You’ll love these funfetti Cake Mix Cookies. Buttery and sweet, these cake batter cookies are made with a packet cake mix and they taste AMAZING! Better yet, there’s no need to chill the dough so they can be ready to eat in just 30 minutes.
Cake Mix Cookies for the win! 🎉
Buttery funfetti cookies that are made with a packet cake mix, so they’re part-cake and part-cookie. They’re soft, sweet and filled to the brim with sprinkles and chocolate chips.
These gorgeous Cake Mix Cookies are guaranteed to put you in the party mood 🥳
If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know that I’ve been testing these Cake Mix Cookies for weeks. It took me 7 times to get these cookies just right but it was oh-so-worth it!
These cookies are made sort-of like regular cookies, with butter and sugar and all the good things, but they have one special ingredient – cake mix! That and a boatload of sprinkles 😉
I know what you are thinking! Why would you take a box mix and turn it into a cookie? Well after trying way more than my fair share of these cookies, I can promise you that the little bit of cake mix in these cookies bumps up the flavour 1,000%.
The best way I can describe it is like having a buttery cookie that tastes like a slice of funfetti cake. The cake batter adds a distinct taste and flavour that leaves you reaching for just one. more. cookie.
Since these Cake Mix Cookies are so whimsical, I knew they needed plenty of sprinkles and a few chocolate chips thrown in for good measure. But to be honest, you don’t really need the chocolate chips, the sprinkles, however, are not optional.
While many other recipes for cake batter cookies only add oil or butter and an egg to a bag of cake mix, mine are reversed. Instead, we use regular cookie ingredients and add just a cup or so of cake mix. It ensures the cookies are still very much cookies, and not weirdly shaped lumps of cake 😂
When I was testing this recipe, so many of my cookies failed. I found they either didn’t spread (too much flour), tasted too cakey (too much raising agent) or were just a bit lacklustre (many reasons).
I tried adding more eggs and egg yolks, which typically add moisture. I also altered the raising agent, tried them with oil and butter, changed the ratio of flour and mixed up the type and amounts of sugar. It was a labour of love.
But when I finally stumbled upon this recipe, I was SMITTEN. They were the cookies I had been waiting for 💜
HOW TO MAKE CAKE MIX COOKIES
- These Cake Mix Cookies are made with melted butter. It helps the cookies stay soft and moist. You also don’t need to chill the dough, so they can be ready in just 30 minutes.
- I’ve used a combination of brown sugar and caster sugar in this recipe. I recommend following the recipe exactly as the brown sugar adds colour and caramel-like flavour, while the caster sugar adds sweetness and crispy edges. If you don’t have access to caster sugar, you can use granulated sugar. We don’t need to add much sugar to these cookies as there already is some in the packet cake mix.
- Just like regular cookies, these also need vanilla extract and an egg.
- You don’t need any raising agent as there is already some in the packet cake mix.
- I recommend measuring the flour and cake mix by weight. You can easily add too much flour when using cups, which will make your cookie too fat and cakey.
- Add plenty of sprinkles. If you want to add chocolate chips, you can use any ones you like!
- These Cake Mix Cookies need a little more baking time – around 12 minutes. They’ll still look quite pale but they’ll be golden on the bottom. They’ll also firm up as they cool.
- I tested this recipe using Betty Crocker’s Vanilla Cake packet mix.
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Let's Bake
Cake Mix Cookies
Deliciously sweet funfetti cookies made with boxed cake mix.
Ingredients
- 115 grams (1/2 cup / 1 stick) unsalted butter
- 50 grams (1/4 cup) brown sugar
- 50 grams (1/4 cup) caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 175 grams (1 and 1/4 cup) plain flour or all purpose flour
- 175 grams (1 and 1/4 cup) Vanilla Cake Mix*
- Pinch of salt
- 30 grams (1/4 cup) colourful sprinkles
- 75 grams (1/2 cup) white or milk chocolate chips, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) standard / 160 C (320 F) fan-forced. Line two baking trays with baking or parchment paper.
- Place butter in a heatproof bowl and heat in the microwave until JUST melted. You don’t want the butter to be too hot, but just soft enough to stir with a fork until smooth.
- Add sugars, vanilla and egg and stir until smooth. Add flour, cake mix and salt and stir until soft cookie dough forms. Add sprinkles and chocolate chips (if using) and stir.
- Scoop balls of cookie dough (approximately 1.5 tablespoons each) and roll them smooth using your hands. Place on prepared tray, leaving room for the cookies to spread.
- Bake cookies for approximately 12 minutes or until just lightly golden on the edges. Cookies may look a little under baked but will firm up as they cool.
Notes
*I tested this recipe using Betty Crocker’s Vanilla Cake Mix.
Jessica says
Question sweetie! Have you tried the recipe with just cake mix and no added flour?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Jessica, I haven’t! But if you do try it, let me know how it goes.
bisma says
Hi. Big Fan from Sydney checking in. I was just making these right now and I had a question for you. Making the balls 1.5 tablespoons make them rather large. Is that the normal?. Do I slightly flatten them down while baking or will they just spread themselves
Jessica Holmes says
Hi! It’s really up to you how big you want to make them – you can make them a little smaller if you like. They should flatten naturally in the oven. You can always bake one tester cookie and see how it spreads.
Paula says
Where do you buy those bright sprinkles? Also, I’m confused when you say “115g/1 stick” of butter“ as the only blocks of butter I’ve seen are 250g or 500g?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Paula! I’ve bought some different sprinkles over in America as I have trouble finding bright ones here in Australia. Don’t worry about the stick measurement – that’s just for US bakers as butter is sold in sticks over there. I recommend always using weight measurements for baking – so just go with 115 grams. Hope that helps!
Josh says
These were great! Bit different but nice cakey texture!
★★★★★
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you enjoyed them Josh!
Bibie says
Any substiitute for vanilla cake mix?? I don’t have the pre mix with me! Thanks
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Bibie, this cookie recipe has been specifically tested using a cake mix. if you want something similar without using a cake mix, try my Funfetti Chocolate Chip Cookies.