Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies
These Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies are soft, chewy, sparkly little clouds of holiday joy! Made with yellow cake mix, cream cheese, and festive sprinkles, they’re easy to make and even easier to eat. Perfect for cookie exchanges, parties, or sneaking one fresh off the rack.
Equipment
- Mixing bowl For mixing dough
- Hand or stand mixer To cream butter and cream cheese
- baking sheet For baking cookies
- Parchment paper Prevents sticking
- Cookie scoop Helps portion the dough evenly
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 box (15.25 oz) yellow cake mix
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar, for rolling
- Christmas-colored sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix the dough: In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla, and mix until fully combined. Gradually add the cake mix and stir until a soft dough forms.
- Chill: Cover and chill the dough for about 30 minutes to make it easier to roll.
- Roll the cookies: Scoop the dough into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in powdered sugar, then in Christmas sprinkles.
- Bake: Place dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, leaving space between them. Bake for 10–12 minutes, until just set and slightly underbaked in the center.
- Cool and enjoy: Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack. Enjoy warm or once fully cooled.
Notes
Don’t overbake — these cookies should stay gooey in the center. Chill the dough for just 30 minutes before rolling to make handling easier. You can swap in red velvet or chocolate cake mix for fun variations, and freeze the dough or baked cookies for later.