Cake Mix Cookies are an easy cookie recipe that you can make with all kinds of cake flavors and add-ins! Mix chocolate chips, M&Ms, sprinkles, peanut butter chips, and more into your favorite cake mixes. Get creative!
The Easiest Cake Mix Cookies
You know I love an easy cookie recipe, and that’s just what we have here with these cake mix cookies! Using cake mix as a short cut ingredient may feel like cheating when it comes to baking, but it’s a trick I am fully on board with. It makes life so simple, and the cookies come out unbelievably soft, tender, and chewy.
Oh, and did I mention you only need 3 ingredients? That’s it! All you gotta do is mix the dough together, spoon it onto a cookie tray, and bake. Couldn’t be easier.
And, while I don’t use cake mix all the time, it definitely comes in handy when I need a dessert in a hurry! Plus, it makes switching up the flavor of the cookie you’re baking a breeze. Craving chocolate? Easy! But if you’d rather vanilla or red velvet, you can do those, too. The possibilities are endless!
Some of my other all-time favorite cake mix desserts include these Cake Mix Brownies and these Birthday Cake Chocolate Chip Cookies!
Why You’ll Love This Cake Mix Cookie Recipe
The list of reasons to love these cake mix cookies is extensive, but I’ll narrow it down to the most important ones… because we’ve got cookies to bake!
- Tender and chewy. It’s like biting into a soft cloud of sugary goodness! The texture is perfect.
- Easy. As mentioned above, these cookies require just 3 ingredients. So, if you’ve got a box of cake mix sitting on your shelf, you’ve probably got everything you need to get started!
- Adaptable. You can customize almost every aspect of these cookies! The cake flavor, what you mix in, how much you mix in, etc.
What You’ll Need
Let’s talk about these 3 simple ingredients! Here’s what you need to know (the exact quantities for each one can be found in the recipe card below):
- Cake Mix. I like vanilla cake mix best in these cookies, so that’s what I usually go with!
- Eggs. Use large eggs for this recipe.
- Oil. I use vegetable oil, however, any light colored oil will work, such as canola oil or corn oil.
How to Make Cookies from Cake Mix
When I don’t feel like breaking out the measuring cups, these cookies made with cake mix are the answer! Follow this step-by-step guide to get them in and out of the oven. The full set of directions can be found in the recipe card below!
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
- Mix the ingredients together. In a large bowl, stir together the cake mix, eggs, and oil until smooth. You can also complete this step in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mixing the ingredients on low until combined.
- Pour in the add-ins. Mix in your desired add-ins until they are evenly incorporated.
- Bake the cookies. Using a cookie scoop, portion the dough onto the prepared cookie sheet, spacing the cookies 2 inches apart. Bake them for 9-10 minutes, or until they are lightly golden at the edges. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 3-4 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
Tips for Success
Even though making cookies from cake mix is very simple, there are still a few tips that are helpful to know as you begin!
- If you can only find 15-ounce cake mix. I have found that they seem to be phasing out the old 18-ounce cake mixes and only sell 15-ounce mixes now. To work around this, I add 1/4 cup extra of all purpose flour to the mix. I will be honest and say that you can absolutely just use the 15-ounce in place of the 18 without any variation, and the cookies will be only slightly thinner. Cake mix is very forgiving!
- Don’t over-bake the cookies. If you can see that the cookies are still soft in the middle at the end of the baking time even though the edges are golden brown, still take them out. They’ll finish firming up as they cool on the baking sheet.
- Different mixes can lead to slightly different textures. Keep in mind that differently flavored mixes (vanilla vs chocolate, etc.) can lead to thicker cookies, or cookies that spread a little more, depending on what kind you choose.
Mix-In Ideas
Keep these chewy cookies simple and leave them plain, or go crazy with add-ins… it’s totally up to you! Here are some of my go-to options:
- Chocolate Chips
- M&M’s
- White Chips
- Reese’s Pieces
- Chopped Candy Bars
- Sprinkles
- Peanut Butter Chips
Substitutions & Recipe Variations
Feel free to use your imagination with these cookies! There are so many flavor combos that could be great. Here are some cake mix and add-in pairings to inspire you:
- Red Velvet + White Chips
- Chocolate Cake + Peanut Butter Chips
- Carrot Cake + White Chips
- Spice Cake + Cinnamon Chips
- Vanilla Cake + Fruity Pebbles
- Lemon Cake + White Chips
- Strawberry Cake + Mini Chocolate Chips
- Chocolate Cake + Rolo Candies
How to Store
These cake mix cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for 2-3 days. If you want them to keep for a few days longer, try storing them in the fridge.
Can I Freeze Cake Mix Cookies?
Sure! Go ahead and freeze these cookies in an airtight container or a tightly-sealed ziplock bag for 2-3 months once they’ve cooled. Thaw them in the fridge or at room temperature before enjoying!
More Cake Mix Cookie Recipes
Can’t get enough when it comes to chewy cake mix cookies? Try some more easy recipes, then!
- Funfetti Gooey Butter Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cup Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies
- Cake Mix Carrot Cake Cookies
- Strawberry Gooey Butter Cookies
Cake Mix Cookies
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 24 1x
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Dessert
Description
Cake Mix Cookies are a fun, easy way to make soft, chewy cookies in no time flat! Mix and match cake flavors to add-ins to create all kinds of combinations. My kids LOVE to make these!
Ingredients
- 1 (18.25 – ounce) box cake mix
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup add-ins like chocolate chips or M&M’s (if adding in sprinkles use 1/2 cup)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl mix together cake mix, eggs, and oil until smooth. Alternately you can do this step in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mixing ingredients on low until combined.
- Mix in desired add-ins until evenly incorporated.
- Using a medium (2- tablespoon) cookie scoop portion the dough onto the prepared cookie sheet 2- inches apart. Bake for 9-10 minutes, or until lightly golden at the edges.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 3-4 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Notes
- To Store: Store in an airtight container for up 3 days.
- To Freeze: Go ahead and freeze these cookies in an airtight container or a tightly-sealed ziplock bag for 2-3 months once they’ve cooled. Thaw them in the fridge or at room temperature before enjoying!
- Use any flavor cake mix you would like and mix and match add-ins!
- If you can’t find the 18-ounce size of cake mix and can only fid the 15 ounce, just add in 1/4 cup extra all purpose flour.
- *Nutritional information does not include add-ins
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 119
- Sugar: 7.9 g
- Sodium: 126.3 mg
- Fat: 6.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 14.6 g
- Protein: 1.2 g
- Cholesterol: 15.5 mg
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Omg we love this recipe! We used cherry chip cake mix, 1 egg and 1/2 cup of butter and added flour and 1/2 a teaspoon of baking soda and 1/4 cup of maraschino cherries. My kids love it. Soft and chewy! Make sure to chill 30 mins before baking. We can’t wait to try other flavors.
Glad you enjoyed these! Love that flavor combo!
TL;DR: For those of you who think that this recipe makes the cookies come out too cakey, just refrigerate them and enjoy them after you’ve refrigerated them! They will turn your “cake” into cookies. This recipe is awesome for vanilla cake mix, I can’t wait to try other flavors!
Notes: I baked for 16 minutes total, both times, I’d estimate the thickness of my dough when I put it in was about 1cm, and when it came out it probably rose to like 2cm, and then after refrigerating it ended up about 1cm again, maybe slightly more.
First times making cookies. I made it twice. Both times I just put my mix into a baking pan (I have a small electric oven and small baking pan), and made a giant cookie. Coming fresh out of the oven, it was like a cake, and did not feel like a cookie at all. It still tasted good though, but it felt like I was eating a cake. It rose a lot more than I thought. I decided to give it a go on again, making the cookies very thin before I put them into the oven. Same story, cookie shaped cakes. I was disappointed with this recipe, I put the rest into the refrigerator to enjoy the next few days. It still tasted good, but again, it felt like a cake, not a cookie. I gave up and dumped all my mix into the pan, and baked it again like I did the first time. After baking, of course it was like a cake. I ate some, put the rest in the refrigerator. When I took it out of the refrigerator and tried it, I was VERY surprised! The stuff was hard like a cookie! It had a nice chew to it, but not disgustingly chewy, it was very good! The outside had a little crunch to it too! Delicious cookies!
Thanks so much for you feedback!!
Lol I didn’t see where it said to add flour if it wasn’t 18.5 oz. They still turned out well. Can’t wait to try different flavors.
The recipe is definitely forgiving…which is what makes it so great! Glad they turned out!!
Make one batch with Pillsbury Funfetti. DELICIOUS! My daughter wants to try other cake mixes now. ?
Have fun experimenting!
I made these tonight using Pillsbury Devil’s Food (added the 1/4 c flour) and chocolate chips. They are perfect!
Great! Thanks for sharing your results!
My mom use to make cookies with just a cake mix and she would just take out one of the ingredients, but i don’t remember what it was. I’m hoping that you can help me know what is it that I take out of the recipe to turn the cake mix to a cookie mix: The recipe says 1-1/4 cup of water, 1/2 cup of vegetable oil, cake mix and 3 eggs.
This recipe tell you the way to make them 🙂
Thank you! I’m taking the meal into the homeless shelter today and I didn’t get enough cookies. I do have a couple cake mixes and 4 eggs! You saved me a trip to the grocery! And these are so simple and cost effective–I’m going to make these again.
Love hearing this!!!
I made the recipe and it was a 15oz recipe Choc. cake mix and well i forgot the extra flour…. Let me say this we added some M &M ‘s and it turned out like a brownie cookie… Yummy!!!!
Glad to hear they were still great!!
Oh good! I just realized I didn’t add the extra flour!
Can I add in chopped almonds.
Sure!
This recipe makes one heck of a fantastic vegan cookie!!! Just sub the eggs for flaxseed eggs (1 Tbsp ground flaxseed meal & 3 Tbsp cold water = 1 egg…mix in a separate bowl & allow to set a few minutes before adding to cookie batter) and Nutiva coconut oil with non-dairy butter flavor and Bake Believe dark chocolate chips…wow!!! Our family’s current fav cookie combo is Duncan Hines Orange Supreme dark chocolate chip cookies! Yum City!!!