3 Ingredient Cake Mix Cookies - so simple! - Make and Takes (2025)

FAQs

How to make boxed cookie mix better? ›

Add powdered milk.

Sprinkling about 2 to 3 tablespoons of powdered milk per cup of cookie mix may seem kind of unconventional, but it is the best hack! The milk powder adds a rich, creamy taste to the dough and transforms cookies into velvety little delights that your whole family will love!

Baking soda increases browning and spreading, resulting in a flatter cookie. Baking powder will give you a puffier cookie. Binding agents are the liquid in the recipe that hold the cookie together. Examples of binding agents are eggs, milk, honey, and fruit juice.

Cookies, like quick breads and cake batters, are made from a rich dough that is mixed using the creaming method. Most cookie doughs contain less liquid than other batter, you do not need to alternate your flour and liquid.

Add brown sugar

Adding it to the pre-made dough will give it more sweetness, a chewier texture, moisture and that homemade flavor you're craving. You can also melt butter with brown sugar and incorporate it into the dough for extra tender, chewier cookies.

Butter is key for most cookies. Not only does it provide flavor, it's the main reason your cookies will spread. As the butter warms in the oven, the dough slackens and gradually spreads out over the baking sheet. It's important to mix your butter well to ensure it's evenly mixed throughout the dough.

Butter gives flavor, tenderness and flaky layers to baked goods. It can also bring a bit of structure and rise. For instance, a chocolate chip cookie dough incorporates butter and sugar to incorporate air into the final result.

Flour is the main ingredient that provides structure in a cookie – without it, there would be no cookie! The gluten in flour forms a web of sorts – the framework that catches the air bubbles/gasses given off during rising. This helps provide the structure.

Step 1: Cream Your Butter & Sugars Well

Beat together both granulated and brown sugars with softened unsalted butter for at least 3-4 minutes. For best results, use a hand-mixer or stand mixer. The mixture will lighten significantly in color. This is essential for giving the cookies their chewy texture.

The one-stage blending method combines all ingredients and gently mixes them at a low speed to a uniform batter. The creaming method combines the fat and sugar and blends them together first before adding eggs, liquids, flour, and leavening agents.

How long to beat eggs for cookies? ›

Usually it takes anywhere from 3 to 5 minutes of beating eggs and sugar using an electric mixer to reach ribbon stage. But don't rely on time. Instead, use some key visual clues to recognize when you've succeeded: Texture: The mixture should have thickened significantly, becoming almost foam-like.

Add an Extra Egg

Most cake mixes call for two to three eggs. Just one more egg will add extra moisture, fat, and a little protein, which means the cake will be softer and less likely to overbake and dry out in the oven.

Most box cake recipes will tell you to add water to the mix. Instead, try adding milk using the same proportions. This will make the cake richer and creamier because it ups the fat content. You can even use buttermilk here for a pleasant tang.

Adding a liquid with a higher fat content though will make your mix taste just like it was made from scratch. Use the same amount of milk in place for water, or try buttermilk to add a touch of tang and create a fluffy crumb.

Easy Add-In: After creating the dough according to the sugar cookie mix instructions, Add 2 tablespoons of sour cream to create a tangier, cakier and all-around more flavorful cookie. Flavor Twist: For a punchier twist, swap the water in the sugar cookie mix instructions for rum, bourbon or coffee liqueur.

Some premade cookie dough can have a processed, almost chemical-like aftertaste, but you can mask it by adding extra flavor extracts to your dough. You can use a splash of vanilla extract or try other variations, like almond extract or mint extract, to change up the flavors of your cookies.

You can add citrus zest, cinnamon, or almond extract to the dough. You could also ice them with a tasty frosting and add some nuts or toasted coconut. Make your own. Get a recipe, buy the ingredients (butter, sugar, eggs, flour and vanilla).

Although it may seem obvious, the most important role extra milk plays is adding a little more liquid. As cookie dough is very low in hydration, that two tablespoons of milk have more of an impact here than in something with higher hydration, such as cake batter.