If you’re anything like me, your holiday calendar is packed with festive fun. Strolling through twinkling light displays, sipping mulled wine by the fire, indulging in aprés ski fondu, and curling up to a Hallmark film make this time of year especially merry. But some of my favorite memories and traditions happen in the kitchen. My family takes holiday baking very seriously. My mom’s five-ingredient Reese’s peanut butter cookie recipe, in particular, is a crowd favorite at cookie swaps year after year.
Growing up, my childhood neighborhood was truly magical throughout the holidays. My parent’s corner—dubbed “candle corner”—consisted of four New England-styled homes, each adorned with friendship candles in the windows and bountiful wreaths. My friends and I bundled up to go caroling—hot cocoa in hand—while neighbors swapped cookies tucked into the most adorable Christmas tins, wrapped with big red bows.
Even today, stopping by my parents’ house over the holidays is a true treat. I’m greeted by the aroma of fresh baked goods while Harry Connick Jr.’s Christmas tunes stream in the background. We always bake a variety of traditional favorites, including my dad’s famous anginetti cookies and pizzelles, and my mom’s decadent peanut butter cookies. (They’re melt-in-your-mouth good!)
Why I Love My Mom’s Holiday Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Let’s be honest: Everyone looks forward to enjoying freshly baked cookies with a tall glass of milk. My mom’s peanut butter cookies incorporate that extra bit of chocolate that makes them truly decadent. Growing up, Santa got to savor them every Christmas Eve—and I had a sneak preview before he did, because I helped my mom bake them.
Mom typically prepares her peanut butter cookies with the chocolate Hershey’s kiss pressed into the center. Over the years, I’ve adopted a fun twist on the classic recipe: swapping out the kiss for a mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. Now, we make both as part of our tradition!
How To Make The Recipe
One of the best things about this recipe? It calls for just five simple ingredients: peanut butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, and miniature Reese’s.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup smooth peanut butter
- 1 cup white or light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 1 bag Reese’s Miniature Peanut Butter Cups
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Use a hand mixer to beat egg, peanut butter, and sugar in a large mixing bowl until smooth.
- Use a tablespoon to scoop and form balls of cookie dough. Place them onto the baking sheet, leaving about an inch between each cookie.
- Gently press on dough balls to flatten slightly with your fingertips.
- Place in preheated oven to bake until baked through but still soft, 9 to 11 minutes (They should not be too crisp when you remove them from the oven).
- While the cookies are baking, unwrap the miniature Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
- When you remove the cookies from the oven, immediately press a mini Reese’s into the center of each cookie.
- Let stand for about 10 minutes before transferring the cookies to a platter. Let cool slightly.
- Enjoy—and be sure to leave some for Santa!
Baker’s Tips
- These treats can be stored in an airtight container or cookie jar; they can also be frozen.
- Another trick? Sometimes, my mom likes to prepare the batter and roll it into mini “meatballs.” She’ll then freeze them so they’re ready to bake whenever she’d like.
- Frozen cookie dough is super convenient to pull out for movie night or unexpected guests. It’s also a great hack when you have to bake for a cookie swap early in the season and want to save some for later in the month.