Frosted Dr Pepper Cookies Recipe
These Dr Pepper cookies use devil’s food cake mix and reduced soda to bring in a deeper, more concentrated flavor. The soft texture pairs with a smooth cherry Dr Pepper frosting that highlights the soda's subtle cherry notes and ties everything together.
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 cup Dr Pepper regular, do not use diet or zero
- 1 (15.25 ounce) box devil's food cake mix I used Duncan Hines
- 1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon maraschino cherry juice or grenadine
Frosting * See Notes
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons maraschino cherry juice or grenadine
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1-3 tablespoons Dr Pepper as needed
Instructions
- Pour 1 cup of Dr Pepper into a saucepan and simmer over medium heat until reduced to about 1/4 cup. Let cool completely.
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix cake mix, oil, eggs, vanilla extract, cherry juice or grenadine, and 2 tablespoons of the cooled, reduced Dr Pepper until combined.
- Scoop dough using a 2-tablespoon scoop and place on prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 8–10 minutes, until edges are set and centers are soft. Cool completely.
- Beat butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, cherry juice or grenadine, salt, and remaining 2 tablespoons of reduced Dr Pepper. Mix until smooth, adding more Dr Pepper as needed for consistency.
- Frost or pipe* cooled cookies and top with a maraschino cherry if desired.
Notes
- This recipe is based on a 15.25 ounce box. If using a 13.25 ounce box, buy two and add enough to reach 15.25 ounces total.
- Use regular Dr Pepper, not diet or zero. Only 2 tablespoons of the reduction are used in the dough; the rest goes into the frosting.
- Store the frosted cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, keep them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and let them come to room temperature before serving for the best texture.
- Freeze the unfrosted cookies in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, then frost before serving.
- If piping the frosting, make 1.5x the frosting recipe:
3/4 cup unsalted butter
3 cups powdered sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 teaspoons maraschino cherry juice or grenadine
3/8 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2–4 1/2 tablespoons Dr Pepper as needed. - I used a Wilton 1M tip for piping.
Nutrition
Calories: 245kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 2gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 242mgPotassium: 90mgFiber: 1gSugar: 24gVitamin A: 188IUCalcium: 41mgIron: 1mg
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.
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