Cake Mix Pudding Cookies: Soft, Plain Cookies Made Easy

These cake mix pudding cookies are the perfect “plain” cookies, for all of the simple cookie lovers in your life! They look boring, but they taste amazing!

Plain cookies. No chocolate chips. No rainbow sprinkles. No sticky frosting. Just a soft, chewy, perfectly sweet cookie that looks like it came straight from a grandma’s kitchen. I’m telling you, there is a special kind of magic in a cookie that doesn’t need any fancy add-ins to shine. But getting that plain cookie right? Not always easy. Humidity, a finicky oven, or that one time you blinked and the bottoms turned into charcoal – plain cookies can be surprisingly tricky. That’s exactly why I fell head over heels for cake mix pudding cookies. They solve every single one of those problems and then some.

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These cookies combine a simple box of cake batter mix with a packet of instant vanilla pudding, and the result is a cookie with the most beautiful balance of chewy-to-crisp texture. The edges get just firm enough while the centers stay impossibly soft, almost cake-like. And the top? It develops that much-coveted crinkle pattern that usually only shows up after years of baking. But here’s the real kicker: these cookies are remarkably resistant to burning. I once forgot to set the timer (silly me!) and they sat in the oven for an extra four minutes. They came out a touch darker around the edges, sure, but still soft in the middle and absolutely delicious. No acrid burnt taste, no hockey pucks. They just took it in stride. You can use white, vanilla, yellow, or golden cake mix – they all work. The cookies look deceptively simple, maybe even boring, but the taste makes everyone reach for a second one before the first is even finished.

The Secret Behind That Crinkle Top

The crinkle top is the calling card of a great cookie. That little network of cracks across the golden surface tells you the inside is going to be soft and tender. With this recipe, the crinkle forms because the outside of the dough sets quickly in the oven while the inside continues to spread just a little. The modified cornstarch in the instant pudding mix is the secret weapon. It holds onto moisture, creating steam that gently lifts and stretches the cookie’s surface as it bakes. The result is that bakery-style crackle every single time, no special technique needed.

Why These Cookies Never Burn

The same modified cornstarch that gives you that perfect texture also helps the cookies tolerate a slightly longer bake time. The extra moisture acts like a buffer, preventing the sugars from scorching the moment the timer hits zero. This makes them a total lifesaver on busy days when you’re juggling homework, work calls, and a hungry family. I can’t tell you how many batches I’ve pulled out of the oven after forgetting to check the clock, and they still tasted amazing. It’s the kind of forgiving recipe that every home baker needs in their back pocket.

Ingredients Needed for the Cake Mix Cookies Recipe

I love a recipe that uses nothing more than basic pantry staples, and this one delivers. You probably already have everything you need sitting in your cupboard right now. No flour, no baking soda, no salt to measure – just a few simple items that come together in the biggest, most satisfying shortcut.

• 1 box (15.25 oz) store-bought cake mixwhite, vanilla, yellow, or golden all work beautifully. The photo with yellow cake mix shows a slightly richer, more golden cookie, while the rest of the images in this post use white cake mix for that classic pale vanilla look.
• 1 box (3.4 oz) vanilla instant pudding mixand please, I’m begging you, make sure it’s instant! Cook-and-serve pudding does not work because it requires cooking to thicken. It’ll leave you with a gritty, stodgy mess.
• 2 large eggsor a plant-based egg substitute if you’d like to make these vegan.
• ½ cup oil or melted salted buttersalted butter is my personal pick for balancing the sweetness, but a neutral oil works perfectly too. More on that in the recipe notes.

That’s it! Four ingredients, five if you count the vanilla extract I always sneak in for a richer flavor. If you want to make it a five-ingredient cookie, just add 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract. I never skip it. It rounds out the sweetness and makes the whole house smell like a bakery.

The One Ingredient You Cannot Skip

That box of instant vanilla pudding mix is the star of the show. It’s not just about flavor; it’s about science. The modified cornstarch in the mix is what holds onto all that extra moisture during baking, which is why these cookies end up with that soft, cake-like middle instead of drying out. Skip it, and you’ll just have a basic cake mix cookie that flattens out into a thin, crispy disc. No thanks! And again – only instant pudding mix. I learned this the hard way early on. My first-ever attempt used cook-and-serve pudding, and the cookies spread into one giant puddle on the baking sheet. They tasted vaguely of vanilla but looked more like a pancake. Instant pudding is key.

Recipe Notes for Cookies Made From Cake Mix

This recipe originally took off in American kitchens back in the 1970s when boxed cake mixes started showing up on every grocery store shelf.

Home bakers quickly realized that a dry mix plus a few wet ingredients could create a whole new category of dessert, no sifting or creaming required.

It’s stayed popular for a reason: you get from-scratch taste with zero fuss.

Over the years, I’ve made more batches of these than I can count, and I’ve gathered every little trick to make them turn out perfectly every single time. I’m sharing them all here so your first batch is just as good as your fortieth.

A Quick Shortcut Born in the 1970s

Back when these first became a thing, convenience foods were having a real moment. Casseroles, boxed brownies, and instant pudding desserts ruled the table. Somewhere in that era, a clever cook realized that stirring pudding mix into cake batter produced the softest, most pillowy cookies imaginable. The method spread through community cookbooks and handwritten recipe cards, and it never really went away. I love that this recipe is essentially a slice of Americana, passed down and tweaked over generations. It’s also an ideal beginner or kids’ baking project because there’s no measuring of flour, baking soda, or salt. You open a few boxes, crack a couple eggs, and stir.

How to Make Cake Mix Pudding Cookies Step by Step

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the cake mix and the instant vanilla pudding mix until well combined. You want to break up any lumps from the dry mixes.
3. Add the eggs, melted salted butter (or oil), and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract if using. Stir just until the dough comes together. Overmixing can develop gluten and make the cookies tough, so stop as soon as there are no dry streaks.
4. The dough will be thick and sticky at this point. Pop the bowl into the fridge for 30 minutes. Chilling makes it easier to scoop and reduces cookie spread during baking.
5. Using a medium 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop, drop rounded portions onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each.
6. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are set and just barely golden. The centers will still look slightly underdone, but the cookies will firm up beautifully as they cool.
7. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. This is the hardest step, I know! But it’s worth it.

One batch yields about 24 to 30 soft, crinkle-topped cookies. Perfect for sharing, though I won’t judge if you hide a few for yourself.

The Butter Debate: Salted vs Unsalted

I always reach for salted butter when I make these cookies. The little bit of salt balances out the sweetness of the cake mix and the pudding mix, giving the cookies a more rounded, complex flavor. If all you have on hand is unsalted butter, no worries! Just sprinkle a pinch of salt into the dry cake mix before stirring everything together. It does the same job. You can also use melted butter in place of all the oil in the recipe for a richer, more buttery taste. I often do a combo: half oil for a tender texture and half melted butter for flavor. Both ways work, so go with what makes your heart happy.

How to Keep Your Cookies Soft and Chewy

These cookies are at their absolute best when they’re still ever-so-slightly warm, but they stay soft for days if you store them right. Place the completely cooled cookies in an airtight container with a piece of parchment between layers. At room temperature, they’ll keep that fresh-baked softness for up to 5 days. If you want to freeze them, they hold up beautifully for up to 3 months. Just layer them between pieces of parchment paper in a freezer-safe container or bag. When a craving hits, pull out however many you need and let them thaw on the counter. They’ll taste almost like you just baked them. You can also freeze the unbaked cookie dough balls. Scoop them onto a tray, freeze until solid, then transfer to a zip-top bag. Bake from frozen at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes, adding a minute or two. Now you have fresh cookies on demand, no mixing required.

Troubleshooting: Why Did My Cookies Spread Too Thin?

Nothing stings quite like pulling a tray of flat, lacy pancakes out of the oven. If your cookies spread too much, the dough was probably a little too warm or you needed to chill it longer. Next time, pop the bowl in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, or even up to an hour if your kitchen runs warm. Another fix: stir in 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour. The extra flour gives the dough just enough structure to hold its shape without making the cookies dry. Also check that you’re using instant pudding, not cook-and-serve, as the wrong one can wreak havoc on the dough structure.

Make It Plant-Based

These cookies easily turn vegan without losing their charm. Use a plant-based butter stick (the kind that comes in a box, not a tub) and a flax egg for each egg needed. A flax egg is simply 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons of water, left to thicken for 5 minutes. Most standard cake mixes are already vegan, and many instant pudding mixes are too. Just double-check the labels, especially for the pudding mix, and you’re good to go. The texture will be a smidge denser but still wonderfully soft and satisfying.

Flavor Pairing Ideas

While this classic version uses vanilla pudding and a white, vanilla, yellow, or golden cake mix, you can absolutely play around with flavors. The same cookie dough formula works for all kinds of delicious combinations. Here are a few tried-and-true pairings to get you started:

The chocolate cake mix with chocolate fudge pudding creates a cookie that tastes like a brownie’s softer cousin. Lemon cake with lemon pudding is bright and tangy, perfect for spring. And spice cake with butterscotch pudding? That’s fall in cookie form, cozy and warm with every bite. I’ve even used strawberry cake mix with vanilla pudding for a pink-tinged treat that the kids went wild over.

More Cake Mix Desserts to Try

Once you see how easy it is to turn a box of cake mix into something special, you’ll want to explore all the other shortcuts waiting for you. If you love the convenience of these cake mix pudding cookies, I think you’ll also adore my fluffy easy blueberry cobbler with cake mix. It’s just as simple and tastes like a summer afternoon. For a different take on this cookie, Betty Crocker’s version is a fun one to compare with yours.

A Note From My Kitchen

The first time I set a plate of these plain little cookies in front of my family, I braced myself. My nephew is the pickiest eater I have ever met. He examines every cookie for hidden chocolate chips, rejected raisins, anything suspicious. He took one bite, and before I could even ask how it was, his hand was already reaching for another. That’s the power of a truly great plain cookie. No flash, no gimmicks – just that perfect soft, chewy, vanilla-scented bite that reminds you why you fell in love with baking in the first place. This recipe is a keeper, and I hope it becomes a staple in your kitchen too.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Plainest, Most Delicious Cookie You’ll Ever Make

I used to think that a truly great plain cookie was some kind of baking unicorn. Too many batches turned out dry, or pale, or just… forgettable. But this recipe changed the game. It’s forgiving enough for a Tuesday afternoon with the kids and impressive enough to bring to the church potluck. It requires almost no forethought, uses pantry staples you already own, and somehow tastes like you worked a whole lot harder than you actually did. That’s my kind of baking. So preheat that oven, grab a box of cake mix and a packet of vanilla instant pudding, and give these a whirl. When you pull that first tray out and see those perfect crinkles glistening, you’ll know exactly why I can’t stop raving about them. Happy baking, friend!

Cake Mix Pudding Cookies

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🍪 Soft, chewy cookies with a beautiful crinkle top made from just four pantry staples.
😋 Perfectly sweet plain cookies that are remarkably forgiving and nearly impossible to burn.

• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 24 cookies 1x

Ingredients

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1 box (15.25 oz) store-bought cake mix (white, vanilla, yellow, or golden)

1 box (3.4 oz) vanilla instant pudding mix

2 large eggs

½ cup oil or melted salted butter

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

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Instructions

1-Preheat the oven: Preheat to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2-Combine dry ingredients: Whisk together the cake mix and instant vanilla pudding mix until lumps are broken up.

3-Add wet ingredients: Add eggs, melted salted butter (or oil), and vanilla extract; stir just until no dry streaks remain.

4-Chill the dough: Refrigerate the thick, sticky dough for 30 minutes to reduce spreading.

5-Scoop the cookies: Drop rounded 1.5‑tablespoon portions 2 inches apart on the prepared sheets.

6-Bake: Bake 10–12 minutes until edges are set and barely golden—centers will look slightly underdone.

7-Cool: Let cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

Last Step:

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Notes

📦 Use instant pudding mix only — cook-and-serve pudding will cause the cookies to spread into flat puddles and turn gritty.
🧈 Salted butter adds a richer flavor that balances the sweetness, but a neutral oil works just as well for a lighter taste.
⏱️ These cookies are very forgiving if over-baked by a few extra minutes, staying soft in the center thanks to the pudding mix.

• Author: Ruby Bennett
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cooling Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegetarian

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 cookie
• Calories: 130
• Sugar: 10g
• Sodium: 180mg
• Fat: 7g
• Saturated Fat: 2.5g
• Unsaturated Fat: 4g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 16g
• Fiber: 0g
• Protein: 1.5g
• Cholesterol: 25mg