These 3 ingredient cake mix cookies are made with one box of cake mix, 2 large eggs, and ½ cup of vegetable or canola oil. The dough comes together in one bowl with a spoon, takes about 5 minutes to mix, and bakes in 9 to 11 minutes at 350°F, so you have about 24 soft, chewy cookies in roughly 15 minutes.
The key is to pull them out while the centers still look a little glossy. They finish setting on the baking sheet and stay soft for days. I have kept this cake box cookie recipe in my binder for years, with notes scribbled in the margins, and I have made it with kids at my side and coffee in hand. These are not backup cookies. They are genuinely good.
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- Yield: about 24 cookies from one 15.25 oz box of cake mix
- Time: 5 minutes prep, 10 minutes baking (9 to 11 minutes), about 15 minutes total
- Ingredients: cake mix, 2 large eggs, ½ cup neutral oil, plus an optional ½ cup of mix-ins
- Oven: 350°F (175°C), parchment lined baking sheet
- Equipment: one large bowl and a spoon or spatula, no mixer and no chilling
- Storage: up to 4 days in an airtight container at room temperature, or freeze the dough balls
How to Make Cookies From a Box of Cake Mix
Every batch starts with three things you probably already have: a box of cake mix, eggs, and oil. I use a standard 15.25 oz box, and any flavor works. The oil replaces the butter you would cream for a scratch cookie, and the eggs bind the dry mix into a thick, scoopable dough. This is a shortcut that does not taste like one.
Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, stir the cake mix, eggs, and oil with a spoon or rubber spatula until you have a thick dough with no dry patches. It takes a bit of arm work, but there is nothing to soften and nothing to chill.
If you are using add-ins, fold in up to ½ cup now. Roll the dough into 1 to 1.5 inch balls and set them about 2 inches apart so they have room to spread. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until the edges are set and the tops are just turning golden. Let them rest on the sheet for 2 to 3 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Oil or Butter in Cake Mix Cookies?
This recipe uses oil, and that is the version I recommend. I have tested it with melted butter too, and the texture shifts. The cookies bake up firmer and a little more crumbly, with a crispier edge. Oil keeps them soft and chewy from the first day to the last, and it gives more consistent results from batch to batch.
If you want to make 3 ingredient cake mix cookies with butter because you like that richer flavor, swap the ½ cup of oil for ½ cup of melted butter and keep everything else the same. Just expect a slightly sturdier cookie, and watch the bake time closely.
Baking Tips for Soft Cake Box Cookies
Overbaking is the one thing that dries these cookies out. I always set a timer for 9 minutes and check from there. The edges should look lightly set, while the middle can still look a little glossy or underdone. That is a good sign, because the cookies keep cooking on the hot sheet.
Do not wait for a deep golden top. These cookies tell you they are ready by their edges, not their color. A cookie scoop helps keep every ball the same size, so the whole tray finishes at the same time.
Troubleshooting Cake Mix Cookies
- Cookies are dry or crumbly: they baked too long. Pull them at the first sign of set edges next time, even if the centers look soft.
- Cookies spread too thin: the balls were too small or the sheet was warm from a previous batch. Keep the balls at 1 to 1.5 inches and let the pan cool between trays.
- Dough feels too sticky to roll: this dough is soft by nature. Use a cookie scoop, or lightly oil your hands before rolling.
- Cookies came out firm with crisp edges: butter was used instead of oil. For soft and chewy cookies, stick with vegetable or canola oil.
- Cookies stuck to the pan: line the sheet with parchment paper, as the recipe calls for.
Chocolate vs Vanilla Cake Mix Cookies
I have made these cookies with just about every flavor on the grocery shelf, and the two I reach for most are vanilla and chocolate. They bake differently, so it helps to know what to expect.
Vanilla or yellow cake mix gives you a softer, fluffier cookie, a lot like a soft sugar cookie. It is mellow and sweet with a tender center, and it pairs well with M&Ms, sprinkles, or white chocolate chips. In my notes, vanilla spreads a bit more.
Chocolate cake mix bakes denser. The dough is thicker and the cookies come out richer, almost brownie-like, and they hold a tighter round shape. I have folded in peanut butter chips for deep flavor with just the right chew. If you love that fudgy style, my cake mix crinkle cookies are made from the same kind of boxed mix.
Mix-In Ideas and Easy Variations
The base dough is neutral enough to handle whatever you stir in, up to ½ cup. In December I add chopped pecans and a handful of dried cranberries. In summer I go for rainbow sprinkles and mini white chocolate chips. For spring gatherings I have used lemon cake mix with white chocolate chips for contrast.
- Chocolate chip: semisweet chips are the classic, or use chopped chunks for uneven pockets of melted chocolate, like in my chocolate chunk cookies.
- Spiced: spice cake mix with crushed walnuts and a little cinnamon folded in.
- Party cookies: vanilla with M&Ms and chocolate with mint chips, baked as two batches for a colorful plate.
- Cookie bars: press the dough into a parchment lined pan, bake a few minutes longer, and slice. Same dough, different outfit.
For another fun shortcut with a boxed mix, try my strawberry crunch cookies.
Storing, Freezing, and Holiday Make-Ahead
Once the cookies are completely cool, store them in an airtight tin at room temperature. They stay soft for 3 to 4 days. I have tucked them into lunchboxes and stacked them between sheets of parchment to send home with guests.
The dough freezes well. Roll it into balls, flash freeze them on a tray until firm, then move them to a freezer bag. Bake straight from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the bake time. That makes them an easy addition to a holiday cookie tray: freeze a bag of cranberry pecan dough balls before the rush, and bake a fresh batch whenever guests drop by. For more ideas, see my best Christmas cookies recipes and these Christmas cookie packaging ideas for gifting.
Cake Mix Cookies FAQ
Can you turn boxed cake mix into cookies?
Yes. Stir one box of cake mix with 2 large eggs and ½ cup of oil, roll the dough into balls, and bake at 350°F for 9 to 11 minutes. That is the whole recipe.
How many cookies does a box of cake mix make?
One 15.25 oz box makes about 24 cookies when you roll the dough into 1 to 1.5 inch balls.
How long do you bake cake mix cookies?
Bake them for 9 to 11 minutes at 350°F (175°C), until the edges are set and the tops are just turning golden. The centers should still look slightly underdone.
Can I make cake mix cookies without eggs?
This recipe relies on the eggs to bind the dry mix into a dough, and I have only written it with 2 large eggs. I do not have a tested egg-free version, so I recommend making it as written.
Can I use yellow cake mix?
Yes. Yellow or vanilla cake mix is the one shown in the photos here. It bakes into a soft, fluffy cookie that works with almost any mix-in.
Save This 3 Ingredient Cake Mix Cookies Recipe
Pin these cake mix cookies to your easy desserts or holiday cookie board so they are ready for school bakes, busy weeknights, and last minute cookie trays. If you try them, leave a comment and a star rating below, and ask away if you want tips on mix-ins or baking time. We learn from each other in the kitchen, and I read every comment.
3-Ingredient Cake Mix Cookies
These 3 ingredient cake mix cookies are soft, chewy cookies made with one box of cake mix, 2 large eggs, and ½ cup of vegetable or canola oil. Everything is stirred together in one bowl with a spoon, with no mixer and no chilling, and the dough bakes at 350°F for 9 to 11 minutes. You get about 24 cake box cookies in roughly 15 minutes. Any flavor works: yellow or vanilla cake mix makes a fluffy cookie like a soft sugar cookie, while chocolate cake mix bakes denser and almost brownie-like. Fold in up to ½ cup of chocolate chips, sprinkles, M&Ms, chopped nuts, or dried fruit. Oil keeps them softer than butter. Pull them while the centers look slightly underdone.
Ingredients
- 1 box (15.25 oz) cake mix, any flavor
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup neutral oil (vegetable or canola)
- Optional: ½ cup chocolate chips, sprinkles, M&Ms, chopped nuts, or dried fruit
Instructions
- PREHEAT THE OVEN: Set the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- MIX THE DOUGH: In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, and oil. Stir with a spoon or rubber spatula until the mixture is fully combined and forms a thick dough with no dry patches.
- ADD OPTIONAL MIX-INS: If using add-ins like chocolate chips or sprinkles, fold them into the dough until evenly distributed.
- SHAPE THE COOKIES: Roll the dough into 1 to 1.5-inch balls and place them about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet to allow for spreading.
- BAKE THE COOKIES: Bake in the preheated oven for 9 to 11 minutes, or until the edges are set and the tops are just turning golden. The centers may look slightly underdone but will finish cooking as they cool.
- COOL THE COOKIES: Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 2 to 3 minutes after baking, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before serving or storing.
Notes
For soft cookies, avoid overbaking; the centers should look slightly underdone when you take them out. You can use any cake mix flavor to change the cookie base. Oil gives the softest, chewiest texture; melted butter can be used in the same amount but makes a firmer cookie with crisper edges. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. To freeze, flash freeze the shaped dough balls, then bag them and bake from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes.
I used a yellow cake mix and mini chocolate chips. I accidentally added about 1/8 a cup more oil than I was supposed to, frugal me did not want to waste that, so I mixed them up anyway. they were gooey enough that I could not roll them into balls, so I used my cookie scoop and baked them 10 minutes at 350. they turned out so good! they spread a little, but were nice and soft with the edges slightly browned! This is an amazing recipe even though I messed it up a tiny bit!!!
Lola, I love how you made it work! That little extra oil probably gave them an extra soft texture, and using the cookie scoop was a smart fix. I’ve had the same thing happen before, and sometimes those “happy accidents” end up being even better than planned. Thanks for sharing your experience. I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe 🍪