Yellow Cake Mix Cookies

Name: Yellow Cake Mix Cookies
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 15 oz yellow cake mix (see notes for best brand ); 2 eggs (large); ⅓ cup vegetable oil; ⅓ cup chocolate chip cookies (see notes for other toppings)

These yellow cake mix cookies only need four simple ingredients, can be made in just 20 minutes and are perfect for a quick, delicious snack!

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These yellow cake mix cookies are perfect for when you are in the mood for something sweet but don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen! They’re so easy to make, with only 4 ingredients but also super customizable!

Overhead view of yellow cake mix cookies on a white marble surface.

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💭 Why you'll love this recipe

The yellow cake mix cookies are soft, fluffy, and packed with flavor.

They only require four ingredients. All you need for these cookies is a yellow cake mix, an egg, vegetable oil, and mix-ins of your choice.
They're quick and easy to make. These cookies come together in just 20 minutes! No chilling is required!
They're super customizable. I've made these cookies three ways here: with chocolate chips, M&Ms and sprinkles. But that's just the beginning! You can also add in nuts or other chocolates of your choice, or even dried fruits.

📋 Ingredients and notes

To make these yellow cake mix cookies, you’ll just need the yellow cake mix, eggs, vegetable oil, and mix-ins of your choice!

Labeled ingredient list for yellow cake mix cookies - check recipe card for details!

Notes and Variations

Trying other flavors of cake mix. You're not limited to using yellow cake mix; you can also experiment with other flavors, like white or chocolate cake mix, or even strawberry.
Make this vegan: If you want to make this cake recipe vegan, you can replace the eggs with an egg replacer such as a flaxseed meal or Just Egg.
Mix-ins. This recipe can be easily customized. Aside from regular semi-sweet chocolate chips, I've also used white chocolate chips, sprinkles, M&Ms, or experiment with other toppings such as butterscotch chips, or even nuts. Pecan halves or chopped walnuts are both great!

Best Yellow Cake Mix Box

To figure out which yellow cake mix box was the best (not just for these cookies, even for making cakes) - I tested four of the most common brands: Betty Crocker (regular yellow, and the butter yellow), Duncan Hines classic yellow and Pillsbury moist supreme yellow.

Overhead view of four yellow cake mixes.

I tested these brands across three dimensions, by making cakes (following the box recipe) and cookies (following this recipe!)

Moisture: I wanted to make sure that the cake or cookies were wonderfully moist, because who likes a dry cake or cookie?!
Flavor and Sweetness: I was looking for a cake mix that was sweet, but not overly so. I also wanted them to turn out fluffy and delicious.
Price: I was looking for the best value for money with this cake mix. Most of the cake mixes were in the ballpark but there were some subtle differences.

❗The best yellow cake mix boxes were Duncan Hines (~1 per box) and Betty Crocker Super Moist Yellow (~1.08 per box)

📖 Make the best yellow cake mix cookies!

First, preheat the oven to 350°F. Add the cake mix, eggs, and vegetable oil to a large mixing bowl.

Overhead view of yellow cake mix added to a mixing bowl, with a well in the center.

Overhead view of yellow cake mix added to a mixing bowl, with vegetable oil added to the well in the center.

Overhead view of yellow cake mix and vegetable oil, with two eggs added to the mixing bowl.

Then, using a spatula, stand mixer (paddle attachment), or hand mixer, combine them well.

Overhead view of hand using hand mixer to mix in the cookie dough.

Overhead view of the cookie dough, fully incorporated.

Note that the cookie dough will be quite thick.

Side angle close up showing the texture of the cookie dough.

Then, fold in your chocolate chip cookies (or other toppings).

Overhead view of chocolate chips into the cookie dough.

Overhead view of sprinkles into the cookie dough.

Overhead view of M&Ms into the cookie dough.

Overhead view of chocolate chips into the cookie dough, after mixing in.

Overhead view of sprinkles into the cookie dough, after mixing in.

Overhead view of M&Ms into the cookie dough, after mixing in.

Use a cookie scoop (or tablespoon) to measure and place cookies on a baking sheet, evenly spaced, with at least 1-2 inches between the cookies. This is important since the cookies will spread out when they bake.

P.S., I use this baking sheet, which is insanely non-stick and just incredible! But if you're using a baking sheet that's not as non-stick, please use parchment paper or a silicone baking mat!

Hand using cookie scoop to place cookie dough balls on the baking sheet.

Bake this recipe for ~9 minutes until they're brown.

Overhead view of all the cookie dough balls placed on the baking sheet, before baking.

You want the cookies to look slightly underdone in order to get the perfect, fluffy cookie consistency. If you like your cookie crisper, bake them for an extra minute. Serve these yellow cake mix cookies hot so you can enjoy them ASAP!

Overhead view of yellow cake mix cookies after baking.

👩🏽‍🍳Tips for the Best Yellow Cake Mix Cookies!

Here are five simple tips to make perfect yellow cake mix cookies!

Do not overmix the batter. When you are mixing the ingredients together, be careful not to overmix. Over-mixing can result in tough cookies. Mix ingredients together until they are just combined.
Use a cookie scoop. A cookie scoop is used to portion out cookie dough onto a baking sheet. Using a scoop helps ensure that all of your cookies are the same size, which helps them bake evenly.
Do not over-bake. Overbaked cookies are dry and crumbly, and no one wants that! Be sure to bake your cookies until they are just barely set and then remove them from the oven. They will continue to cook on the hot baking sheet even after you take them out of the oven, so don’t worry if they look a little underdone at first.
Allow the cookies to cool completely before storing them. If you store them while they are still warm, they will continue to cook and will become dry and crumbly. Allow them to cool completely on the baking sheet before transferring them to an airtight container!

👩🏽‍🍳 Troubleshooting FAQs

What does yellow cake mix taste like?

Some people say that it tastes like vanilla custard, while others find it to be bland and unremarkable. Personally, the yellow cake mix tastes like nothing more than sugar and flour. It's sweet, but there's no distinctive flavor that stands out.

What can I do with left over cake mix?

There are actually a number of different ways to make use of this extra ingredient. You could make cake pops by combining the cake mix with some melted chocolate. Or, if you're in the mood for something a little more indulgent, you could try using the cake mix to make chocolate chip cookies. Simply add in some butter and eggs, and you'll have a delicious treat.

🍴 Serving and storage suggestions

Store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. I love this set of airtight containers for storing everything at home!

Overhead view of 9 yellow cake mix cookies on a white marble background.

You can also freeze them by letting them cool completely and placing them in a freezer bag for 2-3 months. When you're ready to enjoy them, let them defrost at room temperature before indulging!

Check out these other amazing, easy cookie recipes:

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5 from 40 votes