Looking for a super simple treat to serve for the holidays or to add to your holiday cookie tray? Then add these super cute Snowman Christmas Cookies made with cake mix to your cookie list.
These cake mix cookies are made with a few simple ingredients. They bake up soft, chewy and delicious.
Decorating them is just as easy as making the cookies. Using cookie icing and candies allows you to quickly create your cookie snowman. Why not get the kids involved in decorating their own snowman cookies.
Easy Snowman Christmas Cookies
What are cake mix cookies?
Cake mix cookies are just what it sounds like. A box of cake mix is used instead of having to measure out flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and other dry ingredients to create a cookie. It makes whipping up a fresh batch of cookies fast and easy.
Snowman Cookie prep:
Make your cookie decorating even faster and easier (especially if the kids are helping out) by separating your candies by color. Save the brown ones for the eyes and mouth. The orange candies are for the nose. Use the other colors for the earmuffs.
Ingredients for this Snowman Cookies Recipe:
Box of Cake Mix – use your favorite cake mix for this recipe. I had yellow cake mix on hand but you can replace it with another flavor.
To make it easier to decorate you may want to stick with a cake that is light in color such as a yellow cake, butter cake, white cake or even a funfetti cake mix. Chocolate, strawberry or darker color cake mixes, such as red velvet cake mix, may show through the white frosting.
Vegetable Oil – I used vegetable oil from Walmart but any type of light or neutral flavored liquid oil will work (canola oil, coconut oil, safflower oil, etc).
Eggs – use large eggs for this recipe.
Mini M&M’s – I used mini M&M brand candies for this recipe. If you’ve got a lower cost brand in your local stores then swap the M&M’s out for that. You are looking for the mini sized candies so they will fit on your cookies.
Cookie Icing – look for these ready made types of icing in the baking aisle with all the other types of cake frosting and cake decorations. Depending upon your store you might be limited in the size of the icing bags. If you can’t find icing you can also swap out the white icing for your favorite white/vanilla frosting. You’ll want black icing as this is easier to squeeze on to the cookie. Most stores will have small tubes that you use to write names on cakes. These will work to make the earmuff head piece.
How to make Snowman Cake Mix Cookies:
Baking Prep: Preheat the oven to 350° degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
Step 1: In a large bowl, stir the cake mix, oil, and eggs until combined. Refrigerate the dough for 15-20 minutes.
Step 2: Spoon the dough onto the baking sheet using a small ice cream scoop or a tablespoon. Leave about 1 inch between the cookies.
Step 3: Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cookies are set.
Remove from oven and allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes before removing them to cool on a cooking rack. Let cookies cool completely before coating in icing.
To decorate the snowman cookies:
Step 4: Cover the top of each cookie with the white icing.
Step 5: Using the Mini M&M’s, create a snowman face using brown candies for the eyes and mouth. Use an orange candy for the nose. You can put the orange candy down flat like the candies for the eyes and mouth. You can also put the candy on its edge so it will appear more carrot like.
Step 6: Using the black icing, draw a ear muff line and then place two mini M&M’s on each end. Use the colored candies (green, blue, red and yellow) for the ear muffs.
Snowman Cookies Tips and Swaps:
Allow the cookies to cool for about 5 minutes before trying to remove them from the cookie pan, silicone mat or parchment paper. They will stick and you will have to scrap them off. Allow them to cool and they will easily come off.
This cookie dough can be a bit sticky. Don’t be tempted to add any additional flour to the recipe. This will change the texture after they bake making them dry. Use a small ice cream scoop or a cookie scoop to portion out the dough. This will keep them evenly sized and they will have a consistent texture when baked.
Here are some easy swaps to help you save even more time on making these cookies.
Use store bought sugar cookies:
I love making my own freshly baked cookies. Sometimes there just isn’t enough time in the day to spend baking up a fresh batch of cookies. If you want to make these cookies just swap out the cake mix, oil and eggs with a package of your favorite sugar cookies.
Follow the directions for decorating them and you will end up with a batch of super fast, and still delicious, easy snowman sugar cookies. These cookies will still be just as cute no matter what type of cookie you use.
Use a different flavor of cake mix:
You can use just about any flavor of cake mix to make these cookies. Yellow, white, sprinkle, carrot cake, and spice cake work the best as the cookies are light enough that the color doesn’t show through the icing.
Use different candies:
Can’t find mini M&M’s? Try using mini chocolate chips for the eyes and mouth. Use smaller, round candies for the nose and ear muffs.
How do I store Snowman Cookies?
These cookies can be stored in an airtight container on the counter for up to 5 days. Depending upon the kind of icing you use the icing may be soft. In this case be sure to store them in a single layer so the decoration doesn’t get ruined by the cookie on top of it.
Can I store these cookies in the freezer?
I don’t recommend storing the finished cookies in the freezer. The icing will change consistency and the food coloring in the black icing as well as the candies will bleed into the white icing.
You can store the dough in the freezer to be baked into cookies at a later date. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and store the wrapped dough in a tightly sealed container or freezer bag. Store 3 to 4 months. When you want to make cookies, allow the dough to thaw and then follow the directions above for baking.
Try some of these other Christmas cookies:
Classic Christmas Snowball Cookies
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Snowman Christmas Cookies Recipe (Cake Mix)
Equipment
- baking sheet
- Mixing bowl
- Hand held mixer
- Mini ice cream scoop or spoon
Ingredients
- 1 box yellow cake mix 15-18 ounces
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs large
- Mini M&M's
- Black Icing
- White Icing
Instructions
Make the cookies
- In a large bowl, stir the cake mix, oil, and eggs until combined.
- Refrigerate the dough for 15-20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350° degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
- Spoon the dough onto the baking sheet using a small ice cream scoop or a tablespoon. Leave about 1 inch between the cookies. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cookies are set.
- Remove from oven and allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes before removing them to cool on a cooking rack. Let cookies cool completely before coating in icing.
Decorate the cookies
- Cover the top of each cookie with the white icing.
- Using the Mini M&M’s, create a snowman face using brown candies for the eyes and mouth. Use an orange candy for the nose. You can put the orange candy down flat like the candies for the eyes and mouth. You can also put the candy on its edge so it will appear more carrot like.
- Using the black icing, draw a ear muff line and then place two mini M&M’s on each end. Use the colored candies (green, blue, red and yellow) for the ear muffs.
Nutrition
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