These cake mix cookies are such an easy and delicious recipe to make with only 3 ingredients! Customize this recipe with your favorite flavor and mix-in’s.
Table of Contents
Easiest Cookie Recipe Ever
We’ve shared a few different cookie recipes using cake mix, such as the strawberry cookies, chocolate mint cookies and red velvet gooey cookies, but I thought it was about time I shared the original recipe. The options are endless depending on the flavor of cake mix you use!
I first saw this recipe in a church cookbook (along with my easy dump cake) I received many years ago and have made many different variations ever since, even cake mix brownies! These cake cookies are great for when you need to make something quick and don’t have a lot of ingredients on hand. I don’t know about you, but I pretty much always have a box of cake mix, oil and eggs on hand.
These cookies are soft, fluffy and seriously so delicious. I love how many different variations you can easily make. Plus, they are so simple that you literally can’t mess them up. My kids love to help make them too. They are always a huge hit!
3 Simple Ingredients
This recipe requires only 3 ingredients (which you probably already have on hand!). This is seriously the easiest dessert to whip up and perfect for the kids to help with.
- Cake mix: Use 1 box of cake mix (any flavor you’d like). Check out a few of my favorite variations below.
- Oil: Vegetable oil works best in this recipe. You’ll need 1/2 cup or you can use melted butter.
- Eggs: Add in 2 large eggs.
Feel free to include any extra mix-in’s like M&M’s, chocolate chips, nuts, sprinkles or candy pieces.
How To Make Cookies From Cake Mix
You can find the printable recipe and video tutorial below.
- Combine. Mix the ingredients together in a large bowl with a mixer until the dough is smooth. If I have time, I like to refrigerate the dough, so it’s easier to work with.
- Scoop. Use a cookie scoop to add place the dough onto a prepared baking sheet. Then add any extra mix-in’s if you’d like.
- Bake. Cook in the oven at 350°F for 9 to 11 minutes until the cookies are set!
Baking Tips
- Refrigerate the dough: The dough tends to be a little stickier than your typical cookie dough because of the oil, so I’d recommend refrigerating the dough for about 30 minutes so it’s easier to work with.
- Don’t over bake: You definitely don’t want these cookies to brown in the oven. Let them bake for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until they are set. You want them to have a soft texture. To help prevent the bottoms from browning, line your pan with parchment paper.
- Freeze any extras: These cookies freeze beautifully. If you have any extras, let them cool completely after baking. Then place on a cookie sheet and flash freeze for about 30 minutes. Once they’re hard, place the cookies in a freezer container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, remove from freezer about 2 hours before enjoying.
Cake Mix Cookie Variations
You can use pretty much any flavor of cake mix to make these cookie flavor combinations. Feel free to add in your favorite add-ins or dip in chocolate. Below are a few of my favorites. I typically prefer duncan hines.
- Red velvet white chocolate chip: If you’re a fan of red velvet cake, you’re going to love these red velvet cake mix cookies! The red velvet flavor is rich and delicious and the white chocolate chips add the perfect sweet touch. Plus the contrast of the red and white colors looks so pretty!
- M&M: You can use yellow or vanilla cake mix for this variation. The M&M’s are fun, colorful and add a delicious hint of chocolate. You could also make these with chocolate cake mix as well. Both versions are delicious. My kids love these!
- Devil’s food with Rolo’s: If you’re a chocolate lover, these Rolo cookies are perfect for you! The chocolate flavor paired with the gooey caramel inside is a match made in heaven! The Rolo in the middle is such a nice surprise.
- Chocolate-dipped strawberry: I made a version of these strawberry cookies for Valentine’s Day and they were so festive and delicious! Use a strawberry cake mix. They are super soft, full of strawberry flavor and best of all dipped in chocolate!
- Butter cookies: An easy variation of a butter cookie, gooey butter cookies are made with vanilla or white cake mixes, butter, powdered sugar, and cream cheese!
- Frosting: These also taste amazing with buttercream frosting or cream cheese frosting on top.
- Chocolate chips: Add in semi-sweet, peanut butter chips, butterscotch chips or chopped dark chocolate to a yellow or chocolate cake mix.
Frequently Asked Questions
They are cookies that come together by modifying the ingredients on the box of a cake mix. You only need 3 simple ingredients.
Aside from endless cookie options, you can also make brownies, cake mix cookie bars and cake mix pumpkin muffins.
I love to add in different mix-in’s such as chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, m&m’s or chopped oreos.
Yes, in this cake mix cookie recipe you don’t need any flour or additional baking agents.
More Cake Mix Cookies
- Lemon cake mix cookies – Fresh lemon flavor with a powdered sugar top
- Funfetti cookies – Full of sprinkles and that classic cake batter flavor
- Cake mix pumpkin cookies – Soft and flavorful with chocolate chips!
- Spice cookies – The perfect spice flavor for fall
- Snickerdoodle cake mix cookies – A classic holiday favorite made easy
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Cake Mix Cookie Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 (15.25-ounce) box cake mix
- ½ scant cup vegetable oil , or 7 TB melted butter
- 2 large eggs
Optional Mix-in’s: Chocolate chips, M&M’s, Rolo's, etc.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, stir the cake mix, oil, and eggs until combined. If you have time, refrigerate the dough 15 to 20 minutes (it will make it a little easier to work with, since it is sticky).
- Using a medium scoop or spoon, scoop the dough onto the baking sheet. Top with additional toppings, if desired. Bake 9 to 11 minutes, or until the cookies are set. You don’t want them to brown.
- Let cool a couple minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a cooling rack. Store in a covered container up to 3 days.
Notes
- Red velvet white chocolate chip: If you’re a fan of red velvet cake, you’re going to love this version! Use a red velvet cake mix and mix in 1 cup of white chocolate chips.
- M&M: You can use white or yellow cake mix for this variation. Mix in 1 cup M&M’s.
- Devil’s food with Rolo’s: If you’re a chocolate lover, these Rolo cookies are perfect for you!
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!
Categorized as: American, Cake Mix Cookies, Cookies, Desserts, Reader Favorites, White Chocolate Cookies
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.
I can’t get enough of these cookies and the variety to bake is simple to make. This time I combined the white cake mix with semi sweet chocolate chips. Yum!
Hi, can you freeze the cookies once they are baked and cooled? If so for how long? I know my cut out sugar cookies can be frozen for up to three months.
Hi Contessa! Yes, you can freeze these cookies for up to 3 months. Enjoy :)
Is it okay to add-in extras into the entire mix before refrigerating or should they only be added to each cookie after scooping?
Yes you can add to the entire mix :)
I’ll admit, I was skeptical of this whole idea of using cake mix to make cookies, but I have been proven wrong. This recipe was great and so easy to make. I went with spice cake mix and these may be my new favorite cookie.
I’m glad you enjoyed the cake mix cookies Rebecca :)
I combined Pillsbury Golden Butter with rainbow star sprinkles and amazing!!!!!
They taste like butter cookies with spinkles but soft and chewy. Very moist yet cake like.
I love your website.
Hi Jill! Yay, I’m so glad you enjoyed the cake mix cookies! Sounds like the perfect combo.
Made these with a white cake mix, used Almon extract instead of vanilla and added in chopped dried cranberries and white chocolate chips! Amazing! Thanks for the recipe!
I made Lemon and Rainbiw Chip cake cookies last weekend. We loved them. Was asked to make Lemon and Chocolate this weekend. Gonna add some orange zest to my Lemon cookies this time. So easy and super delicious!!
these are sooooo easy, thanks for sharing, I combined the spice cake mix with raisins, the taste was amazing!
Thank you Sandy! I’m so glad you love them :)
I am in LOVE with all the options with these cookies!! First batch turned out delicious however my cookies were pretty flat. Any suggestions on how to fix this?
Hi Laura! Make sure to not over-mix your dough and refrigerate your dough for at least 30 minutes :)
Where’s that Easy button? These are the easiest cookies I’ve EVER made, and delicious. I used confetti cake mix and added white chocolate chips. Yum! Thanks so much for the recipe!
You are too kind! I’m so glad you loved the cookies! :)
I use these amazingly soft cookies to make homemade ice cream sandwiches. They turn out great. I use the devil’s food cake mix and after they are done baking and cooling, just add basically any flavor ice cream between 2 cookies and wrap in plastic wrap and pop in the freezer. Everyone loves them!
I used canola oil bc I didn’t have butter on hand. Definitely use butter for this recipe. Super easy and yummy, everyone loved them and I feel like I didn’t do any work!
Do you put the Rolos in the middle
Hi Janet, yes put the rolos in the middle of the cookie :) I hope you enjoy them!
I use butter flavored cake mix and chocolate chips, everyone loves them.
Sounds delicious Amy! Thanks for sharing!
Perfect! Used devil’s food cake mix and semi sweet chocolate chips mixed in. When they cool, the chocolate chips reform and it’s just… perfection!
I love these cookies. I made some with chocolate chips, some with sprinkles, some with m&M’s, and some plain covered in powdered sugar. These cookies come together easily, 3 simple pantry ingredients, and the results is they are simply delicious! Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe.
Delicious! I’m so glad you enjoyed the cookies Shelby!
I make these for a friend for Christmas and they are delicious. It’s a German chocolate cake mix with German chocolate icing.
Yummy!! I’m so glad you loved the recipe Denise :)
Cake mix cookies 3 ingredients + chocolate chips made the most delicious soft chocolate chocolate chips cookies. I added 6 TBS of butter and baked for 12 minutes, I got 30 small-medium size cookies. Do You know the expression “now you see them now you don’t” that’s exactly what happened to those cookies.
The Second batch I use white cake mix added lemon extract, lemon zest to the mix. I used the same technique as above, except I made a lemon glazed to drizzle onto the cookies when cooked.
The flavor of these cookies were amazing! If you like lemon!
Thank you for this recipe.
Ritza
Hi Ritza! It all sounds delicious! It makes me so happy to hear that you enjoyed the cookies! They definitely go fast once they’re made :) Thank you for your kind review!