Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Cake mix cookies are the simplest cookies to make — just 4 ingredients and minutes of prep for soft, delicious results.
How long it takes: 15 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: mixing bowl, baking sheets
Servings: 36 cookies
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Shortcut Cookies
Cake mix cookies are an ideal shortcut for when you want soft, tasty cookies with minimal effort. Using a boxed cake mix means the dough comes together fast and needs only a few extra ingredients. These cookies are perfect for last-minute school treats, bake sales, or an easy dessert when time is short.
The biggest advantages are speed and flexibility. As long as you keep the basic proportions the same, you can swap different cake mix flavors and mix-ins to create many variations. Below are ideas and tips to help you customize these cookies to your taste.
Easy Cake Mix Cookies
Quick and kid-friendly. This is one of the fastest cookie recipes you can make. With minimal measuring and simple steps, kids can help with mixing and scooping.
Lots of flavor options. Any boxed cake mix will work — chocolate, lemon, strawberry, funfetti, spice, vanilla — each yields a slightly different cookie. The photos illustrate lemon with white chocolate chips, chocolate with peanut butter chips, and strawberry with semisweet chips.
Soft-baked texture. These cookies bake up puffy and tender thanks to the cake mix base. If you prefer a soft, cake-like cookie, this is an easy way to get it.
Ingredient Notes
- Unsalted butter: Using butter instead of oil gives richer flavor. Let melted butter cool slightly before adding so it doesn’t cook the eggs.
- Boxed cake mix: Cake mixes differ in weight. A 15.25 oz. box works well, but smaller sizes such as 13.25 oz. will also produce good results.
- Eggs: Room-temperature eggs blend more easily and incorporate air better, but slightly cold eggs will still work.
- Chocolate chips: Any baking chip is fine — semisweet, white chocolate, peanut butter, or butterscotch — so pick chips that complement your cake mix flavor.
How to Make Cake Mix Cookies
Preheat the oven. Preheat to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper so the cookies bake evenly and release easily.
Make the dough. In a mixing bowl combine melted (and slightly cooled) butter, the cake mix, and the eggs. Stir until the mixture is smooth and the eggs are fully incorporated, then fold in the baking chips.
Portion the dough. Use a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop to drop dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing cookies 2 to 3 inches apart. If you don’t have a scoop, use two spoons to shape the portions. Smaller cookies tend to bake more evenly and yield the best texture.
Recipe Tip
If the dough is sticky, chill it for about 30 minutes to make it easier to handle and to reduce spreading while baking. This is especially helpful in warm or humid conditions.
Bake. Place the sheet on the center rack and bake for 10 minutes. For consistent results, bake one sheet at a time on the middle rack; if you bake two at once, rotate and swap racks midway if your oven runs unevenly.
Cool. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes to firm up, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Cake Mix Cookie Flavor Ideas
- Lemon cake mix: Add white chocolate chips for a bright, cookie that tastes a bit like lemon sandwich cookies.
- Chocolate cake mix: Add peanut butter chips or semisweet chips for double chocolate.
- Strawberry cake mix: Try semisweet or white chocolate chips for a fruity-sweet combination.
- Vanilla/yellow cake mix: Classic chocolate chips work well; butterscotch or peanut butter chips are also great.
- Funfetti cake mix: White chocolate chips add creaminess; mini M&Ms make them extra colorful.
- Spice cake mix: Top with cream cheese frosting and chopped pecans or walnuts for a rich dessert-style cookie.
Storage & Reheating
Room temperature: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days for best texture.
Freezing dough: Scoop unbaked dough onto a parchment-lined sheet and freeze. Transfer frozen dough balls to a freezer-safe bag and store up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding a minute or two to the baking time.
Freezing baked cookies: Once cooled, layer with parchment between cookies in an airtight container and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm for 15–20 seconds in the microwave for a fresh-baked feel.
More Cookie Recipes
Flourless Chocolate Cookies
Mexican Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
Lofthouse Cookies – flavor & frosting options!
Cake Mix Cookies
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 box (15.25 oz.) cake mix
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 cup baking chips
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
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In a mixing bowl combine melted butter, cake mix, and eggs. Stir until combined, then fold in baking chips.
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Using a 1-tablespoon scoop, portion dough onto the prepared sheet 2 to 3 inches apart. If you don’t have a scoop, use two spoons to form portions.
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Bake for 10 minutes. Let cookies cool on the sheet for a couple of minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Cake mix sizes: Tested with both 15.25 oz. and 13.25 oz. boxes; both work well.
- Baking chips: Use semisweet, white chocolate, dark chocolate, peanut butter, butterscotch, or other chips that pair with your chosen cake mix.
- Baking tip: You can bake two sheets at once, but results may vary by oven. For consistent results, bake one sheet at a time on the middle rack and keep a second sheet ready to load immediately after removing a batch.
- Storage: After cooling, store in an airtight container for up to 3 days for best texture. Freeze baked cookies or frozen dough up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature or microwave briefly to warm.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an estimate.