Dessert Ideas With Simple Prep
Some people might overlook boxed cake mix for being boring and tasting predictable, but all you need is a creative mind to transform these inexpensive grocery store items into something magical. Really, boxed cake mixes can simply serve as a starting point for many fancier treats! Because with a few extra ingredients, you can come up with ideas like cookies, bars, cobblers, and other desserts that you'll be shocked all started with a box. Here are 20 dessert ideas to prove to you how versatile these cake mixes can truly be.
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1. Cake Mix Cookies
To transform boxed cake mix into something more portable and easy to hold, cake mix cookies are a fun way to reinvent the dessert. You can customize them however you like with chocolate chips, sprinkles, nuts, or candy pieces, and you can relax knowing they'll easily turn out soft in the center if you just follow the instructions.
2. Peach Dump Cake
Summer screams for peaches and sweet treats, which is why creating a peach dump cake out of boxed cake mix is a fun and inventive way to change things up. A yellow cake mix pairs super well with canned peaches, and with just a few simple ingredients, you can create this elevated dessert. Finish with some vanilla ice cream if you have some!
3. Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Chocolate cake mix makes preparing crinkle cookies much easier than starting the dough from scratch. You just need to follow the instructions and roll the mix into a ball before covering it in powdered sugar to create the familiar cracked appearance. Their soft texture and deep chocolate flavor make them great for any occasion.
4. Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
Another great way to use boxed yellow cake mix is to create a simplified version of this classic dessert. Once you arrange pineapple rings and maraschino cherries over a brown sugar and butter layer, no one will ever guess you started with a boxed cake mix once it's baked and flipped for serving.
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5. Lemon Cake Mix Bars
For something a bit more bright and lively, lemon cake mix can turn into delicious dessert bars with very little prep. Depending on what you want, you can add cream cheese, white chocolate chips, or a simple powdered sugar glaze. They're a great option for potlucks because they're much easier to slice and transport!
6. Cherry Dump Cake
Not a fan of peaches? Consider taking the same dump cake idea and simply using cherry pie filling instead to turn any boxed cake mix into a fancier dessert. This fruit still has a sweet flavor, but it's also a bit tangier and deeper compared to peaches.
7. Cake Mix Cinnamon Rolls
Adding boxed white or yellow cake mix to homemade cinnamon roll dough elevates the treat by giving it extra sweetness and softness. The mix provides much of the flavor and several dry ingredients in one step too! Top it off with your classic cream cheese glaze and it'll become your new favorite dessert.
8. Red Velvet Cake Balls
Cake balls are one of the easiest treats to make out of boxed cake mix, but using red velvet varieties are like a cheat code to making it taste fancier than what it is. When you crumble the baked cake with frosting and shape the mixture into balls before coating it in chocolate, you're left with a very affordable yet very tasty treat perfect for special occasions.
9. Strawberry Cake Mix Brownies
For a more unique combination, strawberry cake mix can be transformed into dense bars that resemble brownies. Eggs and oil help create a chewy base, while topping it with a vanilla glaze adds a layer of sweetness that make it hard to stop at just one.
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10. Pumpkin Spice Cake
When autumn rolls around the corner, you'll definitely want this cake mix idea in your back pocket! Spice cake mix and canned pumpkin come together deliciously to create an easy, festive dessert. Many versions need only those two main ingredients, though cinnamon, nuts, or chocolate chips can provide additional flavor that feel more seasonal.
11. Cake Mix Peach Cobbler
Another delicious summer treat perfect for backyard barbecues and potlucks, using boxed cake mix for peach cobbler eliminates the need to prepare a separate pastry topping. Combining the mix with butter as it bakes will help create crisp areas that come out delicious and sweet.
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12. Funfetti Cake Mix Blondies
Perfect for creating a fun and colorful sweet treat, funfetti cake mix always delivers. Using it to create blondies that don't just taste good, but look aesthetically pleasing too, works especially well for parties. The bars can come together with a few additional wet ingredients, and taste even better when you add white chocolate chips or sprinkles.
13. Chocolate Cherry Cake
Sometimes, it's good to keep things nice and simple! A straightforward boxed chocolate cake mix can feel surprisingly elevated when you incorporate cherry pie filling. The result is a rich cake where the cherries add moisture throughout the batter, helping it taste less like, well, a dessert that came from a box!
14. Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake
Lemon and blueberries go together as well as any delicious pairing, which is why you should use that to your advantage to combine lemon cake mix with blueberries to create a bundt cake. Folding in fresh or frozen berries to the batter gives every bite that burst of fruity flavor, with a lemon glaze drizzle over top bringing it all together.
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15. Cake Mix Whoopie Pies
Whoopie pies become much easier to prepare when boxed cake mix helps replace that long list of required dry ingredients. Just prepare the mix as you normally would, then spoon or pipe small rounds of batter onto a baking sheet. Once baked and cooled, you can sandwich them with your filling of choice for these delicious handheld sweet treats!
16. Apple Spice Dump Cake
Another great fall dessert to keep in mind as the season draws nearer, using apple pie filling works well naturally with a spiced cake mix. The result is this comforting baked dessert that can be elevated further using chopped pecans or walnuts that make it feel especially hearty for the season.
17. Cake Mix Donuts
For a lighter alternative to deep-fried donuts, boxed mixes can work great when baked in a donut pan. Whether you want chocolate, vanilla, lemon, or you name it, it's an easy way to get several flavor options without increasing the difficulty of preparation. Finish off the cake donuts with a glaze, cinnamon sugar, or melted chocolate, and you won't be disappointed.
18. Gooey Butter Cake
Yellow cake mix works well as the bottom layer of a gooey butter cake, while cream cheese, powdered sugar, and eggs create the soft topping. The contrast between the firm base and creamy center gives each slice a satisfying texture and taste, despite the ease of preparation you get from using a boxed mix.
19. Banana Cake Mix Bread
Banana cake is already simple to make, but why not make it even easier by combining overripe bananas with yellow cake mix that has everything ready for you? It creates an easy loaf with the familiar flavors you love, and adding nuts, cinnamon, or chocolate chips give it even more personality.
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20. S’mores Cake Mix Bars
Chocolate cake mix creates a sturdy base for bars filled with marshmallows, chocolate pieces, and crushed graham crackers. This simple-to-make treat gives you the recognizable flavors of a s’more, but in a format that’s easier to serve indoors.
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