a.k.a. Peanut Butter Oreo Swirl Cookies
The “Parent Trap Cookies” or “Parent Trap Ice Cream Cake” are two of my favorite things I have ever created. Peanut butter and oreo are a perfect combination, as made famous by Lindsay Lohan talking to Lindsay Lohan in a camp cabin. This cookie is super soft baked with a very slightly crunchy edge.
The key to the beautiful swirled effect in this cookie is the method of scooped. Once both doughs have chilled you will use a large cookie scoop. I use this red one. Moving back and forth between the doughs you will scoop just a bit of each dough until the scoop is full. If you want an EXTRA gooey cookie, feel free to stuff a chunk of chopped chocolate into the dough before baking. Don’t forget to add a few extra Oreos on top to make the cookies look picture perfect!
Why are these called Parent Trap Cookies?
The name comes from this iconic scene in the 1998 film The Parent Trap, where Lindsay Lohan’s character convinces her twin (also Lindsay Lohan) to try peanut butter on an Oreo. It’s a short moment in the movie, but it lives in the heads of millennials rent-free. When I developed this recipe, there was really only one name it could have.
Parent Trap Cookies key ingredients
Peanut butter Use a conventional creamy peanut butter here (like Jif or Skippy), not natural. Natural peanut butter has too much oil separation and will affect the texture of the dough.
Oreos Classic Oreos, roughly chopped. You’ll fold them into the chocolate dough and press a few extra on top before baking for that picture-perfect look.
Cocoa powder The chocolate dough gets its deep color and flavor from cocoa powder. Dutch-process will give you a darker, more intense result. DO not substitute for natural cocoa.
Room Temperature butter Room temperature butter is key to creaming your butter and sugar perfectly- keeping these cookies thick and soft-baked rather than spreading flat in the oven.
How to make Parent Trap Cookies
You’ll make two separate doughs (a peanut butter dough and a chocolate Oreo dough) and chill them both before scooping. Once they’re chilled, the fun part begins. Using a large cookie scoop, you’ll alternate scooping small amounts of each dough into the scoop, moving back and forth between the two until the scoop is full. This is what gives you that beautiful swirled effect, so resist the urge to just scoop one dough and plop the other on top.
If you want an extra gooey center, stuff a chunk of chopped chocolate into the middle of the dough ball before baking. It melts into a little puddle inside the cookie and it is very much worth it. Press a few extra Oreo pieces on top before they go into the oven, and you’re done.
Tips for the best peanut butter oreo swirl cookies
- Don’t skip chilling the dough. Both doughs need to be cold before you scoop. Warm dough won’t hold the swirl and will spread too much in the oven.
- Alternate scoops slowly. The more intentional you are about layering the two doughs into the scoop, the more defined your swirl will be.
- Pull them out early. These are soft-baked cookies, which means they’ll look slightly underdone when you pull them from the oven. They firm up as they cool, so trust the process.
- Extra Oreos on top are non-negotiable for looks. Push them in gently right before baking.
FAQs for Parent Trap Cookies
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Yes. Both doughs can be made and refrigerated up to 3 days in advance. You can also scoop the cookie dough balls and freeze them unbaked for up to 2 months. Bake straight from frozen and add 2 to 3 minutes to the bake time.
Can I make these smaller?
You can, but I’d recommend sticking with a large scoop. Smaller cookies bake faster and are harder to keep soft in the center. The larger size gives you that bakery-style soft-baked texture.
What if I can’t find regular Oreos?
Classic Oreos are best here, but Double Stuf work too. The extra filling adds a little more sweetness but nothing that’ll throw off the cookie.
How to store Parent Trap Cookies
Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. To keep them extra soft, add a slice of bread to the container (it sounds weird but it works). For longer storage, freeze the baked cookies for up to 2 months and let them come to room temperature before eating.
More cookie recipes you’ll love
If you love peanut butter cookies, try my “copycat insomnia cookies” peanut butter cookies!
Video
@lilypcrumbs Best thing i made all month! The parent trap cookie! Peanut butter cookie dough swirled with oreo coomie dougg and filled with LOTS of chocolate chunks. This is by far the best thing I made all month, this may be the best cookie I’ve made in a long time. #peanutbuttercookie #oreo #chocolatecookie #parenttrap #peanutbutteroreo
♬ (Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You’ve Been Gone – Aretha Franklin
Equipment
- 1 Handmixer
Ingredients
Chocolate Oreo Dough
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (8 Tbsp; 113g)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100g)
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar (100g)
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled) (125g)
- 2/3 cup dutch processed cocoa powder (55g)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon milk (15 ml of any kind of dairy milk)
- 4 oz chopped semisweet chocolate (plus a few extra pieces for on top of cookies)
- 1/4 cup chopped mini oreos 2 oz (plus a few extra pieces for on top of cookies)
Peanut Butter Dough
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (8 Tbsp; 113g)
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar (100g)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar (50g)
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter (185g)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled) (156g)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 oz semi-sweet chopped chocolate (plus a few extra pieces for on top of cookies)
- 1/4 cup chopped mini oreos (2 oz) (plus a few extra pieces for on top of cookies)
Instructions
Make the Chocolate Dough
- In a medium bowl, combine all dry ingredients(flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together) and set aside
- In a large bowl with a hand mixer (or bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment)cream the butter and sugars together on medium speed medium until they are light and fluffy. This will take about 3-4 minutes with a hand mixer and about 2–3 minutes with the stand mixer
- Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the egg and vanilla
- Beat again until they are combined.
- Add in the dry slowly ingredients and mix until dough forms. Add in the 1 tablespoon of milk until combined. Add in the chocolate and chopped oreos.
Make the Peanut Butter Dough
- In a large bowl with a hand mixer (or in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment) cream the butter the sugars until light and fluffy. This will take 2-3 minutes in the stand mixer and 3-4 minutes with a hand mixer. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add in the egg and vanilla. Mix again
- Add in the peanut butter and mix until smooth. Add in dry ingredients and mix until a thick dough forms. Fold in the chocolate and the chopped oreos.
Chill the doughs
- Keeping them separate, cover each bowl of dough with saran wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. This is key to helping the cookie keep its shape!
Scoop the Dough
- To create the swirled effect in the cookie, use a large cookie scoop, I use a 2.5-tablespoon scoop. Moving back and forth between the two doughs, never filling the scoop with either dough. Repeat until the scoop is full. Scoop onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and place a few pieces of chopped chocolate on top. Bake at 350F for about 12 minutes until cookies spread slightly and have a slightly browned edge, if you find the cookies are not spreading around half way through baking, tap the pan against the racks of the oven three times until the cookies fall. Remove from the oven and place a few extra oreos on top for decoration!
Wow wow wow these were delicious! It took every bit of patience to not bake these immediately. What I love most is that with the swirl/scoop effect, no two cookies looked the same. I didn’t have mini Oreos on hand so I just chopped up the regular size. They are just a tad too sweet so I think I’ll use a split of dark chocolate and semi sweet in addition to the black cocoa swap that I made this time around. I’ll be glad to share these with my work friends and book club.
These cookies are so good! They are thick, chewy, gooey, full of rich peanut butter and chocolate flavors. Even my husband who doesn’t like Oreos was raving about them! It also makes a nice batch of cookies. I was able to get 29 cookies using my red handled, #24 cookie scoop.
These cookies live in my head rent free, I am making them for the second time now and seriously love them. The consistency is perfect, I love the flavour…only thing I dislike is the 4 hour wait!
Can I sub wowbutter instead of nut butter – 1:1 ? my little brother is allergic but I dont want them to taste off
Can I freeze the cookie dough and bake them at a layer time
Yes! You can freeze this cookie dough after scooping. Place the scooped balls on a sheet of parchment paper and then inside a ziploc bag. They will stay fresh for 3 months. When you bake them, you may have to add an extra minute to compensate for the dough starting at such a cold temp.
I’ve made these for my sister and my friends and they loved it! thank you for sharing this recipe. I love all of your recipes as I’ve already made a few of them, and I’ve got to say, all of the recipes I’ve made so far from you never fails me and my family!!
How many cookies does this recipe make?
How many cookies does this make?
What temperature and how long to bake??
What temperature should I set my oven at to bake these? The recipe doesn’t say
350F for 10-11 minutes! Making that change now!
What temperature is the oven supposed to be at?
What temperature does the oven need to be?
350F!
Hi! What temperature do these bake at?
You didn’t say what temp
What temperature do you bake it at?
350F!