Julie Clark
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Cool Whip Cookies
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Cool Whip cookies are soft, crinkle-top cookies made with just 4 ingredient: a box cake mix, 2 cups of thawed Cool Whip, 1 egg and powdered sugar. They mix in 1 bowl and bake in about 10 minutes.
I still bake these cookies from my grandma’s recipe card. They were called “Lemon Whippersnappers”, so lemon is the original version, but I make them at Christmas using red velvet cake mix. The white powdered sugar crinkled over the red velvet makes your Christmas cookie tray pop!
Fair warning though: the dough is sticky. That’s normal, and I’ll show you how to handle it. If you love turning a box mix into cookies, my yellow cake mix cookies and strawberry cookies are next on your list.
What Do You Need to Make Cool Whip Cookies?
You need 1 box of cake mix, 2 cups of thawed Cool Whip, 1 large egg, and ½ cup of powdered sugar for rolling. No butter, no oil, no flour.
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. Check the box size before you start: this recipe was written for a 15.25-ounce box, but some brands (Betty Crocker) have shrunk to 13.25 ounces. A smaller box makes a softer, stickier dough. If that’s what you have, start with 1 ¾ cup of Cool Whip.
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.
How Do You Make Cool Whip Cookies? (One Bowl, 4 Steps)
This recipe is a one-bowl recipe that can be made in 4 easy steps.
- 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.
Sticky dough? Here’s what works.
- Measure the Cool Whip. Two cups, not the whole tub.
- Check your box size. A 13.25-ounce mix makes wetter dough than the 15.25-ounce box this recipe was written for.
- Let the sugar do the work. Drop the dough into the powdered sugar and coat it before your hands ever touch it.
- Spray the scoop and your hands, and re-spray every few cookies.
- Make it a team job. One person scoops, one person rolls. It’s a great job for kids and grandkids.
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.
What Are the Best Cake Mix Flavors for Cool Whip Cookies?
The best flavor depends on the occasion. It’s the fun of this easy cookie recipe. Here’s how I match them:
- Use a Funfetti cake mix and add a few extra sprinkles to the batter. They’d make a great birthday cookie!
- For Christmas, red velvet (those white cracks over red are made for a cookie tray), red velvet cake with ½ cup mini chocolate chips (a reader favorite), or chocolate fudge.
- For Thanksgiving, try spice cake mix.
- 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.
Cool Whip Cookies
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 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
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:
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a large bowl, stir the cake mix, Cool Whip, and egg with a sturdy spatula until no dry streaks remain. The dough will be very sticky. 1 box lemon cake mix, 2 cups frozen whipped topping, 1 large egg
- Place the powdered sugar in a small bowl. Use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop (sprayed with cooking spray) to drop dough into the sugar. Spoon sugar over the top, then roll to coat. Place 2 inches apart on the prepared sheet. ½ cup powdered sugar
- Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until the tops are crackled, the edges are set, and the centers are puffed and no longer shiny. Pull them out before they get brown.
- Cool on the pan for 3 minutes, then move to a cooling rack. 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.
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
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make Cool Whip cookies without cake mix?
Not this recipe. The cake mix supplies the flour, sugar, and leavening, so there’s nothing to replace it with in a 3-ingredient formula. For a from-scratch cookie with the same crackled look, make my chocolate crinkle cookies.
Can I use whipped cream instead of Cool Whip?
I haven’t tested homemade whipped cream in this recipe. Cool Whip is stabilized, which is why it holds the dough together. One reader used about 12 ounces of heavy cream in a strawberry batch and loved the results, so it may work for you.
How do you 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.
Can make these with a gluten free cake mix?
Some the gf mixes are just one layer. Does it matter?
This calls for 2 cups thawed cool whip. On the container of cool whip is 8 ozs which equals 1 cup. So do you use 2 containers of cool whip which is 16 ozs which is 2 cups?
A little sprinkle of unsweetened Kool-aid lemonade powder (1/4-1/3 of the packet) adds some brightness to the lemon flavor.
Can you freeze these cookies
Mine turned out terribly. Do you use 16oz of cool whip or 2cups.
I just made these but I altered the recipe slightly….
I used French vanilla cake mix and added some hazelnut instant coffee ☕
Wow!! Great flavor and a little buzz as I didn’t get decaf lol 😋😳
I’m making these with strawberry and lemon cake mixes together for summer strawberry lemonade cookies!
A friend made these and they were amazing. I’ve made them a couple of times and they are such a huge hit! Going to make some for my daughter’s students’ test day pick-me-up today. Thanks for sharing!
I made butter pecan cake mix with butterscotch chips. Amazing!!
Love these cookies! How long do they keep before you discard (assuming any are left to discard)?
Mine are still spreading thin and sticking to the parchment. Ugh
Most cake mixes are now 15oz and, the original recipe was made with an18oz box of cake mix, 2-1/4 cups of Cool Whip and one egg. I reduced the Cool Whip to two cups, but they didn’t spread out like they used too. Would an old cake mix cause that problem?
I wrote down the ingredients for this recipe, forgot about it, then made it by combining all ingredients. Oops! My flat cookies were still good, but the confectioners sugar is not meant to be mixed in.
Saw this on a cooking and baking Facebook page…oh my…I love them! Might go back to the store for other cake mixes now.
What do you think of swirling in some raspberry jam?