These cake mix peanut butter cookies are a game-changer for anyone who loves simple ingredients and big flavor.
Perfect for beginners or seasoned bakers, this easy peanut butter cookie recipe combines a box of yellow cake mix with creamy peanut butter to create soft cookies with a chewy texture.
Whether you're baking for a special occasion or a cozy night in with a tall glass of milk, these cookies will quickly become a family favorite.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Simple Ingredients: Uses a box of yellow cake mix, brown sugar, and pantry staples.
- Quick and Easy: Only takes about 20 minutes from start to finish.
- Rich Peanut Butter Flavor: The perfect balance of sweetness and nuttiness.
- Versatile: Add peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips, or even peanut butter cups for extra flair.
- Beginner-Friendly: No need for advanced baking skills or special equipment.
If you love peanut butter cookies, this is a nice shortcut recipe when you want a semi-homemade dessert.
These cake mix cookies are a great take on a classic cookie recipe. Be sure to try my Chocolate Chip cake mix cookies too!
Ingredients for easy peanut butter cookies
- Yellow cake mix
- Softened butter
- Packed brown sugar
- Peanut butter
- Vegetable oil
- Egg
Equipment and kitchen tools
- Electric hand mixer
How to make perfect peanut butter cookies
- In a medium bowl, cream butter, brown sugar, peanut butter oil and egg.
- Add cake mix and blend.
- Roll dough into 1-inch balls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Flatten cookies with a fork.
- Bake at 350°F for 12-14 minutes and let cool.
Tips for the Best Results
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Use softened butter, a room temperature egg, and creamy peanut butter for smooth mixing.
- Dough Balls: Use a medium cookie scoop or your hands to form inch balls of dough.
- Parchment Paper: Line your baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup and even baking.
- Flattening the Cookies: Use the tines of a fork to create a crisscross pattern on top of the cookies for that classic peanut butter cookie look.
- Baking Time: Bake at 350°F until the edges are golden brown but the center remains soft for a chewy texture.
- Cooling: Let cookies cool on a wire rack to prevent overbaking.
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later! Plus, I'll send you more inspiring ideas I think you'll love!
Substitutions and Variations
- Peanut Butter: Substitute chunky peanut butter for a different texture.
- Mix-Ins: Add peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips, or chopped peanut butter cups for an extra indulgent treat.
- Cake Mix Options: Swap the yellow cake mix for chocolate cake mix to create chocolate peanut butter cake mix cookies.
- Glaze: Drizzle a simple peanut butter glaze over cooled cookies for added sweetness.
- Cake Variations: Use a spice cake mix for a warm, spiced flavor or a white cake mix for a lighter taste.
FAQs About This Recipe
Yes, a hand mixer works perfectly to combine wet ingredients with the dry cake mix.
If you make this a day ahead, be sure to store baked cookies in an airtight container with a slice of apple or bread in it to retain cookie softness.
Creamy peanut butter gives the cookies a smooth texture, but you can use crunchy peanut butter for a different texture. I do not suggest using natural peanut butter because it will make the cookies too oily.
Absolutely. Press the dough into a parchment-lined pan and adjust the baking time until the top is golden brown.
Don’t overbake! Remove the cookies when the edges are golden brown, and let them cool on a wire rack.
More Easy Cookie Recipes
- Simple Lemon Cookies recipe makes the loveliest light, lemon cookies!
- Soft Snickerdoodles – light cinnamon cookies that are like air!
- Best Ever Chocolate Chip cookie recipe - a favorite for years and the best chocolate chip cookie recipe!
- No Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars - delicious snack bars with peanut butter and chocolate!
Make sure to pin this for those times you need a quick cookie recipe.
Don't forget to bookmark this recipe.
Peanut Butter Recipes
For more delicious recipes with peanut butter, try these:
- Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate
- Homemade Peanut Butter Eggs
- No Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars - delicious snack bars with peanut butter and chocolate!
📖 Recipe
Peanut Butter Cake Mix Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- ¼ cup butter softened
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 egg
Instructions
- 1. In a medium bowl, cream butter, brown sugar, peanut butter oil and egg.
- 2. Add cake mix and blend.
3. Roll dough into 1 inch balls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
4. Flatten cookies with fork.
5. Bake at 350 ° f for 12-14 minutes and let cool.
Nutrition
If you are not yet subscribing to my CELEBRATE THE SEASONS newsletter, you can subscribe here. I share a few things that I don’t share here and I email you only once a week. I know how valuable your time is and respect that tremendously!
Tamara
I've never used cake mix for peanut butter cookies, but it seems like an absolutely perfect idea. I'm going to try these! We're big fans in our house.
Laurie
You have oil in the ingredients list, but not in the recipe. Is it used or not?
Raquel
Yes, thank you Laurie for noticing! I just added it in the recipe instructions.
S Blackmon
@Raquel, what about the temp you bake them on?
Raquel
Bake the cookies at 350° F. Thanks for the heads up that it was missing from the card. - I updated the recipe carde.
Akaleistar
Those cookies look so yummy! I love making cookies from cake mixes 🙂
Raquel
Me too! Such a great timesaver!
Elaine Swartz
These cookies look yummy! What flavor cake mix do you use?
Raquel
I recommend using the Yellow cake flavor.
Tracy McGregor
@Raquel, do we used salted or unsalted butter or does it matter? Thanks!
Raquel
Hi Tracy,
I use salted butter, but you can use unsalted if you are watching your salt intake.
Kay
My 12 yr old daughter made these for the family! So easy for her to follow and they taste great!
Addison
These cookies are just perfect! Easy, delicious and so fun!
Raquel
They are so easy!
Linda
I love this recipe! I used a sugar free yellow cake mix for my husband who can't have sugar. I also added an extra egg and a 1/4 cup of mini chocolate chips and baked it in a 9x13 baking dish for 20 minutes. The cookie bars came out perfect!!!! Thanks again!!!!
Angel
@Linda, good idea to bake as a bar. Thanks @Raquel for the recipe. Think I’ll add peanut butter chips to mine.
Dee
This is a great recipe. I added mini chocolate chips and they were great. Also added regular chocolate chips and they were fantastic. Thanks for the recipe.
Sandy
My Mom always put a slice of bread in with the cookies and it keeps them soft.
Dee Lehr
This is an easy wonderful recipe. I add a bag of dark chocolate chips to this and it makes is even better, if that is possible.
Raquel
Nice idea Dee!
Lana Cannon
Started
Making cake mix cookies a couple of years ago. Takes so much less time and every flavor is sooooo good! Love your peanut butter cookies! Think I’ll go make some right now😊
Jeanette
I’m making these cookies now and I’m wondering if the cookie mix should be fairly crumbly
Raquel
Yes, they are a little crumbly when ready to bake.