Cake Mix Christmas Cookies
These Cake Mix Christmas Cookies are soft, chewy, and filled with colorful M&Ms for a festive spin on a classic favorite. Made with just four simple ingredients: a box of cake mix, oil, eggs and candy. They come together in under 20 minutes for a quick, no-fuss holiday treat.
Perfect for cookie exchanges, Christmas parties or a cozy night in, these easy cookies are so simple and fun, you'll find yourself baking them all year long.
Cookies are such a fun and quick treat to make during the holiday season. You might enjoy some other my other favorite cookie recipes like my Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies, Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies and Chocolate Chip Espresso Cookies.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Chewy Texture: The cookie dough balls bake up soft in the center with just-set edges.
- Perfect for Customization: Swap in white chocolate chips, sprinkles or semi-sweet chocolate chips for endless flavor options.
- Beginner-Friendly: Great for holiday baking with kids or anyone new to the kitchen.
- Great for Gatherings: This basic recipe is ideal for cookie exchanges, trays, or school events.
Ingredients
These Christmas cake mix cookies come together with just a few simple ingredients.
See the recipe card below for the exact quantities of each ingredient.
- White Cake Mix: This creates a moist and chewy cookie base.
- Vegetable Oil: A neutral oil to add fat, which helps keep the cookies soft; vegetable oil will not affect flavor.
- Eggs: A binder in any baking recipe; using room temperature eggs will make a smoother batter.
- M&Ms: We love adding a chocolatey crunch, but you can use any small candy.
For these cake mix cookies, you'll want to have a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop, baking sheet, parchment paper, spatula flipper and cooling rack.
Variations
- Sprinkles: Try ¾-1 cup of any sprinkles of your choice.
- Chocolate Chips: Add a 1 cup of chocolate chips to the batter before scooping. This will increase the volume of batter and will yield more cookies (it may change your bake time slightly).
- Candy: Use your favorite add-ins to the top, like festive reindeer corns, peppermint M&Ms or chopped candy canes!
- Cake Mix: Switch up the cake mix. Try chocolate, red velvet or vanilla work well. Angel food doesn't hold up, and we have yet to test gluten-free.
How to Make Cake Mix Christmas Cookies
Check out how quick and easy it was to make these delicious cookies.
Preheat oven to 350F and prep a cookie tray with parchment paper.
In a large bowl add box cake mix, oil, eggs and mix by hand with a spatula until well blended (about 30-60 seconds).
Fold in the M&Ms just until combined.
Drop balls of dough using a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop, in a single layer, leaving a couple of inches between each ball to make sure they do not touch.
Bake in preheated oven for about 9 minutes for chewy cookies.
Cool on the cookie sheet for about 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Use a fresh or cooled cookie sheet before starting the next batch so the cookies do not start to spread too soon.
Hint: Ovens vary and these cookies bake quickly, check at 8 minutes. They should look soft, not wet and will firm up as they cool.
Recipe Tips
- Room Temperature: Let eggs come to room temp so they mix smoothly.
- Don't Overmix: Stir until just combined for soft, chewy cookies.
- Bake Time: Pull cookies when edges are set but centers look soft, they'll finish on the sheet.
- Extra Festive Touch: Top with extra M&Ms, sprinkles or candy before baking.
- Decorating: Dip in chocolate or drizzle with icing for holiday trays.
For a Halloween version of these cookies, you must try our Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies.
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Storage Instructions
- Countertop: Store fully cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 7 days (best flavor 3-4). Layer with parchment to prevent sticking or moisture on the M&Ms.
- Refrigerator: Keep in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks, though flavor is best within 3-4 days.
- Freezer: For longer storage, freeze within 3 days. Wrap 3-4 together, then place in a container to prevent crushing. They'll keep up to 6 months (or more).
Serving Suggestions
- Other Cookie Recipes: Frosted Halloween Sugar Cookies, Smores Cookies, Halloween sugar cookies or Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownie Bars.
Cake Mix Cookies Recipe FAQs
Cake mix cookies are cookies that are made from a box of cake mix. With only the ingredients on the back of the box (typically eggs and oil) and you are ready to bake.
If you find the dough too sticky to scoop you can chill it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
You can make cake mix cookie bars and brownies and use a pan instead of scooping them individually.
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Cake Mix Christmas Cookies
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Spatula
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
- 1 ½ Tablespoon Cookie Scoop
- Cooling Rack
Ingredients
- 1-15 ounce box white cake mix (432 grams)
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup M&Ms
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and prep a cookie tray with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl add box cake mix, oil, eggs and mix by hand with a spatula until well blended (about 30-60 seconds).
- Fold in the M&Ms just until combined.
- Drop balls of dough using a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop, leaving a couple of inches between each ball to make sure they do not touch.
- Bake for about 9 minutes for chewy cookies.
- Cool on the cookie sheet for about 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
- Use a fresh or cooled cookie sheet before starting the next batch so the cookies do not start to spread too soon.
Notes
- Check for Doneness: Ovens vary and these cookies bake quickly, check at 8 minutes. They should look soft, not wet and will firm up as they cool.
- Room Temperature: Let eggs come to room temp so they mix smoothly.
- Don't Overmix: Stir until just combined for soft, chewy cookies.
- Bake Time: Pull cookies when edges are set but centers look soft, they'll finish on the sheet.
- Extra Festive Touch: Top with extra M&Ms, sprinkles or candy before baking.
Nutrition
We would be so grateful for you to leave us a rating and review on any recipes you try. If you make any change ups, let us know how they turned out.
I loved how fast these were to make, and still delicious. I can always use a recipe like this in my cookie repertoire. Thanks for sharing.
Our pleasure, that is so great to hear. Happy baking.
Love how easy these were to make! I ended up using a GF boxed cake mix so my sister could eat them and they turned out really well. Looking forward to making them again soon! 🙂
That is so wonderful to hear- I am glad your sister was able to enjoy the treat too. Thanks for the feedback and review.
I love how simple these cookies were but how festive they are at the same time. My kids really enjoyed helping me make them.
Oh that is so great to hear. We made them for my kiddos bake sale this week- they are always a nice and easy one. Thanks for the review.
I tried this cookies for my daughters birthday party with colorful M&M's and it was a huge hit! Thanks for sharing such a wonderful recipe!
It is such a great base and you can customize it so simply, I am glad you did! Thank you for the review.
This is my little guys favorite recipe. He loves the soft texture of the cookie and all the M&Ms; sometimes we add sprinkles as well for an extra crunch!
These cookies are a new holiday hit in our home! I love that they are family friendly for our toddler bakers. Friends and family enjoyed them! Will definitely make again.
Sarah, thank you so much for letting us know you all enjoyed them!
Made these cookies with the kids and they were so easy! They didn’t last long in our house so we will definitely be making a few more batches before the holidays. Thanks for a family-friendly recipe!
Family recipes for the win! We love that you all had fun and enjoyed them.
So easy and so tasty. We all loved them and I will definitely be making them again. Thx for sharing.
Thanks Sandra for the review! We love hearing that people will be back to make more!