Easy Christmas Crinkle Cookies With Cake Mix (4 Ingredients)

These super easy 4-ingredient Christmas crinkle cookies are irresistibly soft on the inside with a crisp and crinkly crunch! In vibrant red and green, they’re the perfect sweet treat to brighten the season.

This Easy Crinkle Cookie Recipe Is Hard To Beat!

I’m a busy mom with 4 constantly hungry kids! I love quick and easy recipes – no-bake snacks are a favorite! When it comes to sweet treats banana choc chip muffins, mini hand pies and a quick banana bread are regulars.

But when in a real pinch, I’m always finding myself reaching for a box of cake mix! These cake mix muffins have saved the day many a time. And for this Christmas crinkle cookie recipe, cake mix is the star of the show. Well maybe not the star, but the basis!

Just 4-Ingredients for the red crinkle cookies. For the green ones you need a drop of food coloring too.

Perfect to bake with young kids – a handful of simple ingredients, a short bake time and full of Holiday cheer.

Ideal for Christmas parties, teacher gifts, lunch boxes and more – if you need a sweet and festive treat in a hurry, this cake mix Christmas crinkle cookie recipe will save the day!

For more easy sweet treats this Christmas try:

• Chocolate Peppermint Shake
• Cute Chocolate Candy Cane Hearts
• Easy Christmas Cannoli’s
• Mini Peppermint Candy Cane Cheesecakes
• Holiday Oreo Cookies
• Chocolate Snowball Cookies

What Gives Crinkle Cookies Their Crinkly Appearance?

The signature crinkled and crispy crust happens due to the oven temperature when baking. The oven needs to be hot in order for the outside to cook quicker than the inside. As the outside cooks it’ll shrink, creating the cracks, while the inside cooks slower and stays soft.

So to achieve the signature crinkly look, the oven needs to be preheated first, to a temperature of around 350°F/175°C.

At lower temperatures the cookie dough may spread too much before they set, leaving no or minimal cracks.

How To Make Cookies From Cake Mix?

Making cookies using cake mix is very simple. The dry cake mix contains flour, sugar and a raising agent, so all you need are eggs and oil to make cookie dough. You’ll probably never want to make cookies any other way now 🙂

Christmas Crinkle Cookies Recipe Ingredients

Red crinkle cookies with cake mix:

• 1 box red velvet cake mix
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Green cake box crinkle cookies

• 1 box white cake mix
• Green gel food coloring
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Variations

• Make Christmas chocolate cake mix crinkle cookies by using a box of chocolate cake mix instead. With a dusting of powdered sugar these would look very festive!
• Or sub for your favorite flavor cake mix.
• Switch out the green food coloring for another color.
• Roll the cookie dough balls in edible glitter instead of powdered sugar for a little sparkle.
• Add a couple of drops of peppermint extract to taste to the green cookie dough for a little minty flavor.
• Omit the powdered sugar to reduce the sugar content and make easy 3 ingredient cake mix cookies!

Instructions to Make Christmas Crinkle Cookies

Here are the instructions for this easy crinkle cookie cake mix recipe:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and line a baking sheet or cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Make the green crinkle cookies by combining the white cake mix with 2 eggs and 1/2 cup vegetable oil in a large mixing bowl. Fold together until well combined.

Add a generous amount of green gel food coloring, and mix until the color is incorporated.

Add the powdered sugar to a plate.

Now use a 1 1/2 inch cookie scoop to measure the cookie dough into evenly sized balls. Pack the dough tightly into the cookie scoop.

Alternatively, once you have measured each cookie dough ball in the scoop, remove and shape firmly with your hands. You want tightly packed balls to ensure even cooking.

Then roll each cookie in the powdered sugar. (If you don’t want cake mix cookies with powdered sugar, simply omit this step.)

Place each crinkle cookie onto the lined baking sheet, leaving at least 2 inches between each. There’s no need to flatten them.

Bake for 8-12 minutes at 350°F/175°C until the edges are just set.

Allow them to cool for 1-2 minutes on the baking sheet (this makes them easier to handle), before transferring to a wire rack to cool fully.

Repeat these with the red velvet cake mix and omitting the food coloring to make the red Christmas crinkle cookies.

Crinkle Cookie Storage Instructions

These festive cake mix crinkle cookies will stay fresh for 5-7 days at in an airtight container at room temperature.

For longer term storage, layer the cookies in a freezer safe container with baking paper between each layer to prevent sticking and freeze for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw at on your countertop at room temperature for half an hour or so before eating.

For some more Holiday recipes, we have plenty of ideas here:

• 10 Easy Crockpot Christmas Candy Recipes
• 50 Easy Kids Christmas Treats For School
• 21+ Best Easy SOFT Christmas Cookies
• 19 Christmas Punch Recipes & Party Drinks For Kids

FAQS For Christmas Crinkle Cookies

Can I use a different flavor cake mix?

Yes, you can use a different flovor cake mix to make Christmas crinkle cookies or any cookie for that matter. Just use your favourite, or whatever you have to hand.

With a dusting of white powdered sugar, chocolate cake mix cookies would also look the part at Christmas. Or use a spiced cake mix in keeping with the season. You decide – that’s the beauty of this easy cake mix cookie recipe!

Do I need to chill the cookie dough before baking?

No, when baking these Christmas crinkle cookies, you do not need to chill the dough beforehand.

Chilling is often part of the recipe steps when baking cookies – this helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much. It can also make the cookie dough less sticky and more workable.

However, the dough for these crinkle crackle cookies is not particularly sticky and doesn’t spread very much on baking. So you can skip the chilling!

Which kind of food coloring is best?

If you want deep vibrant colours, gel food coloring is preferable. A drop of green gel food coloring should give you a bold green, perfect for Christmas.

You can make these Christmas crinkle biscuits with liquid food colors, but you may end up having to add too much liquid to the dough to achieve the same depth of colour.

Is it necessary to sift the powdered sugar?

Unless you can see the powdered sugar is lumpy in the box, there’s no need to sift the powdered sugar. I’m always keen to avoid extra steps so tend to avoid sifting when I can! But there’s no harm in sifting it if you’re unsure.

What’s the best way to make crinkle cookies the same size?

The easiest way to bake cookies that are the same size is to measure the dough balls with.a cookie scoop. For this Christmas crinkle cooke recipe, use a 1.5 inch cookie scoop for a single measure of dough.

You can also measure the cookie dough by weight (20-25g per cookie), then roll each ball consistently with equal pressure before dipping in powdered sugar and placing on your lined baking tray.

These delicious box cake crinkle cookies are a vibrant and easy treat that’ll bring some festive flair this holiday season. Whether you’re gifting them to friends, looking to impress without the stress at a cookie exchange or simply indulging in a cozy treat with family, these beautiful holiday crinkle cookies with cake mix are a must!