Vanilla Crinkle Cookies
These soft, chewy and easy Vanilla Crinkle Cookies are made with a box of cake mix and are the perfect shortcut.
They come together with just a few pantry staples, making this cookie recipe ideal when you need a quick dessert for holidays, bake sales, cookie exchanges, or an afternoon treat.
The cake mix creates a tender, chewy texture, while a generous coating of powdered sugar gives each cookie its signature crackled finish.
Whether you’re an experienced baker or just getting started, these simple cookies are a foolproof recipe you’ll want to make again and again.
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Why You’ll Love These Vanilla Crinkle Cookies
- Only 5 simple ingredients
- Made with a box of vanilla cake mix
- Soft, chewy centers with beautiful crackled tops
- Perfect for holidays, cookie exchanges, birthdays, or anytime you need a quick dessert
- Easy enough for beginner bakers
How to Turn Box Cake Mix into Crinkle Cookies
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, oil, and vanilla extract until a thick dough forms.
- Roll the dough generously in powdered sugar before baking to create the classic crinkled tops.
- For the best results, chill the dough for about 30 minutes and bake just until the edges are set while the centers remain slightly soft.
- The cookies will continue to firm up as they cool, giving you a soft, chewy texture with beautiful crackled tops.
Roll the dough in a thick layer of powdered sugar before baking. As the cookies spread in the oven, the dough expands while the sugar coating stays in place, creating the signature crinkled appearance. Baking just until the edges are set—and not overbaking—also helps keep the centers soft and chewy.
If the dough is too wet or doesn’t have enough powdered sugar coating, the crinkles won’t be as pronounced. Chilling sticky dough and generously coating each dough ball helps create the classic look.
No, but if your kitchen is warm or the dough is sticky, chilling it for about 20 minutes makes it much easier to roll.
Absolutely! Freeze baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
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Reynolds Kitchens Cookie Baking Sheets, Pre-Cut Baking Parchment Paper Sheets for Cookies, Oven-Safe up to 425 Degrees, Reusable Up to 3X, No-Mess Cleanup, 12 in x 16 in, 22 Count
More Easy Cake Mix Recipes
If you enjoyed these cake mix crinkle cookies, here are a few more simple dessert recipes to try next:
- Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies are another easy cake mix cookie with soft, chewy centers and beautiful crackled tops.
- Find even more easy desserts and creative ways to bake with a box of yellow cake mix.
Vanilla Crinkle Cookies with Cake Mix
Ingredients
- 1 box Vanilla Cake Mix
- 2 Eggs
- ⅓ cup Vegetable Oil
- ½ cup Powdered Icing Sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat together the cake mix, eggs and vegetable oil until smooth and completely combined, about 2 minutes.
- Use a 1 1/2 Tablespoon cookie scoop to portion out the cookie batter, then roll into balls.
- Place each ball of dough individually in the powdered icing sugar and toss to coat completely.
- Place each sugar-coated dough ball at least 3" apart on the prepared cookie sheets.
- Bake for 10 minutes until lightly golden and spread out.
- Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before attempting to remove to a cooling rack or serve.
Hi there! I made these today and they turned out amazing! We even stuck some kisses in the middle of a few and they were beautiful and delicious.
One question: Have you ever tried the recipe using just egg whites? I’m thinking of making these for a wedding and using egg whites would take away the yellowish tint to the cookies but I don’t know if they would mess up the taste or consistency of the cookie.
Either way – THANK YOU for a great recipe! 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!!! I haven’t used just egg whites. But what about using white cake mix instead of the yellow?