A whimsical cookie that can be eaten plain or with cream cheese frosting. Cake mix cookies are the ultimate shortcut to sweet, chewy, and delicious cookies ready in under 30 minutes. They're incredibly easy to make and require only a handful of ingredients. Use funfetti cake mix or yellow cake with sprinkles. It's a versatile, no-fuss recipe perfect for picnics, barbecues, potlucks, and bake sales.
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I bake from scratch, the old-fashioned way, most of the time. It turns out that some pre-made ingredients (like a box of cake mix) render good desserts everyone loves.
Cake mix cookies and dump cakes proved that.
- Quick and easy: they're incredibly fast to make and convenient, with simple ingredients you probably have at home.
- Crowd-pleasers: I'm quite impressed at how popular these funfetti cookies are, especially for birthday parties and to make with kids.
- Sandwich cookies: these easy cookies are thin with a soft texture. Use the cream cheese frosting as a filling instead of topping.
As much as I love a good homemade frosted sugar cookie, sometimes I don't have the time or energy for that type of recipe. Because as easy as they are, they're more laborious than this recipe today.
They make fantastic birthday cake cookies for kids.
Ingredient Notes
Quantities are listed on the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.
- Cake mix: use Funfetti cake mix or yellow cake mix with sprinkles. White cake mix will render similar results but paler cookies.
- Vegetable oil: I use sunflower oil because it's neutral, but canola, coconut, and light olive oil work.
- Eggs: fresh.
- Sprinkles or jimmies, if not using a funfetti or rainbow cake mix and for the topping.
Variations & substitutions
- Dry cake mix: change the flavor of the boxed cake and get different-flavored cookies like chocolate funfetti cake mix or strawberry cake mix cookies.
- Butter: instead of oil, use the same amount (in volume ½ cup) of melted butter.
- Frosting: use another flavor of cream cheese frosting, like chocolate or strawberry.
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Integrate well with a spatula or the lowest speed of an electric mixer, but don't overmix.
- The final batter is shiny, smooth, and very dense. At this point, you can bake the cookies or cover and refrigerate the dough for 2 days.
- Add sprinkles if using a regular cake mix. Don't overmix it so they don't stain the dough much. I find that traditional rainbow jimmies work best.
- Using a cookie scoop will get you evenly-sized cookies. Or use spoons and drop mounds. Leave roughly a 2-inch separation between each, so they can spread during baking. I use the small cookie scoop of this set that it's 1.57 inches / 4cm in diameter for regular-sized cookies.
Vintage Kitchen Tip
I always recommend doing a test bake. Bake two or three cookies first and check the baking time to ensure you don't over or underbake them. Also, see how much they expand and adjust accordingly if needed so they don't touch during baking.
Cream cheese frosting
The classic recipe (cream cheese, butter and powdered sugar) is piped on top and sprinkled with colorful jimmies or confetti sprinkles.
How thick should the frosting be? Thick enough to hold without dripping with the passing hours.
- Piping bag: I use disposable piping bags because they're fuss-free and you don't have to wash them. Use it with a smooth, plain piping tip for a more even and neater filling.
- Rustic look: use a teaspoon to spread the frosting and get more of an irregular look. The flavor will not change.
- Frosting-cookie ratio: you must find the one that you like the most. Adding more or less frosting will change the sweetness and overall feel of the cookie. Do a few tests first; that is my recommendation.
Kitchen Notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer(like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Cake mix brands: no matter which one you use, they may have slight variations in ingredients and texture, but the overall process should remain the same.
- Make the cookie dough in advance: refrigerate or freeze the cake mix cookie dough. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For longer storage, you can freeze the dough in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, allow the dough to thaw in the refrigerator before scooping and baking as usual.
- Storing baked cookies: always use airtight containers. I like metal tins. They last for about a week.
- Freeze unbaked cookies: scoop them onto a cookie sheet and freeze until rock solid. Transfer the frozen balls to sealable plastic bags and keep them for a month. Bake directly from the freezer; no need to thaw them first. They might take a minute longer.
Troubleshooting common issues
- Flat or spreading cookies: the dough might've been too warm or the oven temperature too low. Try chilling the dough in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before baking. Additionally, ensure your oven is preheated to the correct temperature in the recipe.
- Dry or crumbly texture: you may have overbaked them or used too much cake mix. Follow the recommended baking time in the recipe and check for doneness by looking for lightly golden edges and slightly underdone centers. Also, ensure you measure the cake mix accurately, as too much can produce a drier texture. If the issue persists (cake mix brands are different), add a tablespoon of softened butter or milk to the dough for added moisture.
- Dense cookies: overmixing the dough might result in heavy cookies. Use a hand whisk, a rubber spatula, or the lowest speed using an electric mixer. When it's all incorporated, stop mixing.
- Sticking to the baking sheet: make sure it's properly greased (with baking spray or soft butter) or line it with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. This will help the baked cookies release easily.
- Unevenly baked cookies: if some are undercooked while others are overcooked, it may be due to uneven oven temperature, overcrowding the baking sheet, or different-sized balls. Use a cookie scoop, leave enough space between the cookie dough balls on the baking sheet to allow for even heat circulation, and consider baking in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding.
Related recipes you might like:
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Funfetti Cake Mix Cookies (easy recipe)
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A whimsical cookie that can be eaten plain or with cream cheese frosting. Cake mix cookies are the ultimate shortcut to sweet, chewy, and delicious cookies ready in under 30 minutes. They're incredibly easy to make and require only a handful of ingredients. Use funfetti cake mix or yellow cake with sprinkles. It's a versatile, no-fuss recipe perfect for picnics, barbecues, potlucks, and bake sales.
Ingredients
For the cake mix cookies:
- 15.25 ounce box, 435g funfetti, yellow or white cake mix
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ to ½ cup sprinkles or jimmies, omit if using funfetti cake mix
Cream cheese frosting:
- ½ cup cream cheese, at room temperature
- ¼ cup butter, at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, you might need more
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
For the cookies:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Combine the 15.25 ounce box of cake mix, 2 eggs and ½ cup vegetable oil in a mixing bowl.
- Stir until all the ingredients are well combined. The mixture will be thick, shiny, and sticky.
- If not using a funfetti cake mix, add the first amount of sprinkles and mix. Add more if you want to.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scoop spoonfuls of the dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them a few inches apart. You can also use spoons to drop them but they'll probably be uneven in size.
- Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes, until the edges are a light golden brown. The cookies may appear slightly undercooked in the center but will firm up as they cool.
- Let cool for 10-15 minutes on a wire rack until you can easily and carefully remove them from the baking sheet.
- Transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- If using one cookie sheet, let it cool down and repeat the process with the remaining dough until all the cookies are baked.
- Once the cookies have cooled completely, you can store them in an airtight container for up to a week.
For the frosting:
- Beat softened ½ cup cream cheese and ¼ cup butter until completely smooth and lump-free.
- Add 1 and ½ cups powdered sugar in parts with a pinch of salt, and mix or beat until fully incorporated and the frosting is thick but pipeable.
- Use a piping bag or a spoon and frost the cold cookies.
- Add extra colorful sprinkles (optional) and let dry before eating.
Notes
Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend keeping track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
Cake mix brands: no matter which one you use, they may have slight variations in ingredients and texture, but the overall process should remain the same.
Make the cookie dough in advance: refrigerate or freeze the cake mix cookie dough. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For longer storage, you can freeze the dough in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, allow the dough to thaw in the refrigerator before scooping and baking as usual.
Storing baked cookies: always use airtight containers. I like metal tins. They last for about a week.
Freeze unbaked cookies: scoop them onto a baking tray and freeze until rock solid. Transfer the frozen balls to sealable plastic bags and keep them for a month. Bake directly from the freezer, no need to thaw them first. They might take a minute longer.
Flat or spreading cookies: the dough might've been too warm or the oven temperature too low. Try chilling the dough in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before baking. Additionally, ensure your oven is preheated to the correct temperature in the recipe.
Dry or crumbly texture: you may have overbaked them or used too much cake mix. Follow the recommended baking time in the recipe and check for doneness by looking for lightly golden edges and slightly underdone centers. Also, ensure you measure the cake mix accurately, as too much can produce a drier texture. If the issue persists (cake mix brands are different), add a tablespoon of softened butter or milk to the dough for added moisture.
Dense cookies: overmixing the dough might result in heavy cookies. Use a hand whisk, a rubber spatula, or the lowest speed using an electric mixer. When it’s all incorporated, stop mixing.
Sticking to the baking sheet: make sure it's properly greased (with baking spray or soft butter) or line it with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. This will help the baked cookies release easily.
Unevenly baked cookies: if some are undercooked while others are overcooked, it may be due to uneven oven temperature, overcrowding the baking sheet, or different-sized balls. Use a cookie scoop, leave enough space between the cookie dough balls on the baking sheet to allow for even heat circulation, and consider baking in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding.
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