Autumn baking is my comfort zone: warm spices, a hot oven, and a quiet moment to savor a cookie before the after-school rush. These 3-ingredient spice cake mix cookies capture those cozy, pumpkin-spice-like flavors without any pumpkin purée. Start with a simple boxed cake mix (my favorite shortcut for fuss-free baking) and you’ll have soft, chewy cookies full of fall flavor. If you’ve tried my other cake-mix cookie recipes like the Brownie Mix Cookies or Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies, you know easy can still be delicious.
TL;DR – Spice Cake Cookies
- 🧡 Why you’ll love them: Soft, cozy, and perfectly spiced — these cookies deliver fall flavor with minimal effort.
- #️⃣ Ingredients: 3
- ⏲️ Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🔥 Bake Time: 8–10 minutes
- 🍰 Substitutions: No spice cake mix on hand? Use a yellow cake mix and add 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
Tip: These cookies make wonderful sandwich cookies — see the suggested fillings below.
Key Ingredients
- Boxed spice cake mix: Use a 15–16 oz box. Any brand will work; I often reach for Duncan Hines.
- Vegetable oil: Neutral oil keeps the cookies tender. You can swap melted butter or coconut oil if you prefer.
- Eggs: Large eggs provide structure and moisture.
Fun Additions
The charm of cake-mix cookies is their simplicity, but a few small add-ins or finishes can elevate them.
- Roll dough in cinnamon-sugar before baking for a snickerdoodle vibe.
- Fold in butterscotch or cinnamon chips for pockets of flavor.
- Dip half of each cookie in melted white chocolate, then sprinkle sanding sugar for a pretty finish.
- Make larger cookies and top with a swirl of cream cheese frosting for a bakery-style treat.
Make spice cake sandwich cookies
Spice cake evokes carrot cake to me, and frosting pairs beautifully with these cookies.
Try any of these fillings for sandwich cookies: pumpkin butter, apple butter, cream cheese frosting, cinnamon-swirl buttercream, or Nutella. About 2 cups of filling is enough to make sandwiches from a full batch.
🩶Marni
How to make spice cake cookies
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Step 1: In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, and oil.
Step 2: Stir until no dry mix remains. Mix just until combined — overmixing can make cookies tough.
Step 3: Use a cookie scoop for uniform cookies. Drop dough onto the prepared pans, leaving about 2 inches between balls.
Step 4: Bake at 350°F for 8–10 minutes, until the tops show small cracks. Avoid overbaking — the centers should remain soft. Let cookies rest on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Recipe FAQs
Yes — white chocolate chips, chopped pecans, toasted walnuts, or dried cranberries add texture and flavor. Fold them in gently after the dough comes together.
No. With a standard boxed cake mix, the dough can go straight from the bowl to the oven.
Once fully cooled, store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days. If they’re frosted, place parchment or wax paper between layers.
Other Desserts from Boxed Baking Mixes
- Fudgy Brownie Bites (2-Bite Brownies from a Box Mix)
- 4-Ingredient Cake Mix Hanukkah Cookies
- One Bowl All Bran Muffins (7-Ingredients)
- 3‑Ingredient Cherry Dump Cake
📖 Recipe
3-Ingredient Spice Cake Mix Cookies
Marni Katz
Ingredients
- 1 box Spice Cake Mix (15–16 oz)
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup vegetable oil (or melted butter)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, add the cake mix, eggs, and oil. Stir until the dough is uniform and no dry mix remains.
- Use a cookie scoop to portion dough, placing scoops about 2 inches apart on the prepared sheets.
- Bake 8–10 minutes, until the tops show cracks. Let cookies rest on the sheets for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
Sandwich Cookies: Use about 2 cups of your chosen filling to assemble sandwich cookies from a full batch.
Freezing: Baked cookies freeze well for up to 2 months in an airtight container.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 16 g
Protein: 1 g
Fat: 8 g
Tried this recipe?Let me know what you think!