Delightful Christmas Gooey Butter Cookie Recipe These delicious cookies put a fun spin on the classic gooey butter cake, turning it into a lovely cookie! The cream cheese adds an incredibly soft texture, making this one of my favorite recipes for cake mix cookies; my strawberry kiss cookies also use this fantastic base.
To make them more festive, I enjoy adding some colorful sprinkles during the holidays. They’re super easy to make, so I often turn to them for holiday cookies I need a quick dessert.
Table of Contents
Ingredients Of Christmas Gooey Butter Cookie
- Cream Cheese:
- Butter: Adds
- Powdered Sugar
- Eggs
- Flour
- Vanilla Extract
- Food Coloring (Red and Green)
- Baking Powder
Optional:
- Sprinkles
- Salt:
Cream cheese – Adds a soft, gooey texture to the cookies.
Unsalted butter – Brings richness and a delightful melt-in-your-mouth quality.
3 – Egg – Acts as a binder, providing structure to the cookies
4- Vanilla extract – Enhances the overall flavor of the cookies
5- Yellow cake mix – Serves as an easy and convenient base for the cookies
6- Powdered sugar – Creates a sweet, crackly exterior
7- Christmas sprinkles – Add a cheerful, festive touch to the treats
Making the Cookies
Prep – Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Mix the wet ingredients – In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together the softened cream cheese, butter, egg, and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth.
Add the cake mix – Gradually stir in the cake mix until a thick, sticky dough forms.
Fold in the sprinkles – Carefully fold in the holiday sprinkles, making sure not to overmix so the colors don’t bleed into the dough.
Chill – Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes to make it easier to work with.
Roll the dough – Scoop the dough into 1 1/2-inch balls and roll them in powdered sugar until they are completely coated.
Bake – Arrange the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart, and bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are set but the centers still appear slightly soft.
Cool – Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Variations and substitutions
Different cake mixes: Replace the yellow cake mix with vanilla or white cake mix.
For a festive twist, replace vanilla with almond or peppermint extract.
Mix-ins: For added taste, fold in small chocolate chips or crushed candy canes alongside the sprinkles.
dye the dough – For a festive look, add a few drops of red or green gel food coloring to the dough, or divide it in half and dye each half separately to create both colors.
If you are not a fan of sprinkles, leave them out. Of course, if you do this, the cookies will be just Gooey Butter Cookies, not Christmas Cookies.
Roll the cookie batter in colored sanding sugar rather than powdered sugar.
TIP OF Success Christmas Gooey Butter Cookie
1- Use full-fat brick cream cheese. Avoid the spreadable variety, since it can make the dough excessively soft.
To ensure a smooth dough, melt the butter and cream cheese to room temperature prior to combining.
2- Don’t overbake the cookies; they should still be somewhat soft in the center when you take them out of the oven. They will firm up as they cool.
3- Evenly space the dough balls on the baking sheet, leaving at least 2 inches between each one to allow for spreading.
4- Roll the dough balls thoroughly in powdered sugar to ensure the greatest crackling appearance after baking.
How to Store the Cookies
1- Keep the cookies in an airtight jar at room temperature for up to 3 days.
2- Cookies can be kept frozen for up to three months in an airtight container or freezer bag. Thaw at room temperature prior to serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 103kcal
Carbohydrates: 16g
Protein: 2g
Fat: 4g
Saturated Fat: 2g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g
Monounsaturated Fat: 1g
Trans Fat: 0.1g
Cholesterol: 14mg
Sodium: 151mg
Potassium: 29mg
Fiber: 0.2gSugar: 10g
Vitamin A: 101IU
Calcium: 55mg
Iron: 0.3mg
Looking for more Christmas cookies?
These are some of my favorite recipes.
1- Our Best Christmas Cookie Recipes to Sweeten Your Holiday Season
2- Christmas Plum Pudding Recipe – A Festive Tradition with a Delicious Twist
FAQ
1- What is the most famous Christmas cookie?
The most popular pick among Americans is Italian Christmas cookies, which remain the supreme choice for a second year when compared to the 2023 Google cookie map. Seven states searched for that recipe the most. Classic sugar cookies are also still a favorite, being the top search in four states.
2- Where did gooey butter cookies originate?
The original St. Louis, MO Bakers’ gooey butter is believed to have originated in the 1930s. It was made with a yeast-raised sweet dough on the bottom. A slice of Gooey butter cake, garnished with powdered sugar and raspberries.