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.
Very good recipe! They are very rich so I made them smaller, got 26 out of 3/4 recipe using a Bobs Red Mills brownie mix 14oz bag. Also froze well, even with chocolate topping (melted chips)
Can you use margarine instead of butter?
My son requests these all the time they are so good and easy!
These cookies are really special! What is better than chocolate? Chocolate with peanut butter! I keep these in my regular rotation because everyone loves them – even my brother in law that doesn’t like sweets! You gotta try them!
Where I live I can’t get brownie mix. Can I use a regular brownie recipe? Thanks
These cookies are my absolute favorite!! I get SO many compliments on these cookies any time I take them somewhere and they never last long! The only change that I made that I think elevates these cookies is to use Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Melting Wafers as the topper. I highly recommend this recipe!!
Can I use milk chocolate chips? Wasn’t sure if it would set up
I had a problem with the cookies absorbing the oil from the peanut butter and staying mushy just under the peanut butter. Next time I’ll let cool much longer before putting the ball on. Overall, super yummy!
I made these today. While the recipe is super easy and the cookies taste good, I would suggest making the peanut butter mixture like you do the actual buckeye candy. Just the peanut butter and powder sugar isn’t the right consistency, so night time I will be changing that to the actual buckeye.
Do you use the ingredients on the brownie mix on the back of the box as well or just the dry ingredients of the brownie mix, cream cheese, egg and butter? Thanks 🙂 I’m making them tommmrow!
This recipe is awesome. A favorite of everyone I gave them to. So easy to make too.
These are Amazing!, I have made them several times and everyone loves them. I am making them again today for out of state visitors at work. Love them! Thanks for this great recipe!
Can I freeze these?!
Could I use basic chocolate ganache for the top?
These are a wonderful cookie! everyone loves them. Doubled my recipe this year.