Cake 31/05/2025 02:57

Buckeye Bites – Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Cups

These Buckeye Bites are a chocolate-peanut butter dream! Perfect for parties or potlucks, these bite-sized cookie cups feature a rich chocolate cookie base, a creamy peanut butter filling, and a smooth ganache topping. So easy to make and dangerously good—just try stopping at one!

🧁 Course: Dessert

🍽️ Cuisine: American

🔑 Keywords: Buckeye, Buckeye Bites, Chocolate Peanut Butter

⏱️ Prep Time: 20 minutes

🔥 Cook Time: 8 minutes

⏳ Total Time: 28 minutes

🍪 Yield: 30 Cookie Cups

🔥 Calories per serving: 192 kcal

👩‍🍳 Author: Trish – Mom On Timeout

Ingredients

For the Chocolate Cookie Cups:

1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup light brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
¼ cup creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg, room temperature
2 tablespoons water or brewed coffee (for richer flavor)

For the Peanut Butter Filling:

½ cup powdered sugar
½ cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Ganache Topping:

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ cup heavy whipping cream

Optional Chocolate-Peanut Butter Drizzle:

¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

Instructions

1. Prepare the Cookie Cups

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a mini muffin tin with paper liners or lightly grease it.
In a bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
In another large bowl, cream together brown sugar, granulated sugar, melted butter, and peanut butter until light and fluffy.
Beat in the egg, vanilla, and water or coffee until smooth.
Gradually add the dry ingredients and stir until fully incorporated.
Scoop 1 tablespoon of dough into each muffin cup. Use a small spoon (or your thumb) to make a shallow well in the center.
Bake for 7–8 minutes, just until set. Don’t overbake.
Let cool completely in the tin on a wire rack. Once cooled, press down again in the center to maintain the well shape.

2. Make the Peanut Butter Filling

In a small bowl, mix together powdered sugar, peanut butter, softened butter, and vanilla extract until smooth.
Scoop 1 teaspoon of the filling into the center of each cooled cookie cup.

3. Prepare the Ganache

Place chocolate chips in a heat-safe bowl.
In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil and pour it over the chocolate chips. Let sit for 5 minutes.
Stir until smooth and glossy. Let thicken slightly for another 5 minutes.
Spoon ganache over the peanut butter layer in each cookie cup.
Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes until set.

4. (Optional) Add the Chocolate-Peanut Butter Drizzle

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips and peanut butter in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until smooth.
Transfer to a plastic bag, snip a small corner, and drizzle over the chilled cups.
Refrigerate for another 30 minutes, or until fully set.