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Peanut Butter Cake Mix Cookies are the easiest cake mix cookies you will ever make, with just five ingredients, no chill time, and that classic crisscross peanut butter look, and I started baking these on a whim one afternoon when Maddie wanted cookies and we were almost out of everything. If you love a quick treat like our Reeses peanut butter cup cookies, this cake mix shortcut is about to become your go to.
A boxed cake mix does all the heavy lifting, so you get soft, chewy peanut butter cookies in about 30 minutes start to finish.
Peanut Butter Cake Mix Cookies Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 20 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 12 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 32 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 30 cookies
- ⚡ Calories: 160kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Soft, chewy peanut butter with a sweet sugar crunch
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our soft oatmeal raisin cookies
Quick Answer
Make Peanut Butter Cake Mix Cookies by beating a box of yellow cake mix with creamy peanut butter, eggs, and oil until a smooth dough forms. Scoop the dough, roll each ball in sugar, place them on a lined baking sheet, press a crosshatch pattern with a fork, and bake at 350 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes until lightly golden.
Jump to:
- Peanut Butter Cake Mix Cookies Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Peanut Butter Cake Mix Cookies
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Peanut Butter Cake Mix Cookies FAQs
- Other Recommended Easy Cookie Recipes
- Peanut Butter Cake Mix Cookies
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- A cake mix makes them foolproof. Starting with boxed cake mix means these cake mix cookies come together with no measuring of flour, baking soda, or salt.
- Just five ingredients. You only need cake mix, peanut butter, eggs, oil, and sugar, all easy pantry staples you probably already have.
- No chilling required. The dough is ready to scoop and bake right away, so you go from craving to cookie in about half an hour.
- The sugar coating adds crunch. Rolling the dough balls in sugar gives every cookie a sweet, sparkly, crackly edge.
- They stay soft for days. The peanut butter and oil keep these cookies tender and chewy well after baking.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- These Peanut Butter Cake Mix Cookies are soft, chewy, and made with just five simple ingredients.
- They come together fast with no chilling, perfect for a last minute treat.
- They are a fun baking project with kids, just like our strawberry sugar cookies.
Key Ingredients
Here is what makes these Peanut Butter Cake Mix Cookies work, and why each piece matters.
- Yellow cake mix: the shortcut base that gives these cake mix cookies their soft, tender crumb, with no extra flour needed.
- Creamy peanut butter: a full cup brings rich peanut butter flavor and helps bind the dough.
- Eggs: two eggs hold everything together and keep the cookies soft.
- Vegetable oil: a little oil makes the dough smooth and the cookies tender.
- Granulated sugar: for rolling the dough balls, it adds that signature sweet, crackly coating, like the sugar on our cream cheese cookies.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
These Peanut Butter Cake Mix Cookies are easy to make your own.
- Try a chocolate cake mix for a rich chocolate peanut butter version.
- Press a chocolate kiss or a few chocolate chips into the center of each cookie.
- Swap the granulated sugar for cinnamon sugar to roll the dough balls.
- Use crunchy peanut butter for a bit of texture, like the crunch in our peanut butter chocolate chip bars.
How to Make Peanut Butter Cake Mix Cookies
- Combine the ingredients. In a large bowl, add the yellow cake mix, creamy peanut butter, eggs, and vegetable oil.
- Beat into a dough. Mix on medium for about two minutes until a smooth, thick cookie dough forms.
- Roll in sugar. Scoop the dough into balls and roll each one in granulated sugar until fully coated.
- Place on the sheet. Set the sugar coated balls at least three inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Press with a fork. Use a fork to gently flatten each dough ball.
- Make the crosshatch and bake. Press a second time in the opposite direction for a crisscross pattern, then bake at 350 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes until lightly golden.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Do not overbake. Pull the cookies when the edges are just lightly golden for the softest texture.
- Use a cookie scoop. A 1.5 tablespoon scoop keeps the cookies even so they bake at the same rate.
- Do not skip the sugar roll. It gives the cookies their sweet, crackly coating.
- Space them out. These cookies spread, so leave at least three inches between each one.
- Let them set before moving. Cool the cookies for two minutes on the sheet so they do not fall apart.
- Bake a little longer for crisp. Add two extra minutes if you like a crispier cookie.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
These Peanut Butter Cake Mix Cookies are made for dunking, so serve them with a tall, cold glass of milk.
Pile them on a cookie tray next to our cosmic brownie cookies and strawberry sugar cookies for a colorful dessert spread.
They are perfect for bake sales, lunchboxes, and holiday cookie platters, and they freeze well too. For another easy peanut butter treat, try our Reeses peanut butter cup cookies.
Peanut Butter Cake Mix Cookies FAQs
Yes, bake Peanut Butter Cake Mix Cookies a day or two ahead and store them in an airtight container. The dough can also be made ahead and chilled until you are ready to bake.
Store Peanut Butter Cake Mix Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days. Add a slice of bread to the container to keep them extra soft.
Yes, freeze the baked cookies or the raw dough balls for up to three months. Bake frozen dough balls straight from the freezer, adding a minute or two to the time.
A yellow or golden cake mix is classic for Peanut Butter Cake Mix Cookies, but white or chocolate cake mix works too for a different flavor.
Dry cake mix cookies usually mean too much flour or overbaking. Measure the peanut butter and oil accurately and pull the cookies when the edges are just golden.
Rolling is optional, but the sugar gives Peanut Butter Cake Mix Cookies their signature sweet, crackly coating and pretty finish.
Looking for more easy cookies? Try our cosmic brownie cookies next.
Peanut Butter Cake Mix Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350*F.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat together the cake mix, peanut butter, eggs, and vegetable oil until smooth and completely combined, about 2 minutes.1 box yellow cake mix, 2 large eggs, 1 cup creamy peanut butter, 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- Place the sugar in a small bowl.1/3 cup granulated sugar
- Use a 1 & 1/2 Tablespoon cookie scoop to portion out the cookie dough.
- Roll the cookie dough balls in the white sugar until completely coated.
- Place the coated cookie dough balls at least 3″ apart on the prepared cookie sheets.
- Use a fork to press down in a hatch-pattern on the top of each cookie, flattening them in the process.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden and spread out.
- Allow the cookies to cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheet before removing them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Always use parchment paper or silicone baking mats on your cookie sheet for easy cleanup and even baking.
- Use a cookie scoop for evenly-sized cookie balls.
- Don’t skip rolling the cookie dough in sugar; it gives a sweet crunch to every bite!
- The fork’s hatch-pattern not only gives a classic look but also helps with even baking.
- If you want your cookies a bit crispier, bake them for an extra 2 minutes.
- Have a tall glass of milk ready – these cookies are the perfect dipping companions!
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
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Awesome easy recipe. My family loved them! I used a 15.25 oz yellow cake mix but since peanut butter is oily, I reduced the oil to 1/3 cup with no issues at all. I’m making another batch today but will experiment with a chocolate cake mix.
Coconut oil – Brown sugar – Powdered sugar – bake additional 2 minutes 👍👍 – you have yourself the GOAT of peanut butter cookies. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
13 ounce works, thanks!
What size box cake mix, they used to be 18 oz dome are 15oz and some are now only 13oz. Thank you!