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Looking for a shortcut when you bake your next batch of cookies? Try out these pancake mix peanut butter cookies. They are a soft and easy to make cookie that is full of flavor. No chill time required, and they are ready to eat in under 25 minutes.
These peanut butter pancake mix cookies are easy to make and super yummy. They are soft and full of sweet and salty peanut butter flavor.
Using a store bought mix is a nice shortcut to use when baking desserts. You can also make lemon cake mix cookies, Mixed berry Muffin mix cookies and even Cake mix red velvet brownies.
By using pancake mix, you don't have to find and measure out baking powder (or soda), salt or flour. All of your dry ingredients are already packaged up in the premade mix.
🍪 Why To Try This Recipe
Quick to make - these are super quick to make. You can have them mixed up and baked in under 25 minutes. You don't even need to chill the dough.
Soft & chewy - this recipe results in cookies that are soft and chewy. They have the perfect texture.
Fewer ingredients - using pancake mix means you don't have to gather up flour, salt and baking soda individually. You just need the pre-made mix in place of all of those ingredients.
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🥄Equipment
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring spoons
- Hand or stand mixer
- Mixing bowl
- Cookie sheet
- Wooden spoon or spatula
📋Ingredients
- Pancake Mix
- Eggs
- Vanilla Extract
- Butter (softened)
- Peanut Butter
- White/Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar
See recipe card for quantities.
📖Substitutions & Variations
Try out a few of the following flavor variations and ingredient substitutions if you want to customize these cookies to be your favorite flavors, or just to match what you have in your kitchen.
- Use oil or Crisco - instead of butter, you can use the same amount of vegetable oil or Crisco/shortening.
- Use different amounts of sugar - as long as you use 2 cups of sugar, you can use any ratio of white and brown sugar including all of one kind. Do be aware that the brown sugar creates moist, chewy cookies, but also causes the cookies to spread.
- Use a different nut butter - change up the flavor a little by using almond butter, cashew butter or any other type of nut butter in place of the peanut butter.
- Add sugar or salt - roll the balls of cookie dough in a little granulated sugar for an extra sweetness. Or, sprinkle some coarse salt on top of each ball of dough to add a little bit of salty flavor.
- Add some chocolate flavor - drizzle the tops with melted chocolate, or add some chocolate chips straight into the dough.
If you love peanut butter cookies, give these peanut butter cookies without brown sugar a try too!
⏲️Instructions
Use the following step-by-step instructions and accompanying photos for an easy guide to making these perfectly chewy pancake mix peanut butter cookies.
Step one: Make sure to grease the cookie sheets (if they are not non-stick) with some cooking spray or a thin spread of butter. You should also pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step two: Put softened butter, brown sugar and white/granulated sugar into the mixing bowl.
Note: when butter is softened, you should be able to press it in the center and leave an indentation.
Step three: Using the hand or stand mixer on medium-high speed, cream the butter and sugar for about 2 minutes. It will get slightly fluffy and lighter in color.
Step four: Add peanut butter, vanilla extract and eggs into the mixing bowl. On medium speed, mix everything together well.
Step five: Add in the pancake mix while running the mixer on low speed. Mix until it is well combined.
Step six: With a tablespoon scoop up 1.5 tablespoon sized balls of dough. Place the cookie dough a few inches apart on the cookie sheet.
Step four: Press each ball of dough in a criss-cross pattern with a fork to help spread them out a little. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven when edges are firm and light brown.
Hint: make sure you get chewy cookies by removing them from the oven when the centers are still a bit soft. They will continue to set and get firmer as they cool on the cookie sheet.
⭐Recipe Tips for Success
- Press the cookies before baking - the dough is a bit stiff, so make sure to press the cookies with a fork in a criss-cross pattern before baking. This will help to press them down a little so that they bake evenly.
- Use creamy peanut butter - while you can use crunchy or natural peanut butter, they don't mix in as easily. Stick with creamy peanut butter for easy mixing and the smoothest texture in your cookies.
- Make the cookies the same size - ensuring that each ball of cookie dough is about the same size will make sure they all cook at the same rate and none are over or under baked when taken out of the oven.
- Soften your butter - make sure you have softened the butter before creaming it with the sugar. Do this by leaving it at room temperature for around 60 mins. Alternatively, you can chop it into smaller chunks which will help it soften in half the time. Or, if you are short on time, microwave it on defrost for 20 seconds and then flip and do 20 more seconds (do NOT let it start melting).
Storage
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week or in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Store cookie dough wrapped in cling wrap in the refrigerator for up to 4 - 5 days.
To freeze the dough, wrap it in cling wrap and place it in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Defrost in in the refrigerator overnight.
To freeze the cookies, put them in a freezer bag or an airtight container for up to a year. Defrost them on the countertop or in the refrigerator. Or, heat them in the microwave for 15 seconds.
💭FAQ
If you have added too much of the pancake mix in comparison to the wet ingredients, then your cookies will get crumbly and fall apart. Make sure that the dough is not too dry. Overcooking them can also cause them to get crumbly.
No, pancake mix cookie dough does not need to be chilled. The cookies do spread a bit, but we tested chilling and not chilling and it didn't make much of a difference.
The peanut butter makes the cookie dough sticky. Without pressing down on the tops of the cookies with a fork, they don't spread much and don't bake very evenly.
Pancake Mix Peanut Butter Cookies
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Hand or Stand Mixer
- cookie sheet
- Measuring Spoon
- Measuring Cup
Ingredients
- 2.5 Cups Pancake Mix your favorite brand
- 1 Cup Peanut Butter creamy
- 2 Eggs
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- .75 Cups Brown Sugar
- 1.25 Cups Granulated Sugar
- .5 Cups Butter
Instructions
- Make sure to grease the cookie sheet (if it is not non-stick) with cooking spray or butter. And, also, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Put 1.25 cups of granulated sugar, .75 cups of brown sugar and 1 cup of softened butter in a mixing bowl.
- Cream the butter and sugar at medium-high speed for around 2 minutes. It should be well combined and will be slightly fluffy and a lighter color.
- Add 1 cup of peanut butter, 2 eggs and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the butter and sugar. Mix for a minute or two or until well combined.
- Turn the mixer on low speed and slowly pour in 2.5 cups of pancake mix. Mix just until it is well combined.
- Use a cookie scoop or a table spoon to scoop up balls of cookie dough. They should be heaping scoops, about 1.5 tablespoons in size.
- Roll the dough in your hands to make each ball tight and uniform. Place them onto the cookie sheet a few inches apart.
- Use a fork to press each ball of dough in a criss cross.
- Bake them at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until the edges are light brown and firm.
Notes
- Soften Butter - you should be able to press the butter and leave an indentation. Do this by:
- leaving it on the counter for around 60 minutes.
- cutting it into chunks and leaving it on the counter for around 30 minutes.
- microwave it on defrost for 20 seconds, then flip and add another 20 seconds. Make sure that it does NOT melt.
- Press cookies with a fork - the dough is quite stiff, press the dough balls with a fork to help spread the cookies a little.
- Add Sugar or Salt - add some sweetness by rolling the cookie dough in sugar before baking. Or, add some salty flavor by sprinkling some coarse salt on top of the cookie dough balls.
- Change up the flavor - use a different nut butter, or even add in some chocolate chips, candies (like Reese's Pieces) or add a Hershey's kiss to the top.
- Skip the butter - use an equal amount of Crisco/shortening or vegetable oil instead of using butter.
- Freeze - wrap dough in cling wrap and put in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Put cookies in a freezer bag and keep for up to a year. Defrost dough in the refrigerator overnight. Defrost cookies in the refrigerator or on the counter.
- Store - wrap dough in cling wrap and store in the refrigerator for 4 - 5 days. Place cookies in an airtight container and keep at room temperature for a week or in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
