A box of cake mix is the secret ingredient to making these soft and chewy Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies with Cream Cheese filling. Freeze-dried strawberries and strawberry extract added to the cookie batter add an extra punch of flavor. The cake-like cookies and smooth, tangy cream cheese icing make these delicious Strawberry Sandwich Cookies look (and taste) like they were made in a bakery.
Need a special Valentine’s Day treat? These easy Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies will make the perfect sweet treat to send with your kids to school, share at a Galentine’s party or box for your special someone. They look so scrumptious and sophisticated no one will know you made cookies out of a strawberry cake mix recipe. Truly, this is a Pinterest-worthy treat!
How to turn strawberry cake mix into cookies
Cookies and cake mix include flour, sugar, eggs, and a fat like butter or vegetable oil. Cakes generally have more liquids, creating a batter you can pour, while cookies have a much thicker consistency, which forms dough balls to drop onto a baking sheet. Using the cake mix acts as flour for the cookie recipe. So, how do you turn strawberry cake mix into cookies? Easy peasy! Let the cake mix serve as the “flour” in your recipe. Viola! You’ll have strawberry cake mix valentine’s cookies everyone will love!
Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies Ingredients:
Strawberry cake mix – You can use any brand you’d like. I used Betty Crocker.
Baking powder – Use fresh baking powder. It will contribute to a fluffy texture!
Eggs – The eggs act as a binding agent for the cookie.
Unsalted butter – Use real butter. In addition to giving a bit of structure, it adds a delicious flavor and tenderness!
The strawberry extract will give the cookie the strawberry flavor we’re going for!
Freeze-dried strawberries – These give a more concentrated strawberry flavor.
Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:
Unsalted butter – Again, use real butter! Make sure it is softened. It makes the frosting creamy, rich, and delicious.
Cream cheese – Make sure it’s softened so it can be creamed without lumps. This also adds to the richness of the frosting!
Pure vanilla extract – This elevates the flavors in your frosting!
Salt – This frosting can get very sweet. The salt cuts that a bit, balancing out all the flavors.
Powdered sugar – Use this to make the frosting sweet and silky smooth!
How to make strawberry cake mix cookies
This pictorial is simply a guide. Make sure to scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe and detailed ingredient list.
In a glass bowl, mix the strawberry cake mix and baking powder. Next, use a handheld mixer or silicone spatula to mix in eggs, melted butter, and strawberry extract. Once the ingredients are completely mixed, fold in the freeze-dried strawberries until they are fully incorporated. (You can also use a stand mixer if that’s what you have!)
Scoop the cookie dough on the parchment paper. You can use a large spoon, but I prefer a cookie scoop or ice cream scoop to keep them all about the same size. Once you pull them out of the oven, let them cool for a few minutes, then place them on a wire cooling rack.
In a separate bowl, prepare the frosting. Beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add the pure vanilla extract and salt and mix completely. Then, begin to add the powdered sugar a little at a time and mix until well incorporated and smooth.
Once completely cooled, use a piping bag to frost cookies. A simple spiral creates a neat and tidy center layer for your strawberry cake mix cookies. Place a second cookie on and press lightly on top to create the sweetest and most delectable cookie sandwich!
Why Use Cake Mix To Make Cookies?
Cake mix makes a fantastic substitute for flour in cookies because of its specified and added flavor. In this case, it adds the perfect flavor for the best strawberry cake mix cookies!
What is the difference between cake batter and cookie batter?
Cake recipes generally have more liquids, creating a more liquidy batter you can pour, while cookies have a much thicker consistency that allows you to form dough balls or drop the batter onto a baking sheet.
Does it matter what kind of cake mix I use?
For making strawberry cookies from cake mix, I recommend using a strawberry-flavored cake mix. I used Betty Crocker, but you can use any brand.
Can I make these cookies with different cake mix flavors?
Strawberry cake mix makes the most sense to me for this strawberry cake mix cookie recipe, does it not?! Although, I think vanilla or chocolate cake mix with freeze-dried strawberries could also be yummy and attractive-looking variations of this recipe.
With that said, strawberry cake mix usually makes a thicker cookie, while others seem to spread more. You may try refrigerating the dough to see if that helps when using another cake mix.
I wouldn’t recommend using a yellow cake mix. Though I haven’t tried it, I imagine the yellow cake mix would create a cookie with a yellow color and would not fit the Valentine’s theme well. Even if you tried using food coloring, the batter would likely turn more of an orange color. So, unless you’re making yellow cookies for springtime or orange for Halloween or Thanksgiving, steer clear of yellow cake mix for this recipe!
Do I really need a cookie scoop?
I suppose not, but if you’re hoping to gift or serve these cookies for friends and loved ones, a cookie scoop will create the exact same size and shape for each cookie, giving the cookie sandwiches more visual appeal.
Recipe Tips
These Strawberry Cookies from Cake Mix are the best dessert, but following these few tips will yield the best results:
- Be sure your butter and eggs are at room temperature before using them in the recipe.
- Add the freeze-dried strawberries and the strawberry extract for a more robust flavor!
- Chill your cookie dough before baking it in the oven to prevent it from spreading.
- If you can, use a standing or hand mixer to help create a smooth batter and creamy frosting. We want to avoid lumps for the best looking cookie sandwich.
- Use a piping bag or frosting spatula for a tidy and neat layer of frosting between the cookies.
Variations
For chocolate lovers, you may consider using a chocolate cake mix with a pink, strawberry-flavored frosting. You can also use a white cake mix with food coloring and freeze-dried strawberries to add a hint of pink. For any of these variations, feel free to use Valentine sprinkles around the edges of the frosting for an added decorative touch!
You can branch out to other cake mix flavors like lemon, funfetti, red velvet, etc., with other mix-ins for occasions other than Valentine’s Day! Add in nuts, white chocolate chips, M&Ms, or other candies – your options are endless! Use the recipe for strawberry cake mix cookies by simply using your preferred substitutions and then following the instructions!
How to Store Strawberry Cookies
These cookies will stay fresh and soft for several days! Make sure you store them in an airtight container. Since the frosting is made with real butter and cream cheese, these cookies will need to be refrigerated.
Can You Freeze Cake Mix Cookies?
Yes! Use parchment paper to separate layers of the cookies on a baking sheet and place them in the freezer. After about 30 minutes, transfer them to a freezer-safe plastic bag (make sure to squeeze out the air) or an airtight container and place them back in the freezer. They will taste delicious for up to about three months!
More Cake Mix Recipes:
- Cake Mix Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate Chips
- Easy Pumpkin Balls with Spice Cake Recipe
- Easy Smore’s Cupcake Recipe with Cake Mix
- Best Cake Mix Cookies Recipes
More Cookie Recipes:
- Chocolate Chip Cookies with Self-Rising Flour
- Cake Mix Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate Chips
- Cookie Monster Cookies Recipe
- Ultimate S’mores Cookies from Scratch
How to Make Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies
Equipment
- Hand mixer
- Two baking sheets
- 1 ½ tablespoon cookie dough scoop
- Piping bag with Wilton 12 tip
Ingredients
Ingredients for Cookies
- 15 ounce box strawberry cake mix I used Betty Crocker
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 eggs room temperature
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
- ¼ teaspoon strawberry extract optional to enhance the strawberry flavor
- 1 cup freeze-dried strawberries roughly chopped
Ingredients for Frosting:
- ¼ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 4 oz half block full fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉, then line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Feel free to use a standing mixer, but a large mixing bowl, handheld mixer, or silicon spatula will work fine. Mix the strawberry cake mix and baking powder. Then using the mixer of your choice, add the melted butter, eggs, and strawberry extract. Beat (on low) until fully incorporated and you've eliminated any lumps.
- Fold in the freeze-dried strawberries completely. I like a bit in each bite!
- Cover and chill the cookie dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or in the freezer for 15 minutes. This will help reduce the cookies from spreading.
- Once chilled, use a small cookie scoop or a spoon to drop 1 ½ tablespoon-sized balls onto the baking sheets. This will make uniform cookies, best for the cookie sandwiches! Space the balls a few inches apart to leave room for the cookies to spread.
- Bake at 350℉ for 8-10 minutes or until the tops of the cookie are set.
- As the cookies bake, prepare the buttercream frosting. In a medium mixing bowl, use a handheld mixer to beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and salt and mix. Next, add the powdered sugar a little at a time, mixing as you go. Incorporate the powdered sugar until the frosting is mixed completely and lump-free. For a stiffer frosting, consider adding cornstarch one tablespoon at a time until it reaches desired consistency. This will avoid an overly sweet frosting!
- When the cookies are set, remove the baking sheets from the oven and allow them to cool for 3-5 minutes. Then, transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Once the cookies have cooled, use a piping bag to create a spiral layer of icing on the bottom of a cookie. Grab another cookie to place on top and press ever so lightly. Voila! A cookie sandwich! Repeat with the rest of the cookies.
Nutrition
