These Rolo-stuffed chocolate cake mix cookies are tender, deeply chocolatey pillows with pockets of melted caramel-chocolate in the center. The dough blends a 15.25 oz box chocolate cake mix with 8 tbsp butter, 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla and 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (or 4 oz cream cheese) plus 1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips for extra melty chocolate bits.
They come together in about an hour (most of that chilling), bake in just 9 minutes so the centers stay molten, and make an easy party or Halloween treat—slice and serve warm for the best gooey reveal.
Why You’ll Love These Cookies
This recipe is a true shortcut: a boxed cake mix is the base so you get a reliably soft, cakier cookie without fuss, while the Rolo candies deliver that irresistible molten caramel-chocolate center. The short chill firms the dough for shaping and the 9-minute bake window keeps the middles gooey while the exterior sets.
If you love stuffed, candy-centered desserts, try the over-the-top fun of Cookie Dough Stuffed Cupcakes for another crowd-pleasing treat.
Ingredients You’ll Need
How to Make the Cookies
- Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Beat butter, egg, vanilla, and peanut butter together in a large bowl.
- Add cake mix, half of the box at a time, mixing until well combined. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand.
- Refrigerate the cookie dough for at least one hour.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Roll dough into 1 inch balls. Flatten the dough into a circle and place a Rolo in the center. Wrap the dough around the Rolo and roll into a ball again.
- Place cookies onto parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 9 minutes – you don’t want the cookies to brown at all on the bottom.
- Let cookies cool on a baking sheet for several minutes before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Makes 3 dozen cookies.
Keep the Center Gooey
The key to a molten Rolo interior is short baking time and removing cookies before the bottoms brown. The caramel and chocolate inside the candy soften quickly; if you overbake, the center firms up.
If your oven has uneven heat, watch the first pan closely and subtract time in future batches rather than letting the bottoms color.
- Bake 9 minutes as directed and check the first cookie for set edges and a soft center.
- If bottoms show any brown, reduce bake time by 30–60 seconds next batch.
- Allow cookies to rest a few minutes on the sheet so the caramel cools slightly but stays molten inside.
Chill for Easy Shaping
Firm dough is much simpler to work with when encasing Rolos—cold dough won’t stick to your hands and is less likely to tear when wrapping around the candy.
If you’re short on time, a brief firm-up in the freezer works too.
- Refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour as the recipe instructs.
- For a quick alternative, freeze the dough for 15–20 minutes until slightly firm.
- If dough becomes too stiff after freezing, let it sit a couple minutes at room temperature before rolling.
Avoid Browned Bottoms
Brown bottoms mean the cookie was in the oven too long or the heat was too intense. Use simple oven management tricks to avoid this and keep centers gooey.
Small adjustments prevent wasting a whole tray of cookies.
- Bake on the middle oven rack for the most even heat.
- Use parchment or a silicone mat—both help prevent direct bottom heat from overbrowning.
- Rotate the sheet halfway through baking if your oven has hot spots, and consider baking a single test cookie first.
Tips for Success
Chill is crucial: Refrigerate the dough at least 1 hour; chilled dough is much easier to shape and holds around the Rolo instead of oozing.
Quick test bake: Bake one cookie as a test to confirm your oven’s timing—some ovens or hot spots may need 30–60 seconds less or more than 9 minutes.
Parchment and middle rack: Always use parchment and bake on the center rack to prevent the bottoms from browning before the centers are set.
Peanut butter swap: If you prefer a tangier, softer dough, substitute 4 oz softened cream cheese for the peanut butter as noted in the recipe card.
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These cookies yield Servings 3 dozen—perfect for a party platter or cookie exchange. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for several days, and warm briefly in the microwave to revive the gooey center before serving.
Rolo Stuffed Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies
Equipment
- baking sheet
- parchment paper
- Large bowl
- Cooling rack
Ingredients
- 8 tbsp butter melted
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter or 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 15.25 oz box of chocolate cake mix
- 1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 36 Rolo candies
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Beat the melted butter, egg, vanilla, and creamy peanut butter together in a large bowl until combined.
- Add the chocolate cake mix in two additions, mixing until well combined. Stir in the mini semi-sweet chocolate chips by hand.
- Refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Roll the dough into 1 inch balls. Flatten each ball into a circle, place a Rolo in the center, then wrap the dough around the Rolo and reshape into a ball.
- Place the cookies on the prepared parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 9 minutes; do not allow the bottoms to brown.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for several minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Makes 3 dozen cookies.
