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These fun Beach Cookies are a kid-favorite and start with an easy cake mix! Topped with blue frosting for the ocean water, and then decorated with edible beach items like goldfish crackers, gummy rings for pool floaties, teddy grahams, and rainbow belt gummies for beach towels.
Beach Cookies Recipe
If you’re looking for a fun way to keep the kids entertained during the summer, then these beach cookies are just the thing! Kids of all ages love making these easy cake mix cookies, decorated with blue ocean water frosting, and then fun decorations for a beach themed scene on top.
Three ingredients cake mix cookies are topped with vibrant blue cream cheese frosting, and then decorated with snacks and candies to create a beach theme. Teddy grahams lay on top of rainbow sour belts to create a beach towel, and then stick them inside peach rings for a pool float.
Why We Love Making These Beach-Themed Cake Mix Cookies
- Fun For The Kids! – These beach cookies are always a hit with kids. I love making these cookies for an ocean-themed party or summer pool party, or even at a large family gathering (like a reunion) as a fun activity for the kids to work on together.
- Easy To Make Cake Mix Cookies – The base of the cookies is a simple cake mix recipe with only 3 easy ingredients.
- Ocean Beach Decorations! – There are so many ways to decorate these beach themed cookies. From all the different candies, fish shaped candy, sprinkles, etc everyone can find a fun way to decorate their ocean beach cookie. I love the teddy grahams place onto the rainbow sour belts to resemble a beach towel, and the teddy grahams inside the peach ring to resemble a pool floaty. So festive and cute for summertime!
Ingredients Needed
- Cookies – The recipe starts with an easy cake mix cookie that only needs 3 ingredients!
- Vanilla or Yellow Cake Mix
- Vegetable or Canola Oil
- Large Eggs
- Blue Ocean Frosting – A basic cream cheese frosting tinted blue for the blue ocean water.
- Softened Butter
- Cream Cheese
- Powdered Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- Blue Gel Food Coloring
- Beach Decorations
- Honey Teddy Grahams – These are the ‘people’ sunbathing on the beach.
- Goldfish Crackers – Fish for the ocean.
- Gummy Rings – These are the ‘pool floaties’ for the ocean.
- Rainbow Belts – Acts as the beach towel for the sunbathers.
- Crushed Graham Crackers – For the sand at the beach.
- White Pearl Sprinkles
- Umbrella or Palm Tree Cocktail Picks – These are totally optional. It just adds to the beach theme.
How to Make Beach Cookies With a Cake Mix (Step-by-Step Directions)
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Make The Cookies : Add the dry cake mix, oil, and eggs into a large mixing bowl. With an electric hand mixer, or a wooden mixing spoon, beat until it’s well combined. About 1-2 minutes. The batter will be thick.
- Scoop the dough, using a medium cookie scoop, onto the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 9-12 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are set and lightly golden brown.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the warm cookie sheet for about 30 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Make The Frosting : Beat the butter and cream cheese with an electric hand mixer until smooth and well combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and blue food coloring. Beat until smooth and it’s a creamy mixture.
- Decorate The Cookies : Frost the cooled cookies with the blue frosting. Place a teddy graham into a peach ring to create a pool floaty. Lay a teddy graham on a rainbow sour belt to create a beach towel. Use a dab of frosting to stick the teddy graham to the rainbow towel if needed. Use graham cracker crumbs to create sand, white sprinkle pearls to create bubbles, and then goldfish to create the fish.
Can I Make These Cookies Ahead of Time?
You can make each separate component of the beach cookies ahead of time, and store them separately. I do not recommend decorating the cookies ahead of time before serving. Once they’re decorated, it’s best to serve them the same day.
The frosting can be made 3 days ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. You can also make the cookie ahead of time and store them at room temperate, in an airtight container, for up to 3-4 days.
You can even get a head start on the cute decorations. Prepare the teddy grahams inside the peach rings and the teddy grahams on top of the rainbow sour belt. Store them in a single layer, in an airtight covered container, at room temperature until ready to use.
How To Store Leftover Cake Mix Beach Themed Cookies
These cookies are best enjoyed the same day they are decorated. Became of the cream cheese in the frosting, any leftovers need to be stored in the fridge. The decorations on the cookie will become stale and firmer/colder in texture when stored in the fridge. Which is why it’s best to store the cookies undecorated or eat and serve them the same day they’re made.
Recipe Tips
- Cream Cheese : To ensure that the frosting does not have lumps in it, make sure the cream cheese is softened to room temperature before using. Use the brick-style cream cheese and not the whipped cream cheese in a tub – it has a higher water content which will make the texture and thickness of the frosting a bit off.
- Decor Tip : Dab a bit of frosting onto the back of the teddy graham before placing it on the rainbow sour belt. This helps it adhere and stick to the candy belt.
- Food Coloring : It’s best to use gel food coloring for the most vibrant blue color. Use as much of the food dye as wanted (for a brighter, darker, vibrant blue) or use less for a muted and softer blue color for the ocean water.
More Summertime/Ocean Themed Recipes
- Ocean Blue Popsicles
- Ocean Floats
- 30+ Beach Themed Recipes
- Ocean Graham Cracker Snacks
- Beach Poke Cake
More Fun Recipes For Kids
Beach Cookies
Ingredients
Cake Mix Cookies
- 1 box (15.25 oz) yellow cake mix or vanilla cake mix
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
Ocean Blue Frosting
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter softened
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- blue gel food coloring
Decorations
- honey teddy grahams
- vanilla cupcake goldfish crackers
- peach gummy rings
- rainbow sour belts
- white pearl/round sprinkles
- crushed graham crackers
- umbrella or palm tree cocktail picks (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line a cookie sheet(s) with parchment paper and set aside.
Cake Mix Cookies
- In a large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat the cake mix (dry), oil, and eggs until combined well. About 1-2 minutes. The batter will be thick.1 box (15.25 oz) yellow cake mix or vanilla cake mix, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 2 large eggs
- Scoop the cookie dough, using a medium cookie scoop (or 1.5 tablespoons), and place 12 per cookie sheet.
- Bake for 9-12 minutes or until the edges are set and the cookies look done (no wet batter on top).
- Allow the cookies to cool on the warm baking tray for 20 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting & decorating.
Frosting
- In a mixing bowl, with an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese until it's smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, 4 ounces cream cheese
- Beat in the powdered sugar, vanilla, and food coloring until it's smooth and well combined.2½ cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, blue gel food coloring
- Frost the cooled cookies with the blue frosting.
Ocean & Beach Decorations
- – Place a teddy graham into a peach ring. – Place a teddy graham onto a piece of the rainbow belt candy. If needed, dab some frosting underneath teddy graham to help it stick to the candy belt. – Place the white pearl sprinkles above the goldfish to create the bubbles. – Use crushed graham crackers to create the beach sand. – Decorate with umbrella toothpicks if wanted for a fun touch. – For serving, try adding crushed graham crackers onto a tray and serving the beach cookies on the sand.honey teddy grahams, vanilla cupcake goldfish crackers, peach gummy rings, rainbow sour belts, white pearl/round sprinkles, crushed graham crackers, umbrella or palm tree cocktail picks
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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