Easy Cake Mix Cookies Recipe

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Cake Mix Cookies Recipe

This Cake Mix Cookies recipe is one of my all-time favorite recipes ever. It’s so simple to follow and the results are deliciously soft and moist cake mix cookies. Mmm!

I used to avoid baking, as I’m not too fond about how precise every measurement should be. I’m more the throw-it-in-the-pan-and-mix-it-up kind of cook. But last December, I wanted to try baking cookies. There were some failed attempts, but after several tries and various adaptations of other people’s recipes, I finally got the perfect Cake Mix Cookies recipe for our family. Now I feel like embracing baking more. Here’s my Cake Mix Cookies recipe! :)

The first step: preheat your oven. The temperature and length of time for the perfect cake mix cookies can vary from oven to oven. It depends on how powerful the heat in your oven is. I followed recipes that said it should be at 350 F for 12 minutes, 375 for 9 minutes, etc. After several cookie tries, what worked for us was baking the cookies at 200 F. So that’s what I set our oven to when pre-heating.

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It’s critical to find the right brand of cake mix. I tried a different brand at first (which will not be named!) and then Betty Crocker. This brand was awesome — a classic and reliable. Betty Crocker has a variety of cake mix flavors. I went for Betty Crocker’s Milk Chocolate cake mix.

Cake Mix for the Cake Mix Cookies Recipe

I empty out the whole box into a mixing bowl. Then I crack two eggs into the powder. There’ve been recipes that called for just one egg, but I tried two eggs and it was perfect for us.

A little yin-yang in my cookie mix!

A little yin-yang in my cookie mix!

When baking cookies, you put in a little oil or butter. I’ve tried both. The right kind of fat and amount for us was 5 tablespoons of vegetable oil.

After stirring in the eggs, pour in the oil.

After stirring in the eggs, pour in the oil.

Cake Mix for Cookies Recipe

Just keep stirring until a dough forms. This can be quite a workout!

Keep mixing the dough with a spatula until you get a smooth consistency. During the first few times I did this, I was quite impatient. JUST DOUGH UP PLEASE. Then over time, I began enjoying this part of the baking process. The repetitive moments of mixing and stirring were quite relaxing, even with all the effort exerted.

Ta-da! Cake mix cookies coming up soon!

Ta-da! Cake mix cookies coming up soon!

Voila! When you have yourself a dough with a smooth consistency, you can begin rolling them into balls with your hands. You can also use an ice cream scoop to drop dough into the cookie sheets. I preferred this because the cookies end up relatively the same size.

Use an ice cream scoop so the cookies are uniform in size.

Use an ice cream scoop so the cookies are uniform in size.

Then just put each ball onto ungreased cookie sheets. Give them enough space as the cookies will expand.

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When done, roll each ball in powdered sugar. I fill a small bowl halfway with powdered sugar and do the rolling there. Also, I use my right hand. And I use a plastic glove. It’s less messy that way.

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This is also another relaxing moment for me — coating the cookie dough in powdered sugar. They look so pretty, like they were dusted with snow.

By the way, I tried this with regular sugar in previous attempts. Huh. It did not work out. The sugar crystallized (is that the term?) and well, gave the cookies a burnt taste and a tough texture.

After you’ve dusted each one with powdered sugar, press each gently with the back of the spoon. You’ll see why this is an important step in a bit.

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Now they’re ready to be placed in the oven! For how long will the cookies bake? Length of time may vary from oven to oven, as it depends on how powerful the heat in your oven is. I tried 10 minutes, 12 minutes, 8 minutes… the perfect length of time and oven temperature for us was baking the cake mix cookies for 9 minutes at 225 F.

That pic up there with the oven control? Halfway between 3 and 4 was the sweet spot for us.

Exciting!!!

Exciting!!!

I just use my cellphone’s timer when at the kitchen. My phone is also my companion because I’ve got Spotify on when baking! This is the playlist I love to listen to when baking:

Music to bake cookies by.

Music to bake cookies by.

When your nine minutes are up, take the cookies out. Let them cool for a couple of minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

Hello my pretties!

Hello my pretties! My husband calls them “Cookie Eruption” or “Earthquake Cookies” because of how they look. :)

Now, see the cookies above? Those were the cookies I had gently flattened with the back of the spoon. Cracks have never looked so pretty, don’t you think?

For the second batch of cookies, I forgot to flatten them with a spoon. Here’s how they turned out.

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If you don’t flatten the cookies out with the back of the spoon before putting them in the oven, they look like this. Less cracks. More stone-like in look. Still pretty!

See the difference?!?! But don’t worry, they taste the same. They’re both still moist and deliciously satisfying. Mmmmm.

I always eat one cookie per batch to test. Mmmmm this was pillowy good.

I always eat one cookie per batch to test. Mmmmm this was pillowy good.

 

This is the cookie that wasn't flattened with the spoon. It's plumper. So you decide which one works for you and your family! :)

This is the cookie that wasn’t flattened with the spoon. It’s slightly plumper. So you decide which one works for you and your family! :)

Which one would you like?

Which one would you like?

I baked these cake mix cookies last January 3, the Sunday before the first day back at work. I brought them to work the next day. Chocolate cookies to usher in the first workday of the year is a must!

Off to work we go!

Off to work we go!

I’m excited to try other cake mix flavors using this recipe. We’ve spotted that Betty Crocker also has a Lemon Cake Mix. There’s also a Spice Cake Mix. I think that’d taste good with a cup of tea. I’m excited to try both flavors out!!!

Cake Mix Cookies Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 box cake mix (I recommend Betty Crocker Milk Chocolate Cake Mix)
  • 2 eggs
  • 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • Powdered sugar

Procedure:

  1. Pre-heat your oven. Try 350F as this was the commonly suggested oven temperature across recipes I’ve seen. (NOTE though that temperature may vary from oven to oven! What worked for us was 225F.) Pour cake mix into a bowl. Mix in eggs, vegetable oil. Mix until a dough with smooth consistency forms.
  2. Roll into balls with your hands, or use an ice cream scoop. On ungreased cookie sheets, drop dough about an inch and a half apart. You can opt to roll each ball in powdered sugar.
  3. Bake cookies for 9-12 minutes OR until edges are set. (Our magic number was 9 minutes!) Cool cookies for 1 minute. Remove from cookie tray to cooling rack.

These cake mix cookies, just like any other cookies, are best enjoyed freshly baked! Have them with a cup of coffee or a glass of milk. So good! I hope you enjoy this cake mix cookies recipe!

Do you have a cake mix cookies recipe you’d like to share? Any cake mix cookies recipe tips? What flavor of cake mix have you tried? Please do share your recipe suggestions and stories! I’d love to hear from you! :)  

6 Comments on Easy Cake Mix Cookies Recipe

  1. Anna Trogo
    January 8, 2016 at 8:35 am (8 years ago)

    Hi Tony! Thank you for your kind words. I’m dropping by to check this out because I love baking! Once I get the oven installed at the condo I will try this. Bookmarking! :)

    Reply
    • Toni
      January 17, 2016 at 1:57 am (8 years ago)

      Awesome! I hope you enjoy the recipe! :)

      Reply
  2. Pia
    January 8, 2016 at 8:58 am (8 years ago)

    Yummy! I’ve always wanted to try baking but I’m scared because it seems so precise! This one looks less daunting though. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Toni
      January 17, 2016 at 1:56 am (8 years ago)

      You are very welcome! :)

      Reply
  3. Nadia
    January 8, 2016 at 11:55 am (8 years ago)

    Hi Toni! My oven will turn one this month and I haven’t baked a single cookie! I’ll make this simple cookie recipe this month. Thanks and happy new year!

    Reply
    • Toni
      January 17, 2016 at 1:56 am (8 years ago)

      Do try it! *hugs* Happy new year!

      Reply

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