Cake Mix Chocolate Chip Cookies That Taste Homemade

Cake mix cookies are one of my favorite shortcuts when I want homemade cookies without starting from scratch. Grab a box of cake mix, add a few simple ingredients, and you’ll have soft, chewy chocolate chip cookies in no time.

Have you ever stood in the baking aisle, spotted a sale on cake mix and thought, I should buy a few of those?

I have. In fact, I once counted 18 boxes of cake mix in my pantry. Eighteen. Apparently, I was preparing for either a very large birthday party or the end of civilization.

But there’s a good reason to stock up. Cake mixes go on sale regularly, and they’re handy for far more than making the cake pictured on the box.

This recipe turns a simple yellow cake mix into soft, chewy chocolate chip cookies with just a handful of ingredients. Nobody needs to know you started with a box.

And I’m certainly not telling.

Why you’ll love cake mix cookies

The beauty of cake mix cookies is the shortcut. The dry ingredients are already measured and mixed, so you can go from I want cookies to a bowl of cookie dough in just a few minutes.

They’re also wonderfully flexible. Use yellow cake mix for a classic cookie, chocolate cake mix for something richer, or try carrot cake mix with white chocolate chips. Once you start looking at cake mix as a cookie shortcut, the possibilities get pretty fun.

And because cake mix is often inexpensive when it’s on sale, these cookies can be a budget-friendly way to make a homemade treat.

What You’ll Need

Yellow cake mix

A standard-size box works best. Yellow cake mix gives these cookies a classic buttery-vanilla flavor, but white, chocolate, spice or carrot cake mix can also work. Cake mixes vary by brand and formulation, so the finished dough may need a small adjustment in consistency.

Butter

Use regular salted or unsalted butter, softened but not melted. Butter gives the cookies a richer flavor and tender texture. In a pinch, vegetable oil works, although the cookies will have a slightly different texture.

Milk

Whole milk adds a little richness and helps bring the dough together. Evaporated milk works well, too. If you’re out of dairy milk, an unsweetened, unflavored plant milk such as oat or soy can be used.

Vanilla extract

Pure vanilla extract or imitation vanilla both work here. Since vanilla is one of the flavors that makes a basic cake mix taste more homemade, use what you have rather than skipping it.

Egg

A large egg provides structure and helps hold the cookies together. If you prefer a softer cookie, using two eggs and leaving out the milk will give you a more tender result.

Chocolate chips

Semisweet chips are my favorite because they’re sweet enough without making the cookies overly sugary. Milk chocolate, dark chocolate, mini chips or even chopped chocolate will work. This is a good place to use whatever is hiding in the back of the pantry.

Nuts

Walnuts are my first choice, but pecans or almonds are delicious, too. You can leave them out entirely for a nut-free cookie.

• MORE: How to Make Pure Vanilla Extract

A Little Cake Mix Know-How

Not all cake mixes behave exactly the same way. Some contain pudding or other ingredients that make the finished cake especially moist, and those differences can affect cookie dough, too.

If your dough seems too stiff to scoop easily, add water a little at a time until it reaches a soft, workable consistency. If you’re using a different flavor or brand of cake mix, don’t be surprised if it needs a tiny adjustment.

That’s the beauty of this recipe. It doesn’t require a laboratory coat. Just a bowl, a spoon and a little common sense.

How to Make Cake Mix Chocolate Chip Cookies

The recipe itself is wonderfully simple. The trick is knowing what you’re looking for along the way. A few small details can be the difference between soft, chewy cookies and cookies that could double as hockey pucks.

Start With the Right Oven Temperature

Preheat the oven to 350°F. If you’re using dark or nonstick baking sheets, lower the temperature to 325°F because those pans tend to brown cookies more quickly.

For the most even results, let the oven fully preheat before the first batch goes in. An oven that runs hot can turn a soft cookie into a dry one before you even realize what’s happening.

Mix Just Until the Dough Comes Together

Beat the cake mix, softened butter, milk, vanilla and egg until the mixture is smooth and the ingredients are well combined.

Don’t worry if the dough is thicker than traditional chocolate chip cookie dough. That’s exactly what you want. It should be soft enough to scoop but firm enough to hold its shape on the baking sheet.

If it seems dry or difficult to scoop, add a little water, a tablespoon at a time. Different cake mixes can produce slightly different doughs.

Fold in the Chocolate Chips and Nuts

Once the base dough is mixed, stir in the chocolate chips and chopped nuts by hand. This keeps the add-ins from getting beaten into the dough and gives you a more even distribution in every cookie.

And yes, sampling a chocolate chip or two is part of the process. At least that’s my story.

Give the Cookies Some Room

Drop the dough onto an ungreased baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between portions. These cookies spread as they bake, and crowded cookies tend to run into each other.

For cookies that look more uniform, use a cookie scoop. It isn’t necessary, but it makes quick work of portioning and helps the cookies bake at about the same rate.

If you’re working with a particularly sticky dough, lightly chilling it for a short time can make scooping easier.

Watch the Centers, Not Just the Clock

Bake the cookies for about 10 to 12 minutes, but don’t rely on the timer alone. Look for edges that are set while the centers still appear soft and the cookies remain fairly light in color.

This is one of those times when slightly underdone is exactly right. The cookies will continue to firm up as they cool, so pulling them from the oven while the centers are still soft is how you get that tender, chewy texture.

If you wait until the centers look completely baked, you’ve probably waited too long.

Let Them Finish on the Baking Sheet

Leave the cookies on the hot baking sheet for about a minute after they come out of the oven. That brief rest lets them firm up enough to move without falling apart.

Then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling. Once they’re completely cool, store them in an airtight container.

And there you have it: cookies that started with a box of cake mix but look and taste like you put in considerably more effort.

I won’t tell if you won’t.

• MORE: Mini Cherry Cheesecakes: The Perfect No-Fuss Holiday Party Dessert

Easy Ways to Change Up Cake Mix Cookies

This is where the fun starts.

• Try different cake mixes. Yellow cake mix is my go-to, but chocolate, white, spice and carrot cake mixes all make interesting cookies.
• Switch the chips. Semisweet chocolate chips are classic, but try milk chocolate, white chocolate, peanut butter or butterscotch chips.
• Add nuts. Walnuts, pecans or chopped almonds all work beautifully. Or leave them out if you’re baking for someone with a nut allergy or simply don’t have any in the cupboard.
• Make them softer. For an especially soft cookie, use 1/3 cup butter and 2 eggs instead of 1/2 cup butter, milk and 1 egg. Omit the milk.
• Need a bigger batch? Start with two boxes of cake mix and double the remaining ingredients.

How to Store Cake Mix Cookies

Once the cookies have cooled completely, store them in an airtight container. Here’s an old-fashioned trick I still love: Put a small piece of bread in the container with the cookies. The bread helps keep the cookies soft and moist. Replace it when it gets stale. It’s a little odd. It works.

• MORE: 8 Genius Ways to Keep Your Brown Sugar Soft and Ready to Use

Cake Mix Cookie Flavor Ideas

Once you have the basic method down, you don’t have to make the same cookie twice.

Try these combinations:

• Carrot cake mix + white chocolate chips
• Chocolate cake mix + peanut butter chips
• Spice cake mix + butterscotch chips
• Yellow cake mix + chocolate chips + walnuts
• Chocolate cake mix + white chocolate chips + pecans

That’s one of the reasons I keep cake mix in the pantry. It’s not just a cake waiting to happen. It’s a head start.

A Box of Cake Mix Is Just the Beginning 

I love a shortcut that doesn’t taste like a shortcut.

These cake mix chocolate chip cookies are proof that you don’t need a long ingredient list or an afternoon in the kitchen to turn an inexpensive pantry staple into something special. Keep a few boxes of cake mix tucked away when they’re on sale, and the next time you need a quick dessert, you’ll be ready.

Nobody has to know where you started. And I’m not telling.

Question: What’s your favorite “nobody needs to know it started with a mix” baking shortcut? Share in the comments below

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