These cake mix Christmas cookies turn one box of cake mix into a full goodie platter with five classic holiday cookies. One easy dough makes jam thumbprints, snowball cookies, sprinkle cookies, Hershey's Kiss cookies, and plain or frosted sugar cookies.
Frost your cookies with my fluffy Buttercream Frosting that Hardens or this easy Sugar Cookie Icing recipe.
Whether you're a last-minute baker, beginner, or just short on time, these easy Christmas cake mix cookies will give you an entire cookie plate filled with festive, delicious cookies from just one box of cake mix.
That's right, one soft, buttery dough becomes a colorful, crowd-pleasing assortment that looks like you spent all day baking, even if you didn't.
When you have time for homemade cookies, Soft Cut Out Gingerbread Cookies and No Spread Sugar Cookies are fun, festive cookie recipes you'll make again and again.
❤️You're Going to Love These
- One dough makes five different easy Christmas cookies
- Soft, chewy, delicious Christmas cookies with festive holiday flavor
- Easy to customize with different cake mix flavors and toppings
- Perfect for holiday parties, cookie exchanges, and gifting
- Beginner-friendly cookie recipes with simple ingredients and easy decorating
🍓Ingredients
See recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full list of ingredients and exact amounts.
- Cake mix: Any flavor of cake mix works. Mix and match your cookie tray with batches in yellow or white cake mix and chocolate or red velvet cake mix. I tested this recipe with 13.25 oz. and 15.25 oz. cake mixes and needed no adjustments.
- Flour: Adds structure so cookies hold their shape.
- Butter: Use real butter for the best flavor and texture.
- Whole egg plus yolk: Creates a richer, softer cookie that doesn't spread.
- Almond extract: Optional but adds classic bakery flavor, especially for sugar cookies and thumbprints.
- Jam: Thick jam works best so it stays put while baking. I used blueberry and strawberry jam.
🍫Substitutions or Variations
- Thumbprint fillings. Fill thumbprints with lemon curd before baking, or Nutella or Almond Buttercream Frosting once cooled. Or fill with peppermint white chocolate ganache from this Candy Cane Shortbread Cookie recipe.
- Different mix-Ins. Mix mini chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, M&M's, or crushed candy canes into the dough for a fun twist.
🥣How to Make Cake Mix Christmas Cookies
Make the base cookie dough. Whisk cake mix and flour in a large mixing bowl. Add the melted butter, egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and almond extract. Stir until a soft dough forms. Divide dough into even portions for each type of cookie.
Jam Thumbprint Cookies. Roll one tablespoon of dough into a ball and roll in sugar. Place on baking sheet, press indent in the center, and fill with jam.
Bake 8-9 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet 5 minutes, then on wire rack.
Red and Green Snowball Cookies. Divide dough in half. Knead food coloring into each portion. Roll dough into balls. Roll each cookie dough ball in powdered sugar.
Bake 8-9 minutes. Cool 5 minutes on pan, then roll in powdered sugar again. Transfer to cooling rack.
Sprinkle Cookies. Knead sprinkles into dough, roll into balls, and flatten slightly. Press tops into extra sprinkles.
Bake 8-9 minutes. Cool on pan 5 minutes, then on wire rack.
Hershey's Kiss Cookies. Roll dough balls in white or colored sugar. Bake 8-9 minutes.
Cool 2 minutes, then gently press Hershey's Kiss in the center. Transfer to plate and refrigerate 30 minutes to firm the chocolate.
Plain or Frosted Cookies. Roll dough into balls, roll in sugar, and slightly flatten.
Bake 8-9 minutes. Cool on a pan for 5 minutes, then on a baking rack. Frost and decorate with candies and sprinkles.
👉Top Tip: Bake cookies until the bottoms are just barely golden brown. If they are golden brown, they are overbaked.
☑️Tips
- Use a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop for even sizes and consistent baking.
- Place cookie dough balls about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap between batches to keep it from drying out.
- If the dough becomes dry, knead in a few drops of water or milk.
- Milk chocolate Hershey's Kisses and Hershey's Hugs hold their shape the best. If using dark chocolate or candy cane Kisses, freeze them first.
🎁Storage
Store baked cookies in a single layer between layers of parchment or waxed paper in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Baked cookies freeze well in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
FAQs
Yes. Both 13.25 oz and 15.25 oz boxes work well.
No. But if the dough feels too soft, chill it for 20 minutes or until it's easy to work with.
Buttercream or cream cheese frosting holds up well for decorating. If you're in a hurry, canned frosting will also do just fine.
🎆More Easy Cake Mix Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Easy Cake Mix Christmas Cookies (5 Ways!)
Ingredients
Cake Mix Christmas Cookie Base
- 1 box cake mix, any flavor 13.25 oz. or 15.25 oz.
- ¼ cup flour
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon almond extract, optional
Jam Thumpbrints
- ¼ cup granulated sugar, for rolling
- 2 tablespoons jam, any flavor
Snowball Cookies
- red and green gel food coloring
- ¼ cup powdered sugar, for rolling
Sprinkle Cookies
- 4-5 tablespoons sprinkles I used 3 T jimmies in the dough and 1-2 T nonpareils on top.
Hershey's Kiss Cookies
- ¼ cup white or colored sugar, for rolling
- 7 Hershey's Kisses
Frosted Sugar Cookies
- ½ cup Frosting
- Sprinkles and candies, for decorating
Instructions
Make the Sugar Cookie Base
- Preheat the oven to 325. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk cake mix and flour to remove lumps. Add the melted butter, egg, egg yolk, and extracts. Stir with a sturdy wooden spoon until it forms a soft dough. Divide the dough into 5 equal portions.
Jam Thumbprint Cookies
- Roll one-tablespoon portions of dough into balls, then roll them in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Press an indent in the center of each dough ball with the handle of a spoon or your thumb. Fill the well with jam. Bake for 8-9 minutes, until the bottoms are just barely golden brown. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire baking rack.
Red and Green Snowball Cookies
- Divide the dough between two bowls. To each bowl, add about 6 drops of food coloring and knead it into the dough until combined. Roll one-tablespoon portions of dough into balls, then roll them in powdered sugar. Place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 8-9 minutes, until the bottoms are just barely golden brown. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then roll them again in powdered sugar. Transfer to a wire baking rack.
Sprinkle Cookies
- Knead 3 tablespoons of sprinkles into the dough. Roll one-tablespoon portions of dough into balls, then gently press them into thick pucks. Place more sprinkles on a plate. Press the tops of the cookies into the sprinkles. Place cookies 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 8 minutes, or until the bottoms are just barely golden brown. Thinner cookies will take less time. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire baking rack.
Hershey's Kiss Cookies
- Roll one-tablespoon portions of dough into balls, then roll them in white or colored sugar. Place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 8-9 minutes, until the bottoms are just barely golden brown. Cool on the pan for 2 minutes, then gently press a Hershey's Kiss into the center of each cookie. Carefully transfer the cookies to a plate and refrigerate for 30 minutes until the chocolate is firm.
Plain or Frosted Sugar Cookies
- Roll one-tablespoon portions of dough into balls, then roll them in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. With a rubber spatula, gently press them into a thick puck.
- Bake for 8 minutes, or until the bottoms are just barely golden brown. Thinner cookies will take less time. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Frost and decorate with candies and sprinkles.
Notes
- One 15.25 oz. box of cake mix makes 35-36 cookies, or 7 of each kind. 13.25 oz. box yields 2-3 fewer cookies.
- Use a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop for even sizes and consistent baking.
- Place cookie dough balls about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap between batches to keep it from drying out.
- If the dough becomes dry, knead in a few drops of water or milk.
- Milk chocolate Hershey's Kisses and Hershey's Hugs hold their shape the best. If using dark chocolate or candy cane Kisses, freeze them first.
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