Cake mix cookies are the shortcut you’ll wish you’d tried sooner. With just a handful of ingredients and minimal effort, you get soft, chewy cookies that taste like you spent all afternoon baking. They’re perfect for busy weekends, last-minute gatherings, or when a craving hits and you want something sweet fast.
Best of all, you can customize them a hundred different ways—chocolate chips, sprinkles, nuts, frosting, and more. If you love simple baking wins, this is your new go-to recipe.
What Makes This Recipe So Good
- Ridiculously easy: You only need a box of cake mix, oil, and eggs. That’s it for the base.
- Fast bake time: The dough comes together in minutes, and each batch bakes in about 9–11 minutes.
- Almost foolproof: Cake mix is already balanced for sweetness and texture, so the cookies turn out soft and chewy.
- Totally customizable: Change the cake mix flavor and mix-ins to match any season, holiday, or mood.
- Kid-friendly: The simple steps make this a great baking activity for little helpers.
What You’ll Need
- 1 box cake mix (15.25 oz): Any flavor—vanilla, chocolate, red velvet, lemon, spice, or funfetti.
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup neutral oil: Vegetable, canola, or light olive oil.
- Optional mix-ins (about 1 to 1 1/2 cups total):
- Chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, or butterscotch chips
- Sprinkles
- Chopped nuts
- Crushed candy or cookies
- Dried fruit
- Optional finishing touches: Coarse sugar, powdered sugar, or a simple glaze.
Instructions
- Preheat and prep: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C).
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Mix the base: In a large bowl, stir together the cake mix, eggs, and oil until a thick, sticky dough forms. Don’t overmix—just combine.
- Add mix-ins: Fold in your chosen add-ins. Aim for about 1 to 1 1/2 cups total so the dough stays cohesive.
- Scoop the dough: Use a tablespoon or a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop to portion dough onto the baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies.
- Optional coating: Roll dough balls in powdered sugar for crinkle cookies or sprinkle coarse sugar on top for sparkle.
- Bake: Bake for 9–11 minutes, until the edges look set and the centers are slightly soft.
They’ll firm up as they cool.
- Cool: Let cookies rest on the sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Finish and serve: Drizzle with a simple glaze or melted chocolate if you like. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
How to Store
- Room temperature: Keep cookies in an airtight container for 3–4 days. Add a slice of bread to keep them soft.
- Freezer (baked): Freeze in a single layer, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 2 months.
Thaw at room temperature.
- Freezer (dough): Scoop dough balls onto a tray and freeze until solid. Store in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen, adding 1–2 extra minutes.
Health Benefits
These cookies are a treat, not a health food, but you can make small tweaks to feel better about them.
Choose a cake mix with fewer additives and use dark chocolate chips for a touch of antioxidants. Adding nuts provides healthy fats and some protein, and dried fruit offers fiber and natural sweetness. You can also reduce sugar by choosing unsweetened mix-ins or swapping half the chocolate chips for chopped nuts or seeds.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Using too many mix-ins: Overloading the dough makes cookies crumbly.
Stick to about 1 to 1 1/2 cups total.
- Overbaking: Pull them when the edges set and the centers look slightly soft. They continue to firm up as they cool.
- Skipping parchment: Without a liner, cookies can spread unevenly and stick to the pan.
- Mixing too long: Overmixing can make cookies tough. Stir just until combined.
- Baking all the dough at once: If your kitchen is warm, chill half the dough while the first tray bakes to prevent spreading.
Variations You Can Try
- Classic Chocolate Chip: Yellow cake mix + semisweet chips.
Finish with a light sprinkle of flaky salt.
- Red Velvet Crinkle: Red velvet mix rolled in powdered sugar before baking for that crinkle effect.
- Lemon Coolers: Lemon cake mix + white chocolate chips. Dust with powdered sugar after cooling.
- Cookies and Cream: Vanilla mix + crushed chocolate sandwich cookies + white chocolate chips.
- Birthday Cake: Funfetti mix + extra rainbow sprinkles + vanilla glaze.
- Peanut Butter Cup: Chocolate mix + chopped peanut butter cups + peanut butter drizzle.
- Spice and Maple: Spice cake mix + chopped pecans + maple glaze.
- Mocha Chip: Devil’s food mix + espresso powder (1–2 teaspoons) + dark chocolate chunks.
- Oatmeal Raisin-ish: Yellow mix + 1/2 cup quick oats + 1/2 cup raisins + cinnamon. Add 1–2 tablespoons milk if dough feels too stiff.
- Salted Caramel: Caramel chips + a pinch of flaky salt on top after baking.
FAQ
Can I use butter instead of oil?
Yes.
Use 1/2 cup melted and slightly cooled butter in place of the 1/3 cup oil. The cookies will be a bit richer and slightly thicker.
What if my cake mix is a different size?
Most boxes are 15.25 ounces. If yours is 18.25 ounces, add an extra teaspoon of oil or a splash of milk if the dough feels too dry.
Aim for a thick but scoopable dough.
Do I need to chill the dough?
Not usually. If your dough is sticky or your kitchen is warm, 15–20 minutes in the fridge helps prevent excessive spreading.
How do I make the cookies thicker?
Chill the dough for 20–30 minutes and use a slightly heaping scoop. You can also add 2–3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour to the dough.
Can I make them gluten-free?
Yes.
Use a gluten-free cake mix and confirm your mix-ins are gluten-free. The texture is still soft and chewy.
How do I get that crinkle top?
Roll the dough balls generously in powdered sugar before baking. Don’t press them down; let them puff and crack naturally in the oven.
Why did my cookies turn out dry?
They were likely overbaked or the dough was too dry.
Bake until just set, and if needed, add a tablespoon of milk to the dough next time.
Can I double the recipe?
Absolutely. Use two boxes of cake mix and double all other ingredients. Bake in batches and rotate trays for even results.
Final Thoughts
Cake mix cookies deliver big flavor with very little effort, making them perfect for weekend baking.
With endless mix-and-match options, you’ll never get bored—and you’ll always have a reliable crowd-pleaser. Keep a box of cake mix in your pantry, and you’re only a few steps away from warm, fresh cookies whenever the mood strikes. Simple, fast, and consistently delicious—that’s a baking win.