These soft, chewy Reese's Pieces cookies are loaded with colorful peanut butter candy and melty chocolate chips in every bite. I first made these the day after Halloween when my pantry was overflowing with leftover candy, and they disappeared faster than any batch I'd ever baked. The best part? They come together in just 20 minutes with no chilling time, so you can go from craving to cookie in less than half an hour.
If you love easy treats that taste bakery-quality, you'll want to try these alongside my Peanut Butter M&M Cookies and Buckeyes Recipe for a full candy-inspired dessert spread.
Why You'll Love This Reese's Pieces Cookies
You're going to love these Reese's Pieces Cookies because they're incredibly easy to make and use up all that leftover Halloween candy sitting in your cupboard. There's no chilling required, so you can have warm cookies in your hands in 20 minutes flat. The combination of chocolate and peanut butter is always a winner, and the flakey sea salt on top adds a fancy bakery touch that makes them feel special. Plus, they stay soft and chewy for days, which means you can bake a big batch and enjoy them all week long.
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Reese's Pieces Cookies Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make these Reese's Pieces Cookies from scratch.
See Recipe Card Below This Post For Ingredient Quantities
- Butter: Softened butter creates a rich, tender texture and helps the cookies spread just right. Make sure it's at room temperature so it creams smoothly with the sugar.
- Granulated white sugar: Adds sweetness and helps create those crispy edges we all love.
- Light brown sugar: Gives the cookies a soft, chewy texture and a hint of caramel flavor.
- Egg: Binds everything together and adds moisture to keep the cookies soft.
- Vanilla extract: Enhances all the flavors and adds a warm, sweet aroma.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and makes the chocolate and peanut butter flavors pop.
- Baking soda: Helps the cookies rise slightly and gives them a tender crumb.
- All-purpose flour: Forms the structure of the cookies and keeps them soft and chewy.
- Semisweet chocolate chips: Adds melty pockets of chocolate throughout. You can use regular or dairy-free chips.
- Reese's Pieces candy: The star of the show! These colorful candies bring peanut butter flavor and a fun, crunchy texture.
- Flakey sea salt: Sprinkled on top while the cookies are still warm, this adds a gourmet touch and balances the sweetness perfectly.
How to Make Reese's Pieces Cookies
Follow these simple steps for perfect Reese's Pieces Cookies every time.
Preheat oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Cream butter and sugars: In the bowl of a standing mixer or with a handheld mixer, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar together until light and fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Add wet ingredients: Add the egg and vanilla extract, beating until just combined. Don't over-mix or your cookies will turn out tough.
Mix in dry ingredients: Mix in the flour, baking soda, and salt until a dough forms. The dough should look thick and slightly crumbly.
Fold in mix-ins: Stir in the chocolate chips and Reese's Pieces, mixing just until combined and evenly distributed.
Shape the dough: Use a medium cookie scoop (1.5 to 2 tbsp) to shape dough into balls and place them on the prepared baking sheets, spaced 3 to 4 inches apart to allow for spreading.
Bake: Bake one sheet at a time for 7 to 11 minutes. The edges should look set, and the cookies will appear slightly under-baked in the center, but they'll continue baking on the sheet. This is the secret to soft cookies!
Add sea salt and cool: Immediately sprinkle flakey sea salt over each cookie while they're still hot. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are some easy swaps to customize this Reese's Pieces Cookies.
Dairy-free option: Use dairy-free butter and dairy-free chocolate chips to make these cookies completely dairy-free.
Different candies: Swap the Reese's Pieces for M&Ms, chopped peanut butter cups, or even mini chocolate chips for a different twist.
Gluten-free: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend in place of all-purpose flour. The texture might be slightly different, but they'll still taste amazing.
Extra peanut butter: Add 2 tablespoons of creamy peanut butter to the dough for an even richer peanut butter flavor.
No sea salt: If you don't have flakey sea salt, just skip it or use a light sprinkle of regular salt.
Equipment For Reese's Pieces Cookies
Here's what I used to make these Reese's Pieces Cookies.
- Standing or handheld mixer
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Medium cookie scoop or spoon
Storage Tips
Store these Reese's Pieces Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. They stay soft and chewy the entire time, which makes them perfect for lunchboxes or afternoon snacks.
You can also freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months. Just let them cool completely, then layer them in a freezer-safe container with parchment paper between each layer. Thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes before enjoying.
If you want to freeze the dough, scoop it into balls and freeze them on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen, adding 1 to 2 extra minutes to the baking time.
Serving Suggestions
These Reese's Pieces Cookies are perfect on their own, but here are some fun ways to enjoy them.
Serve them warm with a cold glass of milk for the ultimate after-school snack. The chocolate and peanut butter flavors taste even better when the cookies are still slightly gooey.
Crumble them over vanilla ice cream for a quick and indulgent dessert. The salty-sweet combo is absolutely delicious.
Pack them in lunchboxes or take them to potlucks and bake sales. They're colorful, fun, and everyone loves them.
Pair them with hot coffee or tea for a cozy afternoon treat. The flakey sea salt on top makes them feel a little fancy, even though they're so easy to make.
Expert Tips
Don't over-mix the dough. Once you add the flour, mix just until combined. Over-mixing develops the gluten and makes cookies tough instead of tender.
Use room temperature butter. Cold butter won't cream properly, and melted butter will make the cookies spread too thin. Softened butter should be soft enough to leave a fingerprint but not greasy.
Bake one sheet at a time. This ensures even baking and prevents the cookies from spreading too much. If you bake two sheets at once, rotate them halfway through.
Pull them out when they look under-baked. The cookies will look slightly soft in the center when you take them out, but they'll firm up as they cool. This is the secret to soft, chewy Reese's Pieces Cookies.
Add the sea salt while they're hot. The salt sticks better to warm Reese's Pieces Cookies and adds a beautiful finishing touch.
FAQ
What is the secret to making cookies soft and chewy?
The secret is using a combination of brown sugar (which adds moisture) and pulling the cookies out of the oven when they still look slightly under-baked. They'll continue to bake on the sheet as they cool, which keeps them soft and chewy instead of hard and crunchy. My mom always told me to trust the process and not over-bake them, and she was absolutely right.
What is the filling flavor in Reese's Pieces?
Reese's Pieces are filled with a sweet peanut butter-flavored candy coating. Unlike Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, they don't have chocolate, just that signature peanut butter taste in a crunchy shell.
What are the common peanut cookie mistakes?
The most common mistakes are over-baking (which makes them dry), over-mixing the dough (which makes them tough), and using cold butter (which doesn't cream properly). Another big one is not spacing the cookies far enough apart on the baking sheet, which causes them to bake into one giant cookie blob.
What are the three ingredients for peanut butter cookies?
Traditional three-ingredient peanut butter cookies are made with peanut butter, sugar, and an egg. While this recipe has more ingredients for a richer flavor and better texture, you can absolutely make simple peanut butter cookies with just those three basics.
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Pairing
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Reese's Pieces Cookies
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a standing mixer or using a handheld mixer, combine the softened butter with the granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract to the mixture. Beat until just combined-do not overmix.
- Stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt until the dough comes together.
- Fold in the chocolate chips and Reese's Pieces, mixing until just incorporated.
- Using a medium cookie scoop or a spoon, form dough into 1.5-2 tablespoon sized balls. Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, spaced about 3-4 inches apart.
- Bake the cookies for 7-11 minutes, or until the edges are set and slightly golden. The cookies should look soft and pale in the center-this ensures a chewy texture. Remove from the oven and let them sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
- While the cookies are still hot, sprinkle a generous pinch of flaky sea salt on top.
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