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Gooey Butter Cake Cookies

Looking for a delicious and easy holiday treat to make this Christmas? Look no further than Gooey Butter Cake Cookies made with cake mix! These cookies are a delightful mix of gooey, buttery, and sweet flavors and decorated with Christmas sprinkles. 

These buttery cookies are sure to be a hit at any holiday gathering or cookie exchange! These Christmas Ooey Gooey Butter Cookies made with cake mix are delicious and incredibly easy to make. Consider adding them to your Christmas baking list this year. Your friends and family will love them. 

Gooey Butter Cake Cookies with Christmas sprinkles on black cooling rack.

Why You'll Love These Gooey Butter Cookies

  • Soft and Chewy Texture – These cookies melt in your mouth, making them perfect for holiday treats.
  • Buttery Flavor – They taste like gooey butter cake, cookie-style, so you will want to keep eating them. Make sure to use real butter for the best flavor!
  • Great for Holiday Parties – Turn this easy cookie recipe into holiday cookies by decorating them with Christmas sprinkles and adding them to a Christmas cookie tray!
A bite taken out of ooey gooey butter cookie with Christmas sprinkles.

Ingredients in Gooey Butter Cake Cookies

You only need simple ingredients to make these simple cookies:

  • yellow boxed cake mix
  • unsalted butter, softened
  • softened cream cheese
  • large egg
  • vanilla extract
  • confectioners' sugar (for coating)
  • Christmas Sprinkles (for decoration)
Gooey Butter Cake Cookie ingredients on marble background.

How to Make Gooey Butter Cake Cookies

  1.  Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and cream cheese together on medium speed until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Add the egg and vanilla extract, mixing until fully incorporated. Gradually stir in the yellow cake mix until everything is well combined.
  3. Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to firm and prevent spreading.
  4. Scoop out the chilled dough into tablespoon-sized portions and roll each into a ball. Generously coat each dough ball in powdered sugar (and sprinkles if desired) until fully covered.
  5. Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches of space between each. 
  6. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the cookies have a slightly cracked surface while remaining soft in the center.
  7. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely. 
  8. Decorate cooled and baked cookies.
  9. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. 
Gooey butter cookies in a shape of balls with sprinkles.

Quick Tips

Decoration Ideas

  • Place powdered sugar in a separate bowl. Gently flatten the top of each cookie ball with the palm of your hand, then top it with Christmas sprinkles.  
  • Roll the cookie dough balls in red, white, and green sprinkles after shaping each cookie.  
  • For a fun combination, roll the dough in colorful sprinkles and then in powdered sugar.

Flavor Ideas

  • Substitute a lemon cake mix for the yellow cake mix for a subtle lemon flavor. Or add a teaspoon of lemon juice to the cookie dough for a more lemony flavor. 
  • For a nutty flavor in this gooey butter cookie recipe, swap out the vanilla extract for almond extract. 
Close up of a gooey butter cookie with red white and green sprinkles.

How to Store Gooey Butter Cake Cookies

For short-term storage, allow cookies to cool completely, then place them in an airtight container with parchment paper between layers if needed. Store in a cool, dry place.

For long-term storage, freeze cookies by arranging them in a single layer on a baking sheet for 1-2 hours. Once firm, transfer them to a resealable freezer bag and place the bag in a freezer-safe, airtight container for extra protection.

A bite taken out of a gooey butter cookie with red white and green sprinkles on a wire rack.

More Christmas Cookies

These cookie recipes make a great addition to any cookie tray during the holiday season.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are fudgy soft cookies that are coated in confectioner's sugar before baking to produce that beautiful cracked look. 

Red Velvet Crinkles are festive cookies that are fudgy, soft, and chewy.

📖 Recipe

Yield: 26 cookies

Gooey Butter Cake Cookies

Gooey Butter Cookies featured image.

Looking for a delicious and easy holiday treat to make this Christmas? Look no further than Gooey Butter Cake Cookies made with cake mix! These cookies are a delightful mix of gooey, buttery, and sweet flavors and decorated with Christmas sprinkles. 

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 11 minutes
Chill Time 30 minutes
Total Time 51 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 15.25 ounce box yellow cake mix
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup powdered sugar (for coating)
  • Christmas Sprinkles (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and cream cheese together on medium speed until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
  3. Add the egg and vanilla extract, mixing until fully incorporated.
  4. Gradually stir in the yellow cake mix until everything is well combined.
  5. Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to firm and prevent spreading.
  6. Scoop out the chilled dough into tablespoon-sized portions and roll each into a ball.
  7. Generously coat each dough ball in powdered sugar (and sprinkles if desired) until fully covered.
  8. Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches of space between each. 
  9. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the cookies have a slightly cracked surface while remaining soft in the center.
  10. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely. 
  11. Decorate cooled and baked cookies.
  12. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. 

Notes

Decoration Ideas:

  • Place powdered sugar in a separate bowl. Gently flatten the top of each cookie ball with the palm of your hand, then top it with Christmas sprinkles.  
  • Roll the cookie dough balls in red, white, and green sprinkles after shaping each cookie.  
  • For a fun combination, roll the dough in colorful sprinkles and then in powdered sugar.

Flavor Ideas:

  • Substitute a lemon cake mix for the yellow cake mix for a subtle lemon flavor. Or add a teaspoon of lemon juice to the cookie dough for a more lemony flavor. 
  • For a nutty flavor in this gooey butter cookie recipe, swap out the vanilla extract for almond extract. 
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    Nutrition Information:

    Yield:

    26

    Serving Size:

    1 cookie

    Amount Per Serving: Calories: 148Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 160mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 0gSugar: 12gProtein: 1g

    Nutrition calculation is a rough estimate and can vary depending on the cooking technique and the exact ingredients used. For informational purposes only.

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