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Fun, bright and festive cake mix cookies are all dressed up to look like monsters. Gooey monster cookies are great all year long!!
If you need more monsters try Monster Suckers, Monster Rice Krispies Treats, and Apple Monster Teeth.
Kid Favorite!
We love cake mix cookies, and when my son was having a Monster themed birthday party, we decided to change up our classic cookie and make them match the party!
I couldn’t help but think of the Gooey Monster Eye Cookies I made a month or so ago but decided to add some more colors and just a few more eye balls.
The result? Gooey Monster Cookies that are now a new favorite and are requested all year long, especially around Halloween!
How to Make
BATTER. Beat butter, vanilla, egg and cream cheese until fluffy. Mix in cake mix.
COLOR. Divide batter into bowls for the amount of colors you want. Add food coloring to each individual bowl and mix until all combined. Chill for 30 minutes.
BAKE. Roll into balls and dip in a bowl of powdered sugar. Place on greased cookie sheet and pat down a bit. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.
Note: Do not bake the eyes. They will turn to goo and/or burn in the oven.
DECORATE & ENJOY! Add candy eyeballs while cookies are still warm. ENJOY!
Tip: When a batch of cookies are baking put the dough back in the fridge to chill. Bake the cookies in small batches as you need to add the eyes after you pull the cookies out of the oven. Unless you have helpers it can be tricky to get all the eyes on each cookie before they cool off.
Tips + Variations
Although these cookies are supposed to be “Gooey Monster Cookies” you don’t want them so gooey that they are raw. Here are a few tips to help you troubleshoot cookies that are too gooey:
- Did you use the correct size cake mix.
- Do not mix up the cake mix according to the directions on the box. For these cookies you only need the cake mix powder and then you mix it with the ingredients listed in our recipe.
- Not chilling the dough long enough. You can even put it in the freezer for a bit.
- Different ovens may require a different bake time. Add a few extra minutes if necessary.
- If the dough still feels too sticky for your liking add a tablespoon of two of flour to firm it up.
Storing Tips
MAKE AHEAD OF TIME. You can make the dough ahead of time and store it in the fridge or freezer until you are ready to bake them. Do not add the powdered sugar until right before baking.
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Form the dough into balls and put them on a baking sheet. FREEZE them until solid then transfer them to a freezer safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw before baking.
STORE baked cookies in the fridge for 3-5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
For a few more FUN HALLOWEEN RECIPES:
- Graveyard Dirt Cake
- Gummy Worm Jello Cups
- Boo-Nilla Ghost Milkshakes
- Candy Bar Trifle
- Witches Brew
- Pumpkin Guacamole
Gooey Monster Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 box white cake mix
- 1/2 c butter softened
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 egg
- powdered sugar
- food coloring I used NEON food coloring to make them more vibrant
- candy eyeballs
Instructions
- Beat butter, vanilla, egg and cream cheese until fluffy.
- Mix in cake mix. Divide batter into bowls for the amount of colors you want.
- Add food coloring to each individual bowl and mix until all combined.
- Chill for 30 minutes.
- Roll into balls and dip in a bowl of powdered sugar.
- Place on greased cookie sheet and pat down a bit.
- Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.
- Add candy eyeballs while cookies are still warm. ENJOY!
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
these look adorable! my 4 year-old is begging to make them. I have all the ingredients, except for the cream cheese. do you know if omitting that will ruin the recipe, or could I try it without it?!
thanks,
amber
I followed the recipe exactly but my cookies came out still so gooey that it was like eating raw dough. I put them in for another 10 min. Still gooey. My 2 yr old wouldn’t eat it.
I’m in Florida. Is this recipe made in an elevation?
Help!
Hi Aimee. These were not made in an elevation (I’m in Houston). Did you refrigerate them for at least half hour? They are still gooey after you take them out of the fridge but then I roll them into balls and place them in the powdered sugar. My oven is a little hot and usually only need to cook for 8-10 minutes and they are a little soft and gooey but not dough-y when we make them. Not sure what happened, but I would make sure they are refrigerated for at least half hour and then cooked for at least 10 minutes. Hope that helps. 🙂
Question- when I mix the “cake mix” is the cake mix just the powder or the cake mix, mixed with what is in box?
It’s just the powder into the mixture in step one 🙂 Hope that helps & hope you like these cookies! They are our fav!
Those lollipop molds are THE best! Totally my favorite. Love they eyeballs too.
Oh, I LOVE The molds too!! Need to buy some more asap. The kids LOVE them! Thanks for stopping by, Bettijo! XO
Where did you get the lollipop molds? I love them
oops now I see the link lol
Made these last weekend to send to my USAFA cadet in a care package. I’m not sold on the taste but they are so totally cute! My (at home guinea pig) DS thought they were tasty. We’ll see how well they travel…
So glad you made them! We think they are so fun and cute, but SO yummy too!! Hopefully, they travel well. 🙂
The cookies made it from CA to CO just fine and my daughter loved them. Looks and taste. So that would be a
YAY! So glad they got there okay. 🙂
And most importantly a HUGE hit! Not only visually, but taste-wise as well. Thanks for a great website!
You are so very welcome, Jo!! Hope you can come back for more inspiration. 😀
Hi! I LOVE the way these cookies look! They are super cute! I do have one question though. Where did you buy the eyes? They look like sugar eyes, but I haven’t had any luck locating them.
Thanks!
SO glad you like the cookies, Jessica. I’ve seen the eyeballs at Kroger/Fry’s. They are also at Target in the Halloween section right now and usually in their baking section year round. They are also at Walmart in the Wilton section as well as at Michael’s and Joann’s in the baking section all year long. Hope that helps! 😀
Yeah! I need to find these eyeballs. My DD has informed me she warnts a Mike “owski” birthday.
They would be perfect for a Monsters Party!! Look at Walmart in the Wilton section or they are at Michael’s and Joann’s in the baking section as well all year-long. 🙂
These are my favorite cookies ever, I think. SO cute. We were at Disneyland the week the movie opened in theaters and it was all monsters, everywhere. Jordan was so excited for that movie by the time we saw it!
You are way too sweet, Dorothy!! SO glad you like them. It was probably so fun to be at Disneyland when the movie was released… I know how Disney goes all out for those kinds of things. You will definitely have to get Jordan the movie and make the cookies while you watch it!! XO
I love these cookies and suckers!!! They are so adorable!!! How fun to make as a treat while watching Monsters Inc. Pinning!!!
Definitely, Crystal! We’ve been ALL about Monsters this week! 😀
I made the Green version after reading your post last time. I never thought about changing the colors….these are so cute! Everyone loved the Green eyed monster cookies…very tasty! Thanks for sharing the recipe 🙂
I am definitely the biggest Disney fan in our house too. I totally get crying at the end of a Disney movie. (And multiple times every Disneyland trip.) I just picked up some of the eyeballs, so I’m going to have to make the cookies with my kiddos. Thanks so much! Love your site!
Can I make these the day before Halloween
Yes 🙂 They stay soft for a while! ENJOY!