These crazy-easy Spice Cookies are made with a box of cake mix. They have a soft texture and classic flavor that’s perfect for the holidays. You’ll love sharing them with the people you love!
- Easy Cake Mix Recipe: A simple cookie recipe is always nice to have, and this one takes lots of the work off of your shoulders by using a box of cake mix for the base. Easy peasy!
- Only 5 Ingredients: Did I mention how easy this is? Not to overdo it, but yes – these sparkly holiday cookies only take 5 basic ingredients to make.
- Quick Baking: These cookies also take less than 30 minutes to make, including cooling time – score!!
- One Bowl: No mixer needed – just a bowl and spatula will get the job done.
(If you are looking for more holiday cookies, check out my 101 Christmas Cookies round up! I also have to recommend these White Chocolate Dipped Gingersnap Cookies, Gingerbread Man Cookies, and my personal top favorite cookies – these classic Spritz Cookies!)
Thanks to the cake mix, these cookies have a sweet, spiced flavor that everyone loves. Here’s what you’ll need to make them:
- Cake Mix: One box of spice cake mix.
- Oil: Vegetable oil, or another neutral oil.
- Eggs: Large, whole eggs help bind the mixture together and give it structure.
- Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract.
- Sugar: Regular granulated sugar.
These cookies would be perfect to make for a cookie exchange, especially if you aren’t the most experienced baker — these cookies are really hard to screw up!
- Make the Cookie Dough: Mix the cake mix, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl until there aren’t any large lumps.
- Shape the Cookies. Roll the dough into balls, and roll each one in sugar. Place them on baking sheets with room for spreading in between.
- Bake. Bake these cookies for 9 – 10 minutes, or until the tops have cracked and the tops look set. The centers will still be gooey.
- Cool. Let the cookies sit for 5 minutes, and then transfer to a cooling rack.
Baker’s Notes
Baking up these scrumptious, aromatic spice cookies is fun, especially with a few tricks up your sleeve. These quick tips will help guarantee a perfect batch of cookies, every time.
- Added Vanilla: While spice cake mix is flavorful all on its own, a little added vanilla gives the recipe a deeper, bakery-style taste that’s hard to beat.
- Chilling Option: After mixing the cookie dough, you can bake it right away, or refrigerate it for around 30 minutes before baking. Chilling the dough allows the flavors to meld together, and makes the dough firmer going into the oven, which will deliver thicker, chewier cookies.
- No Sticking: To prevent the cookies from sticking to the baking sheet, I like to use parchment paper or silicone baking mats. You can also simply grease the cookie sheet, but that’s not always as reliable.
Spice cookies are wonderful on their own, but if you want to jazz them up a little, try these holiday-appropriate variations. So many delicious cookie options, so little time!
- Icing or Frosting: What’s better than a cookie? A cookie coated with frosting. You’ll love adding Cream Cheese Frosting for a Lofthouse-like cookie, or Brown Sugar Frosting (from my pumpkin cake recipe!) for a thinner, more homespun twist.
- Add Some Crunch: Spice cookies are the perfect vehicle for a little added crunch from chopped walnuts, pecans, or slivered almonds.
- Add More Flavor: Other mix-ins you might like include white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, raisins, cranberry, or candied orange peel. Yum!
Spice cookies store well at room temperature (unless you top them with cream cheese frosting – in that case, keep them in the fridge). Make sure to store them in an airtight container or zip-top bag, and enjoy them within four or five days.
Can I Freeze These?
Yes! Cool the cookies completely, and package them in layers in a hard-sided container, with parchment or wax paper between the layers to prevent sticking. Freeze for up to 2 months, and thaw at room temperature before serving.
- Easy Christmas Whoopie Pies
- Easy Christmas Sugar Cookies with Icing
- Old Fashioned Iced Oatmeal Cookies
- Christmas Crack
- Red and Green M&M Christmas Cookies
- Peppermint Oreo Truffle Balls
- Butterscotch Haystacks
Ingredients
- 1 box (18.25 oz) spice cake mix
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line two cookie sheets with a silicon mat or parchment paper. Place granulated sugar in a shallow bowl and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine cake mix, oil, eggs and vanilla extract until there are no large lumps left.
- Roll 1 heaping tablespoon of dough into balls and coat in granulated sugar. Place on cookie sheets, leaving about 2 inches for spreading.
- Bake for 9-10 minutes, or until the tops have cracked and the tops look set (the centers will still be gooey). Let sit for 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.
- Serve warm or store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Notes
Nutrition
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Wow! Never would know it was cake mix!! This opens a whole new category for cookies!! The possibilities are ENDLESS!! Thank you for sharing this recipe!! There were none left within 3 hrs!!
love them made the cookies a couple times
These look interesting. I had to add a quarter cup of flour just get them to the sticky point. I sprinkled in a little pumpkin pie spice because I was afraid the extra flour would diminish the flavor. They were like brownie batter before that. Just took them out of the oven, and they are cracked and look good.
So far so good, but mine look nothing like your pic, or any other cake mix cookie I’ve made. Mine spread considerably, which is actually fine as I intended to make crean cheese frosting sandwich cookies with them, but oddly there is a huge difference in appearance between my silpat sheet and my parchment paper sheet. Guess we will see how they taste!
I just made these tonight and they are fantastic!! Thank you for such a tasty & easy recipe.
I made these today with my kids and they were great! I used someone’s suggestion of adding cocoa powder to make up the difference for a 15.25 oz cake mix. They turned out rich and chocolately with a warm spice flavor. I am sure the original recipe is great too and will try it when I find a 18.25 oz spice cake mix. Super easy too!
I was out of vanilla, but had to make cookies for work tomorrow. I substituted 1/2 tsp almond extract.
Awesome flavor.
Thanks for a great recipe.
Can you add raisins and pecans or walnuts to this recipe?
Can you bake these and then freeze them? I’m trying to get ahead on my baking for Christmas and not stress about getting everything done last minute!
Just finished a batch of these, yum. Super easy, I added ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon because we like spicy. they work best to just drop a fork full into the sugar then roll it around, a bit stick on the fingers but baking is messy sometimes. They taste great, I will make them again.
Tried this recipe and the cookies were a big hit. Dough was very sticky, however, a little water on my fingers and I was able To roll it into balls very easily. It’s a winner! Will be making them again soon.
I made these today. Absolutely amazing, the best spice cookies ever! Super moist, very tasty. My new recipe for spice cookies. And SO easy lol
On a side note, my Duncan Hines spice cake mix was only 15.25 Oz, I made the recipe exactly as it stated here on this site, and they are absolutely perfect. They are very sticky, so when you roll them into the sugar that’s helps you move them easier. I used a large melon ball scoop, put them right into the sugar. And rolled it around, this made it possible to move them to the pan.
Will regular fine sugar work?
I used regular sugar, worked great.
So, my husband accidentally ordered 12 boxes of spice cake mix instead of just one for me, and I’ve been looking for fun ways to use them instead of just making regular spice cake over and over again haha. This recipe looks like it could work, but do you have any tips for using a smaller box? My box is only 15.25 and I’d really love to make these cookies, do you have any subsitution tips? Like perhaps add a little flour or something? I’d appreciate any tips as I’d love to make these cookies.
That’s what size my Duncan Hines spice cake mix was, and they turned out absolutely delicious. I followed the recipe exactly as it is, and they’re delicious. Super moist and yummy!!
I used a 16.5 oz spice cake mix and added 2 oz Calicutts Winter Chai Spiced Cocoa. This made a wonderful chocolate spiced cookie. Perfect for dessert at a chili cook off!
Can I sub veggie oil for olive oil?
Try apple sauce.
Perhaps 1 egg instead of 2. I added extra flour and I still couldn’t roll them into balls. I thought it would be a good first baking experience for my 7 yr old grandson. It wasn’t.
I am making the cookies as I type this and realized from someone else’s comment, the normal cake mix box size is 15.25. I mixed all the ingredients without even noticing, but now my dough is very sticky and I am unable to roll the balls!! PLEASE HELP ASAP!!!!!
For me the key was to refrigerate the dough before rolling it into balls.
Saralyn, I do that with all of the cake mix cookies. It really does help.
helps with frosting too
Yum, these look great!
THESE SPICE CAKE COOKIES LOOK YUMMY! I’M WONDERING HOW I CAN USE MY BOX OF
BETTY CROCKER SPICE CAKE MIX THAT IS ONLY 15.25 OZ. INSTEAD OF WHAT YOU’RE
USING, 18.25. THANKS MUCH!
What a great sounding and looking cookie! I wish I was stuffing my face with them right now!
Oh boy. I have to get my baking going. These cookies look delicious. Loving the spices.
Everyone needs a really good, easy cookie recipe for the holidays. These look and sound so delicious – I’ll definitely be adding them to my baking list.
Yay for cookies!! This is definitely my favorite season :-)
I LOVE cake mix cookies! These look perfect. :)
My daughter is coming home from college in a few weeks. Do these freeze well?
Hi Paula, I think these are best fresh. They are really easy to make, maybe your daughter will help you make them!
These cookies look absolutely delicious!! YUM!!
These look so good! I love that they will keep for a few days too.