These Christmas gooey butter cookies are soft, chewy, and made with just a few simple ingredients. They’re a festive treat perfect for holiday cookie swaps or cozy gatherings.
Easy Gooey Butter Cookie Recipe
These delicious cookies are a fun twist on the classic gooey butter cake but in cookie form! The cream cheese makes them super soft, and they’re one of my favorite cake mix cookie bases; in fact, my strawberry kiss cookies also have the same base.
I like throwing in some colorful sprinkles for the holidays to make them extra festive. They’re ridiculously easy to make, which is why I always turn to them for holiday cookie exchanges or whenever I need a quick treat.
Ingredients
- Cream cheese – Makes the cookies soft and adds a gooey texture.
- Unsalted butter – Adds richness and a melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Egg – Binds the ingredients and adds structure.
- Vanilla extract – Enhances the cookie’s flavor.
- Yellow cake mix – The quick and easy base of the cookies.
- Powdered sugar – Creates a sweet, crackly coating.
- Christmas sprinkles – Add a festive holiday touch.
Making the Cookies
- Prep – Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Mix the wet ingredients – In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, butter, egg, and vanilla extract with an electric mixer until smooth.
- Add the cake mix – Stir in the cake mix until a thick, sticky dough dough forms.
- Fold in the sprinkles – Gently fold in holiday sprinkles. Be careful not to overmix so the color of the sprinkles doesn’t bleed into the dough.
- Chill – Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes to make it easier to handle.
- Roll the dough – Scoop the dough into 1 1/2-inch balls and roll them in powdered sugar until fully coated.
- Bake – Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart, and bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are set but the centers still look slightly soft.
- Cool – Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Variations and substitutions
Different cake mixes – Swap the yellow cake mix for vanilla or white cake mix.
Add extracts – Try almond or peppermint extract instead of vanilla for a holiday twist.
Mix-ins – Fold in mini chocolate chips or crushed candy canes along with the sprinkles for extra flavor.
Color the dough – Add a few drops of red or green gel food coloring to the dough for a festive look, or split the dough in half and color each portion to make both colors.
Skip the sprinkles – If you’re not a fan of sprinkles, you can leave them out. Of course, if you do this, the cookies will be just Gooey Butter Cookies, not Christmas ones.
Sanding sugar – Roll the cookie dough in colored sanding sugar instead of powdered sugar for a fun, festive appearance.
Tips for Success
- Use full-fat brick cream cheese – For the best results, use full-fat brick-style cream cheese. Avoid the spreadable kind, as it can make the dough too soft.
- Room temperature ingredients – Make sure the butter and cream cheese are softened to room temperature before mixing to ensure a smooth dough.
- Don’t overbake – The cookies should still look slightly soft in the center when you take them out of the oven. They’ll firm up as they cool.
- Evenly space the dough balls – Place the dough balls at least 2 inches apart on the baking sheet to allow for spreading.
- Roll thoroughly in powdered sugar – Make sure the dough balls are well-coated in powdered sugar for the best crackled look after baking.
How to store the cookies
Store the cookies in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
The cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container or freezer bag. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
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Looking for more Christmas cookies?
These are some of my favorite recipes.
Did you love these Christmas ooey gooey butter cookies? Let me know what you think in the comments below.
Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 8 ounces full-fat cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 (15.25 ounce) box of yellow cake mix
- 1/2 cup holiday sprinkles
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese, butter, egg, and vanilla extract with an electric mixer until smooth.
- Stir in the cake mix until a thick dough forms.
- Gently fold in holiday sprinkles, being careful not to overmix so the color of the sprinkles doesn’t bleed into the dough.
- Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes to make it easier to handle.
- Scoop out the dough into 1 1/2-inch balls and roll them in powdered sugar until fully coated.
- Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart, and bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are set but the centers still look slightly soft.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
- Store the cookies in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- The cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container or freezer bag. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutrition information is estimated based on automated calculations and should be considered as an approximation. These estimates are provided as a courtesy. Please use your own brand’s nutritional values to verify accuracy.
MN
Saturday 21st of December 2024
Hey! These cookies sound delicious and I can’t wait to make them on Christmas. When you say softened cream cheese, would you recommend block or tub? And which brand would you recommend
Mandy
Saturday 21st of December 2024
Definitely block cream cheese. I use Philadelphia brand when I bake.
Julie
Thursday 19th of December 2024
Can a gluten free cake mix be used? Will any of the other ingredients need to be changed?
Mandy
Thursday 19th of December 2024
I've not made these with a gluten-free mix before, but I imagine it should work fine if the mix is a 15.25 ounce box.
Heather
Thursday 19th of December 2024
SUPERRRR easy to make and delicious ❤️
Breanna
Thursday 19th of December 2024
So soft, easy to make and delicious!!
Lindsey
Thursday 19th of December 2024
Mine didn't flatten out..what did I do wrong? They were delicious but not as pretty as the picture! Lol
Mandy
Friday 20th of December 2024
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! I’ve never had them not spread before, so I’m wondering if it might have been the cream cheese. Did you use block-style cream cheese rather than the spreadable kind in a tub? That can make a difference! Also, cake mix sizes are all over the place these days. I almost exclusively use Duncan Hines, which is 15.25 ounces, so if the mix you used was a different size, that could be a factor too.