Christmas Cake Mix Sugar Cookies
Christmas Cake Mix Sugar Cookies start with a box of white cake mix, get a hint of almond, and are loaded with sprinkles and cream cheese frosting. Easy holiday baking!
Servings: 14 cookies
Calories: 593kcal
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
- 1 cup cold unsalted butter cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 box white cake mix
- 1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- ½ cup Christmas sprinkles
For the Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 4 tablespoons butter at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 to 2 tablespoons milk
- Christmas sprinkles for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until slightly creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the eggs and egg yolk one at a time, scraping down the bowl between additions.
- Add the vanilla and almond extract and beat to combine.
- Add the baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and beat to combine.
- Add the cake mix and flour and beat until combined.
- Add the Christmas sprinkles and mix on low speed just until evenly distributed.
- Use a 2-ounce cookie scoop to form the dough into balls.
- Place 4 dough balls on each baking sheet.
- Bake 10-12 minutes. The edges should be slightly golden and the middle set. They might still seem soft in the middle but it should not look dough-y. They will set up as they cool.
- Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then move to a rack to cool completely.
Frosting:
- In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and salt until well combined.
- Beat in the powdered sugar until well combined.
- Add milk, starting with 1 tablespoon, and add a second tablespoon only if needed.
- Spread on the cooled cookies and top with Christmas sprinkles.
Notes
Butter - Start with cold butter so the dough is easier to handle and the cookies spread less. Unsalted is best, but salted butter also works.
Sprinkles - Use jimmies (rod-shaped sprinkles) in the dough because they hold their color while baking. Nonpareils can bleed into the dough, so use them only on top of the frosting.
Cookie Size - These are big cookies made with a 2-ounce scoop, so leave plenty of room between them on the baking sheet and bake in batches.
Doneness - The middles will look a little underdone when you take them out. They finish setting as they cool on the pan.
Frosting - Make sure the cookies are completely cool before frosting, or the frosting will melt.
Storage - Store frosted cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator because of the cream cheese frosting.
Freezing - Freeze cookies in an airtight container or zip-top bag for up to 4 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 593kcal | Carbohydrates: 90g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 423mg | Potassium: 117mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 67g | Vitamin A: 778IU | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 1mg