The Best Peanut Butter Cookies in the World (Copycat Insomnia Peanut Butter Cup Cookies)

A delicious peanut butter cookie is not hard to find. However, you might find that a chewy peanut butter cookie is more elusive. Most of the peanut butter cookie recipes on the internet will yield you a lovely thick and soft cookie, which is a-ok, but I wanted to try something different. That’s why I made this recipe, which will result in a chewy peanut butter cookie with delightfully crispy edges. If you can believe it, that’s not even the best part– we finish off this recipe by topping it with a critical mass of peanut butter cups. That’s just one of the reasons I call this cookie the Best Peanut butter Cookie in the World.

This is also a riff on my favorite Insomnia cookie-the Peanut Butter Cup cookie. I find that if you eat an Insomnia cookie when it is room temperature, the curtain is lifted. The cookie no longer holds power and the magic is gone. The good news is that this Copycat Insomnia Peanut Butter Cup cookie blows the original out of the water because you can enjoy it at any temperature- piping hot, room temperature, or even a little cold the next day—they are that good! I hope you all enjoy it – let me know if you think this is the best cookie in the world!

One of my favorite parts about this cookie is the mass amount of Peanut Butter cups that we place on top of the baked cookie. It helps them look even more enticing (plus, that is the Insomnia Cookie way!). That is why I call these The Best Peanut Butter Cookies in the World.

Can I use natural peanut butter?

Nope! I do not suggest using natural peanut butter in this recipe as it will significantly alter the end result. Natural PB tends to contain more oil which can change the texture of these chewy peanut butter cookies!

Do I need to add the peanut butter swirl?

Nope! One optional step with these cookies is swirling in even more peanut butter into the dough. This is not present in the original cookie but I think it takes them up a notch. See the photo below!

6 Reviews

The Best Peanut Butter Cookies in the World (Copycat Insomnia Peanut Butter Cup Cookies)

The Peanut Butter cookies have chewy centers and ever so slightly crispy edges. They are stuffed with Reeses cups and swirls of peanut butter. Plus, we top them with more peanut butter cups- naturally.

PRep TimePrep Time 18 minutes mins

Cook TimeCook Time 11 minutes mins

Servings 14 cookies

Pin It Print It

Equipment

• 1 Handmixer
• 1 Cookie Sheet
• Parchment Paper
• Cookie Scoop

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (113g)
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed (165g)
• 1/4 cup granulated white sugar (50g)
• 2 egg yolks at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, NOT natural peanut butter (128g)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (120g)
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup chopped peanut butter cups

Topping

• 1 tbsp peanut butter OPTIONAL
• Extra PB Cups

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, combine all dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt). Set aside
• In a large bowl, add the butter and both sugars. Mix with a handmixer until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, making sure to scrape the sides of the bowl halfway through
• Add in the egg yolks, and vanilla, and mix for another minute, the dough will be light and fluffy
• Add in peanut butter and mix again until combined
• Next, add in the dry ingredients and mix until soft dough forms. OPTIONAL- dollop the extra 1 tablespoon of peanut butter on top of the dough. Using a knife, swirl the peanut butter into the dough. Leaving large ribbons. See photo
• If you choose, you can chill this dough for 2 hours for a thicker cookie. Otherwise, proceed to the next step
• Using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop dough balls onto parchment paper, making sure to leave 2 inches in between them. Place a few extra PB cups on top before baking.
• Bake for 11-13 minutes until edges are set and slightly golden brown. Top with more PB cups when they come out of the oven. Let cool and enjoy!