These Christmas Cake Mix Cookies are soft and chewy cookies that are filled to the brim with white chocolate chips and M&M’s.

They are so easy to make and are always a hit during the holiday season. If you love green cake mix cookies then this is the recipe for you.
While the cookies are baking, you might want to sip on some Butterbeer latte with your kids and play a game of tic tac toe.
Jump to:
- What are Some Fun Facts About White Chocolate?
- SAVE THIS RECIPE!
- ❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- 🥘 Ingredients
- 🔀 Substitutions
- 🌈 Variations / Options / Add-Ins
- 🥄 Equipment Needed / Helpful Tools
- 🔪 How to Make Christmas Cake Mix Cookies
- 👩🍳 Pro Tips
- ❓ Recipe FAQs
- 🙏 Pairing
- SAVE THIS RECIPE!
- 📋 Recipe
- Pro Tips
- Recipe FAQs
What are Some Fun Facts About White Chocolate?
While you and your kids are making these cookies, it’s a great time to talk. In case you need something to talk about, these fun facts about white chocolate might be something your older kids will enjoy learning about (they can show off what they learned later at Christmas dinner when they share these facts with your guests).
- White chocolate was first made in the 1930s in Switzerland. The recipe came about because a chemist called Henri Nestlé was working with a pharmacy company to create a more appealing coating for a children’s medication.
- White chocolate wasn’t always considered chocolate in the United States because it doesn’t contain chocolate liquor (it’s not actually alcoholic— it’s called liquor because it flows in liquid form) — the liquid that gives chocolate its deep color and rich flavor. Instead, people called it “confectionery coating” or “white confectionery coating.”
- There’s a National White Chocolate Day on September 22.
- White chocolate is made with cocoa butter which makes it solid at room temperature but melts in your mouth. This also means it contains naturally occurring antioxidants that keep it fresh for years.
- The high-fat content in white chocolate means it absorbs odors easily, so if you don’t want it to taste like anything else, you should keep it in a container by itself in a cool, dark place like your cupboard or fridge.
- If you’ve ever noticed that real white chocolate isn’t pure white, but more of a yellow shade — that’s because cocoa butter is ivory-colored.
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❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Who doesn’t love a good Christmas cookie? These soft and chewy white chocolate chip cookies are the perfect way to celebrate this time of year.
- Easy to make: Since this recipe is made using cake mix, there aren’t many ingredients that you have to gather and mix together.
- Fun to make: Your kids will enjoy helping you make these cookies and you can have even more fun using the suggestions above for things to do together while you’re waiting for the cookies to bake.
- Fills the house with a delicious aroma: Of course everyone loves the wonderful smell of cookies baking in the oven during the holidays. When your kids grow up, the smell of cookies baking will always remind them of home, and probably motivate them to come home for Christmas.
If you love colored Christmas cookies like these you may also enjoy this Christmas Pinwheel Cookies recipe.
🥘 Ingredients
You only need a few basic holiday baking ingredients to help you make this recipe. After one quick trip to the grocery store, you will have all the ingredients.
- Vanilla cake mix: Any brand of cake mix can be used.
- Green gel food coloring: Food coloring gel is important for this recipe because it is more concentrated than liquid food coloring, producing a richer, more vibrant green.
- Red and green M&Ms: Since these are seasonal colors, they’re usually in the Christmas candy aisle, rather than the regular candy aisle.
- White chocolate chips: The color of the chips stands out against the green dough, enhancing the festive, holiday-themed look of the cookies.
See recipe card for complete list of ingredients and quantities.
🔀 Substitutions
If you don’t have the ingredients you need, or if you have different dietary needs/preferences, see if you have these instead:
Cake Mix: If you don’t have vanilla cake mix on hand, you can use yellow, white or butter cake mix instead. In case you don’t have any boxed cake mix on hand, make your own by combining 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon salt.
Gel food coloring: Add a teaspoon or two of powdered matcha or spinach powder to the batter for natural food coloring instead of the gel.
M&Ms: If you don’t have M&Ms you can use Reese’s Pieces or just add more chocolate chips.
Chocolate Chips: You can use milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or even red and green chocolate chips (usually available this time of year) in this recipe instead.
🌈 Variations / Options / Add-Ins
Here are a few ways that you can personalize this soft and chewy cookie recipe:
- Nuts: Fold in 1/2 cup of chopped nuts to the mix for some added crunch. Pecans, walnuts or almonds would work well in this quick treat.
- Christmas Sprinkles: You can top these cookies with your favorite sprinkles for even more holiday flare.
- Different Candy: Instead of using M&M’s you could use your favorite Christmas candy like Sixlets or Skittles (if you want a fruity twist).
- Chocolate chips: Use yogurt chips or butterscotch chips for a unique flavor and texture. Dried cranberries or raisins can replace chocolate chips for a chewy texture.
If you like the flavor of spice in your cookies but still want the convenience, try these Snickerdoodle Cake Mix Cookies.
🥄 Equipment Needed / Helpful Tools
You only need a few kitchen tools to help you make this easy cookie recipe.
- Hand mixer: This kind of mixer is best for these cookies because it’s convenient for small batches, easy to clean, and ensures the dough isn’t overworked. However, if you don’t have a hand mixer you can stir it by hand instead.
- Large mixing bowl: All of the ingredients will be mixed in this bowl.
- Parchment paper: This will make sure the cookies don’t stick and will be easy to remove. It also means you don’t have to wash the baking sheet — less dishes is always a plus.
- Baking sheet or cookie sheet: You can use any larger type of baking pan that your family has on hand.
🔪 How to Make Christmas Cake Mix Cookies
Making these Christmas cookies is simple. Just follow the instructions below and you will have a holiday dessert that your guests will devour in no time at all.
Step 1: Mix Cake mix and wet Ingredients
Beat together the cake mix, eggs, and vegetable oil until combined.

Step 2: Add Food Coloring
Add the food coloring and beat until well mixed.

Step 3: Stir in the add-ins
Stir in the M&Ms and chocolate chips.

Step 4: Chill the dough
Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Step 5: Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheet
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 6: Shape Cookie Dough
Use a tablespoon to scoop a heaping spoonful of dough. Roll the dough into a ball and place the balls of dough on the lined baking sheet.
Press the dough down slightly, then decorate with additional candy and chocolate chips if desired. Continue until all the dough has been used.

Step 7: Bake the Cookies
Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until the edges of the cookies are slightly brown.
Step 8: Cool the Cookies
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for five minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.

Step 9: Serve and Enjoy
Put cookies on a Christmas serving platter and serve to your guests.

👩🍳 Pro Tips
Here are a few tips to help make sure that these cookies turn out well for you.
- Avoid overmixing the dough to maintain the right texture. Whether you use a mixer or mix by hand, blend just until the ingredients are combined.
- It’s very important that you make sure that the cookie dough chills for at least 30 minutes. This firms it up, making it easier to handle and helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much during baking.
- When adding the gel food coloring add one drop at a time and adjust until you achieve your desired color.
- If you don’t have parchment paper on hand, you can use a silicone baking mat instead.
- If you want even-sized cookies use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to portion the dough evenly.
- To get perfectly shaped cookies, use a spatula or a glass to gently round the edges of the cookies while they are still warm.
❓ Recipe FAQs
Store the cookies in an airtight container with a slice of bread to maintain their softness for about a week.
Yes, you can freeze the cookie dough. Just shape it into balls and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Freeze for 30 minutes or until solid. Then transfer to a freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to three months.
No, you don’t need to thaw the cookie dough before baking. Just place the frozen dough balls on a lined baking sheet and bake for an extra minute or two.
🙏 Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Christmas Cake Mix Cookies:
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📋 Recipe

Christmas Cake Mix Cookies
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Equipment
- hand mixer
- Large mixing bowl
- Parchment paper
- baking sheet or cookie sheet
Ingredients
- 15 ounces vanilla cake mix
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 drops green gel food coloring
- ½ cup red and green M&Ms plus more for decorating
- ½ cup white chocolate chips plus more for decorating
Instructions
- Beat together the cake mix, eggs, and vegetable oil until combined.15 ounces vanilla cake mix, 2 eggs, ½ cup vegetable oil
- Add the food coloring and beat until well mixed.2 drops green gel food coloring
- Stir in the M&Ms and chocolate chips.½ cup red and green M&Ms, ½ cup white chocolate chips
- Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Use a tablespoon to scoop a heaping spoonful of dough. Roll the dough into a ball and place it on the lined baking sheet. Press the dough down slightly, then decorate with additional candy and chocolate chips if desired. Continue until all the dough has been used.
- Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until the edges of the cookies are slightly brown.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for five minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before serving.
Video
Notes
Pro Tips
- Avoid overmixing the dough to maintain the right texture. Whether you use a mixer or mix by hand, blend just until the ingredients are combined.
- It’s very important that you make sure that the cookie dough chills for at least 30 minutes. This firms it up, making it easier to handle and helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much during baking.
- When adding the gel food coloring add one drop at a time and adjust until you achieve your desired color.
- If you don’t have parchment paper on hand, you can use a silicone baking mat instead.
- If you want even-sized cookies use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to portion the dough evenly.
- To get perfectly shaped cookies, use a spatula or a glass to gently round the edges of the cookies while they are still warm.
Recipe didn’t show to chill dough except in the notes. How long should dough chill before baking? Can these cookies be frozen???
Yes, step 3 in the recipe card says, “Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes.” Also in the Frequently Asked Questions section in the post it says, “Yes, you can freeze the cookie dough. Just shape it into balls and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Freeze for 30 minutes or until solid. Then transfer to a freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to three months.”