Indulge in the ultimate easy-to-make treat with these incredibly soft Gooey Butter Cookies. Their rich, buttery taste and chewy texture come from a simple mix of softened butter, cream cheese, and cake mix.
Whip up rich, buttery cookie dough in minutes and enjoy melt-in-your-mouth cookies fresh from the oven in just 10 minutes.
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🗝️ Recipe's key points
- These yellow cake mix cookies call for the convenience of a box cake mix, making the cookie dough quick to prepare with minimal effort.
- The mix of softened cream cheese and butter makes a rich, buttery flavor. It also gives a soft, chewy texture that is hard to resist!
- You're only 10 to 12 minutes of baking away from a warm, melt-in-your-mouth cookie. It's perfect for any occasion and any time of day!
This easy gooey butter cookies recipe delivers a decadent, bakery-quality cookie that'll disappear as quickly as they're made!
🛒 Ingredients
This is an overview of the yellow cake mix cookies ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
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- Cream cheese – Soften at room temperature for easy mixing to avoid lumps in your cookie dough.
- Butter – This is an essential ingredient for these buttery cookies! I prefer using unsalted softened butter for baked treats.
- Egg – Just like the cream cheese, eggs mix better with other ingredients if they are at room temperature.
- Vanilla and almond extract – A combination of these extracts creates irresistible flavor. Feel free to only use one or the other.
- Yellow cake mix – This makes it easier and cuts down on the number of ingredients needed for these gooey butter cookies.
- Confectioners' sugar – This is used to roll the scoops of cookie dough in before baking. It creates that pretty "cracked" appearance, similar to crinkle cookies, and adds sweetness. You can also sprinkle extra powdered sugar over these yellow cake mix cookies once baked and cooled.
🗒 Instructions
This is an overview of the cream cheese gooey cookies instructions. Full instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and beat the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer in a medium bowl until creamy.
- Beat in the extracts.
- Add the cake mix and egg. Beat until combined.
- Roll the dough into 1-inch balls.
- Coat the cake mix balls in the powdered sugar.
- Transfer the balls to the prepared baking sheet, spacing them 1-inch apart for spreading.
- Bake the soft butter cookies for 10-12 minutes.
- Transfer the baked cream cheese cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. If you like, dust your gooey butter cookies with additional powdered sugar before serving.
🥫 Storage
Store these delicious gooey butter cookies in a sealed container. Keep them in the fridge for 2-3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Thaw your frozen cookies in the fridge and enjoy when ready!
📚 Variations
- Feel free to use another type of cake mix for a different butter cookie. White, chocolate, or even lemon cake mix are all great options!
- Use a gluten-free cake mix when catering to food allergies.
- Instead of using powdered sugar, top these soft butter cookies with melted white chocolate, lemon glaze, or vanilla frosting.
- Add delicious mix-ins to the cookie dough, such as chopped nuts, white chocolate chips, shredded coconut, or lemon zest.
👩🏻🍳 Tips
- Make sure to leave enough space between your rolled cookie balls as they will naturally spread a bit on the baking tray.
- You can make the cookie dough balls ahead of time. Store them in the fridge for a few hours before baking. You can also flash-freeze them. Then, keep them in a freezer-safe bag. They will be ready to thaw and bake when you want fresh yellow cake mix cookies.
- If your cookie dough is too soft or sticky, chill it in the fridge for 15-30 minutes. This will make it firm enough to shape easily.
- Use a cookie scoop to create uniform-sized cream cheese cookies for even baking and better presentation.
🤔 FAQs
So let's talk cookies! Every time I share these Gooey Butter Cookies, people ask questions. I understand why! Once you make them, you'll want to learn all the tips!
Oh yes! That's half the fun. I love the classic yellow, but white, chocolate, or even lemon cake mix will give you a brand-new cookie vibe. Go ahead, make it "your way."
Easy peasy. Just pop them into an airtight container. They'l stay pillowy for about 4—5 days. And here's a little Nonna trick – tuck a slice of bread in with them. The cookies steal the moisture from the bread and stay soft longer. (The bread will dry up, but your cookies will be perfetti.
These cookies freeze beautifully. Bake them, cool them completely, then freeze in a zip bag or container for up to 2 months. When you're ready, let them thaw at room temp and ecco — cookies on demand.
They're cugini! (That's cousins in Italian 😉). Gooey Butter Cake is a classic from St. Louis that's baked in a pan. These little cookies are inspired by that rich, buttery taste. They are just bite-sized. Perfect when you want one little tase...thought let's be honest, it's never just one.
Yes, you do, my friend. It just takes 30 minutes in the fridge to make the dough easier to roll into balls. Chilling also keeps your cookies from spreading too much in the oven. It's worth the time!
📗 Related Recipes
If you're a fan of soft, chewy, gooey butter cookies, you'll love these other incredible cookie options:
- Butter Pecan Cookies - These cookies capture the classic taste of Southern pralines in every bite. Browned butter and toasted pecans create a deep, nutty flavor, while brown sugar delivers a sweet caramel note. Enjoy the perfect contrast of crisp edges and a rich, chewy center.
- Brown Butter Snickerdoodle Cookies - These old-fashioned spicy cookies feature a crunchy, crinkly top and a wonderfully nutty flavor from brown butter. They're a timeless favorite for a reason!
- Italian Christmas S Cookie - These buttery Italian S cookies are incredibly light and tender, melting in your mouth with every bite - the essence of a holiday cookie.
🍽 What to serve with Gooey Butter Cookies
Enjoy these cream cheese gooey butter cookies as a sweet treat. They go well with a tall glass of creamy milk. You can also add them to a bowl of vanilla ice cream. You may also take an afternoon chai break and indulge in the rich gooey treat.
🔪 All Our Way recommends the following
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You’ll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.
- Large mixing bowls – Essential for comfortably combining the creamy butter, cream cheese, and other ingredients into a smooth cookie dough.
- Electric hand mixer – Crucial for properly creaming the butter and cream. cheese together and incorporating the cake mix to create a smooth dough.
- Parchment paper – While not required for ungreased sheets, lining your baking sheets prevents sticking and makes for an easy cleanup.
- Baking sheets – These flat, sturdy pans provide the hot, even surface needed to bake the cookie dough balls into perfectly set treats.
- Wire cooling racks – Their raised, open design lets air flow under the delicate buttery cookies. This keeps them from getting soggy as they cool.
📞 Chiacchierata (chat)
You know me, I can't resist one last cozy chat to convince you to experience this ricetta dolce(sweet recipe). These Gooey Butter Cookies are a recipe that feels like a warm hug from the cucina (kitchen). They are simple, sweet, and always welcome at the table. They remind me of recipes shared among friends and family. These are the kinds you make once and then crave again the very next week.
Set out a plate. Pour some coffee or a glass of Vin Santo if you want an Italian🇮🇹touch, and watch how fast these disappear! They're soft, chewy, and dusted with sugar like little fiocchi di neve (snowflakes) — pure joy in every bite.
So, amici miei, bake a batch soon... and don't forget to save a couple for yourself before the family finds them! Buon appetito! 💛🍪
Tutti a tavolo, è pronto!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
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📖 Recipe
Gooey Butter Cookies
Equipment Needed
Ingredients
- 8 oz. cream cheese softened
- ½ cup butter softened
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp. almond extract
- 1 pkg. 2-layer-size yellow cake mix
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Prep Powdered Sugar Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Place powdered sugar into a shallow bowl.
- Beat Cream Cheese Mixture Beat cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer in a medium bowl until creamy. Beat in egg and extracts. Add cake mix and beat until combined.
- Roll Dough Roll dough into 1-inch balls and coat with powdered sugar. Place 1 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Test Kitchen Tip: If your cookie dough is too soft or sticky to handle, chill for 15 to 30 minutes until firm before shaping.
- Bake Bake until set, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to wire racks to cool. If desired, dust with additional powdered sugar before serving.
Notes
If you have leftover cookies, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. You can also freeze gooey butter cookies. Once baked and completely cooled, place them in a freezer-safe container and store for up to 3 months in the freezer.
Nutrition
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