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I love making cake mix cookies because they’re so easy! For these cookies I used vanilla cake mix to make the cookie dough, baked the cookies and frosted them with a simple homemade buttercream frosting. If you’ve never made cake mix sugar cookies before you need to try this recipe!
They are one of my favorite easy cookie recipes for the holidays or anytime I need a quick batch of cookies. You will love how easy these cookies are to make!
I love making these sugar cookies for Jordan’s class parties at school and during the holidays when it’s so busy there’s barely time to bake. Since they are made with cake mix, they are really, really easy to make. You’d never guess they’re made with cake mix, though, because they taste like regular sugar cookies. I frost them with buttercream frosting and, of course, top them with sprinkles. Jordan loves her sprinkles!
What I love about cake mix cookies is that the mix has all of the dry ingredients you need all packaged up in one box. Instead of following the instructions on the box I just use the dry mix and add butter, eggs, and vanilla extract to make the cookie dough.
Starting with a cake mix is such an easy cookie hack!
It really is a time-saver! You don’t have to drag all of the flour, sugar and other dry ingredients from the pantry and measure them out. This is especially nice during the holidays when you need a last-minute batch of cookies for parties or cookie platters. I always have a few boxes of cake mix on hand so I can bake up a batch of cookies quickly!
Did I mention you only need one bowl to make the cookie dough? Yep, just another reason to love these easy cookies.
How to Make Cake Mix Sugar Cookies
Since we’re using cake mix the ingredient list is pretty short for these sugar cookies:
- 2 boxes Betty Crocker Super Moist Vanilla Cake Mix
- 1 cup of softened butter
- 4 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Basically, we’re doctoring up the cake mix. So, disregard the instructions and ingredients on the box. We only need the dry mix to make these cookies and add other ingredients to turn it into soft and tender sugar cookies.
- Cream the butter until it’s smooth.
- Add the eggs, cake mix, and vanilla and mix until the dough comes together.
That’s it! I know, so ridiculously easy, right? It takes just two steps and all of five minutes to make the cookie dough.
- I like to scoop about two tablespoons of dough to form the cookies dough balls. Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake the cookies for 8 to 9 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool the cookies completely before frosting them.
Buttercream Frosting
Of course, frosting is a must for these cookies! I like to make a basic buttercream frosting and I usually switch up the colors depending on the occasion.
The amount of frosting this recipe make is enough to cover the cookies in a light layer of frosting. If you like a lot of frosting on your cookies you should definitely double the recipe.
- 1/2 cup softened butter
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
Cream the butter until it’s smooth. Add the powdered sugar and mix until combined. The mixture will be crumbly at this point but once you add the vanilla and heavy cream it will smooth out and turn creamy. Once combined, add your food coloring if you’re using it.
The next time you need a quick batch of cookies I hope you give these a try. I think you’ll be keeping boxes of cake mix in your pantry after you do so you can make them any time you want! They’re just so easy!
If you love using cake mix for a shortcut, try these recipes:
Here are my other favorite sugar cookie recipes:
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Cake Mix Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 2 boxes (approximately 15 ounces each) Yellow, White or Vanilla Cake Mix
- 1 cup unsalted butter , softened
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the Frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter , softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- Food coloring and sprinkles as desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 °F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Mix butter in an electric mixer until smooth. Add cake mix, eggs, and vanilla extract and mix until dough comes together.
- Scoop 2 tablespoon sized balls onto the cookie sheets. Bake for 8-9 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting.
- To make frosting, cream butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar and mix until incorporated (mixture will be crumby). Add vanilla and heavy cream and beat until smooth. Tint with food coloring as desired.
- Frost tops of cookies and sprinkle with sprinkles!
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Recipe Nutrition
Use this easy cake mix hack – make Cake Mix Sugar Cookies for an easy but delicious sugar cookie recipe. They’re soft and chewy with a homemade frosting and no one will guess they’re from a box!
Last Updated on November 26, 2019
i just ran across your receipe by googling CAKE MIX SUAR COOKIES and will be making them as soon as im done here Its is 2017 Dec and i want to let u know SANDY HOOKS is always in my thoughts and will never be forgotten God Bless those sweet innocent children who were tragically taken They will forever smile down upon you all God Bless all Pattie, Ontario Canada
These cookies came out of the oven okay, lightly browned around the edges, but soon fell flat!! The next batch I made smaller, only 1 tablespoon of dough, same thing. The taste is okay but certainly can’t frost, they are close to paper thin, and wouldn’t serve to company. If it sounds too easy or too good to be true, it is!!
I’m sorry that happened! I’m not sure what the culprit could be, except they possibly needed to bake longer. Or, the dough may have needed to be chilled before baking. Sometimes butter is softened and gets too soft (sounds weird but it happens!) Or, maybe the cake mix was older? I’ve never had that problem with cake mix cookies before. So sorry that happened to you!
This is really nice, Dorothy. My heart is broken for these families. No one should ever have to lose a child…certainly not like this.
I really wanted to participate in this but didn’t have the ability this week. I’m working on a post for next week. Thanks for inspiring everyone!
Thanks Kristin!! I hope you’re doing well, Merry Christmas!
That heart with the sprinkles is adorable! And what a tender post. My daughter is almost 6 and the tragedy just resonated…so much with me…..I shudder to think…
I know Averie…me too. 🙁
these are yummy looking – just wanting to stop by and say Merry Christmas to a great inspiration
Thanks Trisha!!
Thank you so much for hosting such a heartfelt event. I’m so happy to have participated with my molasses spice cookies. http://kelseysappleaday.blogspot.com/2012/12/molasses-spice-cookies.html
Thank you Kelsey!
Thanks for putting this together. It is nice to be able to do something and I am glad I was able to take part in this tribute. Your cookies are just perfect!
Thank you Erin!
I just had the nastiest note posted on my facebook page – so I am taking my tribute to Sandy Hook off my blog. From Fastnacht Shavout – it ready:
To me this is just sickening people are finding a way to push their stuff by using a tragedy to advertise for themselves and make themselves look good. not many of us are dealing with this too good, and post like this makes it look like children’s deaths are something to celebrate so soon afterwards. like it never happened. i liked your page, but now you are just using it to have fun with a tragedy to me it’s sickening this is even popping up on people’s wall. just sickening. not just you, but anyone else who is doing it disgust me.
I am sick to my stomach, I had no intentions of doing what she/he said. Thanks, for listening.
I am so sorry that someone was SO rude and disrespectful to you. That surely is their opinion, and as I put in my post, I know that my cookies will not help the victims heal. I looked at it as more of a tribute; a letting the world know that we are still thinking of the victims and the community and that we won’t forget about them. I was, in no way, trying to do this for “personal gain.” Really, these sorts of posts are meant for us to heal and to show support. At least, that’s what it meant for me.
I know I really shouldn’t have let their comment get to me, but you know that it only takes one negative comment to ruin all the positive. Please delete my comment so it doesn’t spoil it for anyone else. Thank you so much for responding, I know what you’re doing means alot to help everyone heal and show support. 🙂
Thank you for letting me join in on this tribute today. I posted in honor of Newtown, CT too.
I love to think of the joy your brought to your daughter’s class in the form of cookies. How nice!
Merry Christmas!
Thanks Holly!
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