These easy Christmas Cake Mix Crinkle Cookies are made with just 4 simple ingredients in half an hour! You will love the flavor, the beautiful crinkle tops, and the vibrant color of these cookies.
I love baking cookies from scratch, but sometimes grabbing a box of cake mix and turning it into delicious cookies is a great idea! It saves so much time, and makes yummy cookies.
There is something about the flavor of cake mix cookies that makes them so special, and because these are so easy, even kids can make them (you can just supervise and help with the baking part).
Looking for more ideas on what you can do with a box of cake mix? Check out my Cake Mix Brownies, Cake Mix Cupcakes, or these Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies and Lemon Cake Mix Cookies.
If you love crinkle cookies, check out my Matcha Crinkle Cookies or these Chocolate Crinkle Cookies.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Easy. Seriously, this recipe is so easy that anyone can make this!
- Small Cookies. You will get 36 2-inch cookies, and these are perfect for your Christmas cookie trays.
- Customizable. Change up the flavor or the color of the cookies for any occasion! I’m including a few ideas for you below.
Key Ingredients
Complete list of ingredients with quantities and instructions is located in the recipe card below
- Cake Mix: You need one box of cake mix to make 36 cookies. I’m using Betty Crocker’s yellow cake mix, but white cake mix would also be great here.
- Eggs and Oil: That’s everything you need to add to the cake mix to make cookies.
- Powdered Sugar: For rolling the cookies before baking to make the “crinkles” visible.
- Food Coloring: I recommend using gel coloring for the best results. I use Wilton’s gel food colorings and the colors turn out vibrant and beautiful. For these cookies I used “Red red” and “Leaf Green”.
How To Make Cake Mix Crinkle Cookies
- Get Ready: Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C and line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpat silicone mats. In a large bowl, combine cake mix with oil, and eggs.
- Mix with a hand mixer or just a spatula until well combined (the mixture will be very thick and sticky).
- Add Color: Divide the cookie dough in 2, add food coloring to each half and mix to combine.
- Scoop: Using a small OXO cookie scoop (1 tbsp size), scoop out cookie dough balls, then roll in powdered sugar and place them on the prepared cookie sheets about 2 inches apart.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 10 minutes, then cool down completely on a wire rack.
Top Tips
- Avoid getting flat cookies: Some cake mixes (especially brands outside the US) can make flat cookies. The best way to tell if the cookies are going to be flat is with the consistency of the cookie dough, if it’s way too sticky and too soft then you can add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of flour to the mixture. I used Betty Crocker cake mix and did not need to add any flour to the dough.
- Be sure to allow 2 inches of space around each cookie when baking. These cookies don’t spread a lot, but it’s better to be safe.
- Powdered sugar is optional. I love crinkle cookies with white powdered sugar on top, it makes beautiful cookies. But if you want to skip that, that’s totally fine.
- Add-Ins: Try adding white chocolate chips, holiday M&Ms, or chopped nuts to the cookies before baking.
How To Store Cake Mix Crinkle Cookies
Store these cake mix cookies in a single layer in an airtight container and enjoy them within 2-3 days. The cookies can be kept longer, but they will start to get stale after 3 days and won’t be as soft and delicious.
FAQs
Yes! Lemon or strawberry cake mixes would be delicious here. You can also make fudgy chocolate cookies, or funfetti cookies for a colorful and fun cookie!
I didn’t test this specific recipe with butter, but I do think that you could use the same amount of melted, unsalted butter and the cookies will be delicious.
Yes, these freeze well for 1-2 months if made without the powdered sugar coating.
Other Christmas Cookies You Should Make
- Cookie dough that makes 8 different Christmas cookies!
- Adorable polar bear cookies, these are no bakes!
- Classic gingerbread cookies.
Enjoy making these easy cake mix crinkle cookies and enjoying them with your family this holiday season. Don’t forget to pin this recipe to try it later!
Cake Mix Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 x 15.4oz box cake mix yellow or white
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- Food coloring colors of your choice
- ½ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C and line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpat silicone mats.
- In a large bowl, combine cake mix with oil, and eggs. Mix with a hand mixer or just a spatula until well combined (the mixture will be very thick and sticky).
- Divide the cookie dough in 2, add food coloring to each half and mix to combine.
- Using a small OXO cookie scoop (1 tbsp size), scoop out cookie dough balls, then roll in powdered sugar and place them on the prepared cookie sheets about 2 inches apart.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 10 minutes, then cool down completely on a wire rack.
Notes
- Avoid getting flat cookies: Some cake mixes (especially brands outside the US) can make flat cookies. The best way to tell if the cookies are going to be flat is with the consistency of the cookie dough, if it’s way too sticky and too soft then you can add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of flour to the mixture. I used Betty Crocker cake mix and did not need to add any flour to the dough.
- Store these cake mix cookies in a single layer in an airtight container and enjoy them within 2-3 days. The cookies can be kept longer, but they will start to get stale after 3 days and won’t be as soft and delicious.
Nutrition
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
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Comments & Reviews
Nancy Craig says
Hi – love your recipe for Cake Mix Crinkle Cookies, but wondered if you have any tips for baking at high altitude. Thanks!
Diana says
Sorry, I have no experience with baking at high altitude.
Schenkel says
I’m so in love with this recipe. You did a great job!!