Cool Whip Cookies

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4 ingredients make up these delightfully easy Cool Whip Cookies. Make these cookies to fit any occasion by switching the flavor of cake mix!

Cake mix recipes are so fun. What are my favorites? Strawberries and Cream Cookies and peppermint patty cookies. One of your favorites? Cake mix pancakes. You can turn a box mix into just about anything, even cake mix cinnamon rolls!

Today, you’ll learn how to make Cool Whip Cookies with a cake mix. Only 4 ingredients and under 30 minutes, and you’ll have the prettiest cake mix crinkle cookies that you’ve ever seen, and just as fun as our yellow cake mix cookies.

stack of cool whip cookies with cool whip on top

Where this recipe came from.

About a month ago, I was visiting my 90+ year old Grandma and she handed us me recipe box.  I love looking through recipes.  And seeing a stack of recipe cards either typed out or written in my Grandma’s handwriting makes them pretty special.

One of the first recipes I came across were a cookie called Lemon Whippersnappers. They used Cool Whip and a cake mix to make lemon cake cookies. I’m not sure where the Cool Whip Cookies recipe originated, but I have my grandma’s copy and that is pretty special to me. They are unique little treats!

Ingredients for Cool Whip Cookies

You’ll need just 4 ingredients:

ingredients for cool whip cookies on a table
  • Cake mix. Chocolate crinkle cookies are a classic, but use any flavor: chocolate cake mix, spice cake mix, red velvet cake mix, even strawberry cake mix. Showcased in this post are red velvet, lemon, and strawberry. And can you imagine carrot cake at Easter time?
  • Cool whip. Although both cool whip and whipped cream try to achieve the same thing in recipes, they are not the same product and can’t always be used interchangeably. Both are light and fluffy and perfect for dolloping on top of shortcakes and ice cream, but a tub of Cool Whip, the frozen whipped topping is what you’ll use in this recipe. I have not tried these cookies with homemade whipped cream.
  • Egg. Just 1 large egg.
  • Powdered sugar. This is what the cookie dough balls will get rolled in before baking. This is also called confectioners’ sugar.
cool whip cookies with bite out of one

How to Make Cool Whip Cookies in 4 Steps

This recipe is a one-bowl recipe that can be made in 4 easy steps.

collage of how to make cool whip cookies
  • Place the cake mix, egg and cool whip in a large bowl.
  • Mix the dough using a hand mixer. The dough should be easy to mix up. The texture will be smooth, but very sticky.
  • Use a cookie scoop to drop the cookie dough by teaspoons into powdered sugar and roll the dough to coat the cookies. If you have trouble with the dough sticking to your hands, spray your hands with cooking spray first. This trick should help.
  • Place the cookies on a prepared baking sheet. Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes. Remove them from the oven when they are set, but before they get too brown. As the cookies bake, they spread slightly which give them the “crinkle cookies” look because of the cracked powdered sugar.

Pro Tip:

The hardest thing about making cool whip cookies was that they wanted to stick to the pan just a little. We use either a Silpat Non-Stick Silicone Baking Mat or parchment paper and don’t have any problems with not getting them off the pan.

closeup of a cool whip cookies

Recipe Variations

  • Use a Funfetti cake mix and add a few extra sprinkles to the batter. They’d make a great birthday cookie!
  • Devil’s food cake with ½ cup mini chocolate chips is the ultimate for chocolate cookie lovers.
  • Try butter pecan cake mix with ½ cup finely chopped pecans.

How to Store Cool Whip Cookies

Store the cool whip cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for 3-4 days. I do not recommend storing in the refrigerator as they might dry out.

For longer storage, store in an airtight container or freezer bag in the freezer. Place parchment paper between the layers so the cookies don’t stick when you defrost them. The powdered sugar may not be as pretty when you thaw the cookies.

You may also love our cinnamon rolls and apple pie filling, cream cheese cherry cookies, cream cheese sugar cookies, and almond sugar cookies.

closeup of a cool whip cookies
closeup of a cool whip cookies

Cool Whip Cookies

4.63 from 399 votes
4 ingredients make up these delightfully simple Cool Whip Cookies. Make the cookies to fit any occasion by switching the flavor of cake mix!
Servings 20
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 7 minutes
Total Time 17 minutes

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Ingredients
 

  • 1 box lemon cake mix (15.25 ounces or a traditional 9×13 box cake mix)
  • 2 cups frozen whipped topping (thawed)
  • 1 large egg

To roll the cookies:

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350ยบF. Line a cooking sheet with a non-stick baking mat or spray with nonstick. cooking spray.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the cake mix, Cool Whip and egg. Stir until well mixed. 1 box lemon cake mix, 2 cups frozen whipped topping, 1 large egg
  • Place the powdered sugar in a small bowl. Drop the cookie dough by teaspoons into the powdered sugar and roll the dough to coat. Place the balls 1 ½ inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. ½ cup powdered sugar
  • Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes. Remove them from the oven when they are set, but before they get too brown.
  • Remove the cookies from the cookie sheet to a cooling rack and allow them to cool. Makes about 20 cookies (2 1/2" in diameter).

Video

Notes

  • 1 batch makes about 20 cookies.
  • Because the cake mix has so much flavor, there’s no need for extra vanilla extract.
The calories shown are based on the recipe making 20 cookies, with 1 serving being 1 cookie. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information.*

Nutrition

Calories: 122kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 197mg | Potassium: 24mg | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 30IU | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 0.6mg
Course Cookies
Cuisine American
Calories 122
Keyword cool whip cookies, easy cake mix cookies, EASY COOKIE RECIPE, fruity cookie recipe, how to make cake mix cookies
About JulieJulie Clark

About Julie Clark

I'm Julie Clark, CEO and recipe developer of Tastes of Lizzy T. With my B.A. in Education and over 30 years of cooking and baking, I want to teach YOU the best of our family recipes.

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4.63 from 399 votes (371 ratings without comment)
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Sammy Ann Robbins
5 years ago

I have seen one recipe calling for two eggs but all the rest say one. Does it matter?

Kimberly Pendleton
5 years ago

5 stars
One of these customers of mine gave me these cookies this morning call absolutely delicious I had to look up the recipe

MarinaBlu
5 years ago

Could you makes these into bars?

Julie Schwierking
5 years ago

I love these cookies. I make them with any kind of cake mix and even add in other things. Like chocolate cake mix and Andi mints baking chips. These are so easy and fun.

Melissa Lowe
5 years ago

5 stars
Soooo light and tasty! It is hard to stop eating them!

Diane Whitlock
5 years ago

5 stars
Just had these cookies at a friend’s house and had to get the recipe! Really tasty!

lynn
5 years ago

could you add fresh blueberries to this? i make these all the time and they are a fan favorite. Orange and strawberry cake mixes work well also.

Treva Brownlee
6 years ago

5 stars
I make these with a strawberry cake mix and and mini chocolate chips. Gone before I know it.

Cassie
6 years ago

5 stars
I made these last year for our Christmas cookie day and they were a HUGE hit! The only thing I do differently is add lemon zest to give it that extra lemon kick. I’m am making them again this year. Tried and true so why give up a good thing?

Julie
6 years ago

5 stars
I’ve made these before but it’s been a while. Could you chill the dough like you do for cutout cookies to make them less sticky to work with? I’m making these for a party at work next week and sure don’t want them to stick to the pan.

Kelly
7 years ago

Could you use a gf cake mix?

Judy
7 years ago

Just made these. I have a sweet tooth, and that’s an understatement. I also love lemon, but these were too sweet, even for me! They are very pretty, though, and quite easy…..

Patty
9 years ago

5 stars
These look wonderful. I was wondering if you could use various cake mixes, like strawberry, vanilla, coconut etc. It was change the whole taste of the cookie. Im doing a Xmass Bazaar and would like to do a red one. Worth the try, Ill keep you posted on the outcome.

Laurie
10 years ago

I tried to make these today and I used parchment paper and they stick terribly. I can’t get them off the paper at all. Did I do something wrong?? HELP!!!

stacy
10 years ago

I was wondering if you could use fat free cool whip? I’m on weight watchers and thought this would be a great dessert to make. They seem to be pretty low fat anyway