Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies Recipe
Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies are soft, rich, and buttery cookies filled with festive holiday sprinkles. They are made with cream cheese and yellow cake mix, creating a tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture perfect for holiday celebrations.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 27 minutes
- Yield: About 24 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 8 ounces brick-style, full-fat cream cheese (softened, Philadelphia recommended)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 (15.25 ounce) box yellow cake mix (Duncan Hines preferred)
- 1/2 cup holiday sprinkles
Coating
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ease cleanup.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the softened cream cheese, unsalted butter, egg, and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Add Cake Mix: Stir in the yellow cake mix gradually until a thick, cohesive dough forms. The dough should be firm enough to hold shape but soft.
- Fold in Sprinkles: Gently fold in the holiday sprinkles to distribute them evenly without overmixing, as this can cause the sprinkles’ colors to bleed into the dough.
- Form Cookie Balls and Coat: Scoop dough into 1 1/2-inch balls using a spoon or cookie scoop. Roll each ball in powdered sugar until it is completely coated for a sweet outer layer.
- Arrange and Bake: Place the coated dough balls on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart to allow space for spreading. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. The cookies should have set edges but slightly soft centers.
- Cool the Cookies: Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes to firm up before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This helps retain their gooey texture.
Notes
- Use full-fat cream cheese for the best texture and flavor.
- Do not overmix when adding sprinkles to keep colors vibrant.
- Rolling the dough balls in powdered sugar creates a nice sweet crust.
- Cookies will appear slightly soft in the center when done but will firm up as they cool.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- For extra holiday flair, try using red and green sprinkles.
Keywords: Christmas cookies, Gooey Butter Cookies, Holiday cookies, Cream cheese cookies, Festive sprinkles, Easy holiday dessert
