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You know those recipes that disappear faster than you can say “just one more”? Yeah, these Reese’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bites are that recipe. I first made them for a potluck years ago, and let’s just say I came home with an empty tray and a dozen recipe requests. The secret? That perfect salty-sweet crunch from Reese’s pieces melding with melty chocolate chips in a soft, chewy cookie bite. And the best part? They’re ridiculously easy—no fancy skills required, just a bowl, a spoon, and maybe a little self-control when the warm cookies come out of the oven.

Why You’ll Love These Reese’s Cookie Bites

Honestly, these might just ruin store-bought cookies for you. The texture? Think chewy edges with a slightly gooey center where the chocolate chips and Reese’s pieces create little pockets of joy. The flavor? Thanks to Reese’s pieces that add a salty crunch and that iconic peanut butter-chocolate combo we all adore, it’s like your favorite peanut butter cookie got a serious upgrade.

And here’s the thing: they’re forgiving. Forgot to chill the dough? They’ll still taste amazing. Overmix a bit? No drama. I’ve made these with kids (read: chaotic measuring), after long workdays (read: impatient baking), and for last-minute guests (read: miracle worker status). They always deliver.

Key Ingredients & Substitutions

Essential Ingredients for Reese’s Flavor

• Reese’s Pieces: Non-negotiable for that signature crunch. About 1 cup does the trick, but hey, I won’t judge if you sneak in extra.
• Peanut butter: Creamy works best here—skip the natural kind that separates; it makes the dough too oily.
• Mini chocolate chips: Their size distributes better in small cookie bites. Regular chips work too, but chop them roughly first.
• Brown sugar: The molasses notes make these extra chewy. Light or dark both work—I prefer dark for deeper flavor.

Allergen-Friendly Swaps

Got dietary needs? Been there. Here’s how to adapt:

• Gluten-free: Swap the all-purpose flour 1:1 with a GF blend (Bob’s Red Mill works great). Add ¼ tsp xanthan gum if your blend doesn’t include it.
• Dairy-free: Use vegan butter sticks (not tub spreads) and dairy-free chocolate chips. Reese’s Pieces are accidentally dairy-free—win!
• Nut-free: Replace peanut butter with sunflower seed butter and omit Reese’s Pieces (try chopped dairy-free chocolate instead).

Equipment You’ll Need

No fancy gadgets required, but these help:

• Cookie scoop (1 tbsp size): For evenly sized bites that bake uniformly. A spoon works too, but expect rustic shapes—which, honestly, taste just as good.
• Parchment paper: Lifesaver for easy cleanup and no sticking. Wax paper? Nope. Learned that the hard way when a batch fused to the pan.
• Mixing bowls: One large, one medium. Metal or glass keeps dough cooler than plastic.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Prep the Dough

1. Whisk 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, ½ tsp baking soda, and ¼ tsp salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, beat ½ cup softened butter, ½ cup peanut butter, ½ cup brown sugar, and ¼ cup granulated sugar until fluffy (2 mins with a mixer, 3-4 by hand). Don’t rush this—creaming properly = chewy texture.
3. Beat in 1 egg and 1 tsp vanilla until just combined. Scrape the bowl—those hidden butter pockets are flavor bombs waiting to be mixed in.

2. Fold in Reese’s & Chocolate

1. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mix in two batches, stirring until just combined. Overmixing = tough cookies, and nobody wants that.
2. Gently fold in 1 cup Reese’s Pieces and ½ cup mini chocolate chips. Pro tip: Reserve a handful to press on top before baking—makes them look bakery-level pretty.

3. Scoop & Bake

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment.
2. Scoop dough into 1-tbsp balls, spacing them 2 inches apart. They spread a little, but not like pancake-style—more like polite little mounds.
3. Bake for 9-11 minutes until edges are golden but centers still look slightly underdone. They’ll firm up as they cool. (Watch closely after 8 minutes—oven temps vary wildly.)

4. Cooling & Serving

1. Let cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes—this helps them set without crumbling. Then transfer to a rack.
2. Serve warm with a glass of cold milk, or pack into lunchboxes once fully cooled. Warning: They’re addictive at any temperature.

Recipe Notes for Perfect Cookie Bites

Butter temp matters: Too soft? Cookies spread. Too cold? Dense texture. Ideal is cool but indents slightly when pressed—about 65°F. No thermometer? Leave it out for 30 mins after fridge.

Baking sheet wisdom: Use light-colored pans for even browning. Dark sheets = crispy bottoms faster. Rotate pans halfway if your oven has hot spots (most do).

The underbake trick: Pull them when centers look barely set. They’ll finish cooking on the hot pan, staying soft inside. Overbaked = hockey pucks (still tasty, but not the goal).

Make-Ahead & Storage Tips

Freeze dough balls: Scoop unbaked dough onto a tray, freeze solid (1 hour), then transfer to a bag. Bake straight from frozen—just add 1-2 extra minutes. Game-changer for sudden cookie emergencies.

Storing baked cookies: Layer between parchment in an airtight container. They’ll keep 5 days at room temp, but let’s be real—they’ll be gone by day 2.

Reviving stale bites: 10 seconds in the microwave makes them taste fresh-baked again. Or crumble over ice cream—chef’s kiss.

Reese’s Cookie Bites Variations

Gluten-Free Option

Swap the flour 1:1 with a GF blend (I like King Arthur’s Measure for Measure). Add ¼ tsp xanthan gum if needed. Texture stays chewy, and no one will guess they’re GF.

Extra Peanut Butter Swirl

After scooping dough, press a thumbprint into each ball and fill with ¼ tsp extra peanut butter. Bake as usual—hello, molten PB centers!

Nutritional Information

Per cookie bite (approx. 30 per batch): 120 calories, 7g fat (3g saturated), 14g carbs (10g sugars), 2g protein. Not health food, but worth every bite.

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions About Reese’s Cookie Bites

Can I make these Reese’s cookie bites ahead of time?

Oh, loads of times I’ll prep these when I know I’ve got people coming round. What I do is scoop the dough into balls, stick them on a tray in the freezer until they’re solid, then chuck them in a freezer bag.

When I want to bake them, I don’t even bother thawing – just bung them straight in the oven from frozen and give them an extra minute or two. Perfect for those moments when someone pops round unexpectedly and you need something sweet on the table.

My cookie bites are dry and crumbly – what went wrong?

Ugh, nobody wants a dry cookie. I’ve made this mistake more times than I care to admit – usually it’s because I’ve been heavy-handed with the flour.

Instead of jamming your measuring cup straight into the flour bag, try spooning it in gently. Sounds fussy, I know, but it makes a real difference. And don’t leave them in the oven too long either. They should still look a bit soft and pale in the middle when you take them out – they’ll finish cooking on the tray.

Can I use crunchy peanut butter in these cookie bites?

I wouldn’t use all crunchy peanut butter – it tends to make them a bit too dry for my liking. If you’re desperate for some texture though, try half smooth and half crunchy. That way, you get those little peanut bits without ending up with crumbly cookies that fall apart in your hands.

How do I keep these cookie bites from sticking to the baking sheet?

Baking paper every single time – no exceptions! I used to think I could get away without it, but I learnt my lesson when I spent twenty minutes scraping cookie remnants off my baking sheet.

Don’t use greaseproof paper though – it’s not the same thing and your cookies will stick like mad. Proper baking paper (or parchment if that’s what you call it) is what you want.

Can I double the recipe for these Reese’s cookie bites?

Course you can. I do this all the time when I’m making them for school fairs or parties. Just make sure your mixing bowl’s big enough – I’ve made the mistake of trying to mix double quantities in a tiny bowl and ended up with flour everywhere.

You’ll probably need to bake in batches unless you’ve got a massive oven. I usually do two trays at once, swapping them halfway through.

Can I substitute the butter for something else?

Honestly? Butter’s what makes these cookies taste so good. But if you can’t have dairy, get yourself a decent block of vegan butter – not the spreadable stuff in tubs, the proper baking blocks.

The texture might be slightly different, and you’ll lose some of that buttery richness, but they’ll still be perfectly edible. Just don’t expect them to taste identical.

My cookie bites are browning too quickly on the bottom – what can I do?

This drives me mad when it happens! Usually means your oven rack’s too close to the bottom. Shove it up a level or two and see if that helps.

If you’ve got dark baking sheets, that might be part of the problem too – they get much hotter than light ones. I sometimes stack two baking sheets together if mine are browning too fast on the bottom. Bit of a faff, but it works.