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
HUNGRY FOR MORE? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all the newest recipes!
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 used a yellow cake mix and split the dough into three parts, I added chocolate chips, mini m&m’s, and sprinkles. Each batch came out so delicious, and fluffy! I’ll be using this recipe again and again!
Sounds delicious! I’m so glad you enjoyed that!
These are so fun and delicious. My kids can’t wait to make them again!
These cookies were delicious!
I want to try making a bar instead of a cookie,
Have you tried adding in a package of instant pudding? I wanted to add in Pistachio pudding. Wanted to see if that would work.
Hi Cindy! I haven’t tried it in this recipe. Please let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
I love these cookies, they are my go to for something sweet and fast :) can the dough be frozen once made and put in the freezer? And if so, for how long?
Hi! I haven’t tried freezing this dough, but it has worked great with all my other cookie dough recipes! I think it should work great! :)
Yes, was simple as pie and good as can be…thank you for the recipe!
Hi,
These look gorgeous. I would love to make this recipe but I want to be sure how many eggs to use. The video shows one egg but the recipe card lists 2. Thank you.
It’s 2 eggs!
Made 15 dozen different ones for Christmas with this recipe…Saved me alot of time & everyone loved them..Thank you.
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed them! I love how many different combinations you can make!
Agree, too oily-tasting.
I found a different recipe in PARADE magazine 40+ years ago:
* ANY cake mix (including the pudding in the mix variety). Some favorites are spice, French vanilla, German chocolate, lemon, Fun-fetti)
* The number of EGGS called for on the box.
* Two tablespoons of ANY LIQUID (water, milk, juice, eggnog, etc.)
ADDITIONS as described above.
Bake on greased sheet 2″ apart at 350* until soft-set (usually 8-10 min.).
Thank you great advice.
Easy and the littles love making.
The perfect recipe to make with littles!
I love these cookies not as good as the old fashioned way but good none the less for the type they are.
I like to add one more egg to make them cake-yer and they are just the best….:-) 10-23-19
So glad you enjoyed these!
I made the red velvet with white chocolate chips and added candy eyeballs for monster cookies for an upcoming Halloween party! Super cute! Thanks for the idea!
Great idea! Thanks for sharing! :)
Yummy moist cookies every time
Do to a lengthy history diabetes on both sides of my fily I have been reducing the amount of sugar in recipies for many years. I made these with a Pillsbury Sugar Free cake mix which my 15 and 14 year old Grandchildren devoured. Quick and easy which you gotta love
This is snivkerdoodle I also make a lemon version by adding a tsp of lemon flavor, sprinkletops with Crystal Light lemonade mix and dust bottoms in powdered sugar. All good and quick.
Thank you so much for sharing a sugar free version. Sounds delicious! :)
Can you use bananas in this cookie recipe?
Hi Sue! I have heard of others using bananas with cake mix cookies, but I think it would be too much liquid with this recipe. I would probably find a different recipe that has less oil and eggs. :)
Try banana chips in a banana cake recipe. Full flavor & added texture.
Sounds delicious! Thanks for the tip! :)
Yum! You do realize that I will be the bomb with my grandchildren don’t you??
They will love these cookies! :)
The recipe asks for 2 eggs, but the video only shows using 1 egg. Which is the correct method to use? Thank you
It’s 2 eggs!
Good recipe! Just keep an eye on just how sticky and wet your mixture is. I added 4-5 tablespoons of self raising flour to mine because it seemed way to wet, and they came out perfect! fluffy and risen.
If they are wet it might be your egg is not a large egg, these usually get rolled in sugar but you can roll them in flour or add some if too wet
Awesome recipe, possibilities are endless!
How can I make a cookie in a cup from a cake mix????