Boxed Cake Mix Is The Secret To The Best Pumpkin Cookies
Pumpkin quickies aren't new — the cookie recipe is from the 1960s but was recently resurrected as a viral trend on TikTok. If they're new to you, all you need to know is that this combination of two ingredients — boxed spice cake mix and canned pumpkin — will make the best pumpkin cookies with the least ingredients. The cake mix already has some of the elements you'd add to pumpkin spice cookies, including ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. The pumpkin adds moisture and a subtle flavor and makes for a tender crumb; the resulting treats are cakey and satisfying.
In addition to being easy, these cookies are budget-friendly as you don't have to load up your pantry with pricey spices, and the fact that the two ingredients are shelf-stable means you can keep them on hand for anytime cravings. Another bonus is that this recipe is naturally vegan since you swap the eggs for pumpkin purée, and it's also highly customizable to suit your tastes.
A spiced cake legacy
Boxed cake mixes were created in the 1920s by flour companies who worried their sales were threatened by increasingly popular commercially baked goods, meaning people were baking from scratch less often. But in the 1950s, the market began to embrace this convenience, and in 1951, Duncan Hines rolled out devil's food, yellow, and white boxed mixes, as well as one for spice cake. By 1953, Betty Crocker was also advertising a Honey Spice Cake Mix, reinforcing that this was a winning flavor combination for dessert-loving Americans.
Recipes based on cake mix became a novel way for companies to sell more boxes and some even published books like "Duncan Hines Cake Mix Magic" or "Betty Crocker Ultimate Cake Mix Cookbook" which featured everything from cherry cheesecake bars to hazelnut biscotti. Although the pumpkin spice craze didn't truly take off until Starbucks introduced the Pumpkin Spice Latte in 2003, this spice blend has been in American kitchens since the late 1700s. Today, since spice cake mix is available year-round, there's no reason not to enjoy these cookies anytime, in any season.
Ways to upgrade your pumpkin cookies
Pumpkin quickies are simple to make, but that means they're also fairly plain. They make an ideal companion to tea or coffee as is, but if you want to elevate them, add chocolate chips or chunks — dark, milk, or white are all delicious with the pumpkin and spice profile.
Dried fruit like raisins or dehydrated cranberries would work well folded into the batter. Complementary nuts like walnuts, hazelnuts, or pecans add texture and flavor, while a sprinkling of sanding sugar adds both sweetness and a bit of crunch. Turn your cakey pumpkin cookies into whoopie pies by sandwiching them around a cream cheese frosting, or drizzle them with a homemade caramel sauce. If you're not a fan of the spice profile, you can make cookies out of cake mix in other flavors, too (try the chocolate cake with pumpkin purée for a decadent spin).