Are you craving the ultimate peanut butter lover’s dream? These Triple Reese’s Cookies are a visually stunning masterpiece, featuring a soft baked golden brown peanut butter cookie dough that practically melts in your mouth. If you love decadent, bakery-style treats, this recipe is guaranteed to become a new favorite.
Every single bite is heavily studded with bright orange, yellow, and brown candy coated Reese’s Pieces. We fold in small melted peanut butter chips for an extra creamy texture, and top them with large chunks of melted chocolate covered Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. The result is a crinkled and cracked exterior with a thick gooey center full of oozing creamy peanut butter filling.
Baked on crumpled unbleached parchment paper over a metal baking sheet, these cookies boast beautifully textured bottoms and a professional, unedited aesthetic. Grab your glass of milk, because these peanut butter cookies are as rich and deeply flavorful as they are gorgeous.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Unmatched Texture: A specialized blend of cornstarch and brown sugar guarantees a highly detailed food texture, giving you that coveted thick gooey center and a perfectly crinkled and cracked exterior.
- Triple the Peanut Butter: With creamy peanut butter in the dough, sweet peanut butter chips, and oozing creamy peanut butter filling from the cups, it hits every flavor note.
- Visual Perfection: Pressing extra bright orange, yellow, and brown candy coated Reese’s Pieces into the tops right out of the oven ensures a photogenic, bakery-worthy finish.
- Foolproof Process: Resting the dough ensures a soft baked golden brown base that won’t spread thin on your metal baking sheet.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Unsalted Butter: 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature. This provides the foundational fat needed for a tender crumb without adding excess salt.
Creamy Peanut Butter: 3/4 cup (190g) processed creamy peanut butter (avoid natural, oil-separated brands). This is vital for the dough’s structure and ensures the thick soft baked peanut butter cookie texture.
Brown Sugar: 3/4 cup (150g) tightly packed light brown sugar. The molasses content creates the thick gooey center and soft natural daylight-catching golden hue.
Granulated Sugar: 1/4 cup (50g) white granulated sugar. This helps achieve the crinkled and cracked exterior during the baking process.
Egg: 1 large egg (50g), at room temperature. The egg acts as the primary binder, providing lift and structural integrity to the heavy dough.
Vanilla Extract: 1 tsp (5ml) pure vanilla extract. It enhances the deep chocolate and peanut butter flavor profiles.
All-Purpose Flour: 1 1/4 cups (156g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled. This builds the foundational structure, keeping the cookies thick and preventing them from spreading.
Baking Soda & Cornstarch: 1/2 tsp (3g) baking soda and 1 tsp (3g) cornstarch. The baking soda provides the crinkly rise, while the cornstarch is the secret to an ultra-soft, tender center.
Salt: 1/2 tsp (3g) kosher salt. A crucial invisible ingredient that balances the intense sweetness of the candies.
Reese’s Pieces: 3/4 cup (130g) Reese’s Pieces, divided. The vibrant orange, yellow, and brown candy coated shells provide a crucial visual pop and satisfying crunch.
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups: 1 cup (150g) chopped Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Kept slightly chilled so they turn into large chunks of melted chocolate oozing creamy peanut butter filling.
Peanut Butter Chips: 1/2 cup (85g) peanut butter chips. These melt into small pockets of sweetness throughout the cookie base.
Equipment Needed
- Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer: For properly creaming the butter and sugars to incorporate air.
- Metal Baking Sheet: A light-colored metal pan prevents the bottoms of the cookies from burning while achieving a golden brown base.
- Unbleached Parchment Paper: Crumpled unbleached parchment paper creates a non-stick surface and adds to that rustic, highly detailed food aesthetic.
- Large Cookie Scoop: A 3-tablespoon (45ml) scoop ensures thick, uniform cookies.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Cream the Wet Ingredients
In a large bowl, use a mixer to beat the 1/2 cup (113g) softened butter, 3/4 cup (190g) creamy peanut butter, 3/4 cup (150g) brown sugar, and 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar on medium-high speed. Mix for 2-3 minutes until light, fluffy, and completely smooth.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the large egg and 1 tsp (5ml) vanilla extract, beating just until incorporated to avoid overmixing.
2. Whisk and Incorporate Dry Ingredients
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the 1 1/4 cups (156g) flour, 1/2 tsp (3g) baking soda, 1 tsp (3g) cornstarch, and 1/2 tsp (3g) kosher salt. Gradually add this dry mixture to the wet ingredients with the mixer on low speed.
Stop mixing right when you see the last streaks of flour disappear. Overmixing will overwork the gluten, causing you to lose that soft baked golden brown cookie dough texture.
3. Fold in the Triple Reese’s Mix-Ins
Using a sturdy spatula, gently fold in 1/2 cup (85g) of the small melting peanut butter chips and 1/2 cup (85g) of the bright orange, yellow, and brown candy coated Reese’s Pieces. Reserve the remaining Pieces and the chopped Reese’s Cups for the tops.
Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 45 minutes. This chilling process solidifies the butter, ensuring a thick gooey center and stopping the cookies from spreading.
4. Portion and Bake
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a metal baking sheet with crumpled unbleached parchment paper, flattening it out slightly so it covers the pan.
Using a large cookie scoop, portion the chilled dough into 3-tablespoon (45g) mounds. Place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
Look for visual cues: the edges should be a soft golden brown and the exterior should be beautifully crinkled and cracked. The centers will look slightly underbaked—this is exactly what you want.
5. Press in the Final Candies
Immediately upon removing the metal baking sheet from the oven, gently press the reserved orange, yellow, and brown Reese’s Pieces into the hot cookie surface. Follow by gently pressing the large chunks of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups into the top.
The residual heat will melt the chocolate cups, creating those gorgeous pools of oozing creamy peanut butter filling. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
Expert Tips for Success
- Do Not Overbake: Pull the cookies out when the edges are set but the center is still pale and slightly jiggly. They will continue to bake on the hot metal baking sheet.
- The “Pan Bang” Technique: If your cookies aren’t cracking, gently bang the metal baking sheet on your oven rack once at the 8-minute mark to encourage that crinkled and cracked exterior.
- Freeze the Cups: Chop your Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and place them in the freezer for 15 minutes before baking. Pressing cold chunks into the hot cookies prevents them from completely disintegrating while still allowing the filling to ooze.
- Crumple the Parchment: Physically crumpling the unbleached parchment paper and smoothing it back out prevents the cookies from sliding and spreading too fast, giving them better grip on the pan.
Storage & Reheating/Freezing
Store leftover Triple Reese’s Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Add a slice of white bread to the container to keep the centers incredibly soft and gooey.
To freeze the baked cookies, place them in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, or pop them in the microwave for 10 seconds to restore the oozing melted peanut butter chips and cups. You can also freeze the raw dough balls and bake them straight from frozen, simply adding 2-3 extra minutes to the bake time.
What to Serve With This
These decadent, bakery-style cookies are the perfect dessert to follow any meal. If you’re planning a full menu, here are some phenomenal pairings and ideas to make your dinner complete!
Cozy Soups & Comforting Starts:
Warm up your evening before dessert with a rich bowl of cheesy-broccoli-potato-soup or a steaming bowl of tiktok-lasagna-soup. For classic comfort, try the chicken-and-rice-soup, creamy-taco-soup, cheeseburger-soup-recipe, or a fragrant ginger-garlic-chicken-noodle-soup.
Party Appetizers & Game Day Favorites:
Hosting a crowd? Serve these cookies alongside savory snacks like pepperoni-pizza-crescent-rolls, spicy buffalo-chicken-dip, the addictive hissy-fit-dip, easy crockpot-rotel-dip, or a fresh egg-roll-in-a-bowl.
Hearty Dinners (Pasta, Bowls & Beef):
Nothing follows a savory meal better than peanut butter. Enjoy these after a sweet-potato-tortellini-skillet, grilled-mediterranean-bowl, or savory black-beans-and-rice-with-sausage. Try our one-pot-black-beans-and-rice, a fun cowboy-spaghetti, creamy ground-beef-alfredo-pasta, traditional spaghetti-meat-sauce, or hearty stuffed-manicotti-with-meat-sauce. For lighter pasta options, check out the lemon-orzo-pasta-salad, rich chicken-pot-pie-pasta, mediterranean-shrimp-orzo, or homemade homemade-alfredo-sauce. Looking for protein bowls? Try the high-protein-cheeseburger-bowls, high-protein-mediterranean-chicken-bowls, steak-fajita-bowl, ground-turkey-taco-skillet, or keto-ground-beef-casserole.
Chicken & Pork Mains:
For a protein-packed dinner, serve up a spicy-korean-bbq-chicken-sandwich, spicy-dragon-chicken, bbq-chicken-flatbread, or mexican-chicken-torta. Family favorites include ranch-chicken-enchiladas, sweet and spicy gochujang-chicken, korean-bbq-chicken-sandwich, juicy cranberry-glazed-pork-tenderloin, simple brown-sugar-pork-chops, baked-chicken-ricotta-meatballs, a quick 5-ingredient-casserole, comforting southern-dirty-rice, or steaks drizzled in authentic-chimichurri-sauce.
Sensational Sides:
Round out the meal with a crisp spicy-cucumber-salad, fluffy crispy-baked-potatoes, perfectly seasoned crispy-oven-roasted-potatoes, a fresh winter-fruit-salad, vibrant roasted-beet-and-orange-salad, or beautifully caramelized oven-roasted-vegetables. Pair them with fresh baked breads like homemade-focaccia-bread, garlic-herb-dutch-oven-bread, or sourdough-discard-tortillas.
Breakfast For Dinner (Or Next Day Treats):
Got a sweet tooth in the morning? Bake up some keto-cinnamon-rolls, flaky homemade-croissants, savory sausage-gravy-breakfast-pizza, or browse our easy-breakfast-ideas. Try the popular korean-mayak-eggs or fun st-patricks-day-cupcakes.
More Incredible Desserts & Drinks:
Can’t get enough sweets? Fill your dessert table with heart-shaped-strawberry-shortbread-cookies, a refreshing italian-lemon-cream-cake, bite-sized sugar-cookie-truffles, an easy gluten-free-pumpkin-dump-cake, decadent turtle-brownie-cheesecake, classic apple-pie-with-store-bought-crust, festive grinch-oreo-balls, traditional cannoli-squares, sweet caramel-cheesecake-cookies, nostalgic christmas-crack-cookies, fruity strawberry-cheesecake-cookies, rich texas-chocolate-pecan-pie, trendy korean-milk-cream-donuts, seasonal peppermint-bark-cheesecake, a classic-cheesecake-recipe, fun christmas-cookie-dip, moist banana-cinnamon-pecan-cupcakes, an impressive loaf-pan-burnt-cheesecake, or another batch of our famous triple-reese-s-peanut-butter-cookies. Wash it all down with a fizzy raspberry-sherbet-champagne-float.
Miscellaneous Delights:
Don’t forget to check out our winter-sheet-pan-dinners, spicy bibim-guksu, fresh new-york-deli-shrimp-salad, or crispy coconut-shrimp-recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You can prepare the dough, portion it into balls, and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. When ready to bake, you may need to add 1-2 minutes to the baking time.
It is highly recommended to use a commercial, processed creamy peanut butter (like Jif or Skippy). Natural peanut butter separates and adds too much oil, which alters the structure and causes the cookies to spread.
The secret is to chop your Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, freeze them for 15 minutes, and gently press them into the tops of the cookies immediately after pulling the metal baking sheet out of the oven. The residual heat will melt them beautifully without disintegrating them into the dough.
Cornstarch acts as a tenderizer. It prevents the cookies from spreading too quickly and guarantees a phenomenally thick, gooey, and soft-baked center that lasts for days.
Cookies usually spread if the butter was too warm, the dough wasn’t chilled long enough, or the flour wasn’t measured correctly. Ensure you chill the dough for a full 45 minutes and spoon-and-level your flour.
Let’s Get Baking!
There’s nothing quite like pulling a metal baking sheet full of thick, soft baked golden brown peanut butter cookies out of the oven. The incredible aromas and oozing chocolate will have everyone running to the kitchen.
If you try this recipe and love the thick gooey centers as much as we do, please leave a comment and a 5-star review below! Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter for more bakery-style recipes sent straight to your inbox.
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Recipe Details
Ultimate Thick & Soft Triple Reese's Cookies
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- In a large bowl, use a mixer to beat the softened butter, creamy peanut butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract, beating just until incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and kosher salt. Gradually add this dry mixture to the wet ingredients with the mixer on low speed. Stop mixing right when you see the last streaks of flour disappear.
- Gently fold in the peanut butter chips and 1/2 cup of the Reese's Pieces. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 45 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a metal baking sheet with crumpled unbleached parchment paper. Scoop 3-tablespoon mounds of dough and place them 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges are a soft golden brown and the exterior is crinkled.
- Immediately upon removing the pan from the oven, gently press the reserved Reese's Pieces and the chopped Reese's Peanut Butter Cups into the hot cookie surface. Let rest on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Notes
The 'Pan Bang' Technique: Gently bang the metal baking sheet on your oven rack once at the 8-minute mark to encourage a crinkled exterior.
Freeze the Cups: Chop your Reese's Cups and freeze for 15 minutes before baking so they ooze beautifully without disintegrating.
