Need a Break This Baking Season? These Fancy Boxed Mixes Are Here To Help

If you’re the go-to dessert person—the one always tapped for cookie swaps, bake sales, or holiday party potlucks—December probably feels like one endless baking marathon. As the month winds down, so does your flour supply, your sugar stash, and your baking stamina. While homemade desserts are almost always worth the effort, sometimes you just need a break.

Enter these premium boxed mixes. These are not the boxed versions you bought at the supermarket as a kid (or, um, last week). They’re elevated, high-quality options that deliver big on both flavor and quality. Think: organic flours, artisanal chocolate, and unrefined sugars. Perfect for when you’re running low on time, ingredients, energy (or all three), these mixes make it easy to whip up something impressive without the stress. From elegant olive oil cakes to bakery-level cookies, here are the gourmet box mixes that’ll save the day—and your sanity.

1. Elia’s Olive Oil Cake Mix

Moist, flavorful, and incredibly chic, Elia’s olive oil cake mix is the shortcut to dessert that still tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen. It even comes with a little bottle of high-quality olive oil to give the dessert an elevated, slightly savory twist—perfect for dinner parties or a sophisticated movie night in.

2. Blackberry Farm Oatmeal Cookie Mix

This mix is ideal for anyone craving a nostalgic yet elevated treat. It’s a cozy blend of thick-cut oats, raisins, and cinnamon spices. If you’re craving even more from Blackberry Farms, they also have a campfire cookie mix packed with butterscotch and pecans.

3. Sweet Laurel Baking Mixes

Sweet Laurel’s baking mixes are a game-changer for anyone looking to create delicious desserts that just so happen to be gluten-free. You can’t go wrong with their chocolate cake or scone mixes.

4. The Caker

The Caker is your go-to for mixes that look (and taste) like they came from an artisan bakery. Whether it’s a banana cinnamon cake or a velvety chocolate number, these mixes will have your guests asking for the recipe.

5. By Clio Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Known for their gorgeous cakes, NYC bakery By Clio also creates next-level cookie dough. Rich, buttery, and loaded with dark chocolate, this dough gets an unexpected kick from tandoori and masala. Even better, they go straight from the fridge to the oven—perfect for popping in before company arrives.

6. Jacques Torres Cookie Mix

Known for his legendary chocolate chip cookies Jacques Torres delivers bakery-level results in this mix. It’s rich, indulgent, and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, especially among chocolate fans. Plus, if you can’t make it to one of his New York City locations, you can bring it right to your kitchen.

7. Gelée Boxed Jelly

With vibrant flavors like Guava Nectar and Pina Coco, Gelée gives the Jell-O you grew up with a fresh, modern twist—all in sleek, stylish molds. It’s easy to make and perfect for a fun, low-effort snack. Or serve it in coupes as a simple post-dinner treat or palate cleanser.

8. Farmsteady Pain Au Chocolat Making Kit

If making your own pastry sounds daunting, Farmsteady’s kit gives you everything you need to make bakery-style pain au chocolat right at home—think foolproof dough, rich chocolate, and all the tools for a perfect bake. The result? Flaky, buttery perfection that’ll have you feeling like maybe you could open a tiny bakery in your neighborhood after all.

9. Erin McKenna’s Bakery

For anyone with dietary restrictions (or anyone who just loves a great treat), Erin McKenna’s Baking Mixes are gluten-free, vegan, and absolutely delicious. While her New York City bakery is no longer, you can still enjoy her mixes for cupcakes, cookies, and brownies, all packed with the same amazing flavor.