Gooey Reeses Cheesecake Cookies

The smell of chocolate and peanut butter together is pure heaven.
These Gooey Reese’s Cheesecake Cookies are soft, rich, and filled with creamy peanut butter cups in every bite.

I made them late one night when I was craving something sweet and comforting.
They came out warm, gooey, and just melt right in your mouth.

If you love that chocolate-peanut butter magic, this recipe’s for you.
Let’s bake a batch and taste a little Reese’s bliss.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Peanut Butter Paradise: Loaded with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Reese’s Pieces for double the peanut butter goodness.
• Cream Cheese Magic: The cream cheese makes these cookies extra soft and gives them a slight cheesecake flavor.
• Gooey Centers: The melted peanut butter cups create pockets of gooey chocolate-peanut butter perfection.
• Crowd Pleaser: Perfect for parties, bake sales, or when you need something special.
• Easy to Make: Simple mixing method that even beginners can master.

What You Need to Know Before You Start

Prep Time & Cook Time:

• Prep Time: 15 minutes (plus 30 minutes chill time)
• Cook Time: 12 minutes
• Total Time: About 1 hour

Servings: This recipe makes about 24 cookies, perfect for sharing with family and friends. Need more for a big party? Double the recipe easily.

Difficulty: Easy enough for first-time bakers but special enough to impress everyone.

Required Kitchen Tools

• Mixing bowls (one medium, one large)
• Hand mixer or stand mixer
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Baking sheets (two)
• Parchment paper
• Cookie scoop or tablespoon
• Wire cooling rack

Ingredients for Gooey Reese’s Cheesecake Cookies

These cookies combine simple pantry ingredients with everyone’s favorite peanut butter candy. The cream cheese adds richness while keeping the cookies soft and chewy. Here’s what you’ll need to create these amazing treats:

For the Cookie Dough:

• All-Purpose Flour: Gives structure to the cookies and helps them hold their shape.
• Baking Soda and Baking Powder: Work together to make the cookies rise and stay soft.
• Salt: Balances the sweetness and brings out the peanut butter flavor.
• Unsalted Butter: Adds richness and helps create that perfect cookie texture.
• Granulated Sugar and Brown Sugar: The combination creates chewy edges and soft centers.
• Egg: Binds everything together and adds moisture.
• Vanilla Extract: Enhances all the other flavors.
• Cream Cheese: The secret ingredient that makes these cookies extra special and gives them a slight cheesecake taste.

For the Mix-Ins:

• Mini Reese’s Pieces: Add bursts of peanut butter flavor and fun color throughout.
• Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups: Chopped into pieces that melt into gooey pockets of chocolate-peanut butter goodness.
• White Chocolate Chips: Add sweetness and create beautiful contrast.
• Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips: Balance the sweetness with rich chocolate flavor.

Variations for Reese’s Cheesecake Cookies

• Extra Peanut Buttery: Add two tablespoons of creamy peanut butter to the dough for even more peanut butter taste.
• Dark Chocolate Version: Use all dark chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet for a less sweet cookie.
• Nutty Addition: Fold in half a cup of chopped peanuts for extra crunch.
• Different Candies: Try using chopped Snickers or Milky Way bars instead of Reese’s for a different flavor.
• Bigger Cookies: Make larger cookies by using three tablespoons of dough per cookie and baking for 13-14 minutes.

How to Make Gooey Reese’s Cheesecake Cookies Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Prepare Your Dry Ingredients

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set this mixture aside while you work on the wet ingredients.

2. Mix the Wet Ingredients

Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until the mixture looks smooth and creamy. Add both sugars and beat on medium speed for about two to three minutes until everything looks light and fluffy. Mix in the egg and vanilla extract until well combined.

3. Combine Everything

Slowly add your dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to overmix. Gently fold in the white chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chips, chopped Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and mini Reese’s Pieces.

4. Chill the Dough

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. You can chill it for up to two hours if you have time. This step helps the cookies keep their shape and makes them extra thick.

5. Prepare for Baking

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. This keeps the cookies from sticking and makes cleanup easier.

6. Scoop and Bake

Scoop the dough into portions using about one and a half to two tablespoons of dough for each cookie. Place them on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about two inches between each cookie. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. The edges should look lightly golden, and the centers might seem slightly soft, but they will firm up as they cool.

7. Cool Properly

Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for five minutes before moving them. This resting time helps them set properly. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Serving and Decoration

These cookies are beautiful on their own with all the colorful Reese’s Pieces showing through. For special occasions, you can press a few extra Reese’s Pieces or a mini peanut butter cup on top of each cookie right when they come out of the oven. Serve them slightly warm so the peanut butter cups are extra gooey, or let them cool completely for a firmer texture. They look wonderful arranged on a platter with a glass of cold milk nearby.

How to Serve Gooey Reese’s Cheesecake Cookies

These versatile treats work for many occasions:

• After School Snack: Perfect with a glass of milk for kids coming home hungry.
• Party Dessert: Arrange on a pretty plate for birthday parties or gatherings.
• Gift Giving: Pack them in a decorative tin or box for a homemade gift.
• Ice Cream Sandwiches: Place a scoop of vanilla ice cream between two cookies.
• Coffee Break: Enjoy with your morning coffee or afternoon tea.

Storing Gooey Reese’s Cheesecake Cookies

• Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to five days. Place parchment paper between layers to prevent sticking.
• Refrigerator: Keep in an airtight container for up to one week. The cream cheese in the recipe means they stay fresh longer when chilled.
• Freezer: Freeze baked cookies in a freezer-safe container for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes before eating.
• Freezing Dough: You can freeze unbaked cookie dough balls for up to three months. Bake directly from frozen, adding one to two extra minutes to the baking time.

Tips and Tricks for Success

• Room Temperature Ingredients: Make sure your butter, cream cheese, and egg are at room temperature. This helps everything mix together smoothly.
• Don’t Skip Chilling: The chilling step is important. It keeps the cookies from spreading too much and makes them thicker.
• Chop Peanut Butter Cups Small: Cut the peanut butter cups into quarters or smaller pieces so they distribute evenly throughout the dough.
• Watch the Baking Time: Every oven is different. Start checking at 10 minutes. The cookies should look slightly underdone in the center when you take them out.
• Fresh Baking Soda: Old baking soda won’t work as well. Check the date on your box to make sure it’s still good.
• Even Cookie Sizes: Use a cookie scoop to make all your cookies the same size. This way they all finish baking at the same time.

Nutrition

Nutrient	Amount Per Cookie
Calories	215
Total Fat	11g
Saturated Fat	6g
Cholesterol	25mg
Sodium	145mg
Total Carbohydrates	27g
Dietary Fiber	1g
Sugars	18g
Protein	3g

Note: Nutrition information is approximate and based on one cookie from a batch of 24.

Gooey Reese’s Cheesecake Cookies FAQs

Can I use low-fat cream cheese? It’s best to use full-fat brick cream cheese. Low-fat versions have more water and will make your cookies too soft and change the texture.

Why do my cookies spread too much? Make sure you chill the dough for the full 30 minutes. Also check that your butter and cream cheese were softened but not melted.

Can I make these without a mixer? Yes, you can mix everything by hand with a wooden spoon. It will take more arm work, but it works just fine.

My cookies are too hard. What went wrong? You may have overbaked them. Remember, they should look slightly underdone in the center when you take them out of the oven.

Can I use regular-sized Reese’s Pieces instead of mini? Yes, regular Reese’s Pieces work fine. You might want to use slightly less since they are bigger.