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Fudge Puddles (Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Cups)

written by Ashley Fehr

Updated November 3, 2025

5 from 9 votes
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Cups, or more affectionately known as Fudge Puddles, are made with a peanut butter cookie dough base and a fudgy center made of chocolate chips and condensed milk. It’s an easy dessert for curbing those peanut butter chocolate cravings or for enjoying during the holiday season!

fudge puddles and a spoonful of peanut butter surrounded by chocolate chips.

If you love peanut butter recipes, you’ll love Peanut Butter Balls, No Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars, Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Table of Contents

My Grandma’s Fudge Puddles hold a special place in my heart. They have that same nostalgic peanut butter flavor as my Peanut Butter Cookies, but with a fudgy chocolate center! 

I make a homemade peanut butter cookie dough base with creamy peanut butter and a chocolate fudge layer that fills the center. These cups are super simple to make and perfect for parties, holidays, or any time in between!

Why we love these fudge peanut butter cups:

  • Nostalgic: This is my grandma’s recipe, so you know it’s filled with love and memories of the good old days. 
  • Easy: The base for the cups is a basic peanut butter cookie dough, and the fudgy center contains only 2 ingredients, most of which you probably already have in your pantry!
  • Freezer-friendly: I love making a huge batch of these and freezing them whenever I have a peanut butter chocolate craving!
a half eaten fudge puddle with a spoonful of peanut butter beside.

You only need a few basic ingredients to make these delicious Fudge Puddles! Check out the recipe card for ingredient substitutions. 

ingredients needed for fudge puddle cookies in bowls.
  • Butter: I use room temperature unsalted butter to give the cookie cups flavor. 
  • Peanut butter: Make sure you use smooth peanut butter like Jif or Skippy and not natural peanut butter, as it doesn’t have the best texture for cookie dough. 
  • Sugars: I use a blend of white and brown sugar to provide the perfect balance of crispness and chewiness. You can use light or dark brown sugar, depending on how much flavor you want to add!
  • Egg: This is the binder for the dough and helps the cookie stay together during baking.
  • Flour: All-purpose flour creates a tender crumb for the cups and gives them a nice texture. 
  • Baking soda: This is a leavening agent that helps the dough rise when baked. 
  • Salt: Balances out the sweetness.
  • Chocolate chips: I use semi-sweet chocolate chips, but you can use milk chocolate or dark chocolate chips if you like!
  • Condensed milk: When combined with the melty chocolate chips, it forms a thick fudge-like consistency that fills the center of the peanut butter cups. 

My grandma’s Fudge Puddles couldn’t be easier to make! For detailed instructions, scroll down to the recipe card. 

  • Cream butter, peanut butter, and sugars.
  • Beat in the egg. 
unmixed dry ingredients in glass mixing bowl.
Beat butter, peanut butter, and sugars.
egg added to mixed ingredients in mixing bowl.
Add the egg.
  • Add flour, baking soda, and salt. 
  • Bake and indent the warm dough with a round object to make a well.
flour added to mixed ingredients in mixing bowl.
Add in the flour mixture.
shaping the fudge puddle crust with a measuring scoop.
Bake and indent.
  • Pipe the fudge mixture into each of the peanut butter cups.
  • Chill before serving.
a frosting bag filling fudge into the crusts.
Pipe the filling.
a white platter filled with fudge puddles.
Chill and serve.

Variations and Substitutions

  • If you’re making these for a holiday party, add some festive sprinkles on top!
  • Instead of a chocolate filling, you can use peanut butter chips and make a peanut butter filling for those peanut butter lovers in your life!
  • For a little crunch, add some crushed nuts on top, like chopped pecans, walnuts, or even pistachios!

How to store chocolate-filled peanut butter cups

Store the cups in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.

Can I freeze these fudge cups?

Yes! Once your cups have set and cooled, pop them into an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat them, let them sit at room temperature for up to 1 hour.

a white platter filled with fudge puddles.

Can I make the dough ahead of time?

Absolutely! I suggest making the dough as instructed, portioning out a tablespoon of dough onto a baking sheet, and flash-freezing them. The cookie dough balls will last in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to bake, let the dough thaw completely in the fridge, add it to the mini muffin pan, and bake as directed.

More peanut butter chocolate recipes you’ll love:

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Fudge Puddles

written by Ashley Fehr

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Cups, or more affectionately known as Fudge Puddles, are made with a peanut butter cookie dough base and a fudgy center made of chocolate chips and condensed milk.
close up of a fudge puddle with chocolate chips beside.
5 from 9 votes
Rate Pin Print
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 36 servings
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Ingredients 

Cookie cups

  • ½ cup butter, (room temperature)
  • ½ cup smooth peanut butter, (not natural)
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup light brown sugar, (lightly packed)
  • 1 egg
  • 1½ cups flour, (all purpose or whole wheat)
  • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt

Filling

  • 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk
US Customary – Metric

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray a mini muffin pan with non-stick spray (if using a non-stick pan, you can get away without spraying).
  • With an electric mixer, cream together butter, peanut butter and sugars. Beat in egg until combined.
  • Add flour, baking soda and salt and beat just until combined.
  • Drop about 1 tablespoon of dough into mini muffin pans (or you can use regular pans and just make them twice as big!) — I get roughly 36.
  • Bake for 12-14 minutes until the center is set and not gooey. Remove from the oven and use a small, round object to make an indent in the center while still warm (I used the back of a 1 tbsp cookie scoop, and it worked wonderfully!).
  • Let cool for 10-15 minutes before removing from pan.
  • In a medium saucepan, combine chocolate chips and condensed milk over medium-low heat and stir until melted and smooth (you can also do this on high in the microwave in 30 second intervals).
  • Spoon the fudge mixture into the cookie cups or use a piping bag to fill. Chill for 30 minutes to set before serving.
  • These store perfectly at room temperature for a couple days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Video

Notes

Recipe from my Grandma’s church cookbook, 2000.
 
Ingredients and Substitutions:
Butter: I have swapped the butter for non-dairy (hard) margarine with no issues. To make them dairy free, you’d need to find a dairy free fudge recipe to fill the cookie cups.
Flour: I often make these with 100% whole wheat flour and it works perfectly! No one even knows 😉
Chocolate chips: you can use any variety of chips for this recipe, or about 250 grams chopped chocolate. 
 
Storage:
Store at room temperature for a few days or freeze for several months. 
To serve after freezing, simply let thaw at room temperature uncovered for one hour.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 139cal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 12mg, Sodium: 98mg, Potassium: 92mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 90IU, Calcium: 12mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Meet Ashley

My name is Ashley Fehr and I love creating easy meals my family loves. I also like to do things my way, which means improvising and breaking the rules when necessary. Here you will find creative twists on old favorites and some of my favorite family recipes, passed down from generations!

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Comments

  1. Amanda @ Cookie Named Desire says

    These look and sound amazing, plus I love how simple they are to make as well! What a wonderful way to also remember your grandmom a little bit. I lost my grandmother this summer so I can understand how you feel about the regrets and time.

    Reply

  5. Allie | Baking a Moment says

    I’m so sorry about your grandmother! But how wonderful that you can keep her memory alive with fabulous recipes like this one. These cookies sound so delicious and just perfect for the holidays. Hugs to you and your family!

    Reply

  13. Cyndi - My Kitchen Craze says

    I am so sorry to head about your grandma Ashley. I lost my grandma quickly too and it was very unexpected. How wonderful that you are cooking from her cookbooks. And I agree 100% to keep the title. You just can’t mess with the old stuff. These look delicious and perfect for a holiday party!!

    Reply

  14. lisa says

    I do not have instagram … but I did the rest … haha oh well … my phone does not have internet … 🙂
    Still happy to have found the cool people on pinterest …

    Reply

  16. Sarah @ The Gold Lining Girl says

    I’m so sorry to hear about your grandmother! She sounded really special – I love that she made notes in her cookbooks. I should do that more. I always mean to, but never do it! I don’t necessarily like cute titles either because they’re not explanatory, but THESE… Fudge Puddles! That’s adorable! They look so divine. A truffle-like center in a cookie crust. Heavenly!

    Reply

    • Ashley says

      They are kind of incredible Sarah! And thanks, Sarah! She was a really special lady. I’m grateful to have some things to remember her by!

      Reply

  17. Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says

    I’m so sorry for your loss, Ashley! Sounds like your Grandma was a wonderful person and how special that you were able to keep her cookbook. My Grandma was the best cook that I’ve ever known, so I know how important recipes can be. These fudge cups look delicious! I love how easy these are to whip up. So perfect for Christmas!

    Reply

  18. Sarah@WholeandHeavenlyOven says

    That’s so cool that this recipe came from your grandmother’s cookbook! Grandmas recipes are always the best, no doubt. I’m positive she would definitely be proud of these stunner cookies!
    I’m drooling over that fudgy chocolate filling! Pinned. 🙂

    Reply

    • Ashley says

      Yes, Sarah! I have one that she made for us, and this recipe is from the cookbook her church put together some time ago. It’s nice to be able to look through it and make some of the same things she enjoyed! Though I’m not sure if she made these before, I couldn’t resist — they’re so easy!

      Reply

  20. Shashi @ RunninSrilankan says

    You are indeed right “time can be found if you look hard enough”! I lost my dad this year – even though it was expected, I still feel I didn’t spend enough time or do enough -but I hope my dad as well as your grandma understand and know they will see us again one day.
    Thanks or sharing this recipe from your grandma’s cookbook – these sure are a fun and deish looking addition to the Christmas Cookie collection!

    Reply

    • Ashley says

      Thanks Shashi! It is such a hard lesson to learn — I find that I often forget it, even so soon after a loss in the family. Thankfully, with baby coming I’ve had to slow down a bit and I am able to find a little more time than I had before!

      Reply
5 from 9 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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