Cake Mix Cookies
These easy cake mix cookies are made with just three ingredients, plus the mix-ins of your choice! I’m also sharing my favorite variations of this recipe to showcase how versatile it is.
If you’ve just been using your cake mix to make cakes, you’ve been missing out! As it turns out, boxed cake mix is the perfect shortcut for making soft, chewy cookies at a moment’s notice.
Plus, there are so many kinds of cookies you can make using just cake mix, oil, and eggs. This recipe works with any variety of boxed cake mix, and you can add any mix-ins you’d like to customize the cookies.
Funfetti, double chocolate, carrot cake, chocolate peanut butter — name a flavor combination, and you can likely make a cake mix cookie version of it.
This is a handy recipe to have on hand for birthday parties, cookie exchanges, and potlucks. The cookie dough doesn’t need to be chilled, so you can have cookies on the table in about 30 minutes!
Recipe Ingredients
These cake mix cookies couldn’t be simpler to make! You need just three core ingredients to make the actual cookies, and from there you can add whatever mix-ins you like. Here’s everything you need for this recipe:
- Boxed cake mix: I prefer to use either Betty Crocker or Duncan Hines cake mixes. You can use any kind that you prefer, just make sure to stick with one that’s 15.25 to 16.25 ounces.
- Oil: Use a neutral oil, like vegetable or canola. Melted coconut oil will work as well.
- Eggs: Need to be room temperature before being mixed into the dough. If you forget to sit them out ahead of time, place them in a bowl of warm water for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Sprinkles/Favorite Mix-In: Optional, but highly recommended! You can use just about any mix-in that you like in these cookies. (I’ve listed my favorite mix-in ideas further down in this post.)
How to Make Cookies with Cake Mix
These cookies take just a few minutes to prepare, and another 10 to 12 to bake. Quick and easy, right? Let’s review the basic steps to making them:
- Preheat the oven: While the oven preheats, line a couple of cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Make the cookie dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry cake mix, oil, and eggs. Then, add your mix-ins of choice.
- Form the cookie dough balls: The cookie dough is fairly sticky, so I prefer using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to drop it onto the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake: The cookies need to bake for about 10 to 12 minutes. They should look set on top and just slightly browned around the edges.
Recipe Variations
You can customize this cake mix cookie recipe by pairing different types of cake mix with various mix-ins. Here are some of my favorite flavor combinations:
- Carrot Cake: Use one box of carrot cake mix. If desired, add ¼ cup of raisins and ¼ cups of chopped nuts to the cookie dough or top with cream cheese frosting.
- Strawberry White Chocolate: Use one box of strawberry cake mix and mix in 1 cup of white chocolate chips.
- Chocolate Chip: Use one box of yellow cake mix and mix in 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips.
- Funfetti: Use one box of white or vanilla cake mix, and add 3 tablespoons of sprinkles and ½ cup of white chocolate chips.
- Lemon/Lemon Crinkle: Use one box of lemon cake mix and add 1 tablespoon of freshly grated lemon zest. For lemon crinkle cookies, coat in powdered sugar right before baking.
- Double Chocolate: Use one box of chocolate cake mix and add 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips.
- Red Velvet: Use one box of red velvet cake mix and add 1 cup of white chocolate chips. You can also find my post on how to make red velvet cake mix cookies here.
- M&M: Use one box of yellow cake mix and add 1 cup of M&M candies.
- Chocolate Peanut Butter: Use one box of chocolate cake mix and add 1 cup of peanut butter chips or top with peanut butter frosting.
- Dreamsicle: Use one box of orange cake mix, add 1 tablespoon of freshly grated orange zest and 1 cup of white chocolate chips.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can swap out the oil in this recipe for an equal amount of melted butter.
No, the cake mix is added to the mixing bowl as a dry ingredient. You are not making cake batter like the box instructs!
Any flavor of cake mix will work in this recipe, so long as it’s 15.25 to 16.25 ounces.
Absolutely! Just make sure to use a box of gluten-free cake mix that’s similar in size to the one listed in the recipe.
Baking Tips
- Add the boxed cake mix like you would any dry ingredient. Do NOT add the extra ingredients called for on the box.
- This cookie dough is on the stickier side, so I recommend using a cookie scoop. If the dough is too difficult to scoop, you can place it in the fridge for one to two hours to make it easier to work with.
- Keep in mind that the cookies will firm up as they cool. If they still look soft after 12 minutes in the oven, don’t fret!
- I recommend using cake mix from Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker for this recipe. They’re my two favorites and always deliver impressive results!
More Easy Cookie Recipes To Try!
- Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
- Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Lemon Cookies
- Flourless Almond Butter Cookies
- Thumbprint Cookies
- Classic No-Bake Cookies
Recipe Video
Cake Mix Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 (15.25-ounce) box dry cake mix
- ⅓ cup vegetable or canola oil (80 ml)
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- Optional: 1/2 to 1 cup of your favorite mix-ins
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the dry cake mix, oil, and eggs. Once combined, stir in your mix-ins of choice.
- Drop rounded balls of dough onto the prepared cookie sheets, about two tablespoons for each cookie.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the tops of the cookies are set and the edges are lightly browned.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
I made the yellow cake cookies with chocolate chip cookies a few days ago with my grandchildren. Today the white cake with sprinkles and colored sugar on top. They are delicious!!! I love these cake cookie recipes also the soda cakes!
Dough was sooo sticky I had trouble getting it off the spoon. Any tips for me?
Flavor was great tough!!!
I’d recommend using a cookie scoop, it will make it much easier! You could also chill the dough to make it easier to work with or grease your spoon with a little nonstick cooking spray.
Would this recipe be suitable for the addition of candied fruit?
Yes, that would work just fine!