Easy Cake Mix Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut butter cookies are such a classic cookie that is craved year-round. These peanut butter cake mix cookies are both easy and quick to make. They taste so good that no one will guess these are yellow cake mix cookies!

This is the recipe to use when you want to make a quick batch of peanut butter cookies! No one will even realize you use a cake mix unless you tell them (or share this recipe). If you LOVE these types of cake mix shortcut recipes, take a look at this collection of easy cake mix recipes that I've written for you!

If you don't have a cake mix at home and want to make peanut butter cookies, my easy Three Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies recipe is also quick and delicious. Want to make these in the air fryer? Here's my Air Fryer Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe.

Why I love these

These 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies with cake mix are perfect when I want homemade cookies without pulling out flour, baking soda, or multiple mixing bowls.

Using yellow cake mix creates soft and chewy peanut butter cookies with a consistent texture every single time, which makes this recipe especially beginner-friendly.

This cake mix peanut butter cookie recipe comes together in minutes and bakes quickly, so it is ideal for last-minute desserts or after-school treats.

Because the base is a boxed cake mix, these peanut butter cookies made with cake mix are nearly foolproof and turn out soft in the center with lightly golden edges.

The flavor is classic peanut butter cookie, but the cake mix keeps them slightly lighter and less crumbly than traditional fork-pressed peanut butter cookies.

You can easily customize this peanut butter cake mix cookie recipe by adding chocolate chips, turning the dough into cookie bars, or even using white cake mix instead of yellow.

What to Expect from These Cake Mix Cookies

These peanut butter cookies made with yellow cake mix bake up soft and chewy with a slightly cake-like texture. They are not as dense as traditional fork-pressed peanut butter cookies, but they still have plenty of peanut butter flavor.

The dough is thicker than most cookie doughs, and the cookies spread just slightly while baking. The centers stay tender, and the edges turn lightly golden.

If you like soft peanut butter cookies that are easy and forgiving, this cake mix version delivers every time.

Ingredients and Substitutions

These cookies use only a handfull of ingredients! Do you have these at home already?

• Yellow cake mix - I usually stock up on Betty Crocker mixes when they are on sale. You can use whatever brand you normally use.
• Peanut Butter - You can use either smooth and creamy or crunchy peanut butter. From experience, I find that regular commercial brands (non-organic) tend to work better. My understanding is that the fat content of some organic peanut butter varies (or it just might not have been well stirred before use).
• Eggs - I always use large eggs. If you have small ones, you may want to use 3 small ones instead of 2 large ones.
• Butter - use softened butter. Many people like using unsalted butter for baking. I use salted in this recipe because it adds to the peanut butter cookie flavor. Butter should not be melted; it should be allowed to soften to room temperature. If you are in a pinch and don't have butter, use a mild flavored oil like vegetable oil as a substitute.
• White sugar is optional, but I like using it when I do the traditional hatch marks on these cookies.

Variations

This cake mix peanut butter cookie recipe is easy to customize depending on what you have in your pantry.

Use White Cake Mix Instead of Yellow

You can make white cake mix peanut butter cookies if that is what you have on hand. The flavor will be slightly lighter, but the texture stays soft and chewy. This swap works well for anyone wondering if white cake mix can be used instead of yellow.

Try Chocolate Cake Mix

For chocolate peanut butter cake mix cookies, use a chocolate cake mix instead of yellow. The result tastes similar to a peanut butter cup in cookie form and works especially well if you add chocolate chips.

Add Chocolate Chips

Peanut butter chocolate chip cake mix cookies are always popular. Stir ½ to 1 cup of semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips into the dough before baking. The chocolate melts into the soft peanut butter base and adds extra richness.

Turn Them Into Cookie Bars

If you prefer cake mix peanut butter cookie bars, press the dough into a greased 9 x 13 baking dish and bake until the center is set. This is a great option when you want faster prep and fewer batches.

Use Your Favorite Brand

This recipe works with Betty Crocker cake mix, Duncan Hines cake mix, or most standard boxed yellow cake mixes. No special adjustments are needed, which makes these cake box peanut butter cookies easy and flexible.

Instructions

Step 1
Preheat oven to 350ºF and either put parchment paper or a silicone baking mat on your cookie sheet (or baking pan).

Step 2
In a large bowl, mix together your wet ingredients which are your peanut butter, oil and eggs. I use a hand mixer. It's much easier than hand mixing.

Step 3
Add the dry cake mix to the wet ingredients and mix until everything is combined. It will be a thick dough which is typical for cookies.

Step 4
I use a cookie scoop to get even sized balls of dough. My scoop is sized at about 2 tablespoons of product. This cookie scoop would be very similar.

Step 5
I don't hand roll my dough. The rounded scoop shape works fine for me. Use a fork and dip the tines into granulated sugar and then press each cookie twice to get the cross hatch pattern.

Step 6
Bake for 10 - 12 minutes. Cookies should just start to brown at the bottom.
Let cookies sit for 5-10 minutes on baking sheet, then remove with a flat spatula and let cool on a baking rack.

Storage

I keep these cookies on the counter if they will be eaten within 2 - 3 days. Keep them in a sealed container (cookie jar, storage container or even plastic storage bags.
Refrigerating them will keep them fresh for a week but ensure they are in a container or zip closure bag.

I also freeze these if I'm making some ahead. These simple peanut butter cookies are fine for up to two months if well wrapped. I find the biggest issue while freezing is breakage when they get stuffed into my too full freezer.

FAQs

Other Easy Cookies and Bars

Please come back and leave a good rating if you enjoyed these cookies!