Reese’s Christmas Crack Cookies

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Dreamy peanut butter cookies that are loaded with homemade Reese’s Christmas Crack and have the perfect sweet and salty balance.

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Earlier this week, I introduced you all to my Reese’s Christmas Crack recipe. And, of course, I can’t have a Christmas Crack recipe without a corresponding cookie recipe. As soon as I thought of the Reese’s Christmas Crack, I knew that I needed to make a peanut butter cookie to go with it. I mean, toffee, pretzels, peanut butter, and chocolate together?! It’s a dream!

These cookies are incredibly soft and chewy, full of peanut butter, and loaded with Reese’s Christmas Crack and mini chocolate chips. Of course, I had to top the cookies with some flaky sea salt after baking to just bring all of the flavors together. And spoiler alert: I’m obsessed with how they turned out! The Christmas Crack adds a little crunch and boosts the flavor profile. It’s such a small, simple addition, but makes such a difference.

If you’re a chocolate and peanut butter lover (or have one in your life), you need to bake a batch of these cookies. In less than 1 hour, you’ll have 18 of the dreamiest cookies.

Read on for the full recipe for these delicious Reese’s Christmas Crack Cookies.

I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of Christmas Crack. It’s unbelievably addicting. When I have a fresh batch in the refrigerator, it’s impossible to not eat all of it. Which is why I have to find different recipes to use it in.

For this particular recipe, you’ll need to bake a batch of my Reese’s Christmas Crack. Of course, you can use any kind of Christmas Crack you’d like, but I highly recommend using the Reese’s version since we’re trying to really play up and enhance the peanut butter flavor. You can never have too much peanut butter, am I right?!

Overall, this recipe is super easy and straightforward. Before even making the cookie dough, I suggest that you make your Christmas Crack so that it has enough time to set and harden (at least 2 hours). Once the Christmas Crack is ready, you’re good to go! Since we’re using melted butter, you don’t even need a mixer for this recipe. The cookie dough comes together in one bowl for a really easy cleanup.

However, since we are using melted butter, you will need to chill the dough, but only for 30 minutes. This brief chill time gives the flavors some time to develop and will help prevent the cookies from spreading too much while baking.

These Reese’s Christmas Crack Cookies are such a fun variation for the holidays! They’re so easy to make and guaranteed to be a hit amongst your family and friends. I’ve included some additional Tips for Success and FAQs below, so make sure that you scroll down and read through them. If you still have questions, send me a DM on Instagram and we can chat through any questions that you have. I hope you all love these cookies as much as I do!

Other recipes you may like:

• Reese’s Christmas Crack
• M&M Pretzel Christmas Crack
• Christmas Crack Cookies (my viral, original recipe!)
• Easy Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Stuffed M&M Cookies
• The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients you’ll need:

• Reese’s Christmas Crack (or any Christmas Crack)
• Unsalted butter
• Brown sugar
• Granulated sugar
• Creamy peanut butter (I used Jif)
• Vanilla extract
• Eggs + egg yolks
• All-purpose flour
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Mini chocolate chips
• Flaky sea salt

Kitchen tools you’ll need (linking my favorites below!)

• Mixing bowls
• Dry ingredient measuring cups
• Adjustable measuring cup (great for measuring the peanut butter!)
• Spatula
• Whisk
• Kitchen scale – used to weigh out the cookie dough balls (each was between 82 to 85 grams)
• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper
• Cookie turner
• Cooling rack

How to make these unreal Reese’s Christmas Crack Cookies

Melt 1 cup unsalted butter on the stove or in the microwave. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

While the butter is cooling, combine 3 cups + 3 tbsp all-purpose flour, 2 tsp baking soda, and 1 tsp salt in a bowl and whisk together. Set aside.

In a large bowl, add 1 cup brown sugar, ½ cup granulated sugar, and the melted butter. Whisk together until it is smooth and combined.

Add ½ cup creamy peanut butter and 2 tsp vanilla extract. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and lighter/paler in color.

Whisk in 2 eggs and 2 egg yolks.

Add the dry ingredients and fold in with a rubber spatula until a few flour streaks remain. Fold in 1 cup chopped Reese’s Christmas Crack and ⅔ cup mini chocolate chips. Do not overmix.

Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Scoop 18 dough balls. Place the cookie dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until the edges are golden and the tops of the cookies still look slightly wet.

As soon as they come out of the oven, shape the cookies with a spoon, bowl, or circular cookie cutter, if needed. Top with extra Reese’s Christmas Crack, mini chocolate chips, and flaky sea salt, if desired.

Let the cookies cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Tips for success

• Use an adjustable measuring cup to measure out your peanut butter. Trust me, this little tool makes all the difference and is perfect for measuring out liquid ingredients like banana, pumpkin, peanut butter, and more.
• Speaking of measuring ingredients, please make sure that you’re measuring your dry ingredients correctly. Peanut butter can make cookies dry, so you especially want to make sure that you do not have too much flour with this recipe. Before you measure out your flour, use a spoon to run through the flour and fluff it up. This will help loosen up any clumps. Then, use the spoon to spoon the flour directly into the measuring cup. Do not scoop up the flour directly with the measuring cup — the flour will be compacted and you’ll end up with too much. For measuring out dry ingredients, you should be using dry ingredient measuring cups (like these). However, if you prefer to bake using grams / weighing out your ingredients, you can use an online conversion calculator (like this one from Inch Calculator) to convert the recipe.
• Pre-make your Reese’s Christmas Crack as the crack will need at least 2 hours to set and harden. Also, chop or break your Christmas Crack into smaller pieces. Too large of pieces won’t fit / stay in the dough very well. Plus, you’ll want some smaller pieces to top your cookies with after baking.
• One of the secrets to tall, thick cookies is to roll your cookie dough balls into cylinders so that they’re taller than they are wide. This cylinder shape prevents the cookies from spreading too much while baking.
• Use the baking time listed as simply a guide and not a set rule. I say this every single time, but oven temperatures vary. While your oven may say that it’s set to a certain temperature, it may actually be at a totally different temperature. This is your reminder to get an oven thermometer so you can ensure that your oven is at the correct temperature. The cookies are done baking when the edges are set and lightly golden. The tops of the cookies will still look a little wet and that’s okay! They will continue to bake and set on the hot pan once they’re removed from the oven.

FAQs

What size cookie scoop did you use?

For this recipe, I used a kitchen scale and weighed out my cookie dough balls. Each cookie dough ball was between 82 to 85 grams. You do not have to use a kitchen scale. Normally, I just eyeball it when I’m scooping them.

Can I make my cookies smaller or larger?

Absolutely! The baking temperature will remain the same, but you will need to adjust the baking time. For smaller cookies, set your timer for 7 minutes and check your cookies. Add 1 to 2 minutes to the bake time, as needed. For larger cookies, set your timer for 11 minutes, check your cookies, and add 1 to 2 minutes to the bake time, as needed.

Can I make this dough in advance?

Yes! This cookie dough can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Before baking, I like to set the cookie dough out on the counter, 30 to 60 minutes prior to baking so that it softens and is easier to scoop. Baking temperature and time will remain the same.

If you choose to freeze the cookie dough balls and bake them straight from the freezer, you will most likely need to drop the baking temperature to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and increase the bake time by 2 to 3 minutes.

Either way, I recommend doing a test batch with one cookie to determine the optimal bake time.

Can I use any brand of peanut butter?

I’ve only tried this recipe with Jif/Skippy which has a thicker consistency. Therefore, I don’t know how a natural, more runny peanut butter will impact the cookie dough. If you choose to use a different brand, keep an eye on how your dough comes together. If your dough is too soft and tacky, add in an extra tablespoon of flour at a time until you reach the desired consistency. The dough should be very easy to scoop and shape and should not be tacky or sticky at all.

How to store

Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container or bag. If freezing, set the cookies out for about 20 to 30 minutes prior to consuming so that they soften. Or, heat them up in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds.

Just when I thought Christmas Crack Cookies couldn’t get any better, this peanut butter version does not disappoint! The toffee paired with the pretzels, peanut butter, chocolate, and Reese’s toppings is just so dreamy. If you’re a chocolate and peanut butter lover, these need to be at the top of your baking list!

If you try this recipe, share and tag me on socials using @itsbrunchoklock or #itsbrunchoklock. Or, leave a review below!