Today’s cookies bake up soft and moist, and feature a delicious combination of cherries, chocolate chips, and nuts. This combination provides a delicious contrast of textures, going from soft to crunchy, along with layers of flavors, from sweet to fruit to chocolatey to nutty.
These cookies will keep you and your loved ones coming back for more.
Being only quasi-homemade (we’re getting a little help from a box mix) today’s cookies really couldn’t be simpler to put together. Simply mix, form the cookies, set them on a baking sheet, and then pop them in the oven.
Today’s cookies are also super versatile, meaning you can tweak them to your liking, as well as substitute most of the ingredients. As an example, see my Lavender Chocolate Chip Cookies or my personal favorite Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Now, without further delay, let’s make some cookies.
Equipment Notes
- Parchment Paper. This is simply my preferred way of keeping the cookies from sticking. However, a well buttered cookie sheet or nonstick baking pan will work fine as well.
Ingredient Checklist and Notes
- The Box Mix. I’m using a plain yellow cake box mix. Feel free to use the cake mix of your choice. More on that below.
- Butter. Plain unsalted butter. Be sure to let it soften before use.
- Flour. All-purpose flour is probably best for today’s cookies. Bread flour would result in a ‘hard’ and ‘dense’ cookie, while baking flour is simply unnecessary given that we’re using a box mix.
- Vanilla. Vanilla extract, beans, or paste will all work fine. Remember that paste, beans, and extract all substitute at a one-to-one ratio.
- Eggs. Not a whole lot to say here, other than these help bind it all together and add fat for moisture and flavor.
- Brown Sugar. I’m using dark brown sugar because it has more of that ‘molasses flavor’ that we’re looking for. Substitutes below.
- Dried Cherries. Give these a few decent chops before adding them into the mix. The reason is to check for pits or pit fragments.
- Chocolate Chips. Basic chocolate chips, I prefer dark chocolate for today’s cookies, but milk chocolate will work just fine.
- Walnuts. These add a nice bit of complexity to the cookies, in my opinion, both in terms of taste and texture. See below for substitutions.
Substitutes
- The Box Mix. As mentioned above, any box mix will work just fine for today’s recipe. Yes, moist and super moist would work as well.
- The Flour. Almond flour or brown rice flour can stand in for wheat flour. Brown rice flour, in particular, doesn’t have a strong flavor, and has a powdery texture similar to wheat flour, making it a good choice for most baked goods.
- Walnuts. Pecans are my go-to substitute for walnuts, and vice versa. Pecans substitute at a one-to-one ratio. They feature a crisp and buttery texture, whereas walnuts are a bit ‘woodier’ in terms of flavor, which I find stands out more in today’s cookies. Peanuts or almonds would also work just fine in place of walnuts.
- Dried Cherries. Your dried fruit of choice will substitute just fine in place of the dried cherries. However, dried cranberries or chopped apricots would be my recommendation.
- Brown Sugar Substitutes. There are a couple of ‘okay’ substitutes. The best substitute is molasses. Simply mix a teaspoon of molasses with a quarter of a cup of white sugar, and use that in place of the brown sugar. The next best substitute is maple syrup. Mix a teaspoon of maple syrup mixed with a quarter of a cup of white sugar. In both cases, stir until combined, and then use that in place of the brown sugar. Coconut sugar is also a decent substitute for brown sugar. Use that at a one to one ratio.
Variations
- Dried Fruit. Raisins or chopped apricots would work fine in today’s cookies – or a mix of both! Experiment with the dried fruit of your choice, and let me know in the comments below how it worked out.
- White Chocolate. White chocolate chips would pair just fine in today’s cookies if you prefer – or in addition to the chocolate chips. The more the merrier.
- Chocolate Dipped. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can melt some chocolate in a Dutch oven, dip the cookies half way after cooking, and then let them chill on a wire rack.
Cake Mix Cookies
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 13 minutes
- Total Time: 23 minutes
- Yield: 2 dozen 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 yellow cake box mix
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 cup dried cherries – chopped
- 1/2 cup walnuts – chopped
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 2 tbs. water
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter – softened
- Parchment paper – to line the pan
Instructions
- Preheat Oven 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl; combine the cake mix, flour, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, softened butter and water.
- Mix until combined; add the dried cherries, walnuts and chocolate chips and stir to combine.
- Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Using a teaspoon, drop a spoonful of the batter in rows. Leaving room between each cookie.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then take the cookie sheet out and press each cookie down gently with a spatula or the back of a cup.
- Place the cookies back in the oven and bake for another 3 minutes. Let cool on a cooling rack before serving.
Keywords: cookies, cake mix, semi homemade, chocolate chips, dessert
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Sandee says
Delicious. Soft and moist.
Have a fabulous day and weekend, Catherine. ♥
★★★★★
Beth says
These cookies look as amazing as they sound! I love cake mix cookies, so I’m eager to give this one a try!
★★★★★
Claudia Lamascolo says
These look amazingly delicious I cant believe a cake mix would be this easy to make such a scrumptious cookie the grandkids will love them!
★★★★★
Rhian Westbury says
You can’t beat a good cookie as a treat and I’m a big fan of having box mixes in the house for those times when you just need a helping hand. Doing the chocolate dip sounds like a great idea, something I’ll need to try x
DAVID J MYERS says
Catherine, We’ve never made cookies using boxed cake mixes but your cookies are beautiful and loaded with goodness. Time to talk cookies with my better half! Take Care, Big Daddy Dave
Lavanda Michelle says
I’ll definitely make these for my daughter’s after-school treats on Tuesday! Thanks for sharing!
★★★★★
Melissa Cushing says
I have pinned this recipe as these cookies look amazing! I so want one right now 😉 Delish!
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Mosaic Art says
These cookies omg I am literally drooling….I can’t wait to make your recipe, can’t wait…
Christine H says
I have only made box cake mix cookies once. I will have to try this recipe because these sound delicious.
Samantha Donnelly says
I have never thought of making cookies from a cake mix before, love the idea of this
★★★★★
Melanie says
Oh my gosh these cookies look so scrummy and yummy. We will deffo be trying this recipe out at somepoint x
Kristy Bullard says
I love how simple this recipe is – using a box mix. And, adding the dried cherries and walnuts makes these cookies so good! Loved the flavor combinations!
★★★★★
Rosey says
What a good idea to use the cake mix. I like my cookies soft.
Marysa says
What an interesting recipe, and the cookies look interesting too. Always looking for different cookie recipes to try.
Yeah Lifestyle. says
Cherries and walnuts are my two favourite combinations hence these cookies look super moreish. I also love how versatile the recipe is.
★★★★★
Lavanda Michelle says
Those look so tasty and chewy. I’d love those with some warm tea or even milk. Thanks for sharing!
★★★★★
Jasmine Martin says
I have never heard of cake mix cookies before. I would love to try this out for myself sometime soon though.
LaKita says
These cookies are so soft, chewy, and delicious! The perfect way to use the yellow cake mix that I always have on hand 🙂
★★★★★
Colleen says
These cookies turned out perfect. Love this recipe, thank you!
★★★★★
Amanda says
Great cookies! I just love how soft they were, and the cake box mix added such a delicious flavor.
★★★★★
Marie says
This recipe is so clever! The cookies had that irresistible combination of tender centers and crispy edges. My family loved the add-ins, I usually only use one but given the positive response I had to your recipe, I think I’ll mix it up from now on!
★★★★★
Leslie says
I love your idea of dipping these in chocolate! What an amazing way to take them to the next level!
★★★★★
Veronika says
Great recipe! It was so easy to make them and we already ate all the cookies 😉 Need to make another batch 😉
★★★★★
Jacqueline Debono says
I have never made cake mix cookies but these look so good. Definitely want to try them!
★★★★★
Amy Casey says
All my favorites in one easy cookie! I loved how quickly this recipe came together. I also dipped half of each cookie in chocolate ~ mmmmm!
★★★★★
Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer says
Such a great cookie recipe that y’all need to save! Add this to your holiday cookie exchange! So scrumptious!
★★★★★