Cake Mix Cookies Your Way

These cake mix cookies are the ultimate emergency dessert: any flavor of cake mix, two eggs, half a cup of oil, and whatever stir-ins you have on hand. The whole concept revolves around customization, which is why the recipe is called “Cookies Your Way” instead of locking you into one flavor.

The magic of the cake mix base is the leavening, flavor and sugar are all pre-measured. You’re essentially binding the dry mix with eggs and oil instead of going through the multi-step process of a traditional cookie dough. The result is a soft, slightly cakey cookie with a tender crumb.

The two-egg, half-cup-oil ratio is the right balance for most standard cake mixes. Less oil makes dry, crumbly cookies. More oil makes greasy puddles on the sheet. This formula works for chocolate, vanilla, lemon, red velvet or carrot cake mixes equally well.

Mix-ins should add up to about 6 ounces total to keep the dough balanced. Chocolate chips are classic. M&Ms, chopped nuts, dried fruit, white chocolate, peanut butter chips, toffee bits, sprinkles or crushed candy bars all work beautifully. Get creative.

Don’t overbake. Pull at 9 minutes if the edges look set even though the centers still look soft. They firm up on the sheet as they cool. Push to 12 only for crispier cookies.

Cake mix cookies don’t spread much, so the dough balls hold their shape. Don’t flatten them or you’ll get thin, dry cookies.

Kitchen Tips

• Use unfilled chocolate chips or any mix-ins of similar size. Larger chunks make uneven cookies.
• The dough is sticky. Wet your hands or use a small cookie scoop to portion.
• Bake one sheet at a time on the center rack for the most even results.
• These freeze beautifully. Roll dough into balls, freeze on a tray, then bag up. Bake from frozen, just add 1 to 2 minutes.

Variations

• Chocolate cake mix + peanut butter chips + chopped Reese’s cups
• Lemon cake mix + white chocolate chips + dried cranberries
• Red velvet cake mix + cream cheese chips + chopped pecans
• Spice cake mix + cinnamon chips + raisins + chopped walnuts