Cake Mix Pumpkin Cookies

These Pumpkin Cookies With a Cake Mix can be whipped together in a matter of minutes. They only require four ingredients: A cake mix, canned pumpkin, an egg, and chocolate chips!

If you’re looking to make pumpkin cookies from scratch, try these Bakery Style Pumpkin Cookies or non-cakey Pumpkin Cookies.

The Best Pumpkin Cookies With A Cake Mix

Say hi to the easiest pumpkin cookie recipe ever! While I’m all about making cookies from scratch, I also love a good shortcut when I’m in a pinch. Or maybe when the kids want to help bake and I’m not so sure I’ve got the endurance or the patience for more than adding three or four ingredients to a bowl. If you’re a parent, then you totally know what I mean!

Pumpkin Cookies With a Cake Mix are the perfect way to get the kiddos involved and keep your sanity. So, let’s talk about the four ingredients required!

Ingredients

• Spice cake mix: I recommend Betty Crocker’s Super Moist Spice Cake Mix® for these cookies—it makes them super moist and flavorful. Just ensure your cake mix is 15.25 ounces.
• Canned pumpkin: For these cookies, use pure canned pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling. I recommend Libby’s® because it’s consistently good, has a bright orange color, and isn’t watery.
• Large egg: Make sure your egg is large. This is essential for the perfect pumpkin  cookie dough.
• Vanilla: While this ingredient is completely optional, if you have it on hand, why not add it in? Vanilla makes just about all sweet baked goods better.
• Chocolate chips: If you love chocolate-pumpkin, these cookies with milk chocolate chips are perfect. If you’re not a fan, you can skip the chocolate chips or replace them with chopped toasted nuts.

How To Make Pumpkin Cookies With A Cake Mix

1. Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine pumpkin puree, melted butter, and brown sugar until smooth. Make sure your butter is melted but not hot to avoid greasy cookies.
2. Add Dry Ingredients: Gradually mix in flour, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice until a soft dough forms. Sift the dry ingredients for a lighter, fluffier cookie texture.
3. Fold in Chocolate Chips: Stir in milk chocolate chips.
4. Chill Dough: Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes to firm it up. Chilling helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much during baking.
5. Bake: Scoop dough onto a baking sheet and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden.
6. Cool & Enjoy: Let the cookies cool on a wire rack. Store cookies in an airtight container to keep them soft and chewy.

Tips For Pumpkin Cookies With A Cake Mix

• Use a non-stick baking mat or parchment paper These cookies are sticky! Even when baking on a liner you’ll need a sharp metal spatula to remove them, so you definitely don’t want to try this without a liner.
• Let the cookies stand: Once baked, let the cookies sit on the tray for 5-7 minutes before removing them to a cooling rack; they need some time to firm up.
• Add extra chocolate chips on top: This step is optional, but if you’re a huge chocolate lover, adding extra chips ensures chocolate makes it into every bite, plus it makes them look a bit prettier.
• Use a spoon: I found that cookie scoops don’t work very well with this dough, due to the stickiness factor. I like using a 4-teaspoon measuring spoon to scoop the dough from the bowl and then using a small dessert spoon to coax the dough from the measuring spoon onto the tray. Use the back of the dessert spoon to smooth the top of the cookie. A tablespoon measure is 3 teaspoons, so a 4-teaspoon measure is just a bit larger.
• Avoid using watery canned pumpkin: It will mess up the consistency of these cookies. Unfortunately, you can’t tell if pumpkin is watery until you open the can; hence the recommendation for a brand I trust!

Storage

These pumpkin cookies with cake mix are best when fresh. They get soft and mushy if stored for too long. For the best flavor, bake and eat them within a few hours—fresh from the oven is perfect!

More Amazing Pumpkin Treats:

• Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars reader favorite recipe
• Pecan Streusel Pumpkin Pie with maple whipped cream
• Pumpkin Cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting
• Pumpkin Coffee Cake with streusel topping
• Healthy Pumpkin Bread made with Greek yogurt

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4.63 from 16 votes

Cake Mix Pumpkin Cookies

By Chelsea Lords

Cake Mix Pumpkin Cookies are so simple they come together in just minutes! You only need four ingredients: cake mix, pumpkin, an egg, and chocolate chips.

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 36 cookies

Equipment

• Sheet pan lined

Ingredients 

USMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 box (15.25-ounce) Spice Cake mix see note 1
• ▢ 1 can (15-ounce) pumpkin
• ▢ 1 large egg
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
• ▢ Maldon sea salt flakes optional
• ▢ 1 bag (12-ounce) chocolate chips

Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 350℉ and line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. You definitely need a liner for these cookies, because the dough gets sticky!
• In a large bowl, add the entire box of the Spice Cake mix, the entire can of pumpkin, and 1 large egg. Don't add any ingredients called for on the back of the spice cake mix. If desired, add in a teaspoon of vanilla extract. With a hand mixer or a wooden spoon, mix until ingredients are combined. Don't over-mix the dough. Stir in 1 cup of the chocolate chips.
• Scoop out balls of dough and place them on the lined cookie sheet. Each ball of dough should be 4 teaspoons (1 heaping tablespoon). Use spoons to coax the mixture onto the tray—this is a bit sticky and difficult! Spread cookies at least 2 inches apart (see note 2).
• Bake for 9–13 minutes. They should spring back slightly when touched, and not look gooey or glossy on top. Repeat to bake all the cookies. This recipe should yield about 36 cookies.
• Let cookies stand on the pan for 5 minutes. If desired, sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips on top of your cookies right out of the oven. Use a sharp metal spatula to remove the cookies from the pan to a cooling rack to finish cooling. If you love salty-sweet flavors, add a small sprinkle of Maldon sea salt flakes to the tops of these cookies.

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: I recommend Betty Crocker's super moist spice cake. Whatever cake mix you use, make sure it's a 15.25-ounce box.

Note 2: I found cookie scoops don't work super well with this dough, it's too sticky. I like using a 4-teaspoon measuring spoon to scoop the dough from the bowl and then using a small dessert spoon to coax the dough from the measuring spoon to the tray. Use the back of the dessert spoon to smooth the top of the cookie.

Storage: Store cookies at room temperature, uncovered. Avoid using an airtight container; cookies will get a little mushy/soft. These cookies are best the same day they're made, and they get a little soggy regardless of how they're stored.

 

Nutrition

Serving: 36cookies | Calories: 82kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 83mg | Potassium: 67mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1846IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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