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Irresistible Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake Mix Cookies: The Ultimate Easy Dessert

Get ready to indulge in a treat that perfectly marries two beloved flavors: rich chocolate and creamy peanut butter. These Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake Mix cookies are not just cookies; they are a delightful fusion with a texture nestled between a soft, chewy cookie and a fudgy brownie. Incredibly easy to make and guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser, this recipe leverages the convenience of a cake mix to create a dessert that tastes completely homemade without all the fuss.

Why You’ll Crave These Easy Chewy Cookies

Is there any combination more iconic and satisfying than chocolate and peanut butter? If you’re a fan of that classic duo, prepare to fall in love with these simple yet sensational cake mix cookies. They deliver on all fronts: a deep chocolate flavor, the nutty goodness of peanut butter, and an irresistible chewiness that will have you reaching for more. Unlike traditional cookie recipes that can be time-consuming, these come together quickly, making them perfect for last-minute cravings, bake sales, or a delightful treat any day of the week. Forget complicated baking techniques; this recipe is designed for ease and maximum flavor payoff. If you enjoy other chocolate peanut butter delights, this cookie recipe will quickly become a cherished favorite in your baking repertoire.

Expert Tips for Baking Perfect Cake Mix Cookies

While this recipe is incredibly forgiving, a few key tips can elevate your chocolate peanut butter cake mix cookies from good to absolutely amazing. Paying attention to these details will ensure your cookies are consistently soft, moist, and flavorful every time you bake them.

Choose Your Peanut Butter Wisely: Using “natural” peanut butter is highly recommended for this recipe. Its higher oil content contributes significantly to keeping the cookies wonderfully moist and tender. When you open a jar of natural peanut butter, you’ll often notice a layer of oil on top; this is normal! Just be sure to give it a very good, thorough stir before you measure out the amount needed for the dough. This ensures consistent texture and moisture throughout your cookies.
Natural vs. Regular Peanut Butter: Through extensive testing, natural peanut butter consistently yielded superior results in terms of moisture and chewiness. However, if natural peanut butter isn’t available or you simply prefer not to use it, standard creamy peanut butter will work. You might find the texture slightly different, but the cookies will still be delicious.
Adjusting for Peanut Butter Consistency: The consistency of natural peanut butter can vary slightly between brands. If, after adding the cake mix, your dough still appears too crumbly or dry, don’t hesitate to add an extra tablespoon or two of natural peanut butter. Continue mixing until the dough comes together to form a stiff, workable batter. This flexibility ensures your cookies aren’t dry.
Moisture Boost for Regular Peanut Butter: If you opt for regular, thicker peanut butter, you might want to add about a tablespoon of vegetable oil to the mix. This extra fat will help mimic the oil content found in natural peanut butter, ensuring your dough remains moist and pliable, preventing dry or crumbly cookies.
Controlling Cookie Thickness: These cookies are designed to be thick and chewy, so they don’t spread significantly on their own during baking. If you prefer a thinner, crispier cookie, simply flatten the dough balls a bit more before placing them in the oven. Aim for about ½ inch thick for a standard chewy cookie, and slightly thinner if you desire more spread and crispness.
Chocolate Choices: While the recipe calls for chopped semi-sweet chocolate, feel free to substitute with an equal amount of chocolate chips. Semi-sweet chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, or even dark chocolate chips would all work beautifully, allowing you to customize the sweetness and intensity of the chocolate flavor.
Cake Mix Versatility: Don’t worry if you can’t find Devil’s Food cake mix. Any chocolate cake mix will work perfectly as a substitute. German chocolate, milk chocolate, or even a fudge brownie mix can be used to achieve delicious results, offering slight variations in the chocolate profile.

Ingredients You’ll Need for These Decadent Cookies

Gathering your ingredients is the first step to baking these amazing cookies. The beauty of this recipe lies in its simplicity, requiring just a handful of pantry staples to create a dessert that tastes anything but simple. Here’s what you’ll need:

Devil’s food cake mix (one 15.25 ounce box)
Natural peanut butter (¾ cup)
Large eggs (2)
Chopped peanuts (⅓ cup)
Semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (2 oz)

For best results, here are the brands that were used in developing this recipe, though feel free to use your preferred brands:

Peanut Butter: Kraft smooth, only peanuts, natural peanut butter
Cake Mix: Betty Crocker Super Moist Devil’s Food
Chocolate: Store brand semi-sweet baker’s chocolate

How to Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake Mix Cookies

Follow these straightforward steps to create your batch of irresistible chocolate peanut butter cake mix cookies. You’ll be amazed at how quickly these come together!

First, begin by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). While the oven heats, prepare two baking sheets. You can either spray them thoroughly with a non-stick cooking spray or line them with parchment paper for easy removal and cleanup. This step ensures your cookies won’t stick and will bake evenly.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the natural peanut butter and eggs. Stir these two ingredients together until they are completely smooth and well-incorporated. This forms the moist base for your cookie dough, setting the stage for that perfect chewy texture.

Next, add the entire box of cake mix to the peanut butter and egg mixture. Stir thoroughly until all the ingredients are well mixed. It might take a minute or so for the mixture to come together and appear less crumbly. If you prefer, a hand mixer set on low speed can also be used to achieve a consistent dough. The batter should look slightly crumbly but should not be dry. If you notice any patches of dry cake mix, or if the dough is too stiff to come together, add an extra tablespoon or two of peanut butter until you achieve a cohesive, stiff batter. This adjustment ensures your cookies have the right moisture content.

Once your base dough is ready, gently fold in the chopped peanuts and chopped chocolate. Distribute them evenly throughout the dough using a spoon or your hands. These add-ins contribute delightful texture and bursts of flavor in every bite.

Now it’s time to shape your cookies. Form the dough into balls, each approximately 1.5 inches round – about the size of a golf ball. For uniform cookies that bake evenly, using a cookie scoop or a small ice cream scoop is highly recommended. As you form the balls, gently squeeze the dough with your hands. This helps the ingredients adhere properly and ensures the cookies hold their shape during baking, preventing them from crumbling.

Place the formed dough balls onto the prepared cookie sheets, ensuring there are a couple of inches of space between each cookie to allow for slight spreading. Once on the sheet, gently flatten each dough ball to approximately ½ inch thick. This initial flattening helps achieve that perfect chewy, brownie-like texture.

Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes. They are ready when the edges appear fully set and slightly golden, but the centers still feel a bit soft. This slight softness in the middle is key to their chewy, brownie-like texture. Be careful not to overbake, as this can lead to dry cookies.

Once baked, remove the cookies from the hot baking sheet and transfer them to a wire cooling rack. Allow them to cool completely before storing them in an airtight container. This helps them firm up and preserves their freshness.

Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

These delightful chocolate peanut butter cake mix cookies are so good, you’ll want to make sure they stay fresh for as long as possible! Proper storage is key to maintaining their soft and chewy texture.

Room Temperature: Once completely cooled, store your cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-5 days. To keep them extra soft, you can place a slice of bread in the container with the cookies; the cookies will absorb moisture from the bread.
Freezing Baked Cookies: These cookies freeze beautifully! After they’ve cooled completely, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and flash freeze for about an hour until solid. Then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or airtight container, separating layers with parchment paper to prevent sticking. They can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm briefly in the microwave for a fresh-baked feel.
Freezing Cookie Dough: You can also prepare the dough ahead of time and freeze it. Form the dough into balls as instructed, then flash freeze them on a baking sheet. Once solid, transfer the dough balls to a freezer-safe bag. When you’re ready to bake, you can bake them directly from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time, or let them thaw slightly before flattening and baking. This is a great way to have fresh cookies on demand!

Delicious Variations to Explore

While the classic chocolate peanut butter combination is divine, these cake mix cookies are also incredibly versatile! Don’t be afraid to experiment with different add-ins to create your unique twist:

White Chocolate Bliss: Swap out the semi-sweet chocolate for white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate for a sweeter, creamier contrast.
Triple Chocolate Threat: Add a mix of dark, milk, and white chocolate chips for a complex chocolate flavor in every bite.
Nutty Delights: Instead of or in addition to peanuts, try adding chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds for different textures and flavors.
Candy Craze: Fold in peanut butter M&M’s, Reese’s Pieces, or chopped peanut butter cups for an extra burst of candy goodness.
Spiced Cookies: A pinch of cinnamon or a touch of chili powder (for a “Mexican Hot Chocolate” feel) can add an unexpected depth of flavor.
Cream Cheese Swirl: For an even richer cookie, swirl in a tablespoon of softened cream cheese per cookie dough ball before baking.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are answers to some common questions you might have about making these chocolate peanut butter cake mix cookies:

Can I use a different flavor of cake mix? Absolutely! While chocolate cake mix works best with peanut butter, you can experiment with yellow cake mix, vanilla, or even spice cake mix for different flavor profiles. Just note that the chocolate flavor will be less prominent.
Why did my cookies turn out dry? This usually happens if the dough was too dry to begin with (not enough peanut butter or oil), or if the cookies were overbaked. Ensure your dough comes together properly, and watch your baking time carefully, removing them when the edges are set but the centers are still slightly soft.
Do I have to use natural peanut butter? No, but it is recommended for optimal moisture and texture due to its higher oil content. If you use regular peanut butter, consider adding a tablespoon of vegetable oil to the dough to help prevent dryness.
Can I make these gluten-free? If you can find a gluten-free chocolate cake mix, then yes! Ensure all other ingredients (like peanut butter) are also certified gluten-free.
How do I prevent the cookies from spreading too much? These cookies don’t spread a lot naturally. However, if yours are spreading excessively, ensure your butter is not too warm (if you added any), and that your oven temperature is accurate. Chilling the dough for 15-30 minutes before baking can also help.

Craving More Delicious Recipes? Give These a Try!

If you loved these easy chocolate peanut butter cookies, you’ll surely enjoy these other sweet treats:

Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Cookies
No-Bake Peanut Butter Pie
Peanut Butter Pie Brownies
Chewy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Pudding Pie
Frosted Soft Pumpkin Cookies
Hot Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies
Classic Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake Mix Cookies

These Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake Mix cookies are soft, thick, and incredibly easy to make! They boast a delightful texture that’s a perfect cross between a classic chewy cookie and a rich, fudgy brownie.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars based on 2 reviews

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Prep Time:

15

Cook Time:

12

Total Time:

27

Servings:

18
cookies

Author:

Brandie Skibinski

Ingredients

15.25 ounce box devil’s food cake mix
¾ cup natural peanut butter
2 large eggs
⅓ cup chopped peanuts
2 oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
Spray 2 baking sheets with non-stick spray or line with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, mix the peanut butter and eggs until smooth.
Add the cake mix and stir until well mixed. It may take a minute to come together. Alternatively, you can use a hand mixer set on low. The batter will look a bit crumbly, but it should not be dry. If there is still dry cake mix, add an extra tablespoon or two of peanut butter until you have a stiff batter.
Mix in the chopped peanuts and chopped chocolate.
Form into balls about 1.5 inches round (about the size of a golf ball). Using a cookie scoop or small ice cream scoop will help keep them uniform. Squeeze the dough balls with your hands to help them hold together.
Place on the cookie sheet with a couple of inches room between each cookie. Then flatten the dough balls to approximately ½ inch thick.
Bake for 10-12 minutes until just set. They will still feel a bit soft in the middle but the edges should feel fully set.
Remove from baking sheet to cooling rack, allow to cool, then store in an airtight container.

Notes from the Baker

Natural peanut butter ensures the moistest cookies due to its higher oil content. Remember to stir it well before measuring!
If using regular, thicker peanut butter, a tablespoon of vegetable oil can boost moisture.
Dough consistency can vary with natural peanut butter brands; add a bit more if your dough is too dry.
For thinner cookies, simply flatten the dough balls more before baking.
Chopped chocolate can be swapped for your favorite chocolate chips.
Any chocolate cake mix can be used if Devil’s Food is unavailable.

Course:
Dessert

Cuisine:
American

Nutrition (per cookie, estimate)

Nutritional Disclaimer

“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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