Julie Clark
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Buckeye Brownie Cookies
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These Buckeye Brownie Cookies combine the best of both worlds: brownie cookie base and peanut butter buckeye filling, all topped with melted chocolate. This easy buckeye cookies recipe has been one of our most popular cookie recipes since 2014.
The base of the buckeye brownie cookie is made using a boxed brownie mix, melted butter, egg, and softened cream cheese. It’s the same method I used for Reese’s Stuffed Brownies and it creates a chewy cookie with the perfect mix of flavors.
Ohio’s Favorite Candy Just Became a Cookie
We’re in OH-IO season, which means all things Buckeyes! In Ohio, it’s always buckeye season and buckeye candy desserts like buckeye cheesecake, cookie dough buckeyes and buckeye cupcakes are welcome any time of year.
I first shared this buckeye brownie cookie recipe back in February of 2014. It is gone viral over and over since and millions have made this recipe.
Since then, buckeye cookies became even more popular thanks to the Crumbl buckeye brownie cookies, which are very similar. Is this a Crumbl copycat recipe? Nah, because ours are better. 😉 Not only do they taste better, they are so much cheaper to make.
Don’t want to use a box brownie mix? Try our buckeye no bake cookie variation!
Love brownie cookies? Try love our new brownie cookie versions: Nutella Brownie Cookies, Peppermint Patty Brownie Cookies and Cookie Dough Brownie Cookies.
Enjoy! -Julie
Ingredients Needed
Although there are three parts to the buckeye brownie cookies, there are just a handful of ingredients.
Use a family size box brownie mix. The ounces of the boxes are constantly changing, but it should be a box that is meant to be baked in a 9×13″ pan.
Full fat cream cheese and peanut butter work best. The cookies may not set well with a low fat version.
Dark chocolate melting wafers work perfectly. Ghirardelli is one brand of chocolate wafers, but Aldi has a cheaper version that works just as well.
You’ll want to make sure the butter is very soft, if not a little melty so that it easily mixes into the brownie batter. The batter will be very thick!
See the recipe card for full ingredients and amounts of the buckeye brownie cookies.
Buckeye Brownie Cookies
These Buckeye Brownie Cookies combine the best of both worlds: brownie cookie base and peanut butter buckeye filling, all topped with melted chocolate.
Servings 24
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 42 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 box fudge brownie mix (19.5 ounce or family size)
- 1/4 cup salted butter melted
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 4 ounces dark chocolate melting wafers or dark / semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a medium mixing bowl, beat the brownie mix, almost melted butter, cream cheese, and egg using a hand mixer. The dough will be a little sticky. Use a cookie scoop to scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet, making about 24 cookie dough balls. Smooth the edges of each to form a round dough ball. 1 box fudge brownie mix, ¼ cup salted butter, 4 ounces cream cheese, 1 large egg
- Bake for the cookies 12 minutes, keeping an eye out to make sure the cookies don't overcook or undercook.
- While the cookies are baking, make the peanut butter filling. In a separate bowl, use a hand mixer to mix the powdered sugar and the peanut butter until it is completely combined. Form the mixture into 24 balls, about 1 inch each. You should have one ball for each cookie. Set aside. 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, press a peanut butter ball lightly into the center of each cookie. The peanut butter mixture will soften slightly, but that is OK. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Place the chocolate into a glass microwave-safe bowl. Melt the chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir, then melt for additional 15 second-intervals or until the chocolate is completely melted. Spoon about ½ a tablespoon of melted chocolate on top of each cookie so it covers the peanut butter ball. Let the chocolate set. 4 ounces dark chocolate melting wafers
Video
Notes
- Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.
- When you’re baking the cookies, watch to make sure you don’t overcook them or under cook them. We baked ours a full 12 minutes and it was perfect. All ovens are different, so yours might take longer or shorter to cook.
Nutrition
Calories: 242kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 142mg | Potassium: 104mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 136IU | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg
How to Make Buckeye Brownie Cookies: Step by Step
Make the cookie dough. Mix the cookie dough ingredients in a medium bowl using a stand mixer or hand mixer. The dough will be very thick and sticky, so it’s hard to mix by hand.
Mix the peanut butter filling. Again, use an electric mixer to cream the peanut butter and powdered sugar. It’s similar to buckeye candy filling, but there’s no butter. This keeps the cookies a little sturdier! Roll the peanut butter mixture in 24 balls (or however many cookie dough balls you made).
Bake the cookies. Scoop the cookie dough onto a lined baking sheet. Then bake in a preheated oven for 11-12 minutes. As soon as they come out of the oven, press a peanut butter ball into the center of each cookie. There’s no need to use your thumb to make an indent like thumbprint cookies. The peanut butter ball will nestle itself right into that baked cookie.
Top with chocolate. Melt the chocolate and spoon the melted chocolate over the top of each cookie. Some recipes showcase the buckeye brownie cookies with chocolate frosting. That’s an option, but we like them to mimic the buckeye candies so use dark chocolate.
Hi just wondering if you know if these would work with a peanut butter substitute like wow butter? My son is allergic and trying to find new things that will work!
These cookies look amazing — and your photography is terrific! Was wondering if you use Tailwind — because I am starting a new tribe called CHRISTMAS COOKIES and I’d love for you to participate! If you’re interested, send me an e-mail and I’ll invite you! Thanks — these cookies are going on my MUST TRY list this year!
I love chocolate and peanut butter together so I’ll have to try these.
Anything with peanut butter and chocolate is perfection! These cookies look fabulous!
I love brownies, i love cookies. Hooray for brownie cookies!
Just wanted to say that I made these to take in to work and my coworkers gave me a round of applause! No joke! It was hilarious! Thanks so much for this amazing recipe! 🙂
Great recipe! My family was so happy and want more cookies 🙂
Made and are delicious!!
I was so excited to see this recipe as every year, to my chagrin, I make my dad his peanut butter balls for Christmas. I do not have the patience or that special touch it seems for the dipping. So, all the same ingredients, & like the appearance of these, why not give them a try. Wow, what a mess! In the end they will be fine to give, however, these were a challenge. The peanut butter, icing sugar was a paste, not near the consistency to roll. I was afraid to add more sugar in case the end result… Read more »
Do you make the brownie mix before adding it to the other ingredients?
No recipe came when I clicked the link – just a host of comments. They sound fabulous – I really want to make them!
I saw you said you can use Hershey’s instead, but will it harden like what you used??
We’re having a bake off at work tomorrow and I wanted to try a new “knock your socks off” recipe. I think this is the winner! Thanks for sharing, and I can’t wait to try them!
These look delicious but I didn’t have a brownie mix available. I used a crinkle cookie recipe (skipping the part where you roll the dough in powdered sugar), which turns out brownie-like cookies and they worked fantastic! They look beautiful and taste heavenly!
I made these a few months ago following your recipe and loved them! Made them again tonight to take to work. Everybody wants them!!! Haha