Cake Mix Cookies with Butter

Cake mix cookies are an easy way to make a batch of soft, flavorful cookies with just a few ingredients. Butter gives them a rich taste and tender texture, while a box of cake mix provides the flour, sugar, and flavor in one convenient package. Add chocolate chips, sprinkles, or your favorite mix-ins to make them your own.

Ingredients

• 1 box (about 15.25 ounces) cake mix, any flavor
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup chocolate chips, sprinkles, or other mix-ins (optional)

How to Make Cake Mix Cookies with Butter

1. Heat the oven. Preheat it to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Make the dough. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter until smooth. Add the egg and cake mix, then mix until a thick dough forms. Stir in any optional mix-ins.
3. Shape the cookies. Scoop the dough into balls, using about 1½ tablespoons for each cookie. Place them a few inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until the edges look set. The centers may still look slightly soft; they will continue to firm up as the cookies cool.
5. Cool. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack.

Tips for Soft, Flavorful Cookies

Use softened butter, not melted butter. Softened butter blends smoothly into the dough, while melted butter can make it greasy and cause the cookies to spread more. If the dough feels sticky or is difficult to scoop, cover and refrigerate it for 20 to 30 minutes.

For the softest cookies, take them out when the edges are set but the centers still look a little underdone. Baking times can vary depending on your oven and the size of the cookies, so start checking near the 9-minute mark.

Choose a cake mix that pairs well with your add-ins. Chocolate chips work nicely with yellow, chocolate, or red velvet cake mix. Sprinkles add color to vanilla or funfetti cookies, while chopped nuts can bring a little crunch to chocolate or spice cake mix cookies.

Easy Variations

• Chocolate chip: Stir semisweet or milk chocolate chips into yellow cake mix dough.
• Funfetti: Use a sprinkle cake mix and add a few extra rainbow sprinkles.
• Double chocolate: Use chocolate cake mix with chocolate chips.
• Spiced: Use spice cake mix and add chopped pecans or white chocolate chips.

Storing Cake Mix Cookies

Once completely cool, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. You can also freeze the baked cookies in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. For freshly baked cookies later, scoop the dough into balls and freeze them on a tray. Transfer the frozen dough balls to a sealed freezer bag, then bake from frozen, adding a minute or two to the baking time as needed.

With a box of cake mix, softened butter, and an egg, you can make a quick batch of cookies that’s easy to customize. Keep the recipe simple or add your favorite mix-ins for a treat suited to any occasion.

 

9 Essential Tips for Perfect Cake Mix Cookies Using Butter

1. Use softened butter for easy mixing.
2. Replace the oil with an equal amount of butter.
3. Measure cake mix accurately for consistent cookies.
4. Mix just until the dough comes together.
5. Chill sticky dough for 20–30 minutes.
6. Use a cookie scoop for even portions.
7. Leave space between cookies; they spread as they bake.
8. Bake until edges are set and centers look slightly soft.
9. Cool cookies on the pan for a few minutes before transferring.

Use softened butter for easy mixing.

Use softened butter to make cake mix cookie dough easier to combine. Butter that has softened to room temperature blends smoothly with the egg and cake mix, helping create a consistent dough without overmixing. It should feel pliable when pressed, but not melted or greasy.

Replace the oil with an equal amount of butter.

Replace the oil in your cake mix cookie recipe with an equal amount of butter for a richer, buttery flavor. Melt the butter and let it cool slightly before mixing it into the dough, or use softened butter if the recipe calls for creaming. Keep in mind that butter contains water and behaves differently from oil, so the cookies may spread differently or have a slightly different texture.

Measure cake mix accurately for consistent cookies.

Measure the cake mix accurately to help your cookies turn out consistent from batch to batch. Too much mix can make the dough dry and crumbly, while too little may lead to cookies that spread too much or have a softer texture. For best results, use the amount specified in the recipe, and level off your measuring cup rather than packing the mix down.

Mix just until the dough comes together.

Mix the ingredients just until the dough comes together and no dry cake mix remains. Overmixing can make cake mix cookies dense or tough, so stop as soon as the dough looks evenly combined.

Chill sticky dough for 20–30 minutes.

If your cake mix cookie dough feels sticky or is difficult to scoop, cover the bowl and chill it in the refrigerator for 20–30 minutes. The cooler dough will be firmer and easier to shape, making the cookies less messy to handle. Chilling can also help limit spreading in the oven, so your cookies are more likely to bake up thick and soft.

Use a cookie scoop for even portions.

Use a cookie scoop to portion the dough evenly so your cookies are about the same size. Uniform portions bake at a similar rate, helping prevent some cookies from turning out overbaked while others remain too soft. A scoop also makes shaping quicker and less messy; if the dough sticks, lightly coat the scoop with cooking spray or dip it in warm water between batches.

Leave space between cookies; they spread as they bake.

Leave a few inches of space between each scoop of dough on the baking sheet. Cake mix cookies spread as they bake, and spacing them apart helps prevent them from running into each other and sticking together.

Bake until edges are set and centers look slightly soft.

Bake the cookies until the edges look set and lightly golden, while the centers still appear slightly soft. They’ll continue to firm up as they cool, helping keep the cookies tender and chewy instead of dry or overbaked.

Cool cookies on the pan for a few minutes before transferring.

Let the cookies cool on the baking pan for a few minutes before moving them. They’ll be delicate while warm, and this brief resting time helps them set so they’re less likely to break. Once the edges feel firm, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

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