This easy cake mix cookie recipe is perfect for fall, winter, or anytime! Satisfy your pumpkin spice craving with simple Cake Mix Pumpkin Caramel Cookies.
How to Make Cake Mix Pumpkin Caramel Cookies
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Homemade cookies are so wonderful… but so many cookie recipes make way more cookies than you want to have on hand. (Have you ever frozen ready-to-bake cookie dough? Check out this recipe and get some tips for freezing cookie dough.) Or they feel too complicated with all those ingredients. Wouldn’t it be great if there was an easy shortcut to make simple, soft, delicious cookies?
There is! Use a box of cake mix as your foundation, and you’re halfway to perfect, soft, chewy, addictive cookies!
How Do You Make Cookies Out of Cake Mix?
The first thing you need to know about making cookies out of cake mix is that you should ignore the instructions on the back of the cake mix box. Follow the instructions in the printable recipe card below, instead. Start with a box of spice cake mix for these Pumpkin Caramel Cookies. Spice cake and pumpkin, how can you go wrong?
I love caramel and pumpkin spice flavors together, so I added a cup of Kraft Caramel Bits to this cookie dough. Those little balls of caramel are so perfect for baking! The outside gets nice and soft and melty while the cookies are baking, and there is still a little nugget of chewy caramel in the center. So good, they are practically sinful!
The second thing you need to know about making cookies out of cake mix is that you’ll want to smooth out the top of the cookies a little bit before you bake them. When you drop your cookie dough on a (greased) baking sheet, the tops of your cookies will be uneven and rough. The dough won’t “settle” – it will bake in the same position that you leave it on the cookie sheet. Take a few seconds to smooth out the top of the cookies so they look a little prettier when they bake. If you want to skip this step, go ahead! Your cookies will still taste delicious, they will just look a little funny. (But I bet you can find someone who will eat “ugly” cookies…)
The only thing to make these cookies better? A big cup of coffee. And maybe a few chocolate chips in the cookie dough next time…
Enjoy!
3 Ways to Take the Fear Out of This Recipe
- Different Types of Flour
- What’s the Difference Between Brown & White Eggs?
- What’s the Difference Between Baking Soda & Baking Powder?
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Printable Recipe Card for Cake Mix Pumpkin Caramel Cookies
Cake Mix Pumpkin Caramel Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 15- ounce can Libby's 100% pure pumpkin
- 15.25- ounce box Betty Crocker Spice Cake mix
- 1 cup Kraft Caramel Bits
Instructions
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the eggs and vanilla.
- Add in pumpkin and mix on low speed to combine.
- Add cake mix and mix on low, gradually increasing speed to medium. Mix until all dry ingredients are incorporated.
- Fold in caramel bits.
- Grease a cookie sheet with baking spray (I like Baker's Joy non-stick spray with flour).
- Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls on greased cookie sheets. Gently smooth the top of the cookies.
- Bake cookies at 325 degrees for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cookie comes out clean.
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These cookies look like golden goodness!!
Everyone loves homemade cookies and I love your shortcut using the cake mix!!
Thanks, Debra! The cake mix makes it that much easier!
I always forget about Cake Mix Cookies! The Caramel and Pumpkin Combo sounds like perfection!
I’ve never tried making pumpkin cookies! I will have to try making them soon!
These are the perfect Fall cookie!
OMG I’m so making these this weekend!! We are totally Salted Caramel and Caramel #1 lovers and to add Pumpin to the list is just awesome! This is a great idea using cake mix and anxious to try it. A y suggestions to make salted caramel chocolate chip??? Thanks
I haven’t found a use for thw caramel bits. I’m a little short on imagination. Lol. Can’t wait to try these.
You’ll love them! The caramel bits are so easy to use.
You’re a girl after my own heart, I was thinking about adding chocolate chips! Try using less of the caramel bits, and adding mini chocolate chips. That’s what I’m going to do next time!
They are so easy, you’ll love them!
I couldn’t stop eating them!
Oh man, I am going to have to make these soon! They look amazing. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
I am going to try using a yellow sugar-free cake mix and add pumpkin pie spice to the ingredients…….no caramel tho’ either……..that way all of my family could enjoy these cookies……….
Update: Needed to make something for a group I’m seeing tomorrow. Its been a long day and I really didn’t feel like baking. Filled cupcakes are my specialty.
So I pulled this recipe out since I had all the ingredients.
This WILL NOT be the last time these are made. Awesome!!!!
Thank you for sharing your recipes.
That sounds like a great plan!
My pleasure, we love them!
OMG, Marybeth!
I’ve never tried pumpkin cookies before but now I’m really very curious on what they taste like. I would definitely give this a try. I might also add some chocolate chips in place of caramel bits if my kids don’t approve the caramel version.
You’ll love these! And I think mini chocolate chips in these would also be delicious!