Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookie Cups – a perfect bite-sized treat for chocolate and peanut butter lovers. Crisp chocolate cookie cups are filled with light peanut butter mousse and finished with a halved mini peanut butter cup.
Mini desserts are always crowd-pleasers, and these chocolate peanut butter cookie cups are no exception. They’re easy to serve, fun to eat, and great for parties, potlucks, or a sweet family treat.
Be warned: they’re addictive. It’s easy to pop a few before you realize it.
I like using a star piping tip to fill the cups for a pretty finish, but spooning the mousse in works fine if you prefer a simpler approach.
Scroll to the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and step-by-step instructions.
HOW TO MAKE PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE COOKIE CUPS
Ingredients needed:
- butter (softened to room temperature)
- granulated sugar
- brown sugar (light or dark)
- large egg
- vanilla extract
- all-purpose flour
- unsweetened cocoa powder
- baking soda
- baking powder
- salt
- mini peanut butter cups (halved, for garnish)
- Prepare mini muffin tins by spraying them with nonstick cooking spray and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Cream the softened butter with the granulated and brown sugars until fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
- Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the butter mixture just until combined.
- Roll the dough into 36 even balls and place one in each mini muffin cup.
- Bake about 9–10 minutes. Immediately after removing from the oven, press the back of a small round measuring spoon into each warm cookie to form an indentation for the filling.
- Let the cookie cups cool in the pan for 5–10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare the peanut butter mousse (directions below) and pipe or spoon it into the cooled cookie cups.
- Top each filled cup with half a mini peanut butter cup and serve, or chill briefly before serving.
HOW TO MAKE PEANUT BUTTER MOUSSE
Ingredients needed:
- whipping cream (or heavy cream)
- powdered (confectioners’) sugar
- creamy peanut butter (smooth works best)
- Whip the cream with a mixer until stiff peaks form; set aside.
- In a separate bowl, beat the peanut butter with the powdered sugar until smooth. Gently fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture until combined and airy.
- Use the mousse immediately to fill the cooled cookie cups. If not using right away, cover and refrigerate; the mousse may lose some volume over time—re-whip briefly if needed before piping.
Make-ahead and storage tips
You can bake the cookie cups a couple of days ahead and store them at room temperature in an airtight container for 2–3 days. For longer storage, cool completely and freeze the baked cups for up to 3 months in a heavy-duty freezer bag.
The peanut butter mousse is best made the same day you plan to serve the cookie cups. It can be made a day ahead, but it may deflate slightly; a short re-whip (30–60 seconds) will help restore volume—don’t overbeat.
CHOCOLATE COOKIE CUPS WITH PEANUT BUTTER MOUSSE
Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookie Cups
Equipment
-
Hand mixer
-
Mini muffin (24- or 36-cup) pan
-
Mixing bowls and measuring spoons
Ingredients
Cookie Dough:
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
Peanut Butter Mousse:
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 6 Tbsp creamy peanut butter
- 6 Tbsp powdered sugar
- 18 mini peanut butter cups, halved
Instructions
- Spray mini muffin pans with nonstick cooking spray and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until creamy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix to combine.
- Whisk the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together, then stir them into the wet ingredients until just moistened.
- Roll the dough into 36 balls and place one in each prepared muffin cup.
- Bake for 9–10 minutes. While still warm, use the back of a round measuring spoon to press an indentation into each cookie cup.
- Cool in the pan for 5–10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Whip the cream until stiff peaks form. In a separate bowl, beat peanut butter and powdered sugar until smooth, then fold in the whipped cream.
- Pipe or spoon the peanut butter mousse into each cooled cookie cup and top with a halved mini peanut butter cup.
- Serve immediately or chill for up to an hour before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 12 g
Protein: 2 g
Fat: 7 g
Bring these chocolate peanut butter cookie cups to your next potluck and watch them disappear. They’re always a requested favorite.