Nothing So Easy Should Taste This Good
This cake mix cookies recipe was one of the first posts I published when I started my food blog in 2018. I was new to blogging, but the cookies were a hit right away. The recipe is flexible, forgiving, and perfect for those moments when you need a quick, comforting treat.
Seeing how often this post has been shared over the years reminded me of the days when our daughters were in high school. I decided it was time to freshen up the write-up and bring it back.
I was a working mom, always in a hurry, and I started making what I jokingly called “idiot cookies.” (That name was inspired by Peg Bracken’s witty tone in her “I Hate to Cook” cookbook.) It was the 1980s—big hair and shoulder pads—and life was simpler in lots of ways.
Years passed. The girls grew up and moved on, and Papa and I were left on the farm. One dark, stormy Saturday night we had ho-hum leftovers for dinner and then a sudden, urgent craving for something sweet. It was freezing outside and the nearby grocery store had already closed. We didn’t want to go anywhere.
We searched cupboards and freezer and came up empty—until I remembered my emergency stash of boxed cake mixes.
Cake Mix Cookies Taste Amazing And They’re Ready In Minutes
Back then I called them Idiot Cookies because they were unbelievably simple—no mixer required, just a spoon and a bowl. On that night, desperation sent me to work quickly.
I pulled a box of Devil’s Food cake mix from the pantry, added two eggs and half a cup of vegetable oil, and stirred until smooth. I raided the freezer for mix-ins and found peanut butter chips, so I folded those in. Using a tablespoon, I scooped walnut-sized dough balls onto a well-used baking sheet and baked them at 350°F for about 12 minutes.
Less than 20 minutes later we had warm, chewy cookies—pure comfort in a hurry.
The simplicity and speed of these cookies make them a staple when you need something fast without sacrificing flavor.
Cake Mix Cookies Made Chocolate Peanut Butter Bliss
Those warm cookies took me back to late-night ball games, frantic play rehearsals, or the endless school requests for a dozen cookies—times when convenience and taste had to go hand in hand.
I tried another batch with vanilla cake mix and milk chocolate toffee chips and it was a home run. The base recipe adapts beautifully to a huge variety of flavors and add-ins.
Some tasty combinations to try: lemon cake mix with white chocolate chips, spice cake mix with butterscotch chips, chocolate cake mix with cherry chips, or crushed peppermint for the holidays. Strawberry cake mix with mini dark chocolate chips is another favorite. Mix and match to suit the season or your pantry.
I always enjoy hearing about the creative combinations readers come up with, so feel free to experiment and share your results.
Cake Mix Cookies Can Also Be Cake Mix Bars
On nights when I was too tired to portion cookies, I started pressing the dough into an 11″ x 7″ pan (a 9″ x 9″ works, too) and baking it as bars. The idea of baking cookie dough as bars isn’t new—think Toll House Bars—but it’s a brilliant shortcut when you want fewer steps and easy slicing.
I once made bars with yellow cake mix and toffee chips, and they became so popular with one of our grandson’s friends that we jokingly named them after him. From there I developed simple cake mix lemon bars, which quickly became a family favorite.
PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD
Easy Cake Mix Cookies
When you need something sweet in a hurry or the school calls for three dozen cookies at the last minute.
10 minutes
12 minutes
22 minutes
Ingredients
- One 13″ by 9″ size box cake mix (any flavor)
- 1/2 cup oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups mix-in chips or baking bits (any flavor)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease a cookie sheet or line with parchment paper.
- Combine cake mix, eggs, and oil in a bowl; stir with a spoon until blended.
- Fold in your chosen add-ins until evenly distributed.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 10–12 minutes for cookies. For bars, press dough into an 11″ x 7″ or 9″ x 9″ pan and bake until set.
- Let cool on a rack, then store tightly covered.
If this cake mix cookie recipe speaks to you, we’re kindred spirits. If you tried the recipe and enjoyed it, please share the post on your social accounts—your support means a lot.
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Love, GB (Betty Streff)