Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies

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Snowy, crinkled and impossibly soft, these Christmas gooey butter cookies taste like the buttery center of a coffee cake rolled into a festive little bite. A box of cake mix, a bit of cream cheese and softened butter make a rich, tender dough that bakes up pillowy, with a crackly powdered sugar shell and bright pops of red and green.

They need only one bowl and about 15 minutes of hands-on time, which makes them a lifesaver during the busiest baking weeks of the year. Expect them to vanish from the cookie tin first.

Why You’ll Love These Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies

• Four core ingredients: cake mix, cream cheese, butter and powdered sugar, plus an egg and vanilla for structure and flavor.
• Melt-in-your-mouth centers: cream cheese keeps them soft for days.
• Holiday-ready look: a white sugar crackle with red and green sprinkles or swirls.
• Beginner friendly: no measuring flour, no rolling pin and no cookie cutters.
• Cookie exchange star: they stack neatly, travel well and freeze beautifully.

Ingredients You’ll Need

For the Cookie Dough

• 1 box (about 15.25 oz) cake mix: yellow, butter or white. Yellow and butter flavors taste richest; white cake mix makes the red and green colors pop the most.
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened: full-fat block cream cheese gives the gooiest texture. Avoid whipped spreads, which make the dough too soft.
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened: it should hold a fingerprint without looking greasy. Salted butter works; the cookies will taste slightly saltier.
• 1 large egg, room temperature: with only 4 oz of cream cheese, the egg binds the dough so the cookies hold their shape.
• 1 tsp vanilla extract: rounds out the boxed-mix flavor. A drop of almond extract is a lovely holiday twist.

Let the cream cheese and butter sit out for about 45 minutes before you start. When both are equally soft, they blend into a perfectly smooth dough with no lumps.

For Decorating and Rolling

• 1/3 cup red and green sprinkles (optional): long jimmies hold their color best; round nonpareils can bleed.
• Red and green gel food coloring (optional): a few drops create marbled swirls like a candy cane.
• About 1 cup powdered sugar: for rolling, plus a little extra for dusting after baking.

How to Make Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies

The dough is soft and sticky by nature. A short chill makes it easy to scoop and gives you thick cookies with dramatic crackles.

Mix the Dough

1. Beat the butter and cream cheese in a large bowl for about 2 minutes, until smooth and fluffy.
2. Beat in the egg and vanilla until combined.
3. Add the cake mix and mix on low just until no dry streaks remain.
4. Fold in the sprinkles, if using.

Add Festive Swirls (Optional)

1. Scoop about a quarter of the dough into each of two small bowls.
2. Tint one red and one green with a drop or two of gel coloring.
3. Dot the colored dough over the plain dough and fold two or three times, just enough to marble without blending.

Chill, Roll and Bake

1. Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour, or until firm enough to scoop.
2. Heat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough, roll into balls and coat thickly in powdered sugar.
4. Place 2 inches apart and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are set but the centers still look soft and pale.
5. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then move to a rack. Dust with a little more powdered sugar once cool.

Cake mix contains raw flour, so resist the urge to nibble the dough. The FDA explains why raw flour should be baked before eating, which is one more reason to wait for the oven.

Expert Tips for the Best Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies

• Soften, do not melt: melted butter makes flat cookies; room temperature is key.
• Chill longer if needed: on warm days the dough may need 2 hours.
• Roll twice: roll each ball in powdered sugar, let it sit a minute, then roll again for a thicker white crackle.
• Underbake slightly: pulled early, they stay gooey; overbaked, they turn cakey.
• Use a cookie scoop: even sizes mean even baking.
• Bake one sheet at a time: the middle rack gives the most even results.

Gooey Butter Cookies vs Crinkle Cookies

Both cookies are rolled in powdered sugar and crack as they bake, so they look like close cousins. Classic crinkle cookies are usually made from scratch with flour, cocoa or citrus and have a fudgy or chewy bite.

Gooey butter cookies get their name from the famous gooey butter cake. The cake mix and cream cheese create a softer, richer, almost custardy center, closer to a tender cake than a chewy cookie. If you like a mix-based shortcut with a chocolate twist, our cookies made from brownie mix use the same easy idea.

The original gooey butter cake is a beloved St. Louis treat, created by accident when a baker reportedly mixed up the proportions of butter and sugar. Turning that rich, buttery flavor into a cookie became popular with home bakers because a box of cake mix makes it so simple.

Variations

• Peppermint: add 1/2 tsp peppermint extract and fold in crushed peppermint candies.
• Red velvet: use red velvet cake mix and roll in powdered sugar for a dramatic red and white cookie.
• Lemon snow: use lemon cake mix and add lemon zest.
• Eggnog spice: add 1/2 tsp nutmeg and a splash of rum extract.
• Chocolate: use chocolate cake mix and white sprinkles for a snowy contrast.
• Fall version: spice cake mix makes a cozy cookie that pairs well with soft pumpkin sugar cookies on an autumn tray.

What to Serve With Them

Set these cookies out with hot cocoa, eggnog, coffee or a cold glass of milk. They make a cheerful centerpiece on a holiday dessert board, and a few tucked into a cellophane bag with a ribbon make a sweet homemade gift for neighbors and teachers.

For a full Christmas cookie tray, add chewy old-fashioned fruitcake cookies, buttery pecan pie crescents and a batch of chocolate chip cheesecake cookies for a mix of flavors and textures.

Make Ahead and Freezing

Dough: refrigerate the covered dough for up to 3 days. You can also freeze scooped, uncoated dough balls for up to 3 months; thaw them in the fridge for an hour, roll in powdered sugar and bake.

Baked cookies: freeze cooled cookies in an airtight container with parchment between layers. Illinois Extension recommends keeping frozen baked goods at 0°F for the best quality. Thaw at room temperature and give them a fresh dusting of powdered sugar.

Storage and Reheating

Because of the cream cheese, store the cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or at cool room temperature for 1 to 2 days.

They are delicious cold, but for a just-baked feel, warm one in the microwave for about 8 seconds. Dust with extra powdered sugar if the coating has soaked in.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make Christmas gooey butter cookies without an egg?

Some versions skip it, but with just 4 oz of cream cheese the egg helps the cookies hold together. Without it, they spread more and may crumble.

Why did my cookies spread flat?

The butter was too soft or the dough was not chilled long enough. Chill until firm and bake on cool baking sheets.

Why does the powdered sugar disappear?

Warm cookies and humidity melt the sugar. Roll twice before baking and dust again after the cookies cool.

Which cake mix works best?

Yellow or butter cake mix gives the richest flavor. White cake mix keeps the cookies pale so the red and green colors stand out.

How many Christmas gooey butter cookies does one box make?

About 30 cookies using a rounded tablespoon of dough for each.

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