Spice cake mix cookies are made with a box cake mix and a few staple ingredients. They take just 20 minutes, are filled with all of the warm spices of fall, like these molasses crinkle cookies, and couldn't be easier to make.
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This post has been fully updated with step-by-step instructions, photos, and tips.
Did you know you can make cookies from cake mix? A box cake mix and a few staples are all you need to bake up soft, delicious cookies. The flavor options are endless, like these strawberry lemonade cookies.
Frosting makes any treat extra special, like these frosted Rice Krispie treats. These spice cake mix cookies have a maple brown butter frosting that adds more cozy flavor. They are the perfect fall treat!
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Why This Recipe Works
- Simple ingredients - The cookie dough comes together with three ingredients, including a store-bought shortcut.
- Easy - Cake mix eliminates the need to measure out various ingredients. Simply add eggs and oil.
- Chilling the dough is not required.
- These cookies are perfect for those times when you crave a warm, freshly baked cookie and don't want to take the time to make a full batch from scratch.
Ingredient Notes
- Cake mix: A 15.25-ounce box is needed for this recipe. I use Duncan Hines.
- Oil: Use a neutral-flavored oil, like canola.
- Maple extract adds seasonal flavor to the frosting. Vanilla extract can also be used.
Variations
- Roll the dough balls in granulated or cinnamon sugar. This will give the cookies a crackly top.
- Add in chopped nuts or chocolate chips. Walnuts, pecans, or white chocolate would be delicious in these spice cookies.
- Try different cake mix flavors and various add-ins:
- Strawberry cake mix with lemon icing
- Red velvet cake mix with cream cheese frosting
- White or yellow cake mix with sprinkles or chocolate chips
- Devil's food cake mix with chopped pecans and chocolate frosting
How to Make Spice Cake Mix Cookies
Step 1: Add the cake mix, eggs, and oil to a mixing bowl.
Step 2: Stir until well combined.
Step 3: Using a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop, portion the dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake at 350℉ for 8-10 minutes. Cool before frosting.
Step 4: For the frosting, add the butter to a skillet over medium-low heat. Melt the butter and cook it, stirring occasionally, until it turns golden brown. Cool slightly.
Step 5: Add the powdered sugar, melted butter, maple extract, and heavy cream to a mixing bowl. Whisk until smooth, adding more cream as needed to achieve a spreadable consistency.
Step 6: Using an offset spatula, spread the frosting on the cookies.
Expert Tips
- Do not follow the instructions on the cake mix box. Rather, follow the instructions as noted in the recipe card.
- For thinner cookies, flatten the balls of dough before baking.
- Use parchment paper to prevent the cookies from sticking. It also makes clean-up a breeze.
- Use a cookie scoop to portion the dough. This ensures the cookies are uniform in size so they will bake evenly.
- Store the frosted cookies in an airtight container with parchment paper between the layers. These cookies will last for up to four days.
Cake Mix Cookies FAQs
18.25-ounce cake mix is no longer the standard size and isn't widely available. The most commonly sold size is 15.25 ounces. If using 18.25 ounces, I recommend increasing the amount of oil to ½ cup.
The spice flavor can be amped up by adding some vanilla or maple extract. You can also add in extra spice flavor with ground cinnamon, cloves, and ginger.
More Cookie Recipes You Will Love
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📖 Recipe Card
Spice Cake Mix Cookies
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Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 15.25 ounce box spice cake mix (see notes)
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup canola oil (or vegetable oil)
Frosting
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon maple extract
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream (or half-and-half)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, and oil. Stir until well combined.1 15.25 ounce box spice cake mix, 2 large eggs, ⅓ cup canola oil
- Using a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop, portion the dough out onto the sheet pan. Bake for 8-10 minutes. The cookies will be set but will look slightly underdone in the middle. Let the cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
- For the frosting, add the butter to a small skillet set over low heat. Melt the butter and continue to heat until the butter turns golden brown, stirring occasionally. Brown bits will form in the bottom of the pan. This will take about 5 minutes. Cool slightly.2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- In a mixing bowl, combine the powdered sugar, maple extract, brown butter, and cream. Stir or whisk until the frosting has a smooth consistency. Additional cream can be added a little at a time to achieve the desired spreading consistency.1 ½ cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon maple extract, 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- Using an offset spatula, top each cookie with the frosting.
- Store the cookies in an airtight container with parchment paper between the layers. The cookies will keep for up to 4 days.
Notes
- The most commonly sold cake mix size is 15.25 ounces. If you are using an 18.25-ounce box of cake mix, increase the oil to ½ cup.
- The dough can be chilled for 15-20 minutes if desired but it is not required.
- For thinner cookies, flatten the dough balls with a glass before baking.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific ingredients used.
lbainb says
How much oil & egg if the cake mix is 13.25oz?
Abbey McDermott says
I haven't used 13.25oz mix, so I haven't tested this. However, I suggest adjusting the amount of oil proportionately, so try 4 1/2 tablespoons of oil and use the same amount of eggs (2). Please let me know how it turns out!
Betsy Susat says
Cookies tasted good but did not come out flat like yours
Abbey McDermott says
I'm happy you enjoyed these. Thicker cookies are still equally delicious!
Janna says
Very yummy 😋 Thank you for the recipe!
Abbey says
Janna, I'm so happy you enjoyed the cookies. I appreciate the review!
Dawn says
Made them and they are great... I wonder though, can we use butter in place of the oil?
Abbey says
I haven't tried butter in this recipe, but generally, butter can be substituted for oil when using cake mix. I suggest letting the melted butter cool before adding it to the batter.
SUZANNA GOODIN says
Question, your recipe card calls for 15.25 oz cake mix and 1/2 cup oil, but in the above notes, you talk about if using the 18.25, "increasing the oil to 1/3 cup". 1/2 is more than 1/3, should those directions be switched? 1/3 cup with the 15.25 mix? 1/2 cup with the 18.25?
Abbey says
Suzanna,
Yes, you are correct. This was a typo. 15.25 oz cake mix uses 1/3 cup oil and 18.25 oz uses 1/2 cup oil. I have updated this in the post and the recipe card. Thank you so much for catching and letting me know. I appreciate it!