Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookie Cups
These delicious Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookie Cups are bursting with creamy peanut flavor and a smooth strawberry sauce that the whole family will love. These gluten-free desserts can even be made low-carb!
These delicious peanut butter cookies are filled with an amazingly simple strawberry syrup. They’re naturally gluten-free and completely flourless, so you don’t even have to worry about buying an expensive alternative! While these taste fantastic with sugar, they also are incredibly when made with monkfruit for a low-carb and keto-friendly dessert!
Want more peanut butter treats? Try these flourless peanut butter cookies, some peanut butter jelly granola, and this no bake peanut butter cup pie.
Ingredients
Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll need for both the peanut butter cookie cups and the strawberry sauce for the filling. Find exact measurements in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Peanut butter – Smooth. If you’re low-carb/keto, choose one without added sugars.
- Brown sugar – Dark or light brown sugar work fine. Use brown sugar monkfruit if you’re keeping it keto/low-carb.
- Egg – Size large. I have not tried any substitutes in this recipe but imagine Just Egg would work to make these vegan and egg-free.
- Vanilla extract, Baking powder, and Salt – Extract adds depth to the flavor, baking powder adds lift, and salt brings out the best flavor in the peanut butter.
- Strawberries – I’ve only used fresh berries in this recipe. Using frozen strawberries may lead to more moisture which will increase the cooking time of the filling.
- Confectioners sugar – If you’re keto, use powdered monk fruit.
- Vanilla extract – Provides a better, more well-rounded flavor in your strawberry filling.
How to Make Cookie Cups
These tasty treats are so simple! You need a saucepan, mixing bowl, mini muffin tin (preferably silicone), a 1/2 teaspoon, and an oven. Here’s a step-by-step guide to making these flourless peanut butter cookie cups.
Make the sauce
Start by making the sauce so that it will be cooled by the time your cookies are ready to be filled. First, heat a saucepan over medium heat and add your strawberries, confectioner’s sweetener, and vanilla extract. You might feel like you need liquid, but trust me, you don’t!
As the mixture warms up, the strawberries will release more moisture. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally. You want the strawberries to be at a light simmer (not a rolling boil) for about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat if it starts getting too bubbly. Use your spatula to stir and mash the strawberries as they cook. Once the mixture has thickened and reduced, remove from heat and allow it to cool while you work on the cookies.
Mix cookie dough
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F while you combine the peanut butter, sweetener, extract, baking powder, salt, and egg. Mix until a smooth cookie dough batter forms.
Scoop this peanut butter cookie dough into a silicone 24-count mini muffin pan. If you are using a metal pan instead of silicone, I recommend greasing it extremely well or line it with paper liners. Lightly press a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon into each muffin well, forming an indention in the middle of each cookie.
Bake the cookie cups
Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes until set. Remember, the cookies will finish baking in the pan after you remove them from the oven, so you don’t want to cook them too long. They are done when they’ve set and no longer look shiny in the center of the cookie.
Let the cookies sit in the pan for 7-10 minutes, then use the measuring spoon again to deepen the original indention in each cookie. This will create the perfect little well–Just let the cookies cool completely after they’ve been gently pressed a second time.
Add the filling
Once the cookies have cooled, carefully spoon the cooled strawberry sauce into each well. You don’t want to fill them too much or the strawberry filling will spill out and cause a mess.
Storage
These peanut butter and jelly cookies should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. They will last several days in the refrigerator and are perfect for making ahead of time for a party! I don’t recommend freezing these cookies as assembled because the strawberry sauce can release extra moisture after thawing. This will likely lead to soggy cookie cups.
You can freeze the peanut butter cookie cups without any filling, though! Simply place in a freezer bag, press out as much air as possible, and freeze up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then add your filling and serve!
More cookie recipes
- Strawberry Thumbprint Cookies – If you enjoy these cookie cups but prefer a sugar cookie flavor, these low-carb cookies are perfect for you! It’s the same strawberry sauce–so simple!
- Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies – These gluten-free cookies are made with almond flour and are dotted with melty chocolate chips for the perfect sugar-free cookie.
- Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies – These are great if you like stamped, decorated sugar cookies for holidays! You can also make them keto or take a fall-inspired pumpkin twist on them instead.
- Easy Snickerdoodle Cookies – If you love these, try them with frosting, too! They would also be awesome with caramel sauce.
- Keto Red Velvet Cookies – You’ll love the amazing cream cheese frosting on these! These moist cookies have tons of flavor and always look great at a party.
Get the Recipe: Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookie Cups
Ingredients
Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookie Cups
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 1 cup brown sugar, brown sugar monkfruit if keto
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
Strawberry Filling
- 2 1/2 cups chopped, fresh strawberries
- 1/4 cup confectioners sugar, confectioners monkfruit if keto
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
To make the Strawberry Filling:
- Heat a saucepan over medium heat and add the strawberries, sweetener, and vanilla extract. Do not add any liquid!
- Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally, and reduce the heat if needed. You want the mixture to be a light simmer, not a rolling boil, for about 10 minutes. Using your spatula, stir and mash the strawberries as they cook. The berries will reduce and thicken as they cook.
- Once the mixture has thickened and reduced, remove from heat and allow it to cool completely.
To make the Cookies:
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Combine the peanut butter, sweetener, vanilla extract, baking powder, salt, and egg until a smooth cookie dough batter forms.
- Scoop the dough into a 24-count mini muffin tin (this is much easier with a silicone pan. If using a metal pan, grease the pan well and/or line it with mini muffin liners)
- Lightly press an indention with a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon.
- Bake the cookies 12-15 minutes until set. note: remember, the cookies will finish baking on the hot pan once you remove them from the oven. They are done when they have set and no longer have a shiny appearance in the center of the cookie
- Allow the cookies to cook for 7-10 minutes, and then use the same 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon to gently make another indention in each cookie to create a perfect little well. Allow the cookies to cool completely.
- Once the cookies have cooled completely, fill each cup with the cooled strawberry sauce.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
