These pumpkins cookies with cake mix are soft and fluffy with only 3 ingredients! The best fall dessert and all you need are pumpkin puree, cake mix and chocolate chips.
Looking for more pumpkin recipes? These pumpkin muffins with a cake mix, pumpkin cookies with caramel icing and soft pumpkin cookies are more fall favorites!
Table of Contents
Cake Mix Pumpkin Cookies
I love to doctor up boxed cake mix recipes and these 3-ingredient pumpkin cake mix cookies are one of the easiest cookie recipes out there! If you’re a fan spice cake mix cookies, cake mix cookies or cake mix cookie bars, you are bound to love these!
Pumpkin cookies with cake mix are the ultimate shortcut cookies for fall baking with just three ingredients: a box of cake mix, pumpkin puree and chocolate chips. They have a more cakey texture than a classic chocolate chip pumpkin cookie but are just as tasty!
Why You’ll Love Pumpkin Cookies with Cake Mix
- Minimal ingredients. 3 ingredients pumpkin cookies are ready from start to finish in only 20 minutes which is great for beginner bakers and little helpers in the kitchen.
- Fluffy texture. These pumpkin cookies from cake mix have a soft and fluffy texture with warm pumpkin flavor. The best cake mix cookies that are quick and tasty!
Simple Recipe Ingredients
Only 3 ingredients are needed for this pumpkin cookies recipe! The chocolate chips are even optional, so you could make 2-ingredient pumpkin cake mix cookies, if preferred.
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Flavor of cake mix: You can use a box spice cake mix or yellow cake mix. If you use yellow, add in 1 Tablespoon of pumpkin spice for pumpkin spice flavor.
- Pumpkin: You’ll only use 1 can of pumpkin puree (no eggs or oil). Trust the process in this easy recipe! Use pure pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling. Make homemade pumpkin puree if you have the time.
- Chocolate chips: I love using semi-sweet chocolate chips, or a mix of chocolate chips and chunks on top for pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.
How to Make Pumpkin Cake Mix Cookies
In a large mixing bowl, stir together dry cake mix and canned pumpkin until smooth. Then gently fold in chocolate chips to the cake mix cookie recipe.
Using a large cookie scoop or spoon, scoop the dough onto a prepared parchment paper lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart so that they have room to spread.
Place cookie sheet in the oven and bake pumpkin spice cookies at 350°F for about 13 to 15 minutes, or until are set. You don’t want them to brown or else they won’t be as soft.
Remove the cookies from the oven and let cool on pan for a couple minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips and Variations
- Be careful not over mix the batter. It will be a thicker and stickier batter than most doughs, but they will bake up nice and fluffy.
- Use a large cookie dough scoop (or 2 Tablespoons) to ensure they are all the same size and cook evenly.
- Test the cookies with a toothpick to make sure the center is cooked through. They may look done on the onside, but the center may still be doughy.
- Mix in chopped walnuts or pecans, white chocolate chips, cinnamon chips or add a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar to tops of cookies before they bake.
- For warm flavor, add a dash of nutmeg, ginger or vanilla into the batter.
- Top cookies with chocolate chunks and flake sea salt or omit chocolate and frost them with cream cheese frosting, maple cream cheese frosting or maple glaze.
More pumpkin dessert recipes to try include pumpkin spice cupcakes, pumpkin dump cake and pumpkin pie bars with shortbread crust.
More Pumpkin Recipes
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Pumpkin Cookies with Cake Mix
Video
Ingredients
- 1 (15.25-ounce) box spice cake mix , or yellow cake mix (see notes)
- 1 (14-ounce) can pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat.
- Combine cake mix cookie batter. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix and pumpkin. If using a yellow cake mix add 1 Tablespoon pumpkin spice before adding pumpkin. Stir with a spoon until dough is smooth. Mix in 1 cup chocolate chips.
- Scoop and bake. Using a large cookie scoop (or 2 Tablespoons), scoop dough onto the pan. Bake 13 to 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool. Remove from oven and let cool on the pan for 4 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Recipe FAQs
Nope! No eggs, butter or oil needed for this recipe. Pumpkin puree is often used as a cooking substitution for both eggs and oil and will keep your desserts just as moist and delicious as the other two. Trust me on this one!
Definitely. I’ve tested a few different ways and have to say that using the spice cake mix does give you the best pumpkin spice flavor.
For a more subtle pumpkin taste, you can use a box of a yellow cake mix mixed with pumpkin spice or even a box of chocolate cake mix (although you won’t taste the pumpkin nearly as much). Feel free to play around with it and see which combination you like best!
Place cookies in an airtight container or bag and store at room temperature for up to 3 days. These cookies also freeze well and can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Categorized as: 5 Ingredients Or Less, American, Cake Mix Cookies, Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Cookies, Desserts, Freezer-Friendly, Halloween, Holiday Cookies, Kid-Friendly, Nut-Free, Vegetarian
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
So yummy, easy and festive!
Glad you enjoyed the pumpkin cookies with cake mix!
Good
I did not rate this recipe because I have not made it yet, but have a question for you first. I’m interested in trying to make this gluten free, and was going to use a 17oz box of Trader Joe’s GF bread and muffin mix – not a cake mix. Do you think this would work well for this recipe? Are there any modifications that you’d suggest?
TYIA
Hello, it has not been tested with that specific Gluten free mix but since it is a bread and muffin mix instead of cake mix, I would check to ensure it has enough added sugar or your muffins may lack taste. If you like more the ‘spice cake’ taste, you may want to add additional warm spices as well. Let us know how it goes!
These were delicious and no fail for a failed baker like me! All her recipes are amazing
Is it okay if the pumpkin puree is 15oz? I grabbed Libby, which is what I noticed you used in the picture, but the can says 15oz and not 14
Yes that will work :)
Perfect, thank you!
So good! Cannot stop eating them. The added sea salt at the end makes it!
Great I’ve made this before but just with the pumpkin and spice cake mix. The pumpkin spice and chocolate chips take it to a whole new level.
Super easy and yummy! I added to the spice cake mix and pumpkin: 1 tsp vanilla, 1 C. chopped pecans, 1 C. chocolate chunks and then sea salt on top. Great combination of flavors.
I was hunting something to do with a partial box of cake mix. This recipe is both AMAZING and FORGIVING!! I only had 1 C of cake mix. So I threw in a little extra AP flour, and sugar. Could only find Apple Pie spice, so I used that and extra cinnamon. No chocolate, so I used raisins.
I did chill the dough for about 10 minutes in the freezer. (I was anxious!)
They came out FABULOUS!! No spreading, just 14 big fluffy, soft cookies. Very cake-like. Right out of the oven, I dusted them with a cocoa/powdered sugar mix.
These will be a regular with my 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies. LOVE a quick, easy, and delicious recipe! THANK YOU!!!
Thanks Jo! So glad you enjoyed the cake mix cookies. Thanks for sharing your tips