Easy Strawberry Pecan Cookies
Ingredients
36
servings
- 1 box Duncan Hines Strawberry Supreme Cake Mix
- 2 tbsp water
- Red food coloring for desired coloring
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- chopped or quartered pecans or cherries for topping
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a large glass bowl, mix the cake mix, water, oil, eggs, red coloring, and the 1 cup chopped pecans until well combined.
- Drop by teaspoon onto an ungreased cookie sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart. Top each cookie with 1 piece of cherry or pecan half.
- Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes. The cookies will look slightly underdone in the center. Cool for 1 minute on the cookie sheet, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Note: When baking longer, cookies will cool and become crunchy and hard. Personally, I bake the cookies 11 minutes and no longer for a softer, chewier texture.
Common Problems and Solutions
Q: Why are my cookies spreading too much?
A: Make sure your oven is fully preheated to 350°F before baking. If they still spread excessively, try chilling the dough for 15-20 minutes before baking.
Q: Can I make these without food coloring?
A: Absolutely! The strawberry cake mix already gives them a light pink color. The food coloring just makes them more vibrant, but it's completely optional.
Tips and Techniques
For the softest, chewiest cookies, pull them from the oven at exactly 11 minutes—they’ll look slightly underdone but will firm up as they cool. Overbaking makes them crunchy and hard.
Ingredient Substitutions
- strawberry cake mix: white or vanilla cake mix plus 3 oz strawberry gelatin powder
- pecans: walnuts or chopped almonds
- vegetable oil: melted butter or melted coconut oil
Equipment Needed
- Cookie sheets
- Wire cooling rack
- Large mixing bowl
- Teaspoon or small cookie scoop
