These easy red velvet cake mix cookies are quick to make and perfect for holidays like Valentine’s Day. They turn out soft and fluffy with a hint of cocoa flavor, and you can make them your own with add-ins like white chocolate.
These cake mix cookies have a thick, soft-baked texture that reminds me of my red velvet brownies. You can make them in one bowl with only 5 ingredients!
Easy Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies
Finally, I’m sharing my cake mix cookies inspired by red velvet cake. These red velvet cake mix cookies are the perfect quick treat when I need something sweet in a hurry (last-minute potlucks, bake sales, etc.). They’re soft-baked and fudgy, and you’d never believe that they started with a box of cake mix! I roll the cookie dough in sugar before baking for a fun, easy crinkle effect.
Cake Mix Cookies Are Quick and Easy
- One bowl. There’s no need to mix your ingredients separately when making cake mix cookies. Everything goes right into one bowl. Quick to mix, quick to clean!
- 5 ingredients. I love my homemade red velvet cookies, but this cake mix cookie recipe cuts the ingredients list in half! With only a handful of ingredients including a box of red velvet cake mix, it’s super beginner-friendly.
- Thick and fluffy. You don’t need to chill the dough (always a plus) and these cookies turn out thick, soft, and even a little fudgy. The secret is to leave them slightly underbaked.
Ingredient Notes
A box of cake mix covers most of the dry ingredients in this recipe, so the remaining ingredients are minimal! These are some notes on what you’ll need. Scroll down to the recipe card for the printable ingredients list and full recipe details.
- Red Velvet Cake Mix – I base this recipe on an 18.25-ounce Duncan Hines cake mix. If you’re using a 15.25-ounce cake mix, you’ll need to add an extra ⅔ cup of flour.
- Cocoa Powder – You’ll want to use unsweetened natural cocoa powder. Learn more about the different kinds of cocoa powder.
- Butter – Unsalted butter, melted before you begin. You could also substitute oil (see below).
- Eggs and Vanilla – Use real vanilla extract or an equal amount of vanilla paste.
- Granulated and Powdered Sugar – Rolling the cookies first in granulated sugar helps the powdered sugar stick and prevents it from melting into the cookies while they bake. Without the layer of granulated sugar, I find that the powdered sugar mostly disappears after baking. I use a similar technique with my chocolate crinkle cookies.
Oil vs. Butter in Cake Mix Cookies
As you may or may not have seen with my other cake mix cookie recipes, I prefer the taste and texture of melted butter to oil when it comes to cake mix cookies. That being said, you can substitute butter with a neutral-flavored vegetable oil if you’d like.
How to Make Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies
With only 15 minutes of hands-on prep, cake mix cookies are some of the easiest treats. These red velvet cookies are a great last-minute Valentine’s Day gift or dessert! Follow the steps below and scroll to the recipe card for the printable instructions.
- Prep. While the oven preheats to 350ºF, line your baking sheet. You can use parchment paper, or a silicone baking mat comes in handy to keep the bottoms of the cookies from browning.
- Mix the dough. Add your cake mix and the rest of the ingredients to a large bowl. Mix until a thick dough comes together.
- Scoop. Next, portion out the dough using a medium-sized cookie scoop (approximately 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie). Then, roll each dough ball in granulated sugar, then in powdered sugar. Arrange the coated cookies about 2” apart on your prepped baking sheet.
- Bake! Bake these cake mix cookies at 350ºF for 8-10 minutes, until they’re just set at the edges and soft in the center.
Julianne’s Baking Tips
- How to tell when cake mix cookies are done: Just like testing a cake for doneness, I like to stick a toothpick into the center of one of the cookies. If it’s soft but the toothpick comes out clean, the cookies are baked!
- Baking times vary. I give a range of 8-10 minutes as the baking time for this recipe. Not all ovens bake the same, so if it’s your first time baking these cake mix cookies I’d suggest checking them at 8 minutes and going from there. Gently poke the top and if the cookie doesn’t sink, pull them out. Overbaking by even a minute or two can result in dried-out cookies.
- Add-ins. You can customize these red velvet cake mix cookies with any add-ins you’d like. White chocolate chips are always a favorite! If you’re using chunkier mix-ins like chocolate or candy bars, make sure to chop them into tiny pieces. I don’t recommend adding more than ½ cup of any mix-in.
- Make sandwich cookies. Frost the bottom of one cookie with cream cheese frosting and place a second cookie overtop to make delicious red velvet sandwich cookies. You could even fill them with ice cream for an ice cream sandwich!
How to Store
- At room temperature. Keep these red velvet cake mix cookies in an airtight container on the counter for 3-4 days.
- Freeze. You can also freeze these cake mix cookies for up to 1 month and thaw them at room temperature. You may lose some of the sugar coating after thawing. In this case, I like to dust the tops of the cookies with extra powdered sugar before serving.
More Cake Mix Cookies Recipes
Description
These red velvet cake mix cookies are quick, easy, and perfect for the holidays. They turn out crispy outside and soft-baked in the center. Make them your own with add-ins like white chocolate!
For the cookies
For the coating
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients together and mix until well combined. The dough will be thick.
- Use a medium cookie scoop to portion out the dough. Roll each ball of dough in the granulated sugar first then roll in the powdered sugar. Place the dough about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes. The center of the cookies should be slightly under-baked but not too gooey. Use a toothpick inserted into the center of a cookie to check for doneness.
Notes
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. These cookies can be frozen for up to one month.
- This recipe is based on a Duncan Hines Cake Mix, which is 18.25 oz. For a 15.25oz cake mix, add 2/3 cup flour. Expect some loss of powdered sugar after thawing.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Cookie
- Calories: 139
- Sugar: 9.6 g
- Sodium: 153 mg
- Fat: 6.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 17.8 g
- Fiber: 0.1 g
- Protein: 1.5 g
- Cholesterol: 30.8 mg
