Thick, chewy and delicious Peanut Butter Cookie Cake is a sweet and salty dream come true. Calling all peanut butter lovers, this quick and easy cake is for you!
This peanut butter cookie cake comes together quickly with mostly pantry ingredients, and it’s so decadent it’s hard to stop at just one slice.
The girls and I have decided that we might just prefer thick, chewy cookie cake over individual cookies. A pretty heart dish never hurts either!
Not only is the consistency great, making each bite like the center of a cookie, but it’s a time saver, too! Since you’re not dropping cookies on multiple cookie sheets, a cookie cake can achieve incredible cookie flavor in much less time.
Cookie cakes are so magical because they are nostalgic and remind us of our childhoods. The love runs deep, and I’m so thrilled to pass this joy along to our kids, too!
I’ve got a cookie cake for every occasion and preference! Don’t miss my Frosted Sugar Cookie Cake, Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake, Funfetti Cookie Cake, Thick and Chewy M&M Cake, and this Incredible Sugar Cookie Cake Recipe.
There’s so much to love about this incredible peanut butter cookie cake! Won’t you join me in the fun?
Why You’ll Love this Peanut Butter Cookie Cake
It’s full of sweet and salty flavor and made with staple ingredients. It’s so incredible, words just can’t describe it!
- Perfect peanut butter flavor.
- Comes together in minutes.
- Delicious with a variety of toppings, add-ons and enhancements, or all on its own.
- Pantry ingredients – if you’ve got butter and eggs you’re golden!
★★★★★
5 STAR REVIEW
“Loving everything about this PB cookie cake! Those heart shape pans are way too cute for words. My girls will want to start baking this right after school today!”
— WANDA—
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Peanut Butter – Creamy or crunchy, your preference. However, don’t use natural. It doesn’t bake well.
- Butter – Salted or unsalted, your preference. If using salted, eliminate salt in the recipe. Soften butter for best results.
- Sugar – White granulated sugar to sweeten.
- Brown Sugar – Brown sugar caramelizes and gives cookie cakes their golden color.
- Vanilla Extract – Just a hint of pure vanilla extract adds amazing flavor.
- Eggs – To Bind ingredients together.
- All Purpose Flour – No need to sift.
- Baking Powder – One of two leavening agents.
- Baking Soda – One of two leavening agents to give this cake a beautiful rise.
- Salt – Omit salt in the recipe if using salted butter. Add thick flakes of salt from a grinder to garnish take this easy cake over the top.
Variations
- Add Candies – Fold in Reese’s Pieces, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups or M&M’s.
- Fold in Chocolate Chips – Add milk or dark chocolate chips.
- Fold in Nuts – Add a half cup of peanuts, candied walnuts or pecans.
- Stuff It – Press half the dough into your dish, add a layer of full-sized peanut butter cups and top with more dough.
- Ice It – Add frosting on top and decorate it for any occasion.
- Make Criss Cross Marks – In traditional peanut butter cookie style, you can use a fork to make criss cross marks across the cake!
Tools to Use
- Mixer (You can also mix by hand)
- Measuring Cups + Measuring Spoons
- Note: the Le Creuset heart tart pan pictured in this recipe post is no longer available, but measures 11.8 inches at its widest point. Any similarly sized baking dish will work! A few options:
- 10″ Round Tart Pan
- Emile Henry Ceramic Ruffled Heart Dish
- Metal Heart Tart Pan with Removable Bottom
- Heart Shaped Aluminum Cake Pan, 10-Inch
How to Make Peanut Butter Cake
- Prep – First, preheat oven and grease baking dish.
- Cream – Next, cream peanut butter, butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Incorporate egg and vanilla.
- Combine – Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together and gradually blend into wet mixture.
- Bake – Finally, press dough into baking dish, garnish with thick flakes of salt and bake. See baking notes in the printable recipe card.
Tips
- Don’t over-mix! That’s how you achieve the out of this world texture and thickness!
- For a fully baked cookie cake, avoid pressing dough all the way to edges. Dough will spread. This will ensure a smooth, even rise without leaving the center under baked or edges over baked.
- Baking time will vary depending on the pan you use. Reduce baking time for thinner cookie cakes checking in at 15 minutes and increase for thicker cakes if you want them more done.
- When adding dough into the pan, careful to not overfill and factor in 1/3 of dish for the cake to rise.
- Try my super easy buttercream recipe if you’d like to frost your cake.
- Forgot to take out your butter? To soften butter directly from the refrigerator, place the butter unwrapped in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.
- Salt – This Peanut Butter Cookie Cake is especially delicious with a few cracks of sea salt on top served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. In fact, that’s the secret to my incredible peanut butter cookie recipe… sea salt. If you’re a fan of sweet and salty, you can’t miss this step, it’s a game changer!
Scaling up, down or substituting? You’ll love this printable Measurement Conversion Chart!
Serving Suggestions
- Serve A la Mode – Add a scoop of vanilla, chocolate or peanut butter ice cream.
- Drizzle with chocolate sauce
- Add a dollop of whipped cream
How to Store
- At Room Temperature – Cover with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container up to 3 days at room temperature.
- Refrigerate – Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 7 days.
- Freeze – Freeze in an airtight container and covered in plastic wrap to prevent odors from seeping in, up to 3 months.
More Cookie Cake Recipes
Peanut Butter Cookie Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter salted, softened
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter do not use natural
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs size large
- 2½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- sea salt Optional, to crack across the top.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease baking dish.
- In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, cream butter, peanut butter, and sugars 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs until just combined.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Gradually blend into wet mixture.
- Press dough into greased baking dish.
- Bake 20 minutes or until desired doneness.
Julie’s Tips
- Don’t over-mix! That’s how you achieve the perfect texture and thickness!
- For a fully baked cookie cake, avoid pressing dough all the way to edges. Dough will spread. This will ensure a smooth, even rise without leaving the center under baked or edges over baked.
- Baking time will vary depending on the pan you use. Reduce baking time for thinner cookie cakes, checking in at 15 minutes and increase for thicker cakes if you want them more done.
- When adding dough into the pan, careful to not overfill and factor in 1/3 of dish for the cake to rise.
- Salt – This Peanut Butter Cookie Cake is especially delicious with a few cracks of sea salt on top served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. In fact, that’s the secret to my incredible peanut butter cookie recipe… sea salt. If you’re a fan of sweet and salty, you can’t miss this step, it’s a game changer!
Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
Thank you for a beautiful recipe for such a worthy cause!
Your Mediavine swag is on the way and should be to you soon. It’s just a small token of our appreciation for your time and efforts to wipe out pediatric cancer.
(Can’t wait to see you next week at the Mediavine Conference in California!)
~Jenny, Mediavine Marketing Associate
Thank you for partnering for an incredible cause, see you soon!
Yummm I love peanut butter!
Where do you find those heart shaped pans for the cookie cakes?
You can find similar in my shop! The one used in this post has been discontinued. Enjoy!
Loving everything about this PB cookie cake! Those heart shape pans are way too cute for words. My girls will want to start baking this right after school today!
Thanks, Wanda! Isnโt baking with your kiddos the best?
I love peanut butter and I love cake. Going to have to make this for sure!
Itโs a win win! Enjoy!