These 3-ingredient pumpkin cookies with cake mix are soft, fluffy and ready in only 25 minutes. Made with pumpkin puree, spice cake mix and chocolate chips, they’re an easy fall dessert with no eggs, butter or oil.
For more easy fall cookies, try my spice cake mix cookies, soft pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting or pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.

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Key Takeaways: Easy 3-Ingredient Pumpkin Cookies
- Quick and easy. These pumpkin cake mix cookies are ready in only 20 minutes with minimal prep.
- No eggs, butter or oil. Pumpkin puree provides all the moisture needed to make the cookies soft and fluffy.
- Easy to customize. Use spice cake mix and add chocolate chips, nuts or your favorite frosting.
Why I Love This Recipe
I love to doctor up boxed cake mix recipes, from easy cake mix cookies to cake mix cookie bars. These 3-ingredient pumpkin cookies with cake mix are another favorite, with a soft, fluffy texture and plenty of warm pumpkin spice flavor.
Plus, they’re ready in less than 25 minutes and can be made with two ingredients by omitting the chocolate chips. For more pumpkin and chocolate treats, try my pumpkin blondies or pumpkin chocolate chip bread.
Ingredient Notes

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Flavor of cake mix: You can use a box spice cake mix or yellow cake mix. However, if you use yellow, add in 1 Tablespoon of pumpkin spice for pumpkin spice flavor.
- Pumpkin: You’ll only use 1 can of pumpkin puree (no eggs or oil). Trust the process in this easy recipe! Use pure pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling. Make homemade pumpkin puree if you have the time.
- Chocolate chips: I love using semi-sweet chocolate chips, or a mix of chocolate chips and chunks on top for pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.
How to Make Pumpkin Cookies with Cake Mix

Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, first stir together dry cake mix and canned pumpkin until smooth. Next, gently fold in chocolate chips to the cake mix cookie recipe.

Step 2: Then using a large cookie scoop or spoon, scoop the dough onto a prepared parchment paper lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart so that they have room to spread.

Step 3: Finally, place cookie sheet in the oven and bake pumpkin spice cookies at 350°F for about 13 to 15 minutes, or until they are set.

Step 4: Remove the cookies from the oven and let cool on pan for a couple minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Recipe Tips
- Be careful not to overmix the batter. It will be a thicker and stickier batter than most doughs, but they will still bake up nice and fluffy.
- Use a large cookie dough scoop (or 2 Tablespoons) to ensure they are all the same size and cook evenly.
- Don’t overbake. If they start to brown they are overbaking, remove from the oven or they won’t be as soft.
- Mix in chopped walnuts or pecans, white chocolate chips, cinnamon chips or add a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar to the tops of cookies before they bake.
- For warm flavor, add a dash of nutmeg, ginger or vanilla into the batter.
- Top cookies with chocolate chunks and flaky sea salt or omit chocolate and frost them with cream cheese frosting, maple cream cheese frosting or maple glaze.

Pumpkin Cookies with Cake Mix FAQs
No. Use only the dry cake mix, pumpkin puree and chocolate chips. Do not add the eggs, oil or water listed on the box.
Yes. Yellow cake mix gives the cookies a milder flavor and brighter orange color. Add 1 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice to the dry mix before stirring in the pumpkin puree.
Insert a toothpick into the center of a cookie. It should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs. The outside may look set before the soft, cakey center has finished baking.
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Freeze cooled cookies for up to 3 months, separating the layers with parchment paper.

More pumpkin recipes include pumpkin muffins with a cake mix, pumpkin cookies with caramel icing and soft pumpkin cookies!
More Pumpkin Recipes

Pumpkin Cookies with Cake Mix
Video
Ingredients
- 1 (15.25-ounce) box spice cake mix , or yellow cake mix (see notes)
- 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat.
- Combine cake mix cookie batter. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix and pumpkin. If using a yellow cake mix add 1 Tablespoon pumpkin spice before adding pumpkin. Stir with a spoon until dough is smooth. Mix in 1 cup chocolate chips.
- Scoop and bake. Using a large cookie scoop (or 2 Tablespoons), scoop dough onto the pan. Bake 13 to 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool. Remove from oven and let cool on the pan for 4 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.

Lucy
They came out really mushy. Don’t know what I did wrong.
Sarah @IHeartNaptime
Was your pumpkin puree overly moist? Did you use the right size of cake mix? This works best with a 15.25 oz mix.
Carlie
You might need to cook them longer. In my oven I have to cook them 20 minutes to be fully baked.
Colleen Pierotti
Can I cook these in muffin tins?
Sarah @IHeartNaptime
Hi Colleen, I would bake these on a baking sheet so they can spread some, otherwise in a muffin tin they might puffier than intended. You may like these instead: Pumpkin Muffins with a Cake Mix.
Carrie Lyda
I plan to try this recipe with Simple Mills almond flour cake mix. I hope it works!
Sarah @IHeartNaptime
Let us know how it goes, we have not tested it with a speciality cake mix containing that flour!
Barb
Many, many thanks!! Really delicious and easy.
Sarah @IHeartNaptime
So glad you loved the cake mix pumpkin cookies!
Liz Erwin
I actually had to bake these for 22 minutes!
Sarah @IHeartNaptime
Oh wow! Is your oven temperature running a bit cold? May want to check that!
Robin
Could you use a caramel turtle brownie mix for the pumpkin cookies instead of a cake mix?
Sarah @IHeartNaptime
Hi Robin, that has not been tested and brownie mix is a little different than cake mix. You could try that brownie mix with these Brownie Mix Cookies though!
Michelle Sweet
Love these easy to make and taste great
Sarah @IHeartNaptime
Thanks for the review of the cake mix pumpkin cookies!
Heidi
I can’t quit these. Taste, easy, and I’ve decided they are an incredibly healthy choice !!! So easy my boys can do it!
Alicia
So yummy, easy and festive!
Jamielyn Nye
Glad you enjoyed the pumpkin cookies with cake mix!
Red
Good
Christine
I did not rate this recipe because I have not made it yet, but have a question for you first. I’m interested in trying to make this gluten free, and was going to use a 17oz box of Trader Joe’s GF bread and muffin mix – not a cake mix. Do you think this would work well for this recipe? Are there any modifications that you’d suggest?
TYIA
Sarah @IHeartNaptime
Hello, it has not been tested with that specific Gluten free mix but since it is a bread and muffin mix instead of cake mix, I would check to ensure it has enough added sugar or your muffins may lack taste. If you like more the ‘spice cake’ taste, you may want to add additional warm spices as well. Let us know how it goes!
Heidi
These were delicious and no fail for a failed baker like me! All her recipes are amazing
Serena
Is it okay if the pumpkin puree is 15oz? I grabbed Libby, which is what I noticed you used in the picture, but the can says 15oz and not 14
Jamielyn Nye
Yes that will work :)
Sarena
Perfect, thank you!
April
So good! Cannot stop eating them. The added sea salt at the end makes it!
Cherie Phelan
Great I’ve made this before but just with the pumpkin and spice cake mix. The pumpkin spice and chocolate chips take it to a whole new level.
Sherry
Super easy and yummy! I added to the spice cake mix and pumpkin: 1 tsp vanilla, 1 C. chopped pecans, 1 C. chocolate chunks and then sea salt on top. Great combination of flavors.
Jo
I was hunting something to do with a partial box of cake mix. This recipe is both AMAZING and FORGIVING!! I only had 1 C of cake mix. So I threw in a little extra AP flour, and sugar. Could only find Apple Pie spice, so I used that and extra cinnamon. No chocolate, so I used raisins.
I did chill the dough for about 10 minutes in the freezer. (I was anxious!)
They came out FABULOUS!! No spreading, just 14 big fluffy, soft cookies. Very cake-like. Right out of the oven, I dusted them with a cocoa/powdered sugar mix.
These will be a regular with my 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies. LOVE a quick, easy, and delicious recipe! THANK YOU!!!
Jamielyn Nye
Thanks Jo! So glad you enjoyed the cake mix cookies. Thanks for sharing your tips