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Cake mix cookies are the easiest cookies you’ll ever make. I’ve tested tons of flavor combinations and found the best way to get soft, chewy cookies using just four ingredients. This recipe is simple enough for beginners but still delivers that homemade taste everyone loves. If you’ve ever wanted to bake something quick and foolproof, this is it.

a box full of assorted flavors of cake mix cookies with red ribbon under the box, red and white string on top and pine stems around the box
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AMAZING!!! I used Funfetti cake mix to make cookies. I added sprinkles. And coated the balls with sprinkles!  The cookies came out GREAT!! My boys loved them!! 
-Wendy

When I first started baking, recipes like this were the ones that made me feel confident in the kitchen. Cake mix cookies are simple, forgiving, and fun to experiment with. Over the years, I’ve tested countless combinations of mixes and add-ins to find the perfect balance of chewy edges, soft centers, and rich flavor. Whether you’re new to baking or just want something quick, this recipe proves that you can make amazing cookies without complicated steps.

I’ve made these cookies dozens of times, testing different cake mix brands, bake times, and mix-ins to help you get reliable results every single time. You only need four ingredients, and the options are endless. From classic chocolate chip to lemon, red velvet, or strawberry, I’ve tried them all so you don’t have to guess what works best. My goal is to help you feel confident knowing that even a shortcut recipe can deliver delicious, homemade results.

These cookies are perfect for when you need something sweet fast. You don’t need fancy equipment or hours of prep, and that’s what I love about them. They’re proof that great baking can be simple, creative, and satisfying.

rows of assorted cake mix cookies including strawberry, sprinkle, funfetti, chocolate, red velvet and chocolate chip
  • Simple ingredients: These cookies are made with just 4 ingredients, and then whatever flavor mix-ins you’d like to add! (See below for more details on flavors.)
  • Easy to make. ​These are some of the easiest cookies you’ll ever make because they start with boxed cake mix.
  • 13 flavor options. There are so many options with these cookies, there’s something for every occasion and craving!
ingredients for cake mix cookies including vegetable oil, strawberry cake mix, white cake mix, red velvet cake mix, chocolate cake mix, lemon cake mix, eggs, m&ms, nuts, reese's pieces, sprinkles and andes mints

Ingredients for Making Cookies From Cake Mix

This is such a basic recipe that starts with just 4 ingredients, and then you add your favorite mix-ins. Keep reading for flavor options, tips, and get the full recipe in the recipe card below.

  • Cake Mix
  • Vegetable oil
  • Eggs
  • Mix ins  
mix-ins for cake mix cookies including chocolate chips, M&Ms, pecans, peanut butter chips, red & green M&Ms, andes mints, sprinkles, white chocolate chips, and powdered sugar

Cake Mix Cookies Recipe Combinations

  • Christmas Sprinkle
  • Reese’s Pieces
  • Funfetti
  • Double Chocolate
  • Red Velvet
  • M&M
  • Chocolate Crinkle
  • Strawberry
  • Chocolate Peanut Butter
  • Chocolate Chip
  • Andes Mint
  • Lemon
  • Carrot Cake
rows of assorted cake mix cookies stacked in a couple of layers on top of a baking sheet surrounded by m&ms, reese pieces and sprinkles

How to Make Cookies From Cake Mix

Just a few easy steps to make these delicious cookies! Keep reading for the individual instructions for each cookie flavor, and get the full recipe with ingredients and measurements in the recipe card below.

  1. Prep oven and baking sheets. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line one or more baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. 
eggs and dry ingredients for cake mix cookies in a white bowl surrounded by egg shells, a bowl of sprinkles, a bowl of m&ms and a bowl of nuts
cake mix cookie batter in a white bowl with a white and wooden spatula surrounded by egg shells, a bowl of sprinkles, a bowl of m&ms and a bowl of nuts
  1. Combine main ingredients. In a mixing bowl, empty the entire box of cake mix. Add 1/3 cup of vegetable oil and 2 large eggs to the cake mix. Use a hand mixer or a spoon to thoroughly mix the cake mix, vegetable oil, and eggs together until you have a well-combined cookie dough. The dough should be thick and slightly sticky.
cake mix cookie batter in a white bowl with a pile of M&Ms on top, surrounded by egg shells, a bowl of sprinkles, a bowl of m&ms and a bowl of nuts
cake mix cookie batter in a white bowl with with M&Ms mixed in with a white and wooden spatula surrounded by a bowl of sprinkles, a bowl of m&ms and a bowl of nuts
  1. Stir in any mix-ins. Use a cookie scoop to portion the dough into about 1.5-2 tablespoon balls. Place the cookie dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2-3 inches of space between each. 
  2. Pro tip: Roll into balls and refrigerate for 30 minutes before baking. This ensures the cookies won’t spread or get flat!
  3. Bake. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are lightly golden brown. Be careful not to overbake; the cookies will continue to set as they cool.

cookie dough balls of assorted flavors of cake mix cookies in rows on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper with boxed cake mix, M&Ms and sprinkles around it

ingredients for christmas sprinkle red velvet cookies on a countertop including a box of white cake mix, vegetable oil, two eggs and a bowl of green and white M&Ms
four rows of christmas sprinkle cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper on top of a wire rack

Christmas Sprinkle With Cake Mix

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine white cake mix, 1/3 cup of vegetable oil and 2 large eggs. 
  2. Stir in Christmas M&Ms and sprinkles and portion into dough balls. 
ingredients for reese's pieces cake mix cookies including a box of chocolate cake mix, two eggs, vegetable oil and a bowl of reese's pieces
reese's pieces cake mix cookies on a wooden board

Reese’s Pieces Cookies With Cake Mix

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine chocolate cake mix, 1/3 cup of vegetable oil and 2 large eggs. 
  2. Stir in Reese’s pieces and portion into dough balls. 
ingredients for funfettie cake mix cookies including a box of funfettie cake mix, two large eggs, sprinkles and vegetable oil
a stack of 5 funfettie cake mix cookies with one more cookie leaning vertically on the stack and more funfetti cookies all spread around

Funfetti Cake Mix Cookies

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine funfetti cake mix, 1/3 cup of vegetable oil and 2 large eggs. 
  2. Portion into dough balls, rolling the balls in extra sprinkles if desired. 
ingredients for double chocolate cake mix cookies including a box of chocolate cake mix, a bowl of chocolate chips, two eggs and vegetable oil
double chocolate cake mix cookies on a wire rack with chocolate chips sprinkled around and a small wooden bowl of salt

Double Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine chocolate cake mix, 1/3 cup of vegetable oil and 2 large eggs. 
  2. Stir in semi-sweet chocolate chips and portion into dough balls. 
ingredients for red velvet cake mix cookies including a box of red velvet cake mix, two eggs, a wooden bowl of white chocolate chips and vegetable oil
red velvet cake mix cookies on a white board surrounded by sprinkles of white chocolate chips and more cookies

Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine red velvet cake mix, 1/3 cup of vegetable oil and 2 large eggs. 
  2. Stir in white chocolate chips and portion into dough balls. 
ingredients for m&m cookies including vegetable oil, two large eggs and a small white bowl of M&Ms
m&m cake mix cookies spread around with m&ms sprinkled around them

M&M Cookies With Cake Mix

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine yellow cake mix, 1/3 cup of vegetable oil and 2 large eggs. 
  2. Stir in M&Ms and portion into dough balls. 
ingredients for chocolate crinkle cake mix cookies including a box of chocolate cake mix, vegetable oil, two eggs and a small white bowl of powdered sugar
4 chocolate crinkle cake mix cookies in a stack with powdered sugar sprinkled around, a white and red string beside the stack and more cookies in the background

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies With Cake Mix

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine chocolate cake mix, 1/3 cup of vegetable oil and 2 large eggs. 
  2. Portion into dough balls, rolling each thoroughly in powdered sugar before baking. 
ingredients for strawberry cake mix cookies including a box of strawberry cake mix, two eggs and vegetable oil
Strawberry cake mix cookies piled on top of a white plate with a brown rim, sitting on top of a tan and pink kitchen towel and surrounded by more cookies, strawberries and a small white bowl of strawberries

Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine strawberry cake mix, 1/3 cup of vegetable oil and 2 large eggs. 
  2. Portion into dough balls. 
ingredients for chocolate peanut butter cake mix cookies including a box of chocolate cake mix, two eggs, peanut butter chips and vegetable oil
chocolate peanut butter cake mix cookies on brown paper with a spoon of peanut butter, a white bowl of peanut butter chips and more peanut butter chips sprinkled around

Chocolate Cake Mix Peanut Butter Cookies

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine chocolate cake mix, 1/3 cup of vegetable oil and 2 large eggs. 
  2. Stir in peanut butter chips and portion into dough balls. 
ingredients for chocolate chip cake mix cookies including yellow cake mix, chocolate chips, two eggs and vegetable oil
chocolate chip cake mix cookies on a brown plate on top of a tan linen towel, surrounded by sprinkled chocolate chips, more cookies and a small white bowl of chocolate chips

Chocolate Chip Cookies With Cake Mix

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine yellow cake mix, 1/3 cup of vegetable oil and 2 large eggs. 
  2. Stir in chocolate chips and portion into dough balls. 
ingredients for andes mint cake mix cookies including a box of chocolate cake mix, andes mints, two eggs and vegetable oil
andes mint cookies on white paper with gooey melted chocolate in them, the middle cookie partially pulled apart and bits of andes mints sprinkled throughout

Andes Mint Cookies With Cake Mix

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine chocolate cake mix, 1/3 cup of vegetable oil and 2 large eggs. 
  2. Stir in andes mint pieces and portion into dough balls. 
ingredients for lemon cake mix cookies including a box of lemon cake mix, two eggs, and vegetable oil
lemon cake mix cookies on a honeycomb plate surrounded by tan cloth, lemons and another plate of cookies in the background

Lemon Cake Mix Cookies

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine lemon cake mix, 1/3 cup of vegetable oil and 2 large eggs. 
  2. If desired stir in white chocolate chips and portion into dough balls. Or after baking, drizzle with a lemon glaze. 
ingredients for carrot cake cake mixed cookies including carrot cake mix, two eggs, pecans and vegetable oil

Carrot Cake Cookies With Cake Mix

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine carrot cake mix, 1/3 cup of vegetable oil and 2 large eggs. 
  2. Stir in pecans and portion into dough balls. 
an assortment of cake mix cookies in different flavors in a cirlcle on a wire rack on top of a red towel with sprinkles, M&ms, chocolate chips and two glasses of milk with red and white straws all around

Tips for making Cookies from Cake Mix

These cake mix cookies are the best when it comes to easy cookie recipes. For best results, follow these expert tips:

  • Chill. Chilling the cookie dough balls for at least 30 minutes to prevent spreading when baked.
  • Make uniform sized cookies. Use a cookie scoop to form uniform balls. 
  • Use parchment paper. Link your baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat to prevent brown bottoms on your cookies.
assorted flavors of cake mix cookies in a wooden box with brown paper surrounded by red beads, pine tree stems and red and white string

Cake Mix Cookies Recipe Variations

  • Cookie sandwich. Use 2 cookies and make ice cream sandwiches!
  • Use different flavors of cake mixes. Each of the cookie flavors calls for a different flavor of cake mix, but you can switch any of them up and use your favorite box of cake mix, of course taking into consideration how it will change the flavor of your cookies. Of course, if you want chocolate cake mix cookies, you’ll want to stick with a box of chocolate cake mix, but you can change up the M&M cookies and use chocolate cake mix instead of yellow, for example.
  • Use different mix-ins. The best part of these cake mix cookies is how customizable they are. You can get creative with your mix-ins and customize to your preferences. For example, leave the white chocolate chips out of your red velvet cake mix cookies, or add them to your strawberry cookies.
assorted flavors of cake mix cookies in rows on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper surrounded by boxes of cake mix, sprinkles, M&Ms and a cookie scoop

How to Store Cookies From Cake Mix

These cookies are so good, they’ll go fast! If you have any leftovers, store these cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days at room temperature.

Can You Freeze Cake Mix Cookies?

Another reason I love cake mix cookies is because they freeze well! Simply allow them to cool completely, then add them to a freezer-safe bag separated by parchment paper. They will last in the freezer for up to 3 months.

When you’re ready for a yummy cookie, simply thaw them on the counter for about 2 hours.

a box full of assorted cake mix cookies flavors with brown paper surrounded by christmas ornaments, red ribbon, pine cones and christmas tree pieces
Do you need to add flour to cookies from cake mix?

No, you don’t need to add flour when following my recipe.

More Cake Mix Recipes

an assortment of cake mix cookies in different flavors in a cirlcle on a wire rack on top of a red towel with sprinkles scattered around
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How to Make Cookies from Cake Mix

By: Beth
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 2 dozen
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You've just hit the holy grail of cake mix cookies! I'm giving you not one or two cake mix cookie flavors below, but thirteen! It starts with a simple 4-ingredient cake-mix cookie recipe and then the options are almost endless! This is the ultimate cookie recipe you need in your baking back pocket.

Equipment

Ingredients

  • Cake Mix, 15.25 oz
  • ⅓ cup (79ml) vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup of mix ins

Combinations:

  • Christmas Sprinkle
  • Reese’s Pieces
  • Funfetti
  • Double Chocolate
  • Red Velvet
  • M&M
  • Chocolate Crinkle
  • Strawberry
  • Chocolate Peanut Butter
  • Chocolate Chip
  • Andes Mint
  • Lemon
  • Carrot Cake
A collage of desserts, including chocolate cake, sprinkle cake pops, a glazed bundt cake, and chocolate-covered strawberries, alongside a cookbook titled Sweet. Text reads: Life is Sweet. 63 delicious dessert recipes. BUY NOW.

Instructions 

Cake Mix Cookie Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line one or more baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
  • In a mixing bowl, empty the entire box of cake mix. Add 1/3 cup of vegetable oil and 2 large eggs to the cake mix. Use a hand mixer or a spoon to thoroughly mix the cake mix, vegetable oil, and eggs together until you have a well-combined cookie dough. The dough should be thick and slightly sticky.
    Cake Mix, ⅓ cup (79ml) vegetable oil, 2 large eggs
  • Stir in any mix-ins. Use a cookie scoop to portion the dough into about 1.5-2 tablespoon balls. Place the cookie dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2-3 inches of space between each. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are lightly golden brown. Be careful not to overbake; the cookies will continue to set as they cool. Pro tip: Roll into balls and refrigerate for 30 minutes before baking. This ensures the cookies won’t spread or get flat!
    1 cup of mix ins

Instructions for Specific Flavors

    Christmas Sprinkle

    • In a mixing bowl, combine white cake mix, 1/3 cup of vegetable oil and 2 large eggs.
    • Stir in Christmas M&Ms and sprinkles and portion into dough balls.
      Christmas Sprinkle

    Reese’s Pieces

    • In a mixing bowl, combine chocolate cake mix, 1/3 cup of vegetable oil and 2 large eggs.
    • Stir in Reese’s pieces and portion into dough balls.
      Reese’s Pieces

    Funfetti

    • In a mixing bowl, combine funfetti cake mix, 1/3 cup of vegetable oil and 2 large eggs.
    • Portion into dough balls, rolling the balls in extra sprinkles if desired.
      Funfetti

    Double Chocolate

    • In a mixing bowl, combine chocolate cake mix, 1/3 cup of vegetable oil and 2 large eggs.
    • Stir in semi-sweet chocolate chips and portion into dough balls.
      Double Chocolate

    Red Velvet

    • In a mixing bowl, combine red velvet cake mix, 1/3 cup of vegetable oil and 2 large eggs.
    • Stir in white chocolate chips and portion into dough balls.

    M&M

    • In a mixing bowl, combine yellow cake mix, 1/3 cup of vegetable oil and 2 large eggs.
    • Stir in M&Ms and portion into dough balls.
      M&M

    Chocolate Crinkle

    • In a mixing bowl, combine chocolate cake mix, 1/3 cup of vegetable oil and 2 large eggs.
    • Portion into dough balls, rolling each thoroughly in powdered sugar before baking.

    Strawberry

    • In a mixing bowl, combine strawberry cake mix, 1/3 cup of vegetable oil and 2 large eggs. Portion into dough balls.

    Chocolate Peanut Butter

    • In a mixing bowl, combine chocolate cake mix, 1/3 cup of vegetable oil and 2 large eggs.
    • Stir in peanut butter chips and portion into dough balls.

    Chocolate Chip

    • In a mixing bowl, combine yellow cake mix, 1/3 cup of vegetable oil and 2 large eggs. Stir in chocolate chips and portion into dough balls.

    Andes Mint

    • In a mixing bowl, combine chocolate cake mix, 1/3 cup of vegetable oil and 2 large eggs.
    • Stir in andes mint pieces and portion into dough balls.
      Andes Mint

    Lemon

    • In a mixing bowl, combine lemon cake mix, 1/3 cup of vegetable oil and 2 large eggs.
    • If desired stir in white chocolate chips and portion into dough balls. Or after baking, drizzle with a lemon glaze.

    Carrot Cake

    • In a mixing bowl, combine carrot cake mix, 1/3 cup of vegetable oil and 2 large eggs.
    • Stir in pecans and portion into dough balls.

    Video

    Nutrition Disclosure

    All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.

    Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!

    About Beth

    I believe that everyone should have a go-to dessert to bring to parties! With hundreds of recipes, I'll help you find yours!

    Read More About Me

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    18 Comments

    1. Can’t wait to try these cookies.
      Always looking for something new n tasty,
      N creative ❤️ Ive had no luck w finding any
      Great tasting energy ball cookie/snacks,
      But these ideas sound great for something new!

      Reply

      2. Yes. This is the same recipe that’s been around for  30+ years. There’s an entire cookbook on them (I think it’s called 100 things to do with boxed cake mix) anyhow I used to make these for church around 1990  and the recipe then was simple. A stick of butter softened to room temp  and 2 eggs to any box cake mix. Add ins if you like or not. I wouldn’t use olive oil but coconut would work as well. 
        Enjoy :)

    3. Just wanted to say a big Thank You! you are one of my favorite bloggers I love your recipes & appreciate you sharing your wonderful holiday recipes I definitely will be making many of them to give to family & friends & neighbors.

      Reply

    4. I tried this recipe today, and I must have done something incorrectly…the dough turned out to be incredibly thick and sticky so it was very hard to make into balls. .turned into a big mess! Should I add more oil next time? Any tips that go into making the balls turn out nice and pretty like yours?

      Reply

      1. Thick is okay and the dough is naturally a little sticky. Putting the dough in the fridge before rolling can help with the stickiness. I used a 2 tbsp cookie scoop to evenly divide the dough!

    5. 5 stars
      AMAZING!!! I used Funfetti cake mix to make cookies. I added sprinkles. And coated the balls with sprinkles!  The cookies came out GREAT!! My boys loved them!! 

      Reply

    10. I can’t wait to try all the different combinations! I was wondering, could you use brownie mix with this method also?

      Reply