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.
Supper fun and easy to make with the kiddos! Made this with my 5 year old sister and she absolutely loved it!
Can I freeze the unbaked doughballs? If so, for how long?
Yes, they’ll freeze well for atleast 3 months :)
We love love love these cookies. So super easy to make. The only downside of them is they are so sticky. Putting the dough in the fridge for 20 mins or so before scooping them out does help tremendously. I like to roll them in sugar like others have said too. I made strawberry ones for Valentine’s Day with melted chocolate chips drizzled over the top….. it was amazing.
I have made these cookies several times and they are all delicious. The combinations are endless but our favorite (so far) are Red Velvet with white chocolate chips. Made a Spice Cake Mixed with butterscotch chips that was also good. Thanks for a great and easy recipe!
I used this recipe this evening and they were a big hit. I tried the cinnamon sugar on a couple as Christine suggests and she is right they were delicious and sadly, they were gone before I could get another one, as well. Thanks for posting ur recipe. And thanks Christine for the cinnamon sugar idea.
Hi, I have made these cookies with several different cake mixes. Chocolate fudge is the family favorite. Before cooking I roll the balls in sugar and some with cinnamon sugar mix. The only downfall is… they are gone before I can have a second one.
So glad you enjoyed the cake mix cookies!
I made these today using chocolate fudge cake and mint chocolate pieces. Delicious! I love the texture. It’s soft and not crumbly. I think I might substitute the mint chips with chopped maraschino cherries next time. I think orange cake with dark chocolate chips would be yummy too. Either way, this recipe is a keeper!
That sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Taught my 13 year old great grandson how to make cookies, and this was the perfect one to learn the how to’s. We made the chocolate cookies and pressed a pean half onto the cookie prior to baking. And, since I have made them before, I knew they would be tasty!
So glad to hear they turned out well for you guys :)
I was using another recipe for cake mix cookies and it just seemed too dry so I switched to this one. Because of switching I did use 1 T. more butter than this recipe calls for, but they turned out well.
Love these recipes!!! I always get compliments about how moist they are…😁😁😉😉
So glad you enjoyed the cake mix cookies! Thanks for your review Rita :)
I made these with red velvet cake mix and hersheys cream cheese morsels. They turned out really good
Sounds delicious! Thanks for your review :)
So easy and so yummy! The grandkids love to be able to make their own version of these cookies!
Thanks for sharing, Jenna. These are so versatile. You can customize to your favorite flavors, candy, etc. I would love to hear what your grandkids try!
Do I mix the dough with a mixer or by hand?
Either one, I typically just do these by hand :)
I’ve made dark chocolate with peanut butter chips and spice cake with caramel bits. They were both delicious!!
Thanks for sharing, Kim! Glad you liked them. I would love to hear if you try any of the others.
These are so easy snd my family loves them. Just finish lemon coconut and German chocolate chip.
Thanks 😊
Glad to hear these were a success, Anita. I would love to hear if you try any of the others!
I made these with a strawberry cake mix and white chocolate chips. They were very good, even hubby commented how good they were. Thinking of trying a brownie mix with chocolate chips.
The strawberry version is one of our favorites! Brownie mix with chocolate chips also sounds incredible…enjoy!
Very moist and delicious cookie! I sprinkled powder sugar on some and drizzled vanilla icing on the rest of the Swiss chocolate cookies. Very yummy. Will definitely make again!
Mmm sounds SO delicious!
Excellent recipe to start getting back into baking. Mine are triple chocolate fudge.
Mmm sounds delicious! Glad you enjoyed :)