There’s nothing I love more than an easy boxed cake mix hack, and these 3-ingredient cake mix cookies are the perfect example of why! Making cookies from cake mix means I don’t have to do any measuring of dry ingredients, so I simply can’t mess up. With this one recipe, I can turn any box of cake mix into soft, fluffy, cakey cookies, and there are so many flavor variations to try. So it’s basically like having an endless list of cake mix cookie recipes on hand!
This post may include affiliate links that earn us a small commission from your purchases at no extra cost to you.
These cookies are one of my favorite baking hacks, and I’m going to show you exactly how to make cookies from cake mix too. Spoiler alert: it’s the easiest baking recipe you’ll ever make. So easy, the kids will be able to help!
I’m also sharing some of my favorite easy cake mix cookie recipes for you to try, along with more flavor variations and ideas. I love how creative you can get with these. Start with your preferred flavor of cake mix (chocolate, yellow, vanilla, strawberry, etc), and the sky is the limit!
3 Ingredients to Make Cake Mix Cookies
- Box of Cake Mix: Use any type of mix you like, any brand and any flavor. Grab a standard size box mix (15.25 ounces) for these recipes.
- Eggs: Use 2 eggs (a cake mix will call for 3, but only use 2 when making cookies).
- Oil: Vegetable oil works best here. You’ll need ½ cup of oil per standard box of cake mix. You can substitute the same amount of melted butter if you prefer, though it may change the texture.
- Add-ins & Toppings (optional): Chocolate chips, caramel, powdered sugar, flavor extracts, food coloring, nuts, candies, cinnamon & other spices, etc.
I’ve made quite a few cake mix cookie recipes now and all I want to do is come up with more recipes using this simple hack!
Tips for the Best Cakey Cookies
- Chill your cookie dough. After placing scoops of dough onto the baking sheet, place it in the refrigerator for 5-15 minutes (however much time you have). This will help the cookies keep their shape instead of going flat in the oven. I especially recommend this step if you’re baking in a warm kitchen.
- Use butter instead of oil. Either one works and they both lead to delicious cookies. Oil will give you a slightly crisper result (like traditional cookies), while butter should give you extra rich, cake-y and fluffy cookies.
- Sift the dry cake mix. This will help remove clumps, and add a little more airiness to the texture.
- Don’t over-mix the batter. Just mix until the dry ingredients are fully moistened. Overmixing can lead to tough cookies!
- Add more flour. If you feel like your cookies still spread too much, come out thin and flat, or are too crispy, try adding more all-purpose flour into the mix next time (I go 1 tablespoon at a time). This will thicken the dough and make it less sticky as well.
- Add fresh baking powder. If you need to freshen up an older box of cake mix, add 1 teaspoon of fresh baking powder. This is the main leavening agent to help your cake cookies rise in the oven.
Cake Box Cookies Variations
The best thing about these cookies is how easy it is to make your own flavor variations. Just grab any flavor of boxed cake mix you like, pick your mix-ins and toppings, and you can have a unique cookie with a cake-y, fluffy texture. Here are some ideas!
- S’mores: Use chocolate cake mix and mix in (or top with) mini marshmallows and crumbled graham crackers.
- Chocolate Dipped Strawberry: Use a strawberry cake mix, then dip cooled cookies in melted chocolate. Refrigerate to harden the chocolate, then serve.
- M&M Cookies: Use any cake flavor you like for this one (I like a yellow cake mix) and top with M&Ms before baking.
- Pumpkin Spice: In the fall, it’s pretty easy to find pumpkin cake mixes at the store, so take full advantage and turn it into cookies! Sprinkle with extra pumpkin spice and/or a simple cream cheese frosting.
- Mocha: Mix espresso powder into a box of chocolate cake mix to infuse it with an extra rich flavor. You can add espresso baking chips too!
5-Star Reviews
“Hi, this is the first time I’ve tried the recipe. They came out perfectly round and beautiful ! I’m going to frost and decorate them when they cool. Thanks for the awesome recipe!” – Melisa H.
“Made these today with my 4 year old daughter and they are the best cookies we have ever made! Did 2 versions: Lindt dark chocolate and funfetti cookies <3” – Fatima
Follow the recipe card for a basic recipe of How to Make Cookies from Cake Mix. Then feel free to swap out the cake mix flavor and add-ins to your heart’s desire!
How to Make Cookies from Cake Mix
Ingredients
- 15.25 ounces cake mix 432 grams, any flavor (1 box)
- 2 large eggs 100 grams
- ½ cup vegetable oil 100 grams, or substitute the same amount of melted butter
- optional mix-ins chocolate chips, candies, nuts, etc.
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine dry cake mix, eggs, and oil.15.25 ounces cake mix, 2 large eggs, ½ cup vegetable oil
- If using any mix-ins (like chocolate chips), fold them into the batter.optional mix-ins
- Scoop the dough into balls and drop onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake cookies at 350°F for 8-12 minutes.
- Let the cookies cool on the pan for at least 5 minutes before eating or moving to a cooling rack.
Video
Becky’s Tips
- If your dough seems a little sticky, try adding a bit of all-purpose flour!
- If your cookies are spreading too thin in the oven, chill the tray of scooped cookie dough in the fridge for 15 minutes before baking.
- If you need to freshen up an older box of cake mix, add 1 teaspoon of fresh baking powder.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment!
I would love to see your cake mix cookie recipes! There are already so many great ideas in the comments, so join in and share what flavor variations you made.
How to Store Cake Mix Cookies
Let the cookies cool on the parchment-lined pan for 5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack. Let them cool fully to room temperature, then store them in an airtight container or resealable bag. Keep them on the counter or in the pantry (room temp) up to 3-4 days for best quality.
To freeze, lay them flat on a sheet pan and freeze for about 30 minutes to harden (this prevents them from sticking together). Then place them in a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw them at room temperature before serving, and warm them up if you like!
Most boxed mixes will contain all of the dry ingredients you’d need to make a cake, measured and portioned out. Specific ingredients will vary, but it should contain flour, sugar, and a leavening agent (baking soda and/or powder).
You can really use any kind you like, so pick your favorite brand and/or flavor.
Yes! You can use the same amount of melted butter in place of the vegetable oil.
The main issue with an older box of mix is that the leavening agent may not work well. To fix this, add in fresh baking powder/soda and the rest of the mix should be fine. (That being said, if it’s more than 1 year past its expiration date, you might want to throw it out to be on the safe side.)
Yes! Follow this brownie cookies recipe instead. Or try these S’mores Brownie Cookies or M&M Brownie Cookies.
Besides, cake, cupcakes, cake pops, and cookies, use boxed mix to make these Strawberry Cake Mix Donuts or Cake Mix Coffee Cake!
15 Easy Cake Mix Cookie Recipes
These are some of my favorite cake mix cookie recipes from The Cookie Rookie and from other bloggers. Some of them are more simple and straightforward, while other recipes really take cake mix cookies to the next level. But they’re all delicious and so easy to make!
- Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies – The Cookie Rookie
- Cake Mix Chocolate Chip Cookies – The Cookie Rookie
- Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies – The Cookie Rookie
- Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies – The Cookie Rookie
- Salted Caramel Brownie Mix Cookies – The Cookie Rookie
- Confetti Cake Cookies – Easy Dessert Recipes
- White Cake Batter Cookies – Easy Dessert Recipes
- Red Velvet Cake Crinkle Cookies – Easy Dessert Recipes
- Chocolate Chip Cherry Cookies – Inside BruCrew Life
- Rainbow Sprinkle-Fetti Cookies – Frugal Foodie Mama
- Lemon Cake Mix Cookies – Beyond Frosting
- Eggnog Cake Mix Cookies – Dessert for Two
- Fudge Marble Cookies – Persnickety Plates
- Easy Butterfinger Brownie Cookies – Blackberry Babe
- Rolo Stuffed Chocolate Cookies – Mom on Timeout
I hope this guide helped you learn How to Make Cookies from Cake Mix! I just love coming up with fun recipes, so don’t be surprised if you see a few more here in the future. These are so easy to make, and a fun recipe to bake with the kids too!
Just put a batch in the oven. The dough was unbelievably sticky. I don’t have a cookie scoop so was trying to drop spoonfuls of the dough on the cookie sheet. It sticks to the spoon… also to the other spoon I used to scrape it off the first spoon. No matter how good they are, I’ll not be making them again.
Hi Jane, we’re sorry to hear this recipe gave you trouble. We’d recommend adding a little flour a tablespoon at a time until the dough becomes less sticky. You can also spray your spoons or hands with nonstick spray to help shape the cookies!
Thank you, I’m not much of a baker, so I didn’t know what the heck to do with that sticky dough! My husband absolutely loved the strawberry cookies, so I grudgingly agreed to try again. I think adding some flour will probably help. I sprinkled granulated sugar on mine and it really gave them a lovely light crispness.
We’ll be sure to add a note to the recipe!
I haven’t made the cookies yet, but I plan on doing so. Quick question: can you add fresh fruit like blueberries? If so, when would I do that? In the batter, or after they have cooked poke a few in?
Hi Elaine, we think you could fold some fresh fruit into the batter before shaping the cookies!
Do these recipes result in soft-baked cookies?
Yes, these cookies are soft!
Can you add 1 box of instant vanilla pudding to the cake mix?
We have not tried that, but we don’t think it would work unless you added more liquid!
Can you make macadamia nuts cookies out of a cake mix and what cake mix
Sure! We like to use white or yellow cake mix and stir in macadamia nuts and white chocolate chips!
Hi, This is the first time I’ve tried the recipe. They came out perfectly round and beautiful ! I’m going to frost and decorate them when they cool. Thanks for the awesome recipe !
Wow, those cookies look picture-perfect, Melisa! Thanks so much for sharing!
Love it! I’ve made these so many different ways! Personally I like to add 1/4 cup all purpose flour to thicken em but that’s just me! My favorite is lemon cake mix with chopped macadamia nuts and mini white chocolate chips!
That sounds absolutely delicious, Ritamaria! Thanks so much for sharing your experience!
Question: can I make the dough ahead of time and bake the cookies in 2 days?
That should work just fine!
It was good – soft and sweet, easy to make, recommend vanilla over chocolate
Hi. I’m going to make a cake mix cookie dough with Trader Joe’s Blood Orange cake mix and add white chocolate chips but wondering
If you know of any trick ingredient I can add to make the cookies firmer or crunchier. Thank you
Try using softened butter instead of oil and bake them for longer at a lower temperature!