Easy Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Recipe with Cake Mix

These easy chocolate crinkle cookies are the perfect sweet treat for any occasion. With a soft and fudgy center and a crinkled powdered sugar coating, these cookies are sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

Easy Crinkle Cookie Recipe

Easy Chocolate Crinkle Cookies with cake mix and Cool Whip are soft, chewy and some of the easiest cookies you can make. You’ll love this easy recipe!

Some of you may have heard of this cake mix cookie recipe before, but it might be new to some of you. And, that’s why I’m sharing it here.

We had one box of chocolate cake mix, and I thought I would use it to make cookies instead of another cake. I have a few cake mix cookie recipes with Cool Whip instead of oil and water, so I decided to make chocolate Cool Whip cookies.

Ingredients

You only need a few simple ingredients for this easy cookie recipe. Full amounts are in the printable recipe card below.

• Chocolate cake mix — I used Devil’s food, but any kind or brand works
• Cool Whip — thawed. Replaces the vegetable oil and water used in most cookie recipes
• Large egg
• Powdered sugar — to roll the cookies
• Cinnamon — optional but adds flavor
• Mini chocolate chips — or regular chips. More chocolate is always a good idea.

How to Make Chocolate Crinkle Cookies with Cool Whip and Cake Mix

All you have to do is combine the boxed cake mix, Cool Whip, egg and cinnamon in a large bowl. Then, add the chocolate chips, and mix well using an electric mixer ( hand mixer ) or spatula. Actually, the cinnamon and chocolate morsels are optional, but I think they add a little something to the taste.

Next, scoop up a teaspoonful or so of dough using a spoon or medium cookie scoop and roll it in the powdered sugar until it’s well coated.  A word of warning here — The dough is very messy.

I think the hardest part of the recipe was getting the chocolate goo off of our hands. But, that’s a minor annoyance, and you won’t mind once you taste these little morsels!

Then place the cookie dough balls on a lightly greased cookie sheet. You can also line the baking sheet with foil, parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Repeat the process until the dough mixture is completely used up, and bake the cookies at 350 degrees for about 10 to 12 minutes. The exact time will depend upon your oven.

The texture is soft and cakey, the edges are just slightly crisp, and the powdered sugar adds an extra bit of sweetness — awesome. We made these fudge crinkle cookies this afternoon, and as of tonight, there are still a few left — amazing!

Storage

Store these cake mix crinkles in an airtight container at room temperature. They stay fresh for 4-5 days. You can freeze the cookies in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.

Variations and Substitutions

You can use any flavor cake mix for these easy cookies. We love using lemon cake mix for spring and summer and strawberry cake mix for Valentine’s Day!

If you don’t have whipped topping, you can sub a third cup vegetable oil or melted butter.

Omit the cinnamon and add vanilla extract. You can also leave out the mini chips.

More Easy Cake Mix Cookie Recipes

• Easy Lemon Crinkle Cookies
• Easy Strawberry Crinkle Cookies
• Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies — without crinkles
• Spring Cake Mix Cookies
• Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies 
• Carrot Cake Cookies
• St. Patrick’s Day Cookies

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Recipe was originally published in 2014 and updated in 2024.