These Christmas Cake Mix Cookies are the ultimate holiday baking hack! Perfect for entry-level bakers or anyone needing a last-minute treat, this effortless recipe transforms a simple box of cake mix into soft, chewy cookies loaded with festive M&Ms.
This post was originally published on 10/21/23 and has been updated with tips and tricks.
Whether you are baking for a cookie exchange, a holiday party, or leaving a sweet treat out for Santa, you can easily whip these up even amidst the hustle and bustle of the busy holiday season.
I love that I can use cake mixes for baked goods like cookies, bars, dump cakes, and even breads. Recipes like Cake Mix Banana Bread, Lemon Cake Mix Crinkle Cookies, Slow Cooker Apple Spice Dump Cake, Cake Mix Lemon Bars, or these Spice Cake Mix Cookies are easy and delicious to bake.
Why This Recipe Works
- Kid-Friendly: This dough is incredibly easy to mix by hand, making it a perfect recipe to let the kids help with.
- Only 4 Ingredients: You don’t need to measure out flour, baking soda, or sugar. The cake mix does all the heavy lifting!
- Ready in 20 Minutes: With just 10 minutes of prep and 10 minutes in the oven, this is one of the fastest holiday desserts you can make.
Key Ingredients & Variations
You only need a few pantry staples to make these festive cookies.
Customization Ideas: Feel free to swap half of the M&Ms for white chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chips, or festive holiday sprinkles.
Cake Mix (15.25 oz): A standard box of White, Vanilla, or Yellow cake mix works perfectly as a blank canvas for the festive colors. Want a different flavor? Try chocolate, red velvet, or strawberry cake mix instead!
Eggs: Two large eggs help bind the dough together and make the cookies soft and chewy.
Unsalted Butter: Melted and cooled butter gives these cookies a rich, homemade flavor. (If you only have salted butter, that works too—just skip adding any extra salt).
Holiday M&Ms: The classic red and green M&Ms give these cookies their Christmas cheer.
How to Make Cake Mix Christmas Cookies
1. Mix the Dough
In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry cake mix, cooled melted butter, and eggs. Stir until a thick dough forms and no dry streaks of cake mix remain.
2. Add the Mix-Ins
Gently fold in the Holiday M&Ms using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, reserving a few to press into the tops of the cookies later if you want them to look bakery-perfect.
3. Scoop and Space
Using a cookie scoop (about 1.5 to 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie), scoop the batter onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Make sure to leave about 2 inches of space between each cookie so they have room to spread.
4. Bake and Cool
Bake in a preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are just turning golden brown. The centers will still look very soft. Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to firm up before transferring them to a wire cooling rack.
Expert Tips for Success
Chill the dough (optional): If your kitchen is very warm and the dough feels too sticky to scoop, pop the bowl in the fridge for 15 minutes to firm up.
Let the butter cool: If your melted butter is too hot when you add it to the bowl, it can scramble the eggs or cause the M&Ms to melt and bleed their colors. Let it sit for about 5-10 minutes after melting.
Don’t overbake: Cake mix cookies are meant to be soft and gooey. Pull them out when the edges are set, even if the centers look slightly underdone. They will continue to cook as they cool on the baking sheet.
Storage and Freezing Instructions
To Freeze Cookie Dough: Scoop the dough into balls and place them on a baking sheet in the freezer for 1 hour. Once solid, transfer the dough balls to a freezer bag. You can bake them straight from frozen, just add 1-2 extra minutes to the baking time!
Room Temperature: Store baked and cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4-5 days. Toss a piece of white bread into the container to keep them extra soft!
To Freeze Baked Cookies: Place the cooled cookies in a freezer-safe zip-top bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
What if my cake mix is only 13.25 ounces?
Many cake mix brands have recently reduced their box sizes from 15.25 oz to 13.25 oz. If you use the smaller box with this recipe as written, your cookies will spread too much and become flat. You can easily fix this using one of two methods:
- The Best Method (Add Flour): Simply whisk ⅓ cup of all-purpose flour into your dry cake mix before adding the wet ingredients. This perfectly replaces the missing 2 ounces of dry mix and keeps the cookies thick and chewy.
- The Alternative Method (Reduce Butter): If you don’t have extra flour on hand, reduce the melted butter in the recipe from 8 tablespoons (1 stick) down to 5 tablespoons. Keep the 2 eggs the same.
More Cookie Recipes to Try this Season
Looking for more cookies to try this Christmas season? Check out these favorites!
- Lemon Snowball Cookies
- 3 Ingredient Shortbread Cookies
- Peppermint Snowball Cookies
- Pistachio Cherry Snowball Cookies
- Sea Salt Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Christmas Cake Mix Cookies
Equipment
- Oven
- baking sheets
- cookie scoop
Ingredients
- 15.25 ounces cake mix
- 2 large eggs
- 8 tablespoons melted butter unsalted, cooled
- 10 ounces Holiday M&Ms
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, add the dry cake mix, cooled melted butter, and eggs. Stir until completely combined and a dough forms.
- Fold in the Holiday M&Ms until evenly distributed.
- Scoop the cookie batter onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches of space per cookie.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cookie edges are golden brown.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Cake Mix Size Adjustment: Many brands have recently reduced their cake mix box sizes from 15.25 oz to 13.25 oz. If your box is 13.25 oz, you must add ⅓ cup of all-purpose flour to the dry mix. If you do not have extra flour, reduce the melted butter to 5 tablespoons instead of 8. If you skip this step, your cookies will spread too much and be flat!
- Cool the Butter: Make sure your melted butter has cooled for 5-10 minutes before mixing. If it is too hot, it can scramble the eggs or melt the candy coating on your M&Ms.
- Nutritional Disclaimer: Nutritional values may vary based on the specific brand and size of the cake mix used and are meant to be a guide.
What is the temperature I set my oven to
Hello, as mentioned it is 350F. Thank you :)