3-Ingredient Spice Cake Mix Cookies

Fall baking is my happy place: cozy spices, the warm oven, and a quiet minute with a cookie before the afterschool chaos begins. These 3-ingredient spice cake mix cookies have all those warm, pumpkin-spice-adjacent flavors baked right in, no pumpkin puree required. They're made in one bowl with no chilling, and one box makes about 24 soft, chewy cookies.

Starting with a simple box of cake mix is my best hack for stress-free baking. If you've tried my brownie mix cookies or strawberry cake mix cookies, you already know: easy baking doesn't mean boring baking.

Key Ingredients

There are just three ingredients. The full amounts are in the recipe card, and here's what's worth knowing:

• Spice cake mix: I use the classic Duncan Hines 15.25 oz box, and the recipe is written for that size. Some brands come in smaller boxes, so check the size on yours. I haven't tested a swap for the spice cake mix, so I'd stick with the real thing.
• Oil: I always use ½ cup of vegetable oil. Butter is a 1:1 swap if you prefer it.
• Eggs: Two large eggs.

Fun Additions

The simplicity of a cake mix cookie is where it's at, but you can dress these up if you want:

• Butterscotch chips: I've made these with butterscotch chips. Stir them in with the cake mix.
• Cinnamon sugar: Roll the dough balls in cinnamon sugar before baking for a snickerdoodle effect.
• White chocolate dip: Melt white chocolate, dip half of each cooled cookie in it, then dip into sanding sugar for a little sparkle.
• Crumbl-style: Make them double sized and top with a swirl of cream cheese frosting.

Make Spice Cake Sandwich Cookies

Frosting goes great with cookies of all sorts. For a sandwich cookie, let the cookies cool completely, then fill them with pumpkin butter, apple butter, cream cheese frosting, cinnamon swirl buttercream, or Nutella. You'll need about 2 cups of filling for the batch.

Keep the cozy baking going with my red velvet cake mix cookies, Grinch cake mix cookies, or Hanukkah cookies.

How to make spice cake cookies

Step 1: Get ready. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Step 2: Mix. In a large bowl, add the cake mix, eggs, and oil. Stir until you can't see any more dry cake mix. Don't overmix.

Step 3: Scoop. Use a cookie scoop so all the cookies are the same size, and place the dough balls on the baking sheets about 2 inches apart. I don't flatten them. Just scoop and bake.

Step 4: Bake. Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes, until you see cracks on top. Be careful not to overbake them.

Step 5: Cool. Leave the cookies on the pan for 5 minutes, then move them to a cooling rack.

Do I need to chill the dough? Nope. As long as you're using a regular boxed cake mix, these go straight from the bowl to the oven.

Want More Spice?

The spice cake mix gives these a cozy, pumpkin-spice-adjacent flavor. If you want them spicier, stir in 1 teaspoon of ground ginger. For a warmer spice, stir in 1 teaspoon of cinnamon instead.