Peanut Butter Cup Cake Mix Cookies
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These soft Peanut Butter Cup Cake Mix Cookies are the perfect mix of salty and sweet with the chocolate and peanut butter flavors. The chopped Reese’s and chocolate chips takes them to the next level. Whether made with boxed cake mix from the store or Homemade Yellow Cake Mix, they come together quickly and make the perfect treat.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The flavor – You can’t beat the combo of peanut butter and chocolate. Have a glass of milk on hand! This one was our team’s favorite cake mix cookie, I think.
- Simple ingredients – Likely ones you have in your pantry.
- Versatile – You can use store-bought yellow cake mix or our Yellow Cake Mix. Both have been test and work well.
- Rigorously tested – Our recipe contributor (also a pastry chef!), Rachel Riegel, tested many variations of this recipe until she nailed it.
Ingredients
The ingredients are so simple! Here is what you’ll need.
Ingredient Notes
- Oil – Any neutral oil can be used–vegetable, canola, avocado, etc.
- Creamy peanut butter – Creamy peanut butter is recommended, but crunchy peanut butter may also be used. Natural peanut butter is not recommended because it is not as thick as processed peanut butter.
- Reese’s cups or pieces – Both would be delish!
- Yellow Cake Mix (or store-bought yellow cake mix) – If using a store-bought cake mix, the weight needs to be 15.25 ounces. Anything less than that may result in cookies that won’t fully set.
- Vanilla – While store-bought is just fine, try making Homemade Vanilla Extract sometime. It makes a lot and will last forever.
Cooking Notes from Our Pastry Chef
Our pastry chef, Rachel Riegel, made these notes during her many tests of these cookies:
- Using the Thriving Home yellow cake mix will result in cookies that are thinner, crispy on the outside, and doughy in the middle. The advantage is that our mix includes no additives or preservatives! Using a store-bought mix will create thicker, cake-like cookies with a recognizable “cake mix/batter” flavor.
- Spray the measuring cup for the peanut butter with cooking spray beforehand for easy release.
- Cookies may be soft after being removed from the oven – use caution when transferring from the sheet pan to the cooling rack. They will be fully set once they are cool.
- More mix-in ideas: Add chopped peanuts or peanut butter chips instead of (or in addition to) the Reese’s and chocolate chips.
How to Make Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cake Mix Cookies
Prep
Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare a cookie sheet by lining with parchment or coating with cooking spray.
Mix Ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, vanilla, and peanut butter until fully combined. Add cake mix to liquid ingredients and stir with a spatula or spoon until the dough just starts to come together. Add Reese’s cups/pieces and chocolate chips and continue to mix until no cake mix is visible.
Scoop & Bake
Form round balls using 2 rounded tablespoons of dough and place 2-3 inches apart on the cookie sheet. Press cookie balls with the bottom of a glass or measuring cup until they are half their original height. Similar to our Pumpkin Spice Cake Mix Cookies, they do not spread out much.
Bake for 13-15 minutes, rotating halfway through. Cookies will be done when they are set on the edges and golden on the edges and bottom.
Cool and Store
Let cool for a couple of minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring to a wire rack to let cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Want More Cake Mix Cookies?
See All Cake Mix Cookie RecipesHow to Freeze Cookies
Freeze for Later: The cookies can be frozen before or after they are baked and kept in the freezer for up to 3 months. Store in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag. If they have been baked, make sure they are fully cooled first.
Prepare from Frozen: Bake frozen cookie dough according to the recipe instructions – baking times will still be the same. For baked cookies, let thaw to room temperature and enjoy.
FAQs
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. However, if they have an icing on them that has milk or cream in it, the cookies will need to be stored in the refrigerator not at room temp.
They are so soft and cakelike – they practically melt right in your mouth. These cookies stay soft throughout and don’t form much of a crust on the bottom – you can either use a spatula to transfer them to the wire rack or just pull them right off the parchment (none of them stuck or ripped).
Because these cookies do not spread much as they bake, you can flatten dough with the bottom of a glass or measuring cup (spray with cooking spray to avoid sticking to cookie dough).
More Peanut Butter Chocolate Recipes
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Peanut Butter Cup Cake Mix Cookies
Peanut Butter Cup Cake Mix Cookies are the perfect blend of smooth chocolate and creamy peanut butter, all wrapped up in that irresistible cake mix flavor.
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup avocado oil
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 batch of Yellow Cake Mix or 1 (15.25-ounce) box of yellow cake mix
- 2/3 cup chopped Reese’s cups or pieces
- 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
Make It Now:
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare a cookie sheet by lining with parchment or coating with cooking spray. The cookies spread out quite a bit so it may be necessary to use more than one baking sheet or bake in batches.
- Wet Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, vanilla, and peanut butter until fully combined.
- Combine: Add cake mix to liquid ingredients and stir with a spatula or spoon until the dough just starts to come together. Add Reese’s cups/pieces and chocolate chips and continue to mix until no cake mix is visible.
- Portion: Form round balls using 2 rounded tablespoons of dough and place 2-3 inches apart on the cookie sheet. Press cookie balls with the bottom of a glass or measuring cup until they are half their original height.
- Bake: Bake for 13-15 minutes, rotating halfway through. Cookies will be done when they are set on the edges and golden on the edges and bottom.
- Store: Let cool for a couple of minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring to a wire rack to let cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Freeze for Later: The cookies can be frozen before or after they are baked and kept in the freezer for up to 3 months. Store in an airtight container or ziploc bag. If they have been baked, make sure they are fully cooled first.
Prepare from Frozen: Bake frozen cookie dough according to the recipe instructions – baking times will still be the same. For baked cookies, let thaw to room temperature and enjoy.
Notes/Tips
- Using our homemade yellow cake mix will result in cookies that are thinner, crispy on the outside, and doughy in the middle (but include NO additives or preservatives). Using a store-bought mix will create thicker, cake-like cookies with a recognizable “cake mix/batter” flavor.
- Spray the measuring cup for the peanut butter with cooking spray beforehand for easy release.
- Cookies may be soft after being removed from the oven – use caution when transferring from the sheet pan to the cooling rack. They will be fully set once they are cool.
- More mix-in ideas: Add chopped peanuts or peanut butter chips instead of (or in addition to) the Reese’s and chocolate chips.
Recipe Contributor: Rachel Riegel
Pastry Chef Rachel Riegel developed and rigorously tested this recipe for Thriving Home.
Rachel grew up in northern Michigan with a family that loved to cook and bake. She attended a career center for culinary and baking and pastry arts in high school and went to college at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. She graduated in August 2023 with a Bachelor’s in Food Business Managment and Baking and Pastry Arts.
In her free time, she loves to read, listen to true crime podcasts, go on walks, travel, and spend time with her fiancé.
The cookies turned out great! My grandchildren loved them. They only had one request and that was to put more chopped peanut butter cups in the next batch. So that is what I will do. Also easy to make which is a plus!
I’m not sure you can ever go wrong with more peanut butter cups Liz! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review. We’re so glad the grandkids loved them!