Easy Cake Mix Recipes {Desserts}
Quick and easy cake mix recipes, homemade with simple ingredients. Use various flavors of box mixes to make cakes, cupcakes, cookies, brownies, breads, candies.
Even when you love to make desserts from scratch, sometimes there is just not enough time to do it. Using a pre-made cake mix allows you to still make a homemade dessert, without consuming your whole day. By the time you are done doctoring it like this How To Make Box Cake Mix Better (Taste Homemade) suggests, no one will even know there is a box mix in there!
Table of contents
What can be made from a cake mix?
- Cakes (sheet cakes, layer cakes, cake rolls)
- Cupcakes
- Cookies
- Brownies and bars
- Truffles and no bake candies
- Waffles
- Pancakes
- Sweet breads
- Muffins
- Donuts
What Flavor Cake Mix To Use?
This depends on what you are making.
- Chocolate flavor– Use Devil’s food cake mix or chocolate fudge for an intense cocoa flavor or milk chocolate for milder flavor.
- Vanilla or fruit based desserts– Stick to yellow cake mix. French vanilla would be a close second choice.
- Fall and pumpkin desserts– Use spice cake mix.
What Cake Mix Brand To Use?
I stick very closely to Pillsbury and Betty Crocker brands. Duncan Hines is a close third. They give similar results. I don’t recommend using gluten free mixes in these recipes below because the results will not be the same. I also don’t recommend the store’s generic brand because I find that it’s not high quality.
Chocolate Cake Mix Recipes
These are just the base recipes for 3 of the most popular desserts: cakes, cupcakes, cookies. Don’t forget your add-ins like nuts and chocolate chips and zests to elevate them further. Plus, you can fill and frost them after baking.
- Cookies– 1 box Devil’s Food Cake Mix + 1/3 cup oil + 2 large eggs
- Cupcakes– 1 box Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix + 1/2 cup oil + 1 cup strongly brewed coffee + 4 large eggs
- Cakes– 1 box Devil’s Food Cake Mix + 1/2 cup oil + 1 cup strongly brewed coffee + 4 large eggs
White/ Vanilla/ Yellow Cake Mix Recipes
This is the base recipe for 3 main desserts: cakes, cupcakes, cookies. Make sure to think of including some add-ins like nuts, zests, poppy seeds, chocolate chips, extracts. Also, consider your filling and frosting options after they are done baking. The flavor combinations are entirely up to you.
- Cookies– 1 box Yellow Cake Mix + 1/3 cup oil + 2 large eggs
- Cupcakes- 1 box Yellow Cake Mix + 1/2 cup oil + 1 cup whole milk + 4 large eggs
- Cakes– 1 box French Vanilla Cake Mix + 1/2 cup oil + 1 cup whole milk + 4 large eggs
More Cake Mix Hacks
- If you decide to use water in the recipe anyways, make sure to use hot water in chocolate cake because this allows the cocoa in the box to “bloom” and intensify the cocoa flavor.
- Add 1 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt cream instead of milk
- Make a 2 ingredient cake with just the cake mix and a can of soda (such as Fanta, Crush, Sprite)
Why Should You Use A Cake Mix Instead Of Baking From Scratch?
Using a cake mix saves so much time when making desserts. It allows you to just add additional ingredients to make a delicious dessert that is homemade without making the base from scratch.
How to Make a White Cake Mix Chocolate?
This is a very common question. Here is a neat little hack for you. All you have to do is mix in 1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder in the yellow cake mix. If you want an intense chocolate flavor, use Dutch processed cocoa powder, special dark cocoa powder or black cocoa powder. You can even use “cacao powder” but it has a milder cocoa flavor.
How to Make Box Cake Mix Better, Homemade, Bakery Style? What to Add to it?
This really depends on what you are making. However, these are some basic swaps and additions:
- Replace water with whole milk or buttermilk.
- Use melted unsalted butter instead of oil.
- Add an extra egg.
- Mix in a small package of dry pudding mix or prepared Snack Pack pudding mix.
- For rich chocolate cakes, use strongly brewed coffee in place of water or add some espresso powder.
- For citrus cakes, use orange juice, lemon juice, lime juice juice in place of water.
- Add freshly grated zest of lemon, lime, orange.
- Add extracts such as almond, vanilla, coconut e.t.c.
- Mix in some chopped nuts or mini chocolate chips or finely chopped candy bars or even poppy seeds. Check out this post on How to Stop Chocolate Chips From Sinking to Bottom of Cake.
What Frosting To Pair With Doctored Cake Mix Recipes?
Depending on the flavor of your dessert, there are so many options. Make sure you chose the correct pairing for best overall flavor. E.g. Don’t pair chocolate frosting with lemon cake because it will taste horrible.
Vanilla Frostings
- White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- American Buttercream Frosting Recipe
- Marshmallow Frosting
- Cooked Flour Buttercream (Ermine Frosting)
- Seven Minute Frosting
Whipped Creams
Cream Cheese Frostings
Chocolate Frostings
Fruit or Berry Frostings
- Maraschino Cherry Frosting
- Blackberry Buttercream Frosting
- Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
- Mango Frosting
Citrus Frostings
Unique Frostings
- Easy Maple Frosting
- Brown Sugar Frosting
- Caramel Frosting
- Peanut Butter Frosting (4 Ingredients)
- German Chocolate Cake Frosting (Coconut Pecan Frosting)
- Easy Mint Frosting
What Filling to Add to Layer Cakes, Cupcakes and Sandwich Cookies?
The sky is the limit here. All you have to keep in mind is that certain flavors work really well together and some just don’t. Play around and get creative.
Pie fillings
Curds
Custard and puddings
Sauces
- Homemade Caramel Sauce
- Easy Chocolate Ganache
- Homemade Dulce De Leche
- Hot Fudge Sauce (Chocolate Fudge Sauce)
Jams, preserves and butters
- Easy Homemade Strawberry Jam
- Homemade Vanilla Pudding
- Pumpkin Butter (Crockpot)
- Apple Butter (Crockpot)
Storage Of Cake Mix Desserts
Refrigerate– In a sealed container for up to 3 days.
Freezer– You can freeze unfrosted doctored cakes, cupcakes, cookies, brownies, breads, wrapped in saran wrap, for up to 1 month. Thaw and decorate when ready to use.
Classic Cakes
These recipes are staples and traditions at family and holiday events. Some of these recipes have been around for generations and everyone has their own subtle twist on it.
Easy Black Forest Cake (With Cake Mix)
Quick and easy black forest cake recipe with cake mix, homemade with simple ingredients. Soft, moist chocolate cake with cherry filling and whipped cream.
Check out this recipe
Yellow Sheet Cake With Chocolate Frosting
Easy yellow sheet cake with chocolate frosting recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. This delicious birthday cake starts off with yellow cake mix.
Check out this recipe
7 Up Cake Recipe (With Cake Mix)
Quick and easy 7 up cake recipe with cake mix, homemade with simple ingredients and lemon glaze. Soft, moist and can be made as bundt cake or pound cake.
Check out this recipe
German Chocolate Cake (With Cake Mix)
Easy German chocolate cake recipe with cake mix, homemade with simple ingredients. Soft and moist chocolate cake layers are filled with coconut pecan frosting and topped with chocolate ganache.
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Boston Cream Pie (With Cake Mix)
Classic Boston cream pie cake recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. Starts off with cake mix. Yellow cake is filled with vanilla pudding and topped with chocolate ganache.
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Coca Cola Cake With Cake Mix (Coke Cake)
Easy Coca Cola cake recipe (Coke cake) with cake mix, homemade with simple ingredients. Soft, moist and topped with chocolate ganache frosting, chocolate drizzle, mini chocolate chips.
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Louisiana Crunch Cake (With Cake Mix)
Classic, Southern quick, easy Louisiana crunch cake recipe with cake mix, homemade with simple ingredients. Soft and moist yellow cake with a tangy vanilla lemon glaze and crunchy coconut flakes.
Check out this recipe
Sock It To Me Cake (With Cake Mix)
Best, classic, soft, moist, quick, easy sock it to me cake recipe, made with simple ingredients and yellow cake mix. It has cinnamon pecan streusel filling.
Check out this recipe
Pistachio Cake Recipe
Easy pistachio cake recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. Starts off with yellow cake mix, pistachio pudding and topped off with whipped cream. Super soft and moist!
Check out this recipe
Easy Rainbow Cake (With Cake Mix)
Easy rainbow cake recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. Starts off with cake mix! Soft and moist cake layers are filled with whipped cream and topped off with sprinkles and colorful candies.
Check out this recipe
Chocolate Cakes
Whether they are full of cocoa powder, ganache, or chocolate chips, these cakes are rich and decadent and are perfect for chocoholics.
Mexican Chocolate Cake (With Cake Mix)
Easy, soft and moist Mexican chocolate cake recipe with cake mix. Paired with spiced brown sugar frosting and chocolate ganache. Full of cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne pepper.
Check out this recipe
Chocolate Raspberry Cake (With Cake Mix)
Easy chocolate raspberry cake recipe that starts off with cake mix, homemade with simple ingredients. Filled with fresh raspberry pie filling and loaded with ganache frosting.
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Chocolate Cake Roll (With Cake Mix)
Easy chocolate cake roll recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. Starts off with Devil's food cake mix. Filled with buttercream icing, topped with rich and creamy espresso chocolate ganache and fresh raspberries.
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Chocolate Guinness Beer Cake (With Cake Mix)
Best, quick, easy, soft, moist, fudgy Guinness beer cake recipe, starts off with chocolate cake mix. Loaded with chocolate frosting and ganache.
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Chocolate Molten Lava Cake Recipe
Quick and easy chocolate molten lava cake recipe, made with simple ingredients in crockpot. It’s a lava cake with chocolate filling. Starts with cake mix!
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Snowball Cake Recipe
Classic, easy Snowball cake recipe, which is a cheesecake stuffed chocolate cake. A doctored cake mix recipe, loaded with pudding frosting & coconut!
Check out this recipe
Spiced Cakes
These ones are full of wonderful aromatic spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice or they use a blend such as pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice.
Easy Crumb Cake (With Cake Mix)
Classic, easy crumb cake recipe with cake mix, homemade with simple ingredients. Yellow vanilla cake is topped off with cinnamon streusel crumble topping.
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Apple Cake Recipe With Cake Mix
Quick and easy apple cake recipe with crumble topping/ crumb toping. It’s soft, moist, loaded with fresh apples, cinnamon and made with a cake mix.
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Cinnamon Roll Cake (Cinnamon Cake)
Quick and easy cinnamon roll cake (cinnamon cake), homemade with simple ingredients. Starts with yellow cake mix and has swirls of cinnamon and sugar.
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Easy Pumpkin Cake
The best spiced, soft, moist, quick, easy pumpkin cake recipe with cream cheese frosting. This doctored yellow cake mix recipe is great for Thanksgiving.
Check out this recipe
Fruit and Citrus Flavored Cakes
Bright, tangy, sweet, and velvety, these cakes are always a showstoppers in flavor and appearance.
Strawberry Shortcake Cake (With Cake Mix)
The best, classic, easy strawberry shortcake cake recipe with cake mix, homemade with simple ingredients. This layer cake is composed of soft and moist vanilla cake, sweet and juicy fresh strawberry filling and fluffy whipped cream.
Check out this recipe
Banana Upside Down Cake
Quick, easy caramelized banana upside down cake recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. Starts off with yellow cake mix. Topped with caramel sauce and ripe bananas.
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Cranberry Upside Down Cake (With Cake Mix)
Easy Christmas cranberry upside down cake recipe with cake mix, homemade with simple ingredients. Loaded with pineapples, cranberries, orange.
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Easy Maraschino Cherry Cake (With Cake Mix)
Easy cherry cake recipe with cake mix, homemade with simple ingredients. Soft, moist and paired with whipped cream icing and topped with maraschino cherries.
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Key Lime Cake (With Cake Mix)
Easy lime cake recipe, which starts off with cake mix. This pound cake is homemade with simple ingredients. Soft, moist, rich, firm and better than scratch!
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Easy Orange Cake
This soft, moist, easy orange cake recipe from scratch is loaded with with cream cheese frosting, mandarin oranges, orange marmalade and lots of fresh orange zest. It’s the perfect Summer dessert!
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Easy Cranberry Cake Recipe
Quick & easy Christmas cranberry cake recipe with cake mix – Loaded with cream cheese frosting, orange zest, candied nuts, fresh cranberries.
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Easy Pineapple Cake
Quick and easy pineapple cake recipe with cake mix, homemade with simple ingredients. Topped off with whipped cream, coconut. Soft, moist, fresh, tropical!
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Easy Lemon Bundt Cake (With Cake Mix)
Classic, quick and easy lemon bundt cake recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. Starts off with yellow cake mix. Soft and moist with a tangy lemon glaze.
Check out this recipe
Pound Cakes
Known for their dense, moist texture, these treats are as buttery as they come. They can be enjoyed as is or topped with whipped cream and fresh berries.
Lemon Pound Cake Recipe
Best classic, old-fashioned, quick, easy lemon pound cake recipe with yellow cake mix, homemade with simple ingredients. Soft, moist, better than scratch!
Check out this recipe
Chocolate Pound Cake
Quick and easy chocolate pound cake recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. Rich, soft, moist, starts off with cake mix, packed with chocolate chips.
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Dump Cakes
These have almost a cobbler-like texture. All the ingredients are dumped in an oven safe-pan, mixed and baked for ooey gooey perfection. These are best served warm with ice cream.
Peach Dump Cake (With Cake Mix)
Quick and easy peach dump cake recipe (peach cobbler dump cake), homemade with simple ingredients. A great Summer dessert, made with 3 ingredients!
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Blueberry Dump Cake (With Cake Mix)
Quick and easy blueberry dump cake recipe (blueberry cobbler dump cake), homemade with simple ingredients. Starts off with yellow cake mix!
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Cupcakes
Many folks are intimidated by making fancy cakes but cupcakes are somehow less intimidating. These recipes make 24 cupcakes and are perfect to serve at large crowds like parties, picnics and potlucks.
Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes (With Cake Mix)
Easy ice cream cone cupcakes recipe with cake mix, homemade with simple ingredients. Each wafer cone is full of funfetti cupcake batter and topped with buttercream icing swirls and sprinkles.
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Pink Champagne Cupcakes With Champagne Buttercream Frosting
Quick, easy pink champagne cupcakes recipe with champagne buttercream frosting. Soft, moist, fluffy! Great for New Year’s party or Valentine’s Day.
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Easy Gingerbread Cupcakes (With Cake Mix)
Easy gingerbread cupcakes recipe with cake mix, homemade with simple ingredients. Soft, moist and full of spices like ginger and cinnamon plus molasses.
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Rainbow Cupcakes (With Cake Mix)
Easy rainbow cupcakes recipe with cake mix, homemade with simple ingredients. Tie dye batter is baked and decorated with whipped cream & colorful sprinkles.
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Chocolate Oreo Cupcakes (Doctored Cake Mix Recipe)
Quick and easy Oreo cupcakes recipe with Oreo buttercream frosting, made with simple ingredients. Soft and moist and starts off with a chocolate cake mix.
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Cookies
Chewy, crisp, sweet, decadent, colorful, or spiced, Cookies are always the right answer in the dessert category.
Chocolate Cherry Cookies (Black Forest Cookies)
Quick and easy chocolate cherry cookies recipe with cake mix. These black forest cookies are filled with vanilla buttercream icing, cherry pie filling and chocolate shreds.
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Spicy Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies (With Cake Mix)
Easy spicy Mexican hot chocolate cookies recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. Starts off with cake mix and full of cinnamon, cayenne, chili powder.
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Cotton Candy Cookies
Quick and easy cotton candy cookies recipe with cake mix. These crispy, chewy chocolate cookies are topped with buttercream icing and pink cotton candy. Great for serving at kids birthday parties!
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Easy Reeses Cookies (With Cake Mix)
Easy, homemade, fudgy, soft and chewy Reeses cookies that start off with chocolate cake mix and other simple ingredients. Full of mini peanut butter cups and Reeses pieces.
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Easy Cut Out Heart Cookies
Easy heart cookies recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. Starts off with red velvet cake mix. These cut out sugar cookies hold their shape with no spreading.
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Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies (With Cake Mix)
Quick and easy gooey butter cookies recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. Starts off with yellow cake mix. Soft and chewy with a rich butter flavor.
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White Chocolate Chip Cookies (With Cake Mix)
The best, quick and easy white chocolate chip cookies recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. Starts off with a cake mix. Rich, soft and chewy.
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Cut Out Sugar Cookies (With Cake Mix)
Best, buttery, easy cut out sugar cookies recipe with cake mix, homemade with simple ingredients. Rich, buttery, soft yet firm and holds its shape.
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Cake Mix Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Classic, quick and easy chocolate crinkle cookies recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. Soft and fudgy. Starts off with a chocolate cake mix.
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Easy Smores Cookies
Quick and easy smores cookies recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. Soft, chewy and loaded with graham crackers, chocolate chips and mini marshmallows.
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Sprinkle Cookies (Birthday Cookies)
Soft, chewy, quick and easy sprinkle cookies recipe (birthday cookies), homemade with simple ingredients in 20 minutes. Starts off with chocolate cake mix!
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Easy Orange Cookies (With Cake Mix)
Soft and chewy, quick and easy orange cookies recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. A doctored cake mix recipe, loaded with orange zest, extract, juice.
Check out this recipe
Red Velvet Cookies (With Cake Mix)
Quick and easy red velvet cookies recipe with cake mix, homemade with 5 simple ingredients. Soft and chewy and loaded with white chocolate chips.
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Easy Gingerbread Cookies Recipe
Quick and easy gingerbread cookies recipe, made with 3 simple ingredients are a classic. This doctored cake mix recipe makes the best soft cut out cookies.
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Chocolate Whoopie Pie Recipe
Classic quick and easy chocolate whoopie pie recipe with creamy marshmallow filling. Soft, moist, made with simple ingredients. Starts off with cake mix.
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Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies
Quick and easy chocolate cake mix cookies recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. Soft and chewy, dipped in melted chocolate and covered in sprinkles. Many add-in options included.
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Easy Pumpkin Cookies (With Cake Mix)
Easy pumpkin cookies recipe with cake mix, homemade with simple ingredients. Soft and chewy through oatmeal and shredded coconut with a pumpkin spice sugar topping. These can also be called pumpkin snickerdoodles.
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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies (With Cake Mix)
Easy, fluffy, soft pumpkin chocolate chip cookies recipe, homemade with simple ingredients (spice cake mix, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, mini chocolate chips).
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Cake Mix Chocolate M&M Cookies
Easy cake mix chocolate m&m cookies made with simple ingredients from your pantry. Crispy on the outside but soft on the inside. Great as a snack or gift!
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Easy Cookie Cake (With Cake Mix)
The best quick and easy chocolate chip cookie cake recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. Rich, soft, chewy and decorated with chocolate frosting and sprinkles.
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Candies and No bake Desserts
When you are short on time, these recipes are the best. They taste delicious and look incredible and come together so quickly.
Lemon Cake Balls (Cake Truffles)
Learn how to make no bake quick and easy cake balls recipe. These homemade lemon cake truffles with cake mix and other simple ingredients are fudgy, creamy!
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Birthday Cake Truffles (With Cake Mix)
Quick and easy birthday cake truffles recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. Starts off with funfetti cake mix. Loaded with rainbow sprinkles, buttercream frosting and coated in white chocolate.
Check out this recipe
Red Velvet Truffles (With Cake Mix)
Quick and easy no bake red velvet truffles recipe (red velvet cake truffles) with cream cheese are a bite sized dessert/ snack with rich and creamy texture.
Check out this recipe
Breads
Homemade bread makes the perfect snack or dessert for loved ones. You can even enjoy it for breakfast with a smear of almond butter or peanut butter.
Easy Banana Bread (With Cake Mix)
Easy banana bread recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. Starts off with yellow cake mix and flavored with cinnamon and nutmeg. Topped off with melted white chocolate and toasted walnuts.
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Easy Chocolate Banana Bread Recipe
Quick and easy chocolate banana bread recipe, made with simple ingredients. Soft, moist, loaded with chocolate chips and starts off with cake mix.
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Christmas Fruit Cake (With Cake Mix)
Easy Christmas fruit cake recipe with cake mix, homemade with simple ingredients. Soft and moist but firm. Full of candied fruits, nuts and aromatic spices.
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Pumpkin Bread (With Cake Mix)
Quick and easy pumpkin bread recipe with maple glaze, homemade with simple ingredients. Starts off with cake mix. Perfect dessert for Fall and Thanksgiving parties!
Check out this recipe
Brownies and Bars
Not only are these incredibly easy to make with minimal ingredients, you can also modify the flavor by your choice of box mix base.
Cake Mix Cookie Bars
Quick and easy cake mix cookie bars, requiring simple ingredients and ready in 30 minutes. They are soft and fudgy with many flavor options.
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Cake Mix Brownies
This easy chewy and fudgy cake mix brownies recipe requires simple ingredients. It tastes homemade and is a quick dessert or quick snack for parties.
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Breakfast and Brunch
Shockingly enough, a box mix can help out at breakfast too. You can make pancakes, waffles, baked donuts and even muffins!
Chocolate Waffles
Quick and easy chocolate waffles recipe, homemade with 4 simple ingredients. Starts off with cake mix. Crisp on the outside, light and airy on the inside.
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Easy Pumpkin Donuts Recipe
Quick and easy pumpkin donuts recipe with cinnamon sugar coating, made with 4 simple ingredients. These baked pumpkin donuts start off with a cake mix!
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Pumpkin Muffins (With Cake Mix)
Quick and easy pumpkin muffins recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. Starts off with spice cake mix. Soft, moist, topped off with crunchy sanding sugar topping!
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