Reese’s Peanut Butter Banana Cookies are soft, chewy, and loaded with peanut butter cups, chocolate chips, and banana pudding mix. This crowd-pleasing cookie is a perfect mashup of chocolate, peanut butter, and subtle banana flavor — all baked into one incredibly easy treat.
Whether you’re baking for a party, your kids, or just need something sweet after a long day, these cookies hit the spot. They come together quickly and make a big batch, so there’s plenty to share (or not — no judgment).
Recipe Highlights
- Flavor mashup magic: Chocolate, peanut butter, and banana all in one cookie? Yes, please. These cookies hit three flavor cravings in one bite, and somehow, it just works. If you love banana bread but wish it had more chocolate and crunch, these cookies are your dream come true.
- Super soft texture: Thanks to the pudding mix, these cookies stay soft for days. The pudding helps lock in moisture and adds just the right amount of chew without making the cookies cakey. You’ll bite into one today and find it just as good tomorrow — if they last that long.
- Easy to make: No chilling, no fancy ingredients — just mix, scoop, and bake. This recipe is beginner-friendly and doesn’t require a stand mixer or anything complicated. It’s fast enough for weeknight baking but special enough for parties or bake sales.
- Big batch = big win: Perfect for sharing or stocking your freezer (if they last that long). This recipe yields about 3 dozen cookies, so you can easily split the batch: half for now, half for freezing or gifting. Great for large families or cookie swaps.
- Kid-approved: With candy inside and no visible “weird” ingredients, these are picky-eater friendly. Even banana skeptics tend to love them since the flavor is subtle and mellow. Plus, there’s enough chocolate in each bite to keep even the most selective kid coming back for seconds.
INGREDIENTS IN REESE’S PEANUT BUTTER BANANA COOKIES
Butter – You will need 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) of butter. Make sure the butter is softened to room temperature before adding to the recipe.
Peanut butter – You can use creamy or crunchy peanut butter, but note that if you use a more natural peanut butter, the cookies won’t quite turn out the same. Traditional peanut butters (Jif, Skippy, etc) tend to work much better for baking.
Sugars – You’ll need 1/2 cup of granulated sugar and 1/2 cup of brown sugar. Make sure the brown sugar is fresh and soft.
Banana pudding mix – You will need one small box (3.4 ounces) of instant banana pudding mix. This adds the banana flavor to the cookies, and makes them soft and chewy too!
Eggs – The recipe calls for 2 large eggs to bind everything together.
Vanilla extract – The higher the quality of the vanilla, the better!
Flour – All purpose flour works best in these cookies. Cake flour also works well.
Baking soda – This is the leavening agent in the cookies so make sure your baking soda isn’t old or expired.
Salt – Just a half teaspoon of salt helps to bring out the other flavors in the cookies.
Mini chocolate chips – You can use regular sized semi-sweet chocolate chips, but I like the mini ones in these cookies so that they don’t overpower the peanut butter cups. Chocolate is chocolate though – you really can’t go wrong no matter what size the chips are!
Reese’s miniature peanut butter cups – You can use regular sized peanut butter cups, but I like to use the unwrapped miniature ones so that I don’t have to deal with a lot of peeling wrappers off! Chop them up into small pieces. If you use the mini ones, you can just quarter them.
Tips for Perfect Cookies Every Time
Full instructions for making Reese’s Peanut Butter Banana Cookies can be found on the recipe card below, but here are a few helpful tips.
- Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack — they’ll hold their shape better. This short rest time helps the centers firm up without overbaking.
- Soften your butter but don’t melt it. Room temp butter blends evenly and creates the right texture — too soft and the cookies will spread too much.
- Don’t overbake! Take them out when they still look a little underdone in the center. They’ll continue baking on the sheet as they cool and stay softer this way.
- Chop the Reese’s cups into small chunks so they distribute well in the dough. You’ll want some smaller pieces that melt into the dough and a few bigger bites that stand out.
Storage Tips
- Room temp: Store in an airtight container for up to 4–5 days. They stay nice and soft, thanks to the pudding mix. Pop them in the microwave for a few seconds to bring back that “just baked” texture.
- Freezer: These cookies freeze great! Just let them cool completely, then freeze in a zip-top bag for up to 3 months. You can also freeze the dough in pre-scooped balls — bake from frozen with just 1–2 extra minutes added.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use banana instead of pudding mix?
Not for this recipe — the instant pudding gives the cookies structure and softness. Mashed banana would change the texture too much and make the dough too wet.
Can I make them gluten-free?
Yes! Use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend like Cup4Cup or Bob’s Red Mill. Just double-check the pudding mix label — some contain gluten or cross-contamination warnings.
Can I skip the chocolate chips or peanut butter cups?
Of course. But honestly… why would you? You could swap them out for white chocolate chips or peanut butter chips if you’re feeling adventurous.
MORE BANANA COOKIE RECIPES YOU’LL ENJOY:
- Banana Oatmeal Cookies are soft, chewy, and packed with flavor, thanks to the addition of fresh bananas and banana pudding mix.
- With their soft texture and banana-rich flavor, Banana Pudding Cookies made with pudding mix and white chocolate chips are a crowd favorite.
- For a wholesome twist on dessert, Banana Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies combine chewy oats, ripe banana, and melty chocolate in every bite.
- If you love banana cream pie, you’ll go crazy for Banana Cream Pie Cookies, a fun, bite-sized take on the classic dessert.
- Everything you love about banana bread is baked into these soft, sweet Banana Bread Cookies topped with a light vanilla glaze.
Reese’s Peanut Butter Banana Cookies are soft, chewy, and packed with chocolate chips, peanut butter cups, and banana pudding flavor! Easy to make and totally irresistible.
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