanut butter layer in each cup.
08 - Top each cup with sufficient melted chocolate to cover the fillings completely, smoothing the tops.
09 - Chill in the refrigerator or freezer for at least 20 minutes until fully set.
10 - Transfer cups to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • You get to eat cookie dough without the guilt, since the flour is heat-treated and there are no eggs lurking anywhere.
  • Homemade peanut butter cups cost a fraction of the fancy ones and taste infinitely fresher.
  • They're simple enough to make on a lazy afternoon but impressive enough to gift or serve at parties.
02 -
  • Heat-treating the flour is not optional when you're eating raw dough—this prevents foodborne illness while keeping the dough's delicate texture intact.
  • If your chocolate is too thick to coat smoothly, thin it with a teaspoon more coconut oil rather than water, which can seize the chocolate.
  • The freezer step between chocolate layers is crucial; if the base chocolate isn't fully set, the warm peanut butter layer will cause it to slide around.
03 -
  • Use a small cookie scoop to portion cookie dough evenly, which keeps your cups consistent and makes assembly feel less chaotic.
  • If your chocolate firms up too much between layers, microwave it for just 10 seconds to soften without re-melting it completely.
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