Butter pecan cookies with cake mix are so chewy and easy to bake, they are going to knock your socks off. We made ours with bear paws on the top too so kids just love them.
These aren’t just cute my friends. They’re buttery, melt in your mouth cookies made with cake mix decorated into adorable bear paws. easy and sweet to bake with your kids. These are where creativity meets deliciousness.
Cake Mix Butter Pecan Cookies
If you have never made a cookie out of cake mix, you’ll love this. You can use any flavor but this has a buttery pecan flavor, topped with a sweet creamy frosting and the cutest little chocolate paw prints. They are as easy to make as these Brownie Mix Crinkle Cookies and just as delicious!
Ingredient Notes
Butter pecan cake mix you can buy at the store and it already has the classic flavors mixed right into the dry mix for you. Makes things easy peasy with few ingredients overall but taste homemade when you tweak them with the other items here.
Baking powder we added a bit more into the dry mix to ensure they would become chewy and fluff up like you see here.
When you add Eggs into baked goods you do want to leave them on the counter for about an hour before adding into your soon to be batter. I love free range organic (brown) varieties from local farmers for the best chew and flavor possible.
Same goes for your unsalted butter, leave on the counter so it can become softened, not melted, so the batter gets nice and smooth.
Then to add more “homemade tweak” you should add some chopped pecans so you have bits of actual nuts in there.
For equipment you just need a baking sheet and wire rack to sit them on when done to cool.
Can I use a different flavor of cake mix?
Absolutely! Feel free to substitute with vanilla, could be made as chocolate chip yellow cake mix cookies, with chocolate, or any of your favorite dry mix in the mixing bowl. You could even go bold with a strawberry or lemon for a fun, fruity twist. The key is to have fun and experiment.
If you really love making cake mix cookies, you’ll definitely have to try these: Cake Mix Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies! They are divine! The charm of these is not just in their appearance, but also in their taste. Can you do this with other flavors during the Fall months? Yes, we have done so many like these Air Fryer Gingerbread Cookies for Christmas time.
Butter Pecan Cookie Recipe
Equipment
- 1 baking sheet
- 1 cooling rack
- 1 Bowl
Ingredients
Butter Pecan Frosting
- 1/2 cup butter, unsalted, room temperature
- 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/4 upc brown sugar
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/8 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside for later.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter pecan cake mix and the baking powder. Then add the melted butter and eggs and beat on low with a hand mixer until fully incorporated. You can alternatively mix everything with a rubber spatula if you do not have a mixer.
- Fold in the chopped pecans. Cover and chill the dough for 30 minutes in the fridge. This step will help reduce spreading. Use a small cookie scoop or a spoon to drop 1 ½ tablespoon sized balls onto the baking sheets.
- Space them a few inches apart to leave room for the cookies to spread. Bake at 350℉ for 8-10 minutes, until the tops are set and it reaches desired doneness. Allow the cookies to cool on the pan completely before decorating.
- Frosting – In a mixing bowl, beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Then add the powdered sugar and cornstarch a little at a time and mix until combined. Add the brown sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt and mix again until well incorporated and you have a smooth, easily spreadable frosting.
- You can add another tablespoon of cornstarch if you prefer a thicker frosting without adding more sweetness. Once the cookies have cooled, use a small icing spatula to frost about 1 tablespoon of frosting on each cookie.
- To make bear paw design – Place one candy melt and 3 chocolate chips on top of each cookie to make bear paws.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
No need for any fancy or hard to find items, with boxed cake mix recipes everything is easily available at your local grocery store. You don’t have to make them into Bear Paw Cookies but that part is easy and just so cute.
Let’s talk about the star of the show – the adorable paw prints! Using just a candy melt and three chocolate chips, you can easily transform a deliciously soft and chewy cookie into a print. It’s a simple touch that makes a big difference, making these are almost too cute to eat.
The candy melt forms the pad of the paw, while the three chocolate chips create the little toes. Position them well on your frosted cookie to make the cutest bear paws! You can use dark chocolate, milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, you choose! Don’t you just love Christmas cookies? Try the Blossom Cookies (similar to peanut butter blossoms)! Love them!
These are a hit at kids’ parties, adorable at baby showers, and an absolute winner during the holiday season. They make a perfect project to involve little hands in the kitchen, sparking creativity and creating sweet memories.
Cake batter contains more liquids (such as milk, water, or oil) compared to cookie dough, resulting in a pourable consistency. You add less to transition dry cake mix it into a thick dough you can then spoon or roll into dollops and bake on a sheet pan.
