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.
How much cream cheese. butter and eggs for the butter for the sugar cookies?
Hi Linda! Here is the recipe for the butter cookies :) https://www.iheartnaptime.net/gooey-butter-cookies/
Followed the recipe exactly and these are amazing! So soft, cakey, crisp edges. So good! MAKE THESE!!
Yeah! Thanks for the review, glad you enjoyed them!
Sooo good! And sooo easy! These came out great, and are an excellent way to use the random cake mixes that my husband buys on clearance! ;-)
Used Pillsbury Oreo cake mix with nothing else added and they were terrific!
Love cake mix cookies
So happy to hear that!
What is the quanity that one recipe will make?
Hi Theresa! The recipe makes about 24 cookies. Happy baking :)
Very easy and delicious cookies to make quickly.
I’ve made these cookies before and everyone lived them. . Going to make a larger batch with different varieties as well. . .
Yum! A variety of cookies is the best!
Not sure what size cake mix. Mine is 13.25 oz.
I used a standard size – 15.25 oz.You may need to reduce the vegetable oil just slightly with the smaller size cake mix.
We have a lazy keto lifestyle so I make these with the zero sugar cake mix and zero sugar chocolate chips. I mold the dough around the bottom of muffin tins to form cookie bowls for low carb sugar free ice cream sundaes!
So happy you are able to adapt to your needs!
I made this recipe but I only added 1/3 cup of oil and I added a 1/2 teaspoon of real vanilla and I mixed in some sprinkles. I refrigerated for 30 mins and then scooped it out, rolled it in a ball and dipped in more sprinkles. They were yummy!
Great and easy.
Quick n easy..NEVER USED CAKE MIX BEFORE❣️Waiting til they cool….
Enjoy!!
Easy, fast and delicious we tried chocolate chip with pecans, and cranberry and white chocolate with pecans. Today I made red velvet with white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts ! Yum!
Can I reduce the amount of oil from 1/2 cup to 1/3? Sometimes they come out a bit oily.
Hi Lisa! I haven’t tested this recipe decreasing the oil. But if you give it a go, let me know how it turns out :)
With half the batch, I added chocolate chips, walnuts, and oatmeal. They were delicious today with the other half of the batch I added for mini marshmallows to each cookie and then the other half I frosted him with peanut butter before baking.
That sounds delicious Rosie :)
I’m making chocolate chip with a Pillsbury mix, the dough is sticky. In the past, I’ve used Betty Crocker and the dough isn’t as sticky. The ease and convenience is great and the cookies are soft and tasty. Thanks for sharing!
I’m a chef and this is a great recipe! I use plant-based butter as our son has EoE(dairy proteins allergy) and we did the Dolly Parton Banana Cake mix with 1 bag of Heath Toffee bits and it is amazing! We are going to make multiple batches of different mash-ups today for my softball team. Thank you!
Fabulous and scrumptious with a dolly Parton cake mix. Then add toasted coconut flakes, add coconut cream to vanilla icing, toasted pecans dripped with caramel 😋 I will stop now because I need to curve a sweet tooth.
Rachel
That sounds delicious Rachel! I’m so glad you loved the cookies :)
Hi! All the cake mix boxes I can find are 370g (13.2oz), do you know what adjustments would have to be made for the recipe if using this much mix?
Hi Zara! The Pillsbury brand cake mixes are 15.25 oz :)