Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies
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Today, we’re going to bake an absolute crowd-pleaser with my easy Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies recipe! My kids consider them the best Christmas cookies! These tender, melt-in-your-mouth cookies are perfect for your holiday parties and family gatherings.
How to Make Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies
It’s all in the name when it comes to this recipe. These cookies are tender, moist, and gooey-chewy on the inside while still holding their shape. They are absolutely heavenly!
My Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies are also so easy to make. It’s one of the reasons I love them. Spoiler alert, a boxed cake mix does quite a bit of the heavy lifting in this recipe.
Here’s what you’ll need to get started on your own batch (or three) of Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies:
Ingredients
You’ll find the full recipe with specific ingredient quantities at the bottom of this post.
Here’s what you’ll need to have on hand to make these delicious Christmas cookies!
- Unsalted Butter: I prefer a quality butter for this recipe since it adds so much flavor to the cookies. They are called gooey butter cookies, after all!
- Cream Cheese: This ingredient adds so much richness and flavor to your cookies! I recommend sticking with the full-fat cream cheese, but, you could also substitute with Neufchatel which has 1/3 less fat than regular cream cheese.
- An Egg: Eggs promote puffiness and help hold the cookies together during baking.
- Vanilla Extract: While the cake mix also has some vanilla flavor, you’ll love the boost of richness that adding vanilla extract provides to these cookies.
- White Cake Mix: Using a cake mix in cookies is one of my favorite baking hacks! I used a Betty Crocker cake mix, but you can use whichever cake mix brand you prefer.
- Sprinkles: Don’t forget to add the festive color to your cookies with some sprinkles!
- Confectioners Sugar: Your cookies will be rolled in powdered sugar to add some extra sweetness and a pretty finish.
Method
From mixing your ingredients to perfecting your baking technique, here’s how you can create these wonderful Gooey Butter Christmas Cookies:
- Cream together the softened unsalted butter and cream cheese using a mixer. After that, add your egg and vanilla, beating just until combined. Beat in the white cake mix until well-blended, and then stir 1/4 cup of the holiday sprinkles.
- Let your dough chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour or overnight. This ensures that your easy Christmas cookies hold their shape during baking.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Preparing your cookie sheet properly is crucial to avoid cookies sticking. I like to use a sheet of parchment paper under my cookies.
- Scoop rounded tablespoons of your dough and roll them into balls. For a festive touch, gently roll the balls in the remaining sprinkles and then in the confectioner’s sugar. Place the dough balls about 2 inches apart on your prepared cookie sheet. They will spread slightly as they bake, creating that classic Christmas cookies look.
- Bake for 9-12 minutes. Remember, you’re aiming for set and slightly golden cookies to retain the gooey center!Allow the cookies to sit on the sheet for 3 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Unique Christmas Cookies
I love the conversations that are sparked around this particular holiday cookie recipe. How fun is it to tell people that they are eating Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies?
This is a unique Christmas cookies recipe, and it’s also one of my favorites to make with my children.
The messy/imperfect nature of the result means that whether made by kids or adults, the outcome will be bursting with holiday color and flavor.
The bright and festive colors of the season that using sprinkles offers is one of the reasons I always love making these cookies.
They just look so pretty on your Christmas cookie plate!
Which Sprinkles are Best?
Adding sprinkles not only enhances the appearance of your Christmas cookies, but it also adds a touch of fun and excitement to your Christmas cookie ideas. The question is, which type of sprinkles are best for cookies?
- Jimmies: These classic, rod-shaped sprinkles are perfect for adding a pop of color and a hint of sweetness to your cookies. These will hold their shape and color when baked, and are recommended for these cookies.
- Nonpareils: These tiny, round sprinkles offer a distinct look and feel, adding a delightful crunch to your favorite Christmas cookies. They will dissolve inside the cookies, which may not be ideal, but will still work if it’s what you have on hand!
For your Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies, feel free to use either jimmies or nonpareils, or even a mix of both!
How to Store Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies
These cookies store beautifully; here’s how to do it:
Storing Cookies at Room Temperature: Once the cookies have cooled completely, place them in an airtight container. They’ll stay fresh for up to a week!
How to Freeze Christmas Cookies: You can also freeze these cookies for up to three months. Once your cookies are fully cooled, freeze them in a single layer on a baking sheet until they’re firm.
After they freeze, you can stack the cookies in an airtight container or re-sealable storage bag. Use a piece of parchment or waxed paper between each layer of cookies. Be sure to thaw the cookies before serving, and you may want to re-dust with powdered sugar!
Using Cake Mix in Cookies!
I really love cake mix Christmas cookies. Using a cake mix for cookies isn’t just a nifty shortcut; it’s my own personal baking secret weapon. Here’s why:
- Consistency: A cake mix contains a pre-measured blend of ingredients that ensure your cookies come out perfect every time.
- Texture: The emulsifiers and softeners in the cake mix give your cookies a soft, tender crumb.
- Flavor: A white cake mix adds a unique, delicious twist to the traditional cookie flavor profile.
Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies Mix-ins
Don’t have any sprinkles in the pantry? No problem!
Spice up your cookies by experimenting with other mix-ins.
Chopped nuts, white, milk, or dark chocolate chips, or shredded sweetened coconut can add interesting flavors and textures to these already fabulous cookies.
You could also use a different flavor of cake mix if you want to go totally crazy.
Best Christmas Cookies
Truly, friends, my Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies offer more than just a sweet treat. They are a delightful journey of flavor and a great way to spread the joy of the holiday season.
More Delicious Cookie Recipes
You now have a brand new recipe to add to your list of the very best Christmas cookies. Happy baking and, as always, Merry Christmas!
Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 8 oz. package cream cheese softened
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 white cake mix
- 3/4 cup sprinkles divided
- ½ cup confectioner’s sugar
Instructions
- Cream together the butter and the cream cheese. Add the egg and the vanilla and beat just until combined. Beat in the cake mix until well blended. Stir in ¼ cup of the sprinkles. Refrigerate at least one hour or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a cookie sheet or line with parchment paper. Scoop out rounded tablespoons of dough and roll into a ball. Gently roll or dip ball with sprinkles then roll in the confectioner’s sugar until completely covered. Place about 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheet.
- Bake for 9 to 12 minutes then allow to sit on the sheet for 3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Nutrition
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Do you buy any chance have recipes that have almond paste in it I would be so grateful thank you so [email protected] 🧑🎄😊
Hi Julie, I don’t at this time, but I’ll work on that. Thank you.