These easy Chocolate Candy Cookies are rich, chewy, and loaded with Butterfingers and mini M&M’s candies! Great treat for packing in lunches or snacking on after school!
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Are you ready for some confession time? I have been slacking in the school lunch making department. Wait, before you get on me for not doing my job as a mom, let me clarify a few things.
I make three lunches every morning after my workout. But…the past three weeks the lunches have been packed with treats and snacks from the grocery store. Are you completely appalled yet? Yes, I am this crazy baker girl, yet my kids have been eating Little Debbie’s and bagged chips. It happens.
We are still getting into the swing of things here in a new house and town. So, convenience from the grocery store has been a staple. Now that things are a little more settled and routine, maybe some frosted rainbow chip brownies or moose tracks cookies will appear in those brown bags.
So now I probably have you totally confused because there are perfectly lunch bag worthy cookies staring you in the face. Right?
Yeah, these cookies were a quick and easy treat that we took to a dinner the first week we were here. I didn’t even photograph them the first day. To be honest, I didn’t even eat one the first two days. You know how it goes the first week of January. The diet is still going strong!
But after day 3, I caved and ate a cookie…ok, fine, I actually ate 2. And holy cow, even after sitting a few days, they were still amazing! So, since I needed to learn the lighting in this new house, I pulled out a few props and set up a shoot. You are welcome!
These easy peasy cake mix cookies are my jam. I love when I can take a box mix and give it some extra loving to create a treat that tastes totally homemade. Semi-homemade is my kitchen game!
The cream cheese in the dough is what gives these cookies that chewy brownie like texture. Trust me, you can’t eat just one. They taste just like a brownie but in a round cookie shape!!!
Don’t feel limited on what to throw in these cookies! Any candy goes!!! I just happened to have half a bag of Butterfinger bits and half a bag of mini M&M’s, so that’s what I stirred into the dough.
Raid your cupboard and see what kind of fun things you can find to make this cookie a new creation. I know I have a red velvet cake mix and some Valentine’s M&M’s that are begging me to bake today!!!
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These chocolate cookies are loaded with Butterfinger candy bits and mini M&M's. Grab a cup of milk to enjoy with these rich cookies.
Ingredients
- 1 chocolate cake mix
- 8 Tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 egg
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup Butterfinger bits
- 1 1/4 cup mini M&M's, divided
Instructions
- Combine the dry cake mix, butter, and egg and mix until a soft dough forms. Add the cream cheese and beat again until completely mixed in. Stir in the Butterfinger bits and 1 cup mini M&M's. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour.
- Roll the dough into 24 equal balls. Press the remaining mini M&M's all around the dough balls.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 9-10 minutes. Do not over bake. Let cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then remove to a sheet of parchment on the counter. Cool completely. Store in a tightly sealed container. Makes 24 cookies.
Here are a few more cake mix cookies to get your creative baking going:
Nutter Butter Reese’s Pieces Cookies
Caramel Peanut Butter Snickers Cookies
Strawberry Truffle Kiss Cookies
Aimee @ ShugarySweets says
I think you’re crazy that you still make their lunches, LOL!!! My kids make them usually the night before (at least getting the sandwich or wrap made), then put it all together in the morning. I’ve been very hands off (usually once they hit 2nd grade, haha). These cookies are exactly what the lunches need as a sweet treat. Ironically I have a candy cookie coming to the blog too! But now I’m wishing it was chocolate!
Jocelyn says
Haha! I went a year or two without making their lunches because I figured they were old enough to do it. They did good at first, then they slacked off and were running behind every morning. So instead of jumping on the computer and working right away, I make lunches and just “be there” for them before they leave each morning. It has really been good for me!
Beth says
Oh gosh! You are mom of the year! If I wanted home lunch I had to pack it myself!!
Jocelyn says
I don’t know about mom of the year…I fail way too often!
Medha @ Whisk & Shout says
So yum! ALL the chocolate 🙂
Jocelyn says
Amen to more chocolate!!!!
Wendy says
Pinned! M&M cookies are even better than chocolate chip! I have a whole pinterest board dedicated to the amazing things that can be done with a cake mix! The great thing about cake mix recipes, is that I almost always have the ingredients already! (p.s. The job description for a great mom, is all about the love. Packing lunches isn’t even mentioned. 🙂 )
Jocelyn says
I love how versatile cake mixes are! They are so easy to jazz up and give that homemade feel to them! And yes, love is the major requirement for being a great mom. I just like the feeling of knowing I’m there for the kiddos in the morning without being distracted.
Wendy says
I totally agree, Jocelyn. I meant that I believe you are doing what counts. It’s the being there that’s important. 🙂
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust says
Grocery store packaged stuff is all Jordan gets, lol, unless I’ve baked cookies the day before. If it’s easier – go for it. But I’d rather have these, in all honesty. They’re so pretty!
Jocelyn says
Thanks girl. Good to know I’m not the only one relying on those packaged treats. LOL!
Elizabeth @ Confessions of a Baking Queen says
New house looks like good lighting! Woo hoo! The cookies look awesome.
Jocelyn says
Thank you!!! I am so excited about the lighting in this house! It makes photographing stuff so much easier!!!
Cynthia | What A Girl Eats says
These just look like fun! A party in a cookie!
Jocelyn says
These are definitely like a party in a cookie! Cookies like this are way more fun!!
Maureen Blackburn says
Love the new cookie, and wrote down the recipe to try, and as you know, put in my own touches. I am so grateful that you have such good taste in treats, and I love all the cookie recipes!!! Being a cupcake kinda girl, it seems crazy that in the past two weeks I have made cookies twice……must be something in the air. lol
And, the photograpy is spot on.
Jocelyn says
Thank you!!!! Sometimes it’s just fun to change up the treats you normally make. Good to hear you are branching out into cookies 🙂
Jessica @ A Kitchen Addiction says
These look like the perfect chocolate cookie! Love that there’s cream cheese in them!
Jocelyn says
These really were pretty perfect! The little bit of cream cheese makes them so fudgy and rich!!!
megan says
I made these last night and they spread quite a bit. We live in a humid enviroment. What do you think about adding some extra flour or baking powder to help them puff up and hold their shape?
Jocelyn says
I live in Florida where it’s super humid too, and all the cake mix cookies I have on my site always work for me as written. How long did you refrigerate the cookie dough? I have found that the longer I refrigerate the dough before baking, the less they spread. I also will scoop them out, roll them into balls, and refrigerate again if the dough feels soft. While one batch is cooking, I keep the other dough balls in the fridge until right before baking. I hope that helps. Other than the cookies spreading, how did they taste???