These Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies with Peppermint are soft, rich cookies that taste delicious and take almost zero effort. All you need is a boxed cake mix, three ingredients, and 20 minutes to make the most deliciously chocolaty cookies with a blast of holiday peppermint. Bake them up for a quick dessert or add them to your Christmas cookie tins.
Peppermint cookies for the holidays
Our family has always loved the Christmas season and baking has always been a huge part of it. I just can't see Christmas going by without baking cookies to share with family and friends.
These cake mix chocolate cookies are so easy that they are always first on the list to make. Plus the kids love to help since there are so few ingredients and hardly any measuring. And, while I'm on a roll, I'll whip up some other minty cookies like Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies, Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Chocolate Peppermint Sandwich Cookies.
Why you need to make these cookies
Holiday Flavors - An easy recipe with the perfect balance of chocolate and peppermint!
Quick and easy – they’re ready from start to finish in just 20 minutes. Ideal for last-minute holiday baking or just satisfying a chocolate craving.
Soft, moist, and fluffy – each bite is like a little chocolate cloud!
No dough chilling needed – skip the wait and get to the fun part.
Packed with chocolate flavor – perfect for satisfying all your chocolate lovers.
No mixer required – just stir and go, making clean-up a breeze.
Easy to customize – see the recipe variations below
Ingredients for these chocolate peppermint cookies
These soft, chewy cookies come together with just a few simple ingredients, making them one of my favorite recipes when I'm short on time. You'll find the exact quantities in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Chocolate Cake Mix - The base of these cookies, bringing both chocolate flavor and a super-soft texture. Any brand of mix will work. I'm a Duncan Hines Cake Mix girl but Betty Crocker and Pillsbury cake mixes work as well.
Oil - Adds moisture and helps create a chewy, fudgy consistency. Use vegetable oil for the best result as it makes the softest cookies
Eggs - Binds the ingredients together and gives the cookies a bit of fluff. Use large eggs for best results.
Peppermint Chips - Adds that festive peppermint flavor in every bite. I use Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips.
Powdered Sugar (Optional) – A sweet dusting that adds a little extra holiday charm for that beloved crinkle effect.
NOTE: This recipe was first made with an 18.25 oz. box of cake mix. Most cake mixes are now sold in 15.25 oz boxes so I reduced the oil in the recipe to ⅓ cup for thicker cookies. You can also opt for the traditional ½ cup oil but I would add ¼ cup all-purpose flour to balance out the extra oil.
How to make chocolate cookies with cake mix
All you need to make this easy cookie recipe is a bowl, a spoon, and a few minutes of mixing. And in minutes you’ll have a batch of soft chocolate cookies with peppermint chips ready for the perfect holiday treat. Here’s how to go from cake mix to delicious cookies in no time!
- In a large bowl, add cake mix, oil and eggs.
- Stir or beat until just combined.
- Add peppermint chips or your favorite add-ins, almost anything goes! Try them with Andes mint chips, Reese's pieces, or mini marshmallows.
- Stir to incorporate.
- Roll the cookie dough into balls between the palms of your hands. Roll them in powdered sugar for a crinkle cookie look or just leave them as is.
- Place them on a greased or parchment paper lined cookie sheet, spacing them 2" apart. (I like to do half and half for a little variety.) Ready to bake.
- Bake cookies at 350°F for 10 minutes then let them cool on the cookie sheet for 5-10 minutes. Remove them to a wire rack to cool completely.
These are the perfect Christmas cookies for adding to a holiday cookie platter or taking to a holiday cookie exchange. Their soft, chewy texture along with their rich chocolate and peppermint flavor are sure to be a family favorite.
Recipe variations to make them your own
One of the best things about these chocolate peppermint cake mix cookies is how easily you can put your own twist on them! Whether you’re in the mood for extra chocolate, a nutty crunch, or a different holiday flavor, there are so many fun ways to customize each batch. Here are some delicious ideas to make these cookies uniquely yours:
Chocolate cake mix flavors - I used devil's food but chocolate fudge, German chocolate, and red velvet would be great choices
Other cake mix flavors (depending on your add-ins)- vanilla with mini M&Ms, white cake mix with candy bar pieces, lemon with white chocolate, banana cake with peanut butter chips, carrot cake with coconut, or spice cake with pecans. Or try something funky like the new Blue Velvet cake mix with white chocolate chips.
Caution: different cake mix flavors react differently to this method. You may find some result in thinner cookies, like yellow cake mix, while others, like strawberry, make thicker cookies.
Gluten-free option - choose a gluten-free cake mix
More mint - change out the peppermint chips and add more crunch with ½ cup crushed candy canes and ½ cup white chocolate chips.
Add-in choices - chocolate chips, Andes mint chips, M&Ms, candy bar pieces, mini marshmallows, peanut butter chips or cut-up mini peanut butter cups, cinnamon chips, coconut, chopped nuts, and of course sprinkles!
Make it a chocolate peppermint crinkle cookie - roll in powdered sugar before baking
Tips & tricks for cookie perfection
If you want light and fluffy cookies keep mixing to a minimum. Overmixing will make flatter cookies.
Keep cookies soft by not overbaking them. 10 minutes is plenty of time for these cake mix cookies.
Make ahead tips
Want to get a head start on your holiday baking? You can make the dough ahead and freeze it for up to 6 months!
Simply prepare the dough, roll it into balls, and freeze on a baking sheet until solid. Then, transfer to a resealable plastic bag.
Add a minute or two to the baking time for frozen cookie dough.
How to store cake mix cookies
To keep your cookies soft and delicious, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
For longer storage, you can freeze the cookies by placing them in a single layer on a baking sheet until solid, then transferring them to a resealable freezer bag. Stored this way, they’ll stay fresh for up to three months. When you’re ready to enjoy, just let them thaw at room temperature – they’ll taste as good as the day you baked them!
More Christmas cookie recipes
Almond Cloud Cookies - are chewy and light with a touch of sweet and almost wholly comprised of almonds.
Chocolate Snowball Cookies - rich fudgy cookies for the chocolate lover in all of us.
Salted Caramel Filled Chocolate Cookies - are easy to make & ooey-gooey delicious. Rich chocolate cookies wrapped around a chocolate-coated caramel, rolled in sugared nuts, and finished with a sprinkle of sea salt.
Peppermint Blossom Cookies - is an easy, festive white chocolate pudding cookie filled with white chocolate chips and crowned by a peppermint kiss.
Find lots of easy recipes for cookies right here on 2CM!
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Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies with Peppermint
Ingredients
- 15.25 ounces package boxed chocolate cake mix
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup peppermint chips
- powdered sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, oil, and eggs. Beat just until mixed.
- Stir in peppermint chips.
- Here you have the option of rolling the dough into a ball and then rolling in powdered sugar before placing on the prepared cookie sheet or just dropping by teaspoonful onto the cookie sheet, spacing about 2" apart.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes on cookie sheet on wire rack. Remove from cookie sheet and finish cooling cookies on wire rack.
- Store in airtight container on countertop.
Notes
Nutrition
This post has been updated with easy step-by-step directions and new photos. It was first published on December 10, 2014.
