Easy Spring Cookes are the perfect spring twist on the favorite classic M&M cookies everyone loves! White cake mix cookies with pastel candies and white chocolate chips combine to take the classic up a notch for a tasty Easter treat!

If you’re looking for other creative cookies, check out our chocolate fudge cookies, pistachio cookies, or lemon cool whip cookies, all perfect for any occasion. And for springtime desserts, we absolutely love making lemonade pie, frozen margarita pie, and frozen strawberry dessert.

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tray of cookies with pastel easter candy

Why We Love Easy Spring Cookies

Add these fun Spring cookies to your Easter baking list! You can never have enough cookies, right?

  • Easy – Thanks to the white cake mix, this is such an easy recipe for pretty cookies.
  • Convenient – No need to chill the dough. 
  • Versatile – While these are perfect for Easter, they’re also fun for other spring gatherings like Mother’s Day or even for a baby shower.
ingredients for spring M&M cookies

Just a handful of simple pantry staples make this white cake mix cookie recipe super convenient. They’ll be gone in the wiggle of a bunny nose!

For specific amounts, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.

  • Vanilla or white cake mix – Choose the flavor that you prefer. A yellow cake mix will work, too.
  • Large eggs – ideally your eggs should be room temperature, they will mix with the other ingredients better and yield a uniform dough.
  • Canola oil – I prefer to use this oil but you can use your own favorite neutral oil.
  • All-purpose flour – be sure to use the scoop and level method, or weigh your flour with a kitchen scale. This assures you are using the correct amount of flour.
  • Easter M&M’s – These lend a pastel, festive color to the cookies.
  • White chocolate chips – You can use milk chocolate chips if you prefer
  • Pastel jimmies – You can use the recommended amount or add more if you like.

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How to Make Spring Cookies With a Cake Mix

Let’s get baking! You’ll need an electric mixer, mixing bowl, 1-2 sheet pans, parchment paper, and a cooling rack.

When you are making this recipe, you’ll want to use the full recipe at the bottom of the page.

  1. Add cake mix, eggs, oil, and flour into a large bowl and mix with an electric mixer until completely combined. 
  2. Pour in candies, chips, and sprinkles and fold until entirely incorporated.
  3. Form the cookie dough balls (using a cookie scoop helps to portion them) and place them on the cookie sheet. Bake in a preheated oven until golden brown.
  4. For a “bakery-style look, press in a few M&Ms on top of the cookies just after removing the cookies from the oven. 
  5. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to allow them to come to room temperature.
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plate full of Easter candy cookies

These easy Spring Easter cookies are super simple but there are a few common mistakes to avoid to yield the best cookies.

  • Avoid overmixing the cookie dough, unless you want flat crispy cookies.
  • Using the extra flour in this recipe, as directed, will result in an airy, fluffy cookie.
  • The dry cake mix is an ingredient, do NOT prepare the cake mix.
  • Make sure all of your ingredients are fresh (not expired).
  • Don’t grease your pan with butter, it can cause the bottom of the cookies to burn. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper, like most pastry chefs do.
  • Don’t overcrowd your pan, this will cause your cookies to spread into one another. Invest in at least 2 pans. I personally own 4 half-sheet pans, which are the perfect size for baking cookies.
  • Use a cookie scoop to get all of your cookies the same size.
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sheet pan with cookies and pastel M&Ms

How To Store These Delightful Spring Cookies

Keep these white cake mix cookies on the counter at room temperature for up to 5 days in an airtight container – if they last that long!!

Freeze

Freeze Easter cookies for up to 3 months in freezer bags or freezer-safe containers.

You can also freeze scooped cookie dough balls for up to 3 months. Simply bake frozen cookie dough, you will just need to add a few extra minutes to your baking time.

cookies in a stack
What ingredients make cookies moist and tender?

Adding an extra yolk will make your cookies more moist. The fat of the yolk contributes to the moistness.

What makes cookies crispy or chewy?

Sugar contributes to the crispiness or chewiness of a cookie. White sugar will make cookies more crispy while brown sugar creates chewiness.

Is it better to make cookies with oil or butter?

It can be a matter of preference but often baked goods made will oil are more tender and moist while those made with butter may be more dry.

These Easter cookies are amazing as-is but you can create your own special treat using alternatives.

  • Flour – Use alternative flours for a version that’s lower-carb or gluten-free.
  • M&M’s – Change them up for the season — these are adaptable to any time of year. Or chop up any seasonal candy.
  • Chips – Instead of white, use milk chocolate or dark chocolate.
  • Citrus – For some springtime flair imparts a hint of lemon — add some lemon juice or lemon zest to make lemon cookies that are refreshing for the season.
  • Drizzle or Dip – melt white or milk chocolate and dip half of each cookie or drizzle with melted chocolate.
  • Extract – Add an extract of your choice to add more flavor. Vanilla extract and almond extract are a few options.
  • Cake mixes – Use other flavors of cake mixes that you prefer — it can be changed up depending on the time of the year.
cookies with pastel candies and jimmies

Serving Suggestions

  • Ice cream – Use these cookies as a garnish or put vanilla ice cream in between for ice cream sandwiches.
  • Coffee – Any cookie is a perfect pairing for a steaming hot cup of coffee.
  • Whipped cream – Dunk these Spring cookies into some cinnamon whipped cream as a dip.

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pile of cookies with pastel easter candy
tray of cookies with pastel easter candy

Easy Spring Cookies

Yield: 24 cookies
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 (15.25 ounce) Vanilla or White Cake Mix
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ cup canola oil
  • ¼ cup flour
  • ¾ cup Easter M&M’s
  • ½ cup white chocolate chips
  • ⅓ cup pastel jimmies (measure with your heart - use more if you’d like)

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350° F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or Silpat.
  2. In a large bowl using an electric mixer to combine cake mix, eggs, oil, and flour until well blended. Fold in candies, chips, and sprinkles.
  3. Scoop out 2 tablespoons of cookie dough onto the prepared cookie sheet approximately 2 inches apart. (I use a medium cookie scoop). Add a few sprinkles to the top of the cookies (optional)
  4. Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges are slightly golden. Do not overbake.
  5. For a “bakery-style look, add a few M&Ms to the cookies as soon as they come out of the oven.
  6. Cool cookies for 4 minutes on the pan then transfer cookies to a cooling rack.

Notes

Cookies stored in an airtight container will keep at room temperature for up to 5 days or freezer up to 3 months.

You DO NOT prepare the mix as directed on the box. Only use the cake mix , and follow the mixing and baking instructions in the full recipe card at the end of this post. 

The extra flour helps to make a fluffier cookie.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 117Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 28mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 0gSugar: 8gProtein: 1g

Nutrition information is estimated based on the ingredients and cooking instructions as described in each recipe and is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Please note that nutrition details may vary based on methods of preparation, origin, and freshness of ingredients used and are just estimates. We encourage, especially if these numbers are important to you, to calculate these on your own for most accurate results.

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baking sheet with easter candy cookies