I perfected a birthday cake cookie copycat you can make with any color sprinkles, and my Cake Batter Cookie recipe even works with Christmas colors.
I love a good Cake Batter Cookie, the kind that makes people pause and ask where you got them. I started with plain yellow cake mix and tossed in rainbow sprinkles, and the first batch vanished faster than I could plate them.
They’re bright, a little nostalgic and weirdly sophisticated, perfect for a Christmas Cookie Bake Off or when you wanna fake being fancy at a party. People swear they’re a Crumbl Christmas Cookie Copycat, which makes me proud and slightly suspicious, but either way they spark conversation.
Try them when you want something playful, loud, and totally shareable.
Ingredients
- Yellow cake mix: Mostly refined carbs and sugar, supplies sweet base, color and quick leavening.
- Eggs: Provide protein, moisture and structure, help bind dough, add richness and lift.
- Vegetable oil or melted butter: Adds fat for tenderness and chew, boosts calories and mouthfeel, flavor varies.
- Vanilla extract: Tiny amount gives big aroma, rounds sweetness, adds homey baked flavor.
- Rainbow sprinkles: Pure sugar, mostly color and crunch, makes cookies playful, minimal nutrition.
- All purpose flour optional: Adds structure and chew, increases carbs and gluten, makes cookies firmer.
- Fine sea salt optional: Small pinch balances sweetness, enhances flavors and depth, tiny sodium boost.
Ingredient Quantities
- 1 (15.25 to 18.25 oz) box yellow cake mix
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable oil or melted unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (about 150 g) rainbow sprinkles (jimmies or nonpareils)
- Optional: 1/2 cup (60 g) all purpose flour for firmer cookies
- Optional: pinch of fine sea salt
How to Make this
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat and set them aside.
2. In a large bowl dump 1 box (1
5.25 to 1
8.25 oz) yellow cake mix, then add 2 large eggs, 1/2 cup vegetable oil or melted unsalted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Add the optional pinch of fine sea salt now if you like a little balance to the sweetness.
3. Mix with a hand mixer or whisk until the batter is smooth and there are no dry pockets of cake mix. Dont overmix, just get it combined.
4. Fold in 1 cup (about 150 g) rainbow sprinkles gently. If you want firmer cookies, sprinkle in the optional 1/2 cup (60 g) all purpose flour and fold until just combined. Tip: jimmies hold their color better than nonpareils, nonpareils sometimes bleed.
5. Chill the dough 15 to 30 minutes in the fridge if you used butter or if you want less spreading. This step is optional but really helps keep them thick and soft.
6. Use a tablespoon or small cookie scoop to portion dough into balls about 1 to
1.5 tablespoons each. Roll lightly between your palms, dont overwork the dough.
7. Place dough balls 2 inches apart on the prepared sheet. Press the tops down slightly and press a few extra sprinkles on top for looks.
8. Bake one sheet at a time for 8 to 10 minutes, until edges are set and centers still look slightly soft. They will finish cooking on the pan, so dont wait for them to look fully firm.
9. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. They’ll firm up as they cool.
10. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days. For longer storage freeze baked cookies or freeze the dough balls on a tray then transfer to a freezer bag for easy fresh-baked cookies later.
Equipment Needed
1. Oven, preheat to 350°F
2. Rimmed baking sheet(s) plus parchment paper or a silicone baking mat to line them
3. Large mixing bowl
4. Hand mixer or whisk whichever you got
5. Measuring cups and spoons
6. Rubber spatula or wooden spoon for folding and scraping
7. Tablespoon or small cookie scoop for portioning dough
8. Wire cooling rack to cool the cookies
9. Airtight container or freezer bags for storing leftovers (optional)
FAQ
Cake Batter Cookies Copycat Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Cake mix: if you don’t have a box, mix 2 cups all purpose flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt plus 1 tsp vanilla to mimic the box mix; use same amount called for in recipe.
- Eggs: replace each large egg with 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce for moist cookies, or make a flax egg (1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water, let sit 5 minutes) for a vegan option.
- Vegetable oil or melted butter: swap 1:1 with melted coconut oil or light olive oil, or use 1/2 the oil plus 1/2 cup applesauce to cut fat and keep them soft.
- Rainbow sprinkles: use mini chocolate chips, chopped candy, or white chocolate chips if you want no color bleed, or omit them entirely for a simpler cookie.
Pro Tips
– Chill the dough, even just 15 minutes, if you want thick, soft cookies. Chilling firms up any melted butter and relaxes the batter so the cookies dont spread out thin while baking. If you’re in a rush pop the scooped balls in the freezer for 8 to 10 minutes instead.
– If you want more flavor, brown the butter slightly then cool it before using. Browned butter adds a nutty depth that plain oil cant give, but remember cooled butter can still make the dough softer than oil, so chill the dough a bit more if they start to spread.
– Use jimmies not nonpareils if you care about color staying bright. Fold sprinkles in gently so they dont bleed, and press a few extra on top of each cookie right before baking so they look fun and vibrant.
– If the dough seems too soft or your cookies are too cakey, add the optional 1/2 cup flour a little at a time, and measure flour by spooning into the cup then leveling it for accuracy. Also make sure eggs are near room temp for even mixing; cold eggs can make the batter lumpier.
– Bake one sheet at a time on the middle rack for best browning and even heat. Pull them when the edges are set but centers still look a touch soft, let them rest on the pan 2 to 3 minutes, then move to a rack to finish firming up. For long term storage freeze baked cookies or freeze the raw balls on a tray and bag them for fresh-baked anytime.
Cake Batter Cookies Copycat Recipe
I perfected a birthday cake cookie copycat you can make with any color sprinkles, and my Cake Batter Cookie recipe even works with Christmas colors.
24
servings
143
kcal
Equipment: 1. Oven, preheat to 350°F
2. Rimmed baking sheet(s) plus parchment paper or a silicone baking mat to line them
3. Large mixing bowl
4. Hand mixer or whisk whichever you got
5. Measuring cups and spoons
6. Rubber spatula or wooden spoon for folding and scraping
7. Tablespoon or small cookie scoop for portioning dough
8. Wire cooling rack to cool the cookies
9. Airtight container or freezer bags for storing leftovers (optional)
Ingredients
-
1 (15.25 to 18.25 oz) box yellow cake mix
-
2 large eggs
-
1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable oil or melted unsalted butter
-
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-
1 cup (about 150 g) rainbow sprinkles (jimmies or nonpareils)
-
Optional: 1/2 cup (60 g) all purpose flour for firmer cookies
-
Optional: pinch of fine sea salt
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat and set them aside.
- In a large bowl dump 1 box (1
- 25 to 1
- 25 oz) yellow cake mix, then add 2 large eggs, 1/2 cup vegetable oil or melted unsalted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Add the optional pinch of fine sea salt now if you like a little balance to the sweetness.
- Mix with a hand mixer or whisk until the batter is smooth and there are no dry pockets of cake mix. Dont overmix, just get it combined.
- Fold in 1 cup (about 150 g) rainbow sprinkles gently. If you want firmer cookies, sprinkle in the optional 1/2 cup (60 g) all purpose flour and fold until just combined. Tip: jimmies hold their color better than nonpareils, nonpareils sometimes bleed.
- Chill the dough 15 to 30 minutes in the fridge if you used butter or if you want less spreading. This step is optional but really helps keep them thick and soft.
- Use a tablespoon or small cookie scoop to portion dough into balls about 1 to
- 5 tablespoons each. Roll lightly between your palms, dont overwork the dough.
- Place dough balls 2 inches apart on the prepared sheet. Press the tops down slightly and press a few extra sprinkles on top for looks.
- Bake one sheet at a time for 8 to 10 minutes, until edges are set and centers still look slightly soft. They will finish cooking on the pan, so dont wait for them to look fully firm.
- Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. They’ll firm up as they cool.
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days. For longer storage freeze baked cookies or freeze the dough balls on a tray then transfer to a freezer bag for easy fresh-baked cookies later.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 34g
- Total number of serves: 24
- Calories: 143kcal
- Fat: 6.9g
- Saturated Fat: 1.2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Polyunsaturated: 1.7g
- Monounsaturated: 3.3g
- Cholesterol: 15mg
- Sodium: 70mg
- Potassium: 18mg
- Carbohydrates: 21g
- Fiber: 0.3g
- Sugar: 14.6g
- Protein: 1.6g
- Vitamin A: 25IU
- Vitamin C: 0mg
- Calcium: 15mg
- Iron: 0.3mg
