Julie Clark
Updated:
Soft Strawberry Cookies with Cake Mix (No Chilling, Big Flavor)
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These strawberry cookies are soft, pink, and loaded with strawberry flavor. They come together in about 30 minutes without chilling the dough.
The secret is a combination of white cake mix, strawberry jello, and cream cheese in the dough. That combination gives you cookies that taste like a strawberry milkshake and they stay soft for days thanks to the cream cheese.
If you’ve been looking for a strawberry cookie recipe that actually delivers on flavor without requiring fresh strawberries or complicated technique, this is it.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Reader Kathy says, “Absolutely delicious. My 5 year old neighbor helped me make these. He was commenting on the wonderful smell. Then the frosting in his words was “superb”. These are very easy and the strawberry flavor is decadent. Thank you for sharing!”
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Reader Nadine says, “These cookies were incredible. Now I know why. I had them at an event and I could not stop eating them. Super good. Really really moist and chewy in all the right ways. Thank you!”
Why These Strawberry Cookies Work (and Why I Keep Making Them)
Many strawberry cookie recipes either use fresh strawberries which release water and can make cookies flat or cakey. Or they have a strawberry extract that tastes artificial. This recipe gets its flavor from a cake mix, Jello, and freeze dried strawberries in the frosting.
The cake mix handles all the dry ingredients (flour, leavening, sugar) so you’re not measuring five separate things. The strawberry jello adds concentrated strawberry flavor AND gives the cookies that vibrant pink color without food coloring.
But the cream cheese is the real game-changer. It adds richness and keeps the texture soft and chewy, not crispy, even after storing in the fridge for several days.
No chilling the dough, fresh fruit drama or artificial aftertaste. Just reliably soft, pink, frosted cookies that bake in under 15 minutes.
Try our other strawberry desserts like our strawberry bundt cake and strawberry cheesecake trifle!
Ingredients You’ll Need
This cake mix cookie recipe has simple ingredients, but not your typical ingredients. There’s no added all-purpose flour because of the cake mix and Jello.
White cake mix: I use Duncan Hines. One 15.25-oz box is the right amount for 24 cookies. You can swap in strawberry cake mix if you want even more strawberry intensity, but the white cake mix lets the jello flavor shine through without going over the top.
Strawberry jello: Use a 3-oz small box. I prefer Jello brand because the artificial dyes give a more vibrant pink color. Natural-dye versions work (like Aldi brand gelatin) but the cookies come out a softer, more muted pink.
Cream cheese: This is the ingredient most cake mix cookie recipes skip, and it’s the reason these cookies stay soft. Make sure it’s fully softened or it won’t mix into the dough evenly.
Butter: Softened salted butter. If you only have unsalted, add ¼ teaspoon salt.
Egg: One large egg holds everything together.
For the frosting: Softened butter, dehydrated strawberry powder (from freeze-dried strawberries. I buy a 1-oz bag at Aldi and don’t use it all), powdered sugar, and heavy cream. The freeze-dried strawberry powder gives the frosting a natural strawberry flavor that’s miles ahead of strawberry extract. Leftovers are great in our strawberry angel food cake or chocolate strawberry cake.
✨ See the recipe card for full ingredients and amounts. ✨
How to Make Strawberry Cookies
- Mix the dough. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to combine the cake mix, jello, softened butter, softened cream cheese, and egg. The dough will be very thick and that’s normal. If it’s not coming together, make sure your butter and cream cheese are fully softened, not just room temperature.
- Scoop and flatten. Use a cookie scoop to portion about 24 dough balls. Place them 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Gently press the tops down to flatten slightly. This gives you a more even cookie. Skip this step if you want thicker, rounder cookies.
- Bake low and slow. Bake at 325°F for 11-13 minutes. You do not want these to brown. Pull them when they look barely set because they’ll firm up as they cool. Overbaking is the most common mistake with cake mix cookies; they go from perfect to dry fast.
- Cool completely before frosting. Let the cookies rest on the pan for 3 minutes, then move to a wire rack. Do not frost warm cookies or the frosting will melt.
- Make the strawberry frosting. Beat together softened butter and strawberry powder until crumbly. Alternately add powdered sugar and heavy cream in small amounts, mixing between each addition, until the frosting is smooth and spreadable. Spread on cooled cookies.
What Makes This Frosting Better Than a Glaze
The original version of this recipe (from 2014) used a fresh strawberry glaze. It tasted like a strawberry milkshake, but it was messy, unstable, and made the cookies hard to stack and store.
The current frosting uses freeze-dried strawberry powder instead, which gives you all the strawberry flavor in a buttercream that holds up in the fridge and freezer. If you want a jam-based option, our strawberry jam frosting is also fantastic on these.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a great strawberry cookie?
The best strawberry cookies balance concentrated strawberry flavor with a soft, chewy texture that holds up for days. Using strawberry jello alongside cake mix gives you both. Cream cheese adds richness and keeps the cookies soft even after refrigerating.
Can you make strawberry cookies from scratch instead of cake mix?
Yes, but it takes significantly more time and measuring. The cake mix version is genuinely faster without sacrificing flavor. The jello does the work on taste. If you want to go from scratch, use a standard sugar cookie dough base and add freeze-dried strawberry powder.
Do these strawberry cookies taste artificial?
Not if you use Jello brand and real butter. The combination of jello and freeze-dried strawberry powder in the frosting gives you a flavor that tastes like “real strawberry”. Many readers who were skeptical about jello cookies report they were surprised by how natural the flavor tastes.
What is the “old school” strawberry cookie?
Old school strawberry cookies typically refer to this jello cookie style, using gelatin powder in a cake mix or butter cookie dough for bright color and concentrated flavor. This was popular in the 1980s and 90s and has come back in a big way. This recipe is exactly that style, updated with freeze-dried strawberry frosting.
Can you make cookies from cake mix?
Yes! Although we love a great homemade cookie recipe, sometimes you might find box cake mixes on sale or have a spare cake mix you’d like to get creative with. That’s where cake mix cookies come in.
We love cake mix cookies because they are so versatile. You can use any flavor of cake mix you’d like. And the cookies stay soft. Try our peppermint patty cookies and yellow cake mix cookies!
Recipe Varations
- Strawberry lemonade cookies: Add 1 teaspoon lemon zest to the cookie dough and 1 teaspoon to the frosting. Use lemon cake mix and lemon jello in place of white cake mix and strawberry jello for a full strawberry lemonade cookie.
- Chocolate covered strawberry cookies: Add dark chocolate chips to the dough, or drizzle melted dark chocolate over the frosted cookies. The strawberry + dark chocolate combination is a classic for a reason.
- Strawberry vanilla cookies: Add 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract to the dough.
- No-frosting version: Skip the frosting and add white chocolate chips to the dough for sweetness without the extra step.
Storage Instructions
- Room temperature: Store in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 hours.
- Refrigerator: Store the cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Freeze the cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Allow them to defrost completely before opening the container. This will help the moisture stay in the cookie, preventing them from drying out.
- Make ahead: You can bake the cookies up to 2 days ahead and frost them the day you serve them. Or freeze unfrosted cookies and thaw overnight in the fridge.
Strawberry Cookies with Cake Mix
Soft, frosted strawberry cookies using cake mix and jello — no chilling, no fuss. The cream cheese is the secret that keeps them soft for days.
Servings 24 cookies
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 11 minutes
Total Time 31 minutes
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 1 box Duncan Hines white cake mix 15.25 ounces
- 1 small box strawberry jello gelatin 3 ounces
- 1/4 cup salted butter softened
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 large egg
For the frosting:
- 1/4 cup salted butter softened
- 1/2 cup dehydrated strawberry powder Less than 1 ounce dehydrated strawberries
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
Instructions
Make the cookies.
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF.
- In a small bowl, use an electric hand mixer to mix the cake mix, jello, egg, cream cheese and butter until it is all well combined. 1 box Duncan Hines white cake mix, 1 small box strawberry jello gelatin, ¼ cup salted butter, 4 ounces cream cheese, 1 large egg
- Roll the dough into about 24 balls. Place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, with about 2 inches in between each cookie. For flat cookies, gently press down on the top of the balls to slightly flatten them. This is optional. If you don't press them down, they'll be slightly thicker and rounder.
- Bake for for 11-13 minutes. Move the cookies to a wire rack to cool.
Make the frosting.
- Add the butter and strawberry powder to a medium bowl. Use an electric hand mixer to mix these two ingredients together. It will end up crumbly. ¼ cup salted butter, ½ cup dehydrated strawberry powder
- Add the powdered sugar and heavy cream a little at a time, alternately, mixing between each addition. You may not need all the heavy cream. Add enough so that the frosting is spreadable. 1 cup powdered sugar, ¼ cup heavy cream
- When the cookies are cooled, spread the frosting on top of the cookies. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
Video
Notes
- I used freeze dried strawberries and blended them in a food processor. I used less than 1 ounce of freeze dried strawberries to make ½ cup of powder.
- Cream cheese tip: Must be fully softened, not just room temperature. Cold cream cheese will leave lumps in the dough.
- Baking tip: Do not let these brown. Pull at 11 minutes and check them. They should look barely set. They firm up on the pan.
- Frosting tip: If frosting is too thick, add heavy cream 1 teaspoon at a time. If too thin, add a tablespoon of powdered sugar.
- Original glaze: The original 2014 recipe used a fresh strawberry glaze. Combine 1 cup powdered sugar with 2-3 tablespoons fresh strawberry juice for a looser, glaze-style topping. It’s delicious but less shelf-stable than the buttercream.
Nutrition
Serving: 46g | Calories: 180kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 187mg | Potassium: 13mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 229IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 0.4mg
Hello!! I had fun cruising around your website/blog. Your recipe for Strawberries & Cream Cookies caught my eye. I had everything on hand, so it was a natural to make. Had friends stop by for coffee and the cookies were perfect to have with the coffee. They wanted your recipe, of course!! They really were yummy!! Thanks for sharing!!
Oh my goodness these are soooo pretty!! LOVE!!
I’m going to make these for a meeting next week, but with a Strawberry Cake Mix. That should up the flavor more.
These cookies were incredible. Now I know why. I had them at an event and I could not stop eating them. Super good. Really really moist and chewy in all the right ways. Thank you!
i see you use jello in a recipe…do i just throw in that box as a dry ingredient? or do i actually make jello and add it that way?
I made the strawberries and cream cookies today and they are really good. The only ingredient I added was 1 tsp of lemon extract to each batch which just brings out the flavor of the jello. If I make this recipe again I won’t add as much extract and won’t add any to the plain batch. I didn’t make or add any frosting as I felt it would get messy when shipping. Also, when making the dough, I doubled the batch and used 2 separate bowls. One of the batches I did use the strawberry jello and the other batch… Read more »
I just made these for a fourth of July party and they were fantastic!!!!!! Tasted like a strawberry milkshake, my only changes were to add a little bit of vanilla extract to the frosting, using a box cake mix that already had the jello in it, ad adding blue sprinkles to the frosting. WILL make again! Thanks!
Lizzy darling, thanks for answering my plight! I hot footing it of to the supermarket..Hay-ho- to make Strawberry cookies….Ah! life feels good!
Looks like you’ll have to make both, Roxy! 🙂 Enjoy!
Ma Martin- Jello is a packet of flavored granules that you add to hot water. We use one small box of Jello, which the packet says is about 85 grams. White cake mix is just a basic boxed white cake mix. The cake mix box says 468 grams. I hope that was of some help to you!
Thanks for sharing, Mallory!
Delicious! I wonder if these would be even better with cream cheese icing. Ever tried it? Either way, yum!!
Okay I added the stuff but in no way is it turning into dough why is there no liquid listed? Cream cheese and butter and 1 egg is suppose to wet the cake mix and jello?
These look so delicious!
Thank you for this recipe! Do you think this recipe would work as bar cookies?