A Box Of Cake Mix And Canned Pumpkin Make These Easy Fall Cookies

It's been widely established that boxed cake mix has various creative uses. So, if you don't want to bake a traditional cake, you can easily transform boxed cake mix into a batch of soft, supple cookies. And we've got the best idea for a fall cookie that requires nothing more than cake mix and canned pumpkin. This is a two-ingredient recipe, but you're really bringing multiple ingredients to the table as a boxed cake mix already contains flour, sugar, and leavening agents.

The ideal boxed mix to use here is spice cake, which usually has additives like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves that really bring out the rich fall flavors of the savory pumpkin puree. The pumpkin puree itself is all the moisture and binding the cake mix needs to create a cohesive cookie batter. Plus, it'll also make for vegan cookies as you'll leave out eggs and dairy. 

All you have to do is add a 15-ounce can of pumpkin puree to one box of spice cake mix, stirring to combine. Once you've achieved a smooth, thick consistency, you can use a spoon or small ice cream scoop to dollop out the batter onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. You can top each cookie with a cinnamon-sugar mixture to give it some texture and added flavor, or bake as is at 350 degree degrees Fahrenheit for 10 to 15 minutes. They'll have a soft, cakey texture at the end (which is also why that cinnamon-sugar topping would work well to assimilate a fall-inspired snickerdoodle cookie).

There's nothing easier than a two-ingredient cookie. But, if you're willing to put a little more effort in, you can make elaborate fall cookie creations. Some easy upgrades would be to add simple mix-ins into the cookie batter. Chopped pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, chocolate chips, white chocolate chunks, and dried cranberries would all be great options, bringing more texture while also complementing the spices and pumpkin flavor. Add a dash of vanilla or almond extract to the batter for more aromatic depth. Decorate these pumpkin spice cookies with a drizzle of salted caramel sauce, cream cheese frosting, powdered sugar, or a simple vanilla glaze.

The soft, cakey nature of spice cake pumpkin cookies would make them excellent candidates for fall-inspired whoopie pies. You can use two cookies as the sandwich vessels for a classic cream cheese frosting filling. There are as many store-bought cream cheese frostings as there are spice cake mixes. You can also make a Halloween whoopie pie by swapping cream cheese frosting for chocolate frosting and pressing pumpkin candies into the exposed frosting perimeter.

Not a pumpkin spice fan? Swap pumpkin puree for applesauce or homemade apple puree to make an apple pie-inspired cookie. It'll still be a two-ingredient, dairy and egg-free cookie. In fact, if you go the applesauce route, you can also incorporate apple pie filling for more texture and fruit-forward flavor.