Christmas Ooey Gooey Butter Cookies

If you want a holiday cookie that is soft, buttery, and almost impossible to mess up, these ooey gooey butter cookies are the answer. They start with a boxed white cake mix, then get extra richness from butter and cream cheese. The dough is chilled, rolled into small balls, tossed in holiday sprinkles and powdered sugar, and baked just until set. The result is a cookie with a crackled, snowy top and a center that is tender and gooey.

The recipe makes 36 cookies, which is perfect for a cookie exchange, a holiday party, or a gift tin. The active work is about 20 minutes, and the bake time is only 8 to 10 minutes per tray. The longest part is the chilling time, because the dough works best when it rests in the refrigerator overnight. If you are short on time, you can chill it for a minimum of one hour. Below you will find the full recipe, helpful tips, and answers to the most common questions.

Why You’ll Love These Ooey Gooey Butter Cookies

• Only seven ingredients, and a boxed cake mix does most of the work
• Very soft, moist, and buttery, which is where the name comes from
• Beautiful crackled powdered sugar tops with festive sprinkles
• Makes 36 cookies from three sheets of 12, ideal for sharing
• Quick bake time of 8 to 10 minutes
• Easy to change for any holiday by switching the sprinkles
• A fun recipe for kids, since rolling the dough balls in sprinkles is a hands-on job

What Do Ooey Gooey Butter Cookies Taste Like?

These cookies taste like a sweet, buttery vanilla cake in cookie form. The cream cheese adds a slight tang and a rich, soft texture, and the confectioners’ sugar coating gives each cookie a delicate, sweet crust that cracks as it bakes. The recipe notes that the cookies are very moist and almost feel uncooked when they come out of the oven. That is exactly what you want, because it is what gives them their ooey, gooey center.

The holiday sprinkles add color and a little crunch, and the vanilla gives a warm, familiar flavor. If you like soft sugar cookies, snowball cookies, and other tender, sweet cookies, you will love this one.

Recipe Overview

• Prep time: 20 minutes
• Cook time: 8 to 10 minutes
• Chill time: overnight (best), or a minimum of 1 hour
• Total time: 1 day and 30 minutes, if you chill overnight
• Yield: 36 cookies
• Oven temperature: 350°F

The method is simple. You cream the butter and cream cheese together, add the egg and vanilla, beat in the cake mix, and stir in some of the sprinkles. After the dough chills, you roll it into 1-inch balls, coat each one in sprinkles and powdered sugar, and bake the cookies on a lined sheet. A few minutes of cooling on the pan, and they are ready for the wire rack.

Ingredients

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For the Cookie Dough

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or almond, lemon, or peppermint extract)
• 1 box white cake mix
• 1/4 cup holiday sprinkles, for stirring into the dough

For Rolling

• 1/4 cup holiday sprinkles (the other half of the 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

Ingredient Notes

Butter and Cream Cheese

The recipe uses 1/2 cup of unsalted butter and one 8-ounce package of cream cheese, both softened. Soft ingredients cream together smoothly, so take them out of the refrigerator before you start. The combination of butter and cream cheese is what makes these cookies so rich and tender.

White Cake Mix

The recipe calls for one box of white cake mix. The dough is made entirely from the cake mix plus the butter, cream cheese, egg, and vanilla, so there is no flour, sugar, or leavening to measure separately. Use the standard size box you find at your grocery store.

Vanilla Extract

One teaspoon of vanilla extract gives the cookies a classic flavor. The recipe says you can use almond, lemon, or peppermint extract instead, which is an easy way to change the cookie for a different occasion.

Holiday Sprinkles

You need 1/2 cup of sprinkles, divided. Half goes into the dough, and half is used to coat the dough balls. Choose red and green sprinkles for Christmas, or switch to other colors for any holiday.

Confectioners’ Sugar

Each ball is rolled in confectioners’ sugar after the sprinkles. As the cookies bake and spread, the sugar cracks into a pretty, snowy pattern.

Equipment

• A large mixing bowl and an electric mixer
• A cookie sheet
• Parchment paper or a Silpat baking mat
• A cookie scoop or tablespoon for portioning the dough
• Two small bowls, one for sprinkles and one for confectioners’ sugar
• A wire cooling rack

Variations and Substitutions

The recipe above is the version that has been tested. These changes come from the original recipe’s own suggestions.

• Different extract: Use almond, lemon, or peppermint extract in place of the vanilla.
• Other holidays: Change the sprinkles to make the cookies for Valentine’s Day, Easter, or any occasion.
• More gooey treats: If you love this soft, buttery style, try our Gooey Butter Cake Bars or our Cinnamon Sugar Snowball Cookies.

Step-by-Step Instructions

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Step 1: Make the dough. In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and softened cream cheese. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until mixed. Beat in the white cake mix until the dough is blended.

Step 2: Add sprinkles and chill. Stir in 1/4 cup of the holiday sprinkles. Refrigerate the dough overnight, or for a minimum of one hour. Overnight works best.

Step 3: Prepare to bake. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with a Silpat baking mat or parchment paper.

Step 4: Shape and coat. Scoop out rounded tablespoonfuls of the chilled dough and roll them into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in a bowl of the remaining sprinkles, and then roll it in a bowl of confectioners’ sugar.

Step 5: Bake. Place the coated balls on the prepared cookie sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes. You can test a few cookies first to see what bake time works best in your oven.

Step 6: Cool. Take the cookies out of the oven, and after 2 to 3 minutes, move them to a wire cooling rack.

Tips for Success

• Chill overnight if you can. The recipe says overnight works best, though one hour is the minimum.
• Test your bake time. The original recipe tried 8 minutes and found the cookies were not done, then settled on 10 minutes. Bake a small test batch to see what works in your oven.
• Expect a soft center. The cookies are very moist and almost feel uncooked, which is normal.
• Roll in sprinkles first. Coat each ball in sprinkles and then in confectioners’ sugar, in that order.
• Use a scoop. Rounded tablespoonfuls give you uniform 1-inch balls so the cookies bake evenly.
• Line your pan. A Silpat or parchment paper keeps the cookies from sticking.
• Let them rest on the pan. Wait 2 to 3 minutes before moving the cookies to a wire rack.

How to Know They’re Done

The cookies are done after 8 to 10 minutes. They will look set on the outside with cracked, sugar-coated tops, but they will still feel very soft. The original recipe notes that they are almost like uncooked cookie dough in the center, and that is what makes them gooey. Because elevation and ovens differ, test one tray first. At 8 minutes the recipe’s author found the cookies were not done, so check them closely.

What to Serve With Ooey Gooey Butter Cookies

These cookies are great with a cold glass of milk, a cup of hot cocoa, or a mug of coffee or tea. For a cookie exchange or a holiday dessert table, pair them with other festive cookies, such as 4-Ingredient Almond Christmas Cookies and Orange Clove Christmas Cookies. Arrange a mix of colors and textures on a platter for a festive, eye-catching spread.

Storage

The original recipe does not give storage instructions. Because these cookies are very soft and moist, keep them in a covered container once they have cooled completely, with parchment between layers so the sugar coating does not stick. Since the recipe does not specify a storage time, use your own judgment.

Freezing

The original recipe does not cover freezing, and we have not tested it. If you want to get ahead, the recipe’s own make-ahead step is chilling the dough in the refrigerator overnight before baking.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Skipping the chilling time. The dough needs at least one hour in the refrigerator, and overnight works best.
• Overbaking. These cookies are meant to be very soft. If you bake them until they feel firm, you will lose the gooey center.
• Underbaking. At 8 minutes the cookies in the original recipe were not done. Test a few to find your ideal time.
• Using cold butter or cream cheese. The recipe calls for softened butter and softened cream cheese so they cream together smoothly.
• Skipping the lined pan. A Silpat or parchment paper keeps the sticky cookies from clinging to the sheet.
• Moving the cookies too soon. Let them sit for 2 to 3 minutes on the pan before moving them to a wire rack.
• Using large dough balls. The recipe makes 36 cookies from 1-inch balls. Larger balls change the bake time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are they called ooey gooey butter cookies?

The cookies are very moist, soft, and buttery, and they almost feel uncooked in the center. That soft, gooey texture is where the name comes from.

How many cookies does this recipe make?

It makes 36 cookies, or 3 sheets of 12.

How long do I chill the dough?

Refrigerate it overnight, or for a minimum of one hour. Overnight works best.

What temperature do I bake them at?

Bake at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes.

Can I use a different extract?

Yes. The recipe says you can use almond, lemon, or peppermint extract instead of vanilla.

Can I use different sprinkles?

Yes. The recipe suggests changing the sprinkles to make the cookies for Valentine’s Day, Easter, or any other occasion.

Do I need parchment paper?

The recipe says to use a Silpat or parchment paper on the cookie sheet.

Why do I need to test the bake time?

Elevation and ovens vary. The original recipe’s author tried 8 minutes and found the cookies were not done, then used 10 minutes. Test a few cookies to find the right time for your oven.

Recipe Background

Gooey butter cookies are a cousin of the gooey butter cake, a beloved soft, buttery dessert that is often made with a boxed cake mix as a shortcut. The same idea works beautifully in cookie form. The cake mix provides the structure and flavor, and the butter and cream cheese make the cookies rich and tender.

This recipe is adapted from the Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies by Candi Elm of A Day in Candyland, written here in our own words with the same ingredients, amounts, and method.

Share Your Creation

Did you make these ooey gooey butter cookies? Leave a comment below and tell us how they turned out. What sprinkles did you choose, and how long did you bake them? If you try a different extract, we would love to hear which one you liked best. Your tips and photos help other readers make the recipe their own.

Conclusion

Ooey gooey butter cookies are soft, buttery, and full of holiday cheer. A box of cake mix, a little cream cheese, and a handful of sprinkles are all it takes to bake 36 cookies that look festive and taste like a cozy treat. Chill the dough overnight if you can, bake just until the cookies are set, and enjoy them warm or cooled with a glass of milk.

More Delicious Recipes You’ll Love

• 7 Dangerously Delicious Reasons These Gooey Butter Cake Bars Are Pure Comfort Gold
• Cinnamon Sugar Snowball Cookies
• 4-Ingredient Almond Christmas Cookies
• Orange Clove Christmas Cookies
• Classic Butter Cookies: 7 Timeless Reasons These Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cookies Never Fail

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Nutritional Information

Nutrition values are those published with the source recipe, per cookie (36 cookies). Actual numbers will vary with the brands you use and the size of your cookies.

Nutrient	Amount per Serving
Calories	94
Carbohydrates	15g
Protein	1g
Fat	3g
Saturated Fat	2g
Cholesterol	12mg
Sodium	102mg
Fiber	1g
Sugar	10g

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