Soft and fluffy chocolate rolo cookies filled with rich gooey caramel. Only 5 simple ingredients including a devil’s food cake mix makes these so easy whip up with an amazing soft and chewy texture.

Love soft and chewy chocolate cookies? Try brownie mix cookies, triple chocolate cookies or chocolate crinkle cookies, too!

Rolo cookies stacked on top of each other.

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Rolo cookies combine the chewy goodness of a chocolate cookie with the rich caramel flavor of Rolo candies. I made a few tweaks to my favorite cake mix cookie recipe to create these cookies with a soft and gooey caramel center surrounded by a warm chocolatey cookie and they are absolutely the best!

These rolo cookies are SUPER simple to make and are my new favorite indulgence! Who wouldn’t love a little chocolate caramel surprise in the middle of a rich chocolate cookie?! It’s perfection, just like in my salted caramel chocolate chip cookies!

The texture is super soft and fluffy from the cake mix, with the perfect ratio of rich caramel to chocolate. I also love to roll my cookie dough balls in powdered sugar to add an extra hint of sweetness. Now don’t you just want to take a bite?!

Rolo cookie split on parchment paper to show the best chocolate caramel center.

5 Simple Ingredients!

These homemade rolo cookies are the perfect combination! Using the cake mix saves time and ingredients. They are easy to make and come together easily with these five simple ingredients!

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

  • Cake mix: Devil’s Food cake mix gives these cookies a deep, rich chocolate flavor. You can always use a box of regular chocolate cake mix, however, the chocolate flavor won’t be as bold. This will create a flour mixture with all the dry ingredients.
  • Oil: Vegetable oil works best in this recipe and keeps the texture super moist and delicious.
  • Eggs: Add in 2 large eggs (even if the package calls for a different number of eggs, only add in 2).
  • Rolo caramels: These get stuffed in the middle of each cookie. I like to unwrap them all first before getting started on the dough.
  • Powdered sugar: For an extra hint of sweetness, the cookies are rolled in powdered sugar right before baking. You don’t have to do this, but it definitely makes a difference!

How to Make Rolo Cookies with Cake Mix

These four steps will make the best rolo cookies in minutes! Rolo drop cookies have a caramel center that bursts with flavor once you bite into it. It is a sweet and savory cookie!

Four step collage with how to make rolo cookies.
  1. Dough. In a large mixing bowl, stir together cake mix, oil, and eggs until combined. Then place the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill (this will make the dough easier to work with since it’s a bit sticky).
  2. Stuff. Using a medium cookie scoop or spoon, scoop out the dough into your hands. Roll it into a loose ball shape, then add a Rolo candy in the middle. Wrap the dough around the candy, making sure the Rolo is covered completely.
  3. Roll. Then roll it into a ball again and coat it with powdered sugar. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  4. Bake. Bake in oven at 350°F for 9-11 minutes, or until the cookies are set. You don’t want them to brown. Allow to cool on the pan for a couple of minutes and then transfer to a cooling wire rack.

Baking Tips

These helpful baking tips are the perfect ways to make these chocolate rolo cookies even better! Follow these quick tips to learn how to make the dough just right. Rolo cookies are the best!

  • Chill the dough: This makes the dough easier to work with since it’s a bit sticky at first.
  • More chocolate flavor: Add in chocolate chips for an extra chocolaty taste (about 1/2 cup).
  • No powdered sugar? No problem! I like the extra sweetness it adds, but the rolo cookies will still taste delicious without it.
  • Leftover candy: If you have extra rolo candies leftover, try making these rolo pretzels or rolo pretzel turtles. It’s the perfect easy way to use them!
  • Salt: Add a sprinkle of sea salt over top for an extra flavor!

Recipe FAQs

How do you fix crumbly cookies after baking?

When mixing the ingredients together, make sure to not overmix. This will leave your cookies dry and fall apart when baked. Warm up in the microwave to help soften the rolo cookies.

How to make rolo cookies with cake mix?

Skip the all-purpose flour, brown sugar, and unsweetened cocoa powder and just use a cake mix with all the dry ingredients.

When did rolos come out?

Rolos came out in 1937 in a gold foil tube. It is a chocolate candy with caramel on the inside.

Rolo cookies with caramel in the center.
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“These cookies are sooo amazing! We’re seriously obsessed! Thanks for sharing!”

Chelsea

Make-Ahead + Freezing

You will love these rolo cookies chilled or at room temperature! They are easy to make ahead of time or keep in an airtight container until ready to enjoy. Take your cookies to the next level with these rolo-filled cookies!

  • Make-ahead: You can easily make the dough ahead of time and freeze it. Simply roll the dough into balls, then freeze on a baking sheet for 30 minutes. Once hard, place dough balls into a zip-top bag and freeze. Then remove from the freezer and bake!
  • Freezing: These rolo cookies also freeze well after they’re baked. Let cool completely, then place in a freezer bag and freeze.
chocolate rolo cookies with caramel oozing out

Rolo Cookies

4.98 from 46 votes
Recipe by: Jamielyn Nye
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Chill Dough: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 24
Soft and fluffy chocolate rolo cookies filled with rich gooey caramel. Only 5 simple ingredients and so easy to make!
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Ingredients 

  • 15.25 ounce box Devil's Food cake mix
  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 bag Rolo candies
  • powdered sugar (for rolling the dough balls)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper and set aside.
  • Combine the cake mix, oil and eggs in a large bowl. Stir together until combined. Then chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes (this will make the dough easier to work with since it's a bit sticky).
  • Using a medium cookie scoop or spoon, scoop out the dough into your hands. Roll it into a loose ball shape, then add a Rolo candy in the middle. Wrap the dough around the candy, making sure the Rolo is covered completely. Then roll into a ball again and coat with powdered sugar. Place dough balls on baking sheet.
  • Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until the cookies are set. You don’t want them to brown. Allow to cool on the pan for a couple minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.

Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.

Notes

Add in chocolate chips for an extra chocolaty taste (about 1/2 cup).
 
  • To make-ahead: You can easily make the dough ahead of time and freeze. Simply roll the dough into balls, then freeze on a baking sheet for 30 minutes. Once hard, place dough balls into a zip top bag and freeze. Then remove from freezer and bake!
  • Freezing: These rolo cookies also freeze well after they’re baked. Let cool completely, then place in a freezer bag and freeze.

Nutrition

Calories: 182.63kcal, Carbohydrates: 23.6g, Protein: 2.44g, Fat: 9.5g, Saturated Fat: 5.43g, Cholesterol: 19.42mg, Sodium: 184.15mg, Potassium: 94.79mg, Fiber: 0.57g, Sugar: 16.72g, Vitamin A: 44.07IU, Vitamin C: 0.14mg, Calcium: 51.9mg, Iron: 0.96mg

Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.