Christmas Cake Mix Cookies

Christmas Cake Mix Cookies are super easy, soft and chewy. They start with two boxes of cake mix then you add a few simple ingredients most likely already in your pantry! Plus, they freeze great if you are prepping for the holidays! If you are looking for a festive, quick and easy holiday treat this is it.

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Is your holiday to-do list a million items long like mine is every year? If it is, I thought you might appreciate a super easy cookie recipe! Anything to make the holiday season easier, right? Well, these cookies are very festive and cute and couldn’t be easier to make. What makes them so easy is that they’re made with cake mix! Yes, a regular cake mix that you buy in a box at the store.

I’ve been using cake mix to make all kinds of easy desserts like dump cakes and crumb cakes. I’ve even used it to make cake batter ice cream, but I think this is my favorite way to use it – it’s such a life-saver during the holidays because it makes cookie-making so much faster. If you’re new to cake mix cookies I think you’re going to be very happy! Holiday baking just got so much easier!

Two-Toned Holiday Cookies

You only need two boxes of white cake mix (plus some other baking ingredients!) to make these and I’m showing you how to turn the mix into two-toned cookies.

I flavored some of the dough with strawberry jello (Jason loves strawberry-flavored anything!) and the other half is flavored with almond extract. When you mix the two doughs together to form the cookies you get adorable red and white cookies. Perfect for the holidays, right?!

I’ve also made these with cherry jello to switch up the flavors, so you can do that, too. Or, if you don’t want to add a different flavor you can double the amount of almond extract, flavor all of the dough with it, and just use food coloring for half the dough so you still have two colors. It’s up to you! They are so versatile – just another reason to love them.

How to Make the Cookie Dough

First you will make two different doughs – one that’s almond-flavored and one that’s strawberry flavored. Using a cake mix makes this so much easier. You don’t have to measure out all of the dry ingredients – instead, you just dump both boxes of cake mix into the mixer, add a few more ingredients, and then just divide it in half.

Here are the ingredients you’ll need for the base cookie dough:

• 2 boxes of white cake mix
• 1 cup of butter, melted
• 2 eggs

Just mix those three ingredients together with an electric mixer and your base cookie dough is done. Divide it in half and place each in a bowl- one half is for the strawberry flavor and the other half is the almond flavor.

For the strawberry cookie dough you’ll need:

• 1 box strawberry jello
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/2 teaspoon red food coloring gel

For the almond cookie dough you’ll need:

• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Add the flavorings to each dough and mix them up. That’s it! You’re ready to make your two-toned cookies.

Combine the Doughs and Bake!

• To create a marbled two-toned effect just combine one tablespoon of each dough and roll them together with your hands.
• Place the cookie dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Lightly press down on each of the dough balls to flatten them a bit.
• Bake them for 8 to 10 minutes at 350 degrees F.
• They are done once they start to crack on top. Take them out of the oven, but let them cool for two minutes on the baking sheet so they finish baking and set. Transfer them to a baking rack to cool completely.

Tips for Storing Cake Mix Cookies

These holiday cookies bake up so soft and chewy and they are great for cookie platters because they keep well at room temperature for a few days. Here are a few other amazing things tips about making them!

• You can make the dough ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator. The dough will keep well for a few days!
• Or, make your cookie dough balls and then freeze them to bake later. This is great if you want to get a headstart on your holiday baking. When you’re ready to bake them just thaw the cookie dough balls at room temperature, press them down a bit, and bake them following the recipe instructions.
• You can also freeze them after they’re baked! Make sure they’re completely cooled and then freeze them for up to three months. To thaw, just leave them out at room temperature for an hour or so.

More Easy Holiday Treats!

Looking for more easy cookie recipes? You need to give some of these recipes a try, too!

• It wouldn’t be the holidays without a batch of sugar cookies! My go-to sugar cookie recipe doesn’t need any chill time. Just mix up the dough and drop it on a baking sheet.
• Do you love Nutter Butters? You can use them to make the cutest snowman cookies!
• The holidays are complete without a batch of Chocolate Crinkle Cookies! They’re rich and fudgy with a coating of powdered sugar.
• My family has been making Ritz peanut butter cookies for years. It’s a tradition at our house and once you try them I bet they’ll be a tradition at yours, too. They’re a salty-sweet treat we look forward to every year.
• These delicious homemade vanilla cupcakes are topped with homemade buttercream frosting that’s swirled with white and green, then topped with sprinkles for a festive Christmas Cupcake!
• Want even more ideas? Grab a cup of coffee and browse over 50 different Christmas cookie recipes – there are so many amazing recipes to try!

Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @julieseatsandtreats or #julieseatsandtreats so I can see your yummy treat!

 

5 from 11 votes

Christmas Cake Mix Cookies

 Soft, chewy and super simple cookies that start with a cake mix!

Prep:15 minutes mins

Cook:8 minutes mins

Total:23 minutes mins

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Ingredients

Cookies

• ▢ 2 boxes white cake mix
• ▢ 1 c. butter melted
• ▢ 2 eggs

Red Dough

• ▢ 3 oz package strawberry jello
• ▢ 1 Tbsp water
• ▢ 1/2 tsp red food coloring gel

White Dough

• ▢ 1 Tbsp water
• ▢ 1/2 tsp almond extract.

Instructions

• In a mixing bowl, or your stand mixer beat together the cake mix, melted butter and eggs.
• Separate the dough in half. Add the jello, water and food coloring to one half of the dough.
• To the other half of the dough add the water, and almond extract.
• Take a small tablespoon size piece of red and of white dough. Roll them together to make a marble like cookie.
• Place on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. The cookies will start to crack when they are done. Remove from the oven and let them continue to cook for about 2 minutes on the hot sheet.
• Remove from the pan and finish cooling on wire rack.

Tips

Change the flavor and color!

• I’ve also made these cookies with cherry jello to switch up the flavors, so you can do that, too.
• Or, if you don’t want to add a different flavor you can double the amount of almond extract, flavor all of the dough with it, and just use food coloring for half the dough so you still have two colors. It’s up to you! 

Tips for Storing Cake Mix Cookies

• Store in an airtight container and they keep well at room temperature for a few days.
• You can make the dough ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator. The dough will keep well for a few days!
• Or, make your cookie dough balls and then freeze them to bake later. This is great if you want to get a headstart on your holiday baking. When you’re ready to bake the cookies, just thaw the cookie dough balls at room temperature, press them down a bit, and bake them following the recipe instructions.
• You can also freeze the cookies after they’re baked! Make sure they’re completely cooled and then freeze them for up to three months. To thaw, just leave them out at room temperature for an hour or so.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 138kcal (7%), Carbohydrates: 19g (6%), Protein: 1g (2%), Fat: 6g (9%), Saturated Fat: 3g (19%), Cholesterol: 23mg (8%), Sodium: 214mg (9%), Potassium: 19mg (1%), Sugar: 9g (10%), Vitamin A: 175IU (4%), Calcium: 55mg (6%), Iron: 0.5mg (3%)

© Julie's Eats & Treats ®

We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box is calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.