Easy Cake Mix Cookies (Endless Flavor Variations)

Have you ever made cake mix cookies? You can turn one box of cake mix into soft, bakery-style cookies in minutes. There are some recipes that stick around because they're fancy, and then there are recipes like this one that earn a permanent spot in the recipe box because they're incredibly easy and always disappear.

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Total Time20

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: afterschool snack, brunch recipe, copycat, easy cookie, easy recipe, Holiday cookie, sweet snack

Servings: cookies

Calories: 244kcal

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Kitchen Essentials

Half Sheet Pan

Country Bowls

Ingredients

Base Recipe

15.25 Ounces Cake Mix 1 (15.25-ounce) box cake mix
½ Cup Vegetable Oil or another neutral oil
2 Large Eggs
Optional add-ins frosting, or toppings

Homemade Vanilla Frosting

½ Cup Unsalted Butter softened
½ Cup Vegetable Shortening
3 Cups Powdered Sugar
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
2 Teaspoons Milk

Instructions

Cookie Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Stir together the cake mix, oil, and eggs until a thick dough forms.
15.25 Ounces Cake Mix, ½ Cup Vegetable Oil, 2 Large Eggs
Add any mix-ins directly tothe dough and gently stir until evenly distributed.
Optional add-ins
Scoop into 1-inch balls and place about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 10–12 minutes, depending on how soft you like your cookies.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.

Frosting Instructions

Beat the butter and shortening until smooth.
½ Cup Unsalted Butter, ½ Cup Vegetable Shortening
Gradually mix in the powdered sugar.
3 Cups Powdered Sugar
Add the vanilla and milk.
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract, 2 Teaspoons Milk
Beat until light, fluffy, and easy to spread or pipe.
Once the cookies are completely cool, spread on the frosting and finish with chocolate sprinkles.

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Notes

Tips for Perfect Cake Mix Cookies

After making both batches, these little tricks made a difference.

Don't overbake them. Pull them out when the edges are set but the centers still look soft.

Let them cool on the pan. They finish baking from the residual heat.

Use parchment paper. Cleanup is easier, and the cookies release beautifully.

Cool completely before frosting. Otherwise, the frosting will melt.

See all the cake mix variations in the blog post.

Nutrition