‘Tis the season for Christmas cookies, and these Cake Mix Christmas Cookies bring all the holiday cheer! Loaded with semi-sweet chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, crunchy pretzel pieces, Christmas M&Ms, and festive sprinkles, they’re a fun and easy twist on a holiday classic.
Easy Christmas Cake Mix Cookies
Using a box of cake mix for cookies is one of my favorite baking hacks, especially during the busy holiday season—it saves so much time and guarantees soft, delicious cookies. These Christmas Cake Mix Cookies are no exception!
These cookies come together in no time and deliver the perfect mix of flavors and textures. The sweet, gooey pockets of marshmallows are my favorite, and the crunchy pretzels add just the right amount of contrast. Plus, the festive M&Ms and sprinkles make them as fun to look at as they are to eat.
These cookies are a must for holiday parties, cookie exchanges, or leaving out a plate for Santa on Christmas Eve (he deserves the best, after all). If chocolate cookies are more your style, you’ve got to check out my Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies. I used the seasonal peppermint M&Ms in that recipe, but you could definitely mix in all the goodies from these Christmas cookies for a chocolaty twist. Either way, they’re a holiday win!
Simple Ingredients
- Vanilla cake mix – For the base of the cookie. I used Betty Crocker.
- Eggs – Bind the ingredients together and add moisture for a chewy texture. Use large eggs.
- Canola or vegetable oil – To add moisture to the cookies.
- Christmas M&Ms – Adds fun Christmas colors to the cookies. You can pick out the green and red from a regular bag of M&Ms if you cannot find the Christmas mix.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips – Adds gooey pockets of melted chocolate to contrast the sweetness.
- Mini marshmallows – Creates pockets of gooey, toasted marshmallow goodness.
- Pretzels – Provides a salty and crunchy element, balancing the sweetness of the other ingredients.
- Holiday sprinkles – Adds a vibrant, festive touch to the holiday cookies.
Making the Cake Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Mix the boxed cake mix, eggs, and oil in a large bowl until well combined.
- Fold in the M&Ms, chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, crushed pretzels, and sprinkles.
- Scoop the cookie dough onto the prepared cookie sheet using a large cookie scoop. Leave at least two inches between the cookie dough balls, as they will spread while baking. Top the cookies with extra M&Ms and chocolate chips if desired.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are set. Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Variations and substitutions
Flavor variations – These cake mix cookies will work with a variety of different cake mixes. Try Devil’s Food for a rich chocolate cookie, red velvet to keep things extra festive, or even a basic white cake mix for a simple cookie.
Butter instead of oil – Replace the oil with an equal amount of melted unsalted butter. I prefer the texture of cake mix cookies made with oil but melted butter works just as well. Cake mix cookies made with butter have a more fluffy, cake-like consistency. Cake mix cookies made with oil are denser and flatter.
Change the chocolate – I like to use semi-sweet chocolate chips in my cookies; however, milk chocolate or white chocolate chips would work as a replacement.
Go nuts – Replace the crushed pretzels with chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts for added texture and nutty flavor. I always recommend toasting your nuts before adding them to cookies. Toasting nuts enhances their nutty flavor.
Minty fresh – Replace the pretzels with crushed candy canes or peppermint candies.
Make smaller cookies – This recipe calls for using a large cookie scoop to make delicious large cookies. You can use a medium cookie scoop and make smaller cookies instead. If you do make smaller cookies, you will need to reduce the back time by 2-3 minutes.
Tips for Success
- Don’t over-bake the cookies – Keep a close eye on the cookies, especially if you make smaller ones. They should be slightly golden around the edges but still soft in the middle. They will continue to cook as they cool on the baking sheet, so transferring them to a cooling rack after a few minutes is essential.
- Use parchment – Lining your baking sheets with parchment paper is helpful for a few reasons. Firstly, it stops the cookies from sticking to the baking sheets, which can be an issue when the marshmallows in the cookies melt. For this reason, using parchment paper also makes clean-up easier.
- ‘Stud’ your cookie dough – Gently press additional chocolate chips and M&Ms onto the top of your dough balls before baking for an extra pop of color and visual appeal. This simple step not only enhances the taste but also creates a beautiful, textured surface that makes your cookies look as good as they taste.
- Reshape the cookies as needed – As the cookies bake, the marshmallows will melt, potentially causing them to spread and misshape the cookies. When scooping the dough, aim to keep the marshmallows nestled within the center of the dough ball to prevent this. If any misshaping occurs, you can gently use a large cookie cutter to reshape the cookies into a round shape immediately after taking them out of the oven.
- Adjust for cake mix size – I used a 15.25-ounce box of Betty Crocker cake mix when testing this recipe, but they’ve since reduced the size to 13.25 ounces. If you’re using the smaller box, reduce the oil to 1/3 cup to maintain the right consistency and texture in your cookies.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days.
The cookies can be frozen in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to three months. Thaw the cookies at room temperature before enjoying them.
Want to be the first to know when more Christmas cookie recipes are published? Sign up for our newsletter updates below.
Love Cake Mix Cookie Recipes?
Check out these great recipes.
- Triple Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies
- Polar Bear Paw Cookies
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Polar Bear Face Cookies
Did you love these delicious, easy Christmas cookies? Let me know what you think in the comments below.
Cake Mix Christmas Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 (15.25 ounce) box of vanilla cake mix
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup canola or vegetable oil
- ½ cup Christmas M&Ms red and green
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup mini marshmallows
- ½ cup crushed pretzels
- ¼ cup red and green sprinkle mix
- Additional M&Ms and chocolate chips for topping cookies optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Mix the cake mix, eggs, and oil in a large bowl until well combined.
- Fold in the M&Ms, chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, crushed pretzels, and sprinkles.
- Scoop the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets using a large cookie scoop. Leave at least two inches between each cookie, as they will spread while baking. Top the cookies with extra M&Ms and chocolate chips if using.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are set. Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days.
- The cookies can be frozen in an airtight container for up to three months. Thaw the cookies at room temperature before enjoying them.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutrition information is estimated based on automated calculations and should be considered as an approximation. These estimates are provided as a courtesy. Please use your own brand’s nutritional values to verify accuracy.
Cookie Monster Cookies (From Cookie Mix) - Semi Homemade Kitchen
Friday 24th of May 2024
[…] flavor profile, you can use a cake mix cookie base instead of a sugar cookie mix. Check out my Christmas Cake Mix Cookie recipe for a simple cake mix […]
Donna
Monday 25th of December 2023
What size box of cake mix was this developed for? The boxes keep shrinking.
Semihomemadekitchen
Monday 25th of December 2023
Hi Donna. This recipe was developed for a 15.25 ounce box of cake mix. If you are using a 13.25 ounce box add 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour.
Chocolate Cake Mix Christmas Cookies - Semi Homemade Kitchen
Saturday 16th of December 2023
[…] you love these Chocolate Cake Mix Christmas Cookies, check out these Loaded Christmas Cake Mix […]
Peppermint Bark Brownie Cookies - Semi Homemade Kitchen
Friday 15th of December 2023
[…] Cake Mix Christmas Cookies […]
Easy Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies (From Sugar Cookie Mix) - Semi Homemade Kitchen
Wednesday 29th of November 2023
[…] If you love easy Christmas cookies, you should check out these reader-favorite Cake Mix Christmas Cookies! […]