These Cookies from Devil’s Food Cake Mix are rich, chewy, and irresistibly easy cookies. With just a handful of ingredients and no mixer required, this chocolatey cookie recipe turns a boxed cake mix into decadent double-chocolate cookies in under 15 minutes. The candy eyeballs make them perfect for Halloween—or anytime you want to add a little personality to your dessert table.
Whether you’re baking with kids, short on time, or just looking for a fun twist on a classic chocolate cookie, these spooky-soft treats deliver flavor and fun in every bite.
Jump to:
- Why You Will Love These Cookies from Devil's Food Cake Mix
- Ingredients
- Substitutions and Variations
- How to Make Devil's Food Cookies From Cake Mix
- More Recipes You Will Love
- How to Store Cookies from Devil's Food Cake Mix
- What to Serve with Devil's Food Cookies from Cake Mix
- Top Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions About Cookies from Devil's Food Cake Mix
- More Recipes You Will Love
- Cookies from Devil’s Food Cake Mix Recipe
I love making desserts from cake mix. Here are some of my favorites: Lemon and Blueberry Dump Cake, Strawberry Brownies, Christmas Cake Mix Cookies, Red White and Blue Dump Cake, and Strawberry Rhubarb Dump Cake.
Why You Will Love These Cookies from Devil's Food Cake Mix
- Easy: No mixer, no chill time, no fuss.
- Super Chocolatey: Devil’s food cake mix has a rich cocoa flavor.
- Soft and Chewy: Just 9 minutes in the oven keeps the texture perfect.
- Kid-Approved: Those candy eyeballs are always a hit.
- Versatile: Change the decorations for different holidays or themes; omit them all together for a simple chocolate cookie.
- Fun: The simplicity of this recipe will allow you to bring it the smallest of hands to help!
Ingredients
Make these Devil's food cake mix cookies with just a few simple ingredients.
See the recipe card below for the exact quantities of each ingredient.
- Devil’s Food Cake Mix: The staple of this recipe, a box of cake mix gives these cookies their chewy base.
- Vegetable Oil: A neutral oil to add fat, which helps make the cookies soft; vegetable oil will not affect flavor.
- Eggs: A binder in any baking recipe.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: You can add pure vanilla extract to enhance the cookies natural flavors.
- Candy Eyeballs: They can’t be spooky if they don’t have googly eyes!
For this easy cookie recipe, you'll want to have on hand a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop (unless you are good at 'eyeballing it'; see what I did there??), large bowl, baking sheet, parchment paper, spatula and cooling rack.
Substitutions and Variations
There are lots of ways you can personalize these cookies to make your own original recipe.
- 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).
- Halloween Candy: Add your favorite festive candies to the top, like candy corns or pumpkins, or any ghoulish gummy!
- Favorite Add-Ins: Mix in semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or crushed pretzels before baking.
- Box Mix Swap: Change the type of cake mix you use (note: we do not recommend using Angel Food Cake Mix). Try our Cake Mix Christmas Cookies with white cake mix.
- Oil: Swap vegetable oil for melted butter for a richer flavor.
- Vanilla: Optional, but a splash adds depth to the chocolate.
- Gluten-Free Option: Use a gluten-free chocolate cake mix (same measurements apply).
How to Make Devil's Food Cookies From Cake Mix
Cake cookies are the easiest cookies to make.
Preheat oven to 350ºF and prep a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl add cake mix, oil, eggs, vanilla and mix by hand with a spatula. It should be well blended in about 30-60 seconds.
Drop dough balls of cookie dough, with 1 ½ tablespoon scoop, on prepared baking sheet, leaving a couple of inches between to make sure they do not touch.
Bake for about 9 minutes to keep the cookies chewy.
Remove baked cookies from the oven and add a few eyeballs to each one right away. Transfer to a wire rack to let cookies cool fully.
Hint: Not all ovens cook the same and these cookies bake fast! Stay close to the oven, around 8 minutes check for doneness. They should look soft (but not wet or raw), and they will firm up a little as they cool.
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How to Store Cookies from Devil's Food Cake Mix
While you can store these, you won't want to. They are too delicious you will want to eat them all up!
- Countertop: Fully cooled cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 7 days on the counter. For best texture and flavor, we recommend 3-4 days. Cut pieces of parchment paper to stack between each cookie when stacking. This prevents any moisture from ruining the eyeballs and the cookies sticking together.
- Refrigerator: Alternatively, you can place in an airtight container for up to two weeks in the fridge. But again, 3-4 days would offer the best flavor.
- Freezer: If you do not plan to eat them within 3 days, we suggest storing these in the freezer. You can wrap 3-4 together, then place them into another container to prevent them from getting crushed or place in a freezer-safe bag. They will hold great flavor for up to 3 months.
- Make Ahead: With a quick prep and bake time it is ideal to make them when needed.
What to Serve with Devil's Food Cookies from Cake Mix
- Milk: You probably already know cookies and milk are a perfect match. Whether you're a 'bite n sip', 'eat then drink', or 'dunk' cookie eater, you're bringing back that childhood nostalgia!
- Coffee/Tea: Many warm beverages go well with cookies. We find a simple tea or coffee allows the cookie flavor to shine. Try our caramel mocha coffee, pink hot chocolate or our slow cooker hot chocolate as great options to pair with these cookies.
- Boozy Beverages: Try our Irish coffee with Baileys, hot toddy, espresso Irish coffee or Baileys hot chocolate.
- Ice Cream: Hear me out here! Crumbling up these cookies and topping some cold vanilla ice cream is a bonus to these delicious treats.
- Ice Cream Sandwiches: Make mini ice cream sandwiches. Lightly soften some ice cream and spread on one cookie, top with another and place in the freezer to chill.
Top Tips
- Eye Ball Trick: Lightly press the eyeballs to make sure they stay in the cookies, when they are fresh out of the oven!
- Use a Cookie Scoop: Helps keep the cookies uniform and prevents over-handling the dough.
- Don’t Flatten: The dough balls will spread just the right amount as they bake.
- Cool Pan: Let the pan cool completely before starting another round so your cookies bake evenly.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cookies from Devil's Food Cake Mix
Do you have questions about making cookies from Devil's food cake mix? Here are some helpful answers to frequently asked questions?
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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Cookies from Devil’s Food Cake Mix Recipe
Equipment
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- 1 ½ Tablespoon Cookie Scoop
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Baking Sheet
- Spatula
- Parchment Paper
- Cooling Rack
Ingredients
- 1 15 ounce box Devil’s Food Cake Mix (432 grams)
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract optional
- 60 candy eyeballs various sizes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF and prep a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl add cake mix, oil, eggs, vanilla and mix by hand with a spatula. It should be well blended in about 30-60 seconds.
- Drop dough balls of cookie dough, with 1 ½ tablespoon scoop, on prepared baking sheet, leaving a couple of inches between to make sure they do not touch.
- Bake for about 9 minutes to keep the cookies chewy.
- Remove baked cookies from the oven and add a few eyeballs to each one right away. Transfer to a wire rack to let cookies cool fully.
Notes
- Not all ovens cook the same and these cookies bake fast! Stay close to the oven, around 8 minutes check for doneness. They should look soft (but not wet or raw), and they will firm up a little as they cool.
- Lightly press theeyeballs to make sure they stay in the cookies, when they are fresh out of the oven!
- Helps keep the cookies uniform and prevents over-handling the dough.
- The dough balls will spread just the right amount as they bake.
- Let the pan cool completely before starting another round so your cookies bake evenly.
Nutrition
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Eva Filer says
These cookies are so soft and chewy - and ultra fun! Easy to make in a pinch and fun to decorate with the kiddos.