Hey there, sweet-tooth friends! Today, we’re turning up the dial on creativity and whimsy in the kitchen. I’ve got a boxed cake mix recipe (turned into cake mix butter pecan cookies) that’s going to knock your cozy socks off and warm your heart: Bear Paw Cookies!
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. (affiliate links present)
Betty Crocker Butter Pecan Cake Mix
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!
Cookie Ingredients
- Butter pecan cake mix
- Baking powder
- Eggs
- Unsalted butter
- Chopped pecans
Butter Pecan Frosting
- Powdered sugar (not granulated sugar)
- Cornstarch
- Brown sugar
- Maple syrup
- Vanilla extract
- To make paws:
- Candy melts or chocolate melting wafers
- Chocolate chips
No need for any fancy or hard to find items, everything is easily available at your local grocery store. You don’t have to make them into Polar Bear Cookies but that part is easy and just so cute. It’s super versatile too. How about panda bear cookies using chocolate cake mix? The possibilities are endless when you bring creativity into your kitchen.
How to Make Cookies Look Like Paws
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.
Paw Print Cookies
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 Hershey Kiss Christmas Cookies (similar to peanut butter blossoms)! Love them!
This recipe is a fun way to get the kids involved in the kitchen, too! Their tiny hands are perfect for placing the candy melts and chocolate chips on. Plus, what could be more exciting than turning ordinary into a “picture”.
Can I use a different flavor of cake mix?
Absolutely! Feel free to substitute with vanilla, could be made as 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.
How to Make Cake Mix Butter Pecan Cookies
- First, we create a dough using the cake mix, add some baking powder for a slight lift, melted butter for richness, and eggs to bind everything together.
- Grab a large bowl for this because you’ve got a lot to mix!
- To bring in more pecan flavor, chopped nuts are also folded into the dough.
- After a short chill in the fridge, spoonfuls of this dough are placed on a baking sheet with parchment paper
- Then pop into a 350°F oven for about 8-10 minutes allowing them to cool on the sheet
- If you want to create paws with chocolate on the top you’d want to place the pieces on while still warm so they stick well, or add frosting once cooled and place chocolate on then.
How to Make Cookie Frosting
- Butter, powdered sugar, cornstarch, brown sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, and a pinch of salt are whipped together to create a sweet and creamy frosting that’s just right.
- Once the cookies have cooled, you can put a dollop on and smooth with the back of it
- Then you can place the candy melts and semi sweet chocolate chips to create those precious look to them
- A key tip for getting the perfect polar bear paw print is to allow the cookies to cool completely to room temperature before decorating.
- This ensures that the frosting doesn’t melt and the candy and chocolate chips stay in place. It also gives you a clean canvas to work on, so take your time and have fun with it!
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.
Cake Mix Butter Pecan Cookies
Equipment
- 1 baking sheet
- 1 Bowl
Ingredients
Butter Pecan Frosting
- 1/2 c butter, unsalted, room temperature
- 1 1/4 c powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/4 c 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.
