These Chocolate Cake Mix Christmas Cookies are your ticket to hassle-free baking this holiday season. They’re an easy solution for a quick dessert, starting with a box of cake mix and decked out with vibrant Christmas M&Ms. Keep it simple and delicious.
Let’s talk about these Chocolate Cake Mix Christmas Cookies – the unsung heroes of last-minute baking. With just a few simple ingredients, these are the easiest cookies you will find. In fact, they’re so easy it’s almost a holiday miracle. When you realize Santa’s on his way, and you’ve got zero time to spare, just whip up a batch of dough, throw in some M&Ms, and consider your cookie duties fulfilled. Easy, breezy, and Santa-approved.
If you love these Chocolate Cake Mix Christmas Cookies, check out these Loaded Christmas Cake Mix Cookies.
Ingredients for the Chocolate Cake Mix Christmas Cookies
- Box of chocolate cake mix – Provides a rich chocolate flavor with minimal effort. Use your favorite flavor of chocolate cake mix. I used Duncan Hines Devil’s Food cake mix.
- Vegetable Oil: Maintains moisture and chewiness. Canola oil can also be used.
- Eggs: Contributes to softness and structure.
- Christmas M&Ms: Adds festive colors and a crunchy texture.
Making the Chocolate Cake Mix Christmas Cookies
- Prepare – Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
- Mix – In a large bowl, combine the chocolate cake mix, vegetable oil, and eggs until well combined. Gently fold in 2/3 cup of Christmas M&Ms into the cookie batter.
- Drop – Using a medium cookie scoop, drop dough onto the prepared cookie sheets, ensuring at least a two-inch gap between each cookie for optimal spreading during baking.
- Press – Press the remaining 1/3 cup of M&Ms into the tops of the balls of dough, creating a visually appealing and extra flavorful finish.
- Bake – Bake in the preheated oven for 9-12 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are set. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to ensure they firm up before transferring them to a wire rack to complete the cooling process. This step guarantees the perfect balance of soft centers and crisp edges.
Variations and substitutions
Cake mix base – Experiment with different cake mixes for flavor profiles. Red velvet, vanilla, yellow, or white cake mix are all great substitutions for the holidays.
M&M variety – Customize your M&Ms with the various flavors released around the holidays. Milk chocolate is a classic option; however, white chocolate, mint, or even peanut butter. I used the mint ones in these cookies, which include a fun white shell coating in addition to the traditional red and green.
Double chocolate delight – Replace half the M&Ms with chocolate chips. Semi-sweet chocolate would be my top recommendation; however, dark, milk or white chocolate chips would also work.
Gluten-free option – Use a gluten-free cake mix for a gluten-free version. Ensure all other ingredients are gluten-free, and choose gluten-free add-ins like certified gluten-free M&Ms.
Tips for success
- Consistent cookie size – Use a cookie scoop for uniform cookie sizes. This ensures even baking and your cookies will be ready at the same time.
- Proper cookie spacing – Place cookie dough balls on the baking sheets with enough space between them. This prevents cookies from merging into one another as they spread during baking.
- Gently press in M&Ms – When pressing the remaining M&Ms into the cookie dough balls, do it gently. This ensures the M&Ms stick without flattening the cookie too much.
- Watch the baking time – Keep a close eye on the cookies towards the end of the suggested baking time. They should be set around the edges but still soft in the center for that perfect chewiness.
- Reshape the cookies – For a perfectly round cookie, consider swirling a cookie cutter slightly larger than the cookie around the cookies right after they come out of the oven. This neat trick can give your cookies a polished appearance. Learn how to do this here.
- Cool on baking sheet – Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. This helps them firm up a bit so they do not fall apart when being moved to the wire rack.
Storage
Store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days.
For freezing, place the cookies in a sealed container or freezer bag, separating layers with parchment paper. They can be stored in the freezer for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Chocolate Cake Mix Christmas Cookies FAQs
A cake mix cookie is a type of cookie that is made using cake mix as one of the primary ingredients. Instead of starting from scratch with flour, sugar, and leavening agents, cake mix cookies use a pre-packaged cake mix as the base, simplifying the baking process. The cake mix typically contains flour, sugar, baking powder, and sometimes flavorings.
The best cake mix for cake mix cookies often depends on the desired texture and flavor preferences. Many bakers find that Betty Crocker cake mixes tend to produce cookies with a cakier texture, while Duncan Hines cake mixes result in flatter, chewy cookies. It’s worth noting that cake mix weights can vary, so if your box is less than 15.25 ounces, adding a bit of flour will help maintain the intended consistency in your cookie dough.
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Chocolate Cake Mix Christmas Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 (15.25 ounce) box of chocolate cake mix
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup Christmas M&Ms divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Mix the cake mix, oil and eggs in large mixing bowl until well combined. Fold in 2/3 cup of M&Ms.
- Drop scoops on dough onto the prepared cookie sheets using a medium cookie scoop leaving at least two inches between each cookie.
- Press the remaining 1/3 cup of M&Ms into the top of the cookie dough balls.
- Bake for 9-12 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are set. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
- Store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days.
- For freezing, place the cookies in a sealed container, separating layers with parchment paper. They can be stored in the freezer for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
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.