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Soft, luscious Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies are easy, and perfect for holiday festivities. Whether it’s for a party, holiday cookie exchange or gifts for the neighbors, these are perfect.
Who doesn’t love food with word gooey or butter in the title! Try these other incredible gooey foods, Ooey Gooey Chex Mix, Ooey Gooey Lemon Coconut Butter Bars and Gooey S’mores Cookies.
Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies
These are not only tempting and fun, the powdered sugar coating makes them extra special. Adding almond and orange extracts makes them taste like Christmas. They are usually a favorite around the holiday dessert table.
Adding the sprinkles to the dough adds color and fun. When you add them afterwards too, it gives a bit of crunch and fun. I love the crunch from the small round sprinkles. They are melt in your mouth amazing. These Gooey Butter Cookies are definitely a cookie recipe you will want to have on hand.
Christmas Cookie Ingredients
Fun and few ingredients to make delicious morsels of goodness.
- Butter: Bring to room temperature
- Cream Cheese: Softened
- Egg: Large not medium
- Almond and Orange Extract: Perfect Christmas flavorings
- White Cake Mix: The secret to making it easy
- Sprinkles: Make it festive and fun
- Powdered Sugar: Creates the dusting of snow look and flavor
Making Gooey Butter Cookies
Super easy to put together.
- Cream: In a medium bowl cream together butter and cream cheese. Add the egg, almond extract and orange extract and mix till combined.
- Add: Add the white Cake Mix and mix until combined.
- Stir: Stir in 1/4 cup of sprinkles
- Refrigerate: cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour and up to 24 hours.
- Roll: Place powdered sugar in one bowl and remaining 1/4 cup of sprinkles in another bowl. Using a 1 inch cookie scoop, scoop out dough and roll into a ball. Sprinkle with a few extra sprinkles and roll in powdered sugar and completely cover the dough.
- Bake: Place on a greased cookie sheet, bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Tips and Variations Gooey Butter Cookies
- Flavor: The amount of extract gives a hint of flavor, so you can use any flavor you’d like lemon, coconut, vanilla, peppermint etc. You can also just use the decadent flavor of the cake mix.
- Sprinkles: You can use any different colors of sprinkles to create the colors you’d like.
- Type of Sprinkles: Jimmies in the batter don’t seem to dissolve. Other sprinkles that don’t dissolve will work too. Use any other type of sprinkle on the outside.
- Cake Mix: You can different type of cake mix to create different color and flavors, you really get creative with the cake mix and extracts.
- Bake: Don’t over bake them, otherwise they won’t be soft and gooey.
Storing Christmas Butter Cookies
- Store: Gooey butter cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Dough: Roll the dough out and freeze on a cookie sheet for half an hour before transferring to an airtight freezer bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw and bake as directed.
- Freeze: Freeze completely cooled cookies in an airtight freezer bag or container for up to 3 months. thaw and roll in powdered sugar.
More Holiday Cookie Ideas
Everyone needs a good holiday cookie recipe go to, try these out.
- Double Chocolate Peppermint Cake
- Perfect Gingerbread Cookies
- Gingerbread Sugar Cookies Bars
- Christmas Cornflake Wreaths
- Best Christmas Crack Recipe
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Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon almond extract, optional
- ½ teaspoon orange extract, optional
- 1 (13.25-ounce) box white cake mix
- ½ cup holiday sprinkles, divided
- ½ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Beat the butter and cream cheese in a large bowl with a hand mixer. Add the egg, almond extract, and orange extract and mix until combined.
- Add the cake mix and mix with the hand mixer until fully combined. Stir in ¼ cup of the sprinkles by hand. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or up to 24 hours.
- Once the dough has finished chilling, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Use a 1-inch cookie scoop to scoop the dough before rolling it into uniform balls. Sprinkle a few sprinkles on the cookie ball before rolling in the powfered sugar until completely coated.
- Place the dough on the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2-inches between each.
- Bake for 10-11 minutes, until the edges have set. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for two minutes before removing them to finish cooling on a cooling rack.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I plan on using Peppermint extract rather than the optional orange and almond extracts. Should I use 1tsp or 2tsp of the peppermint?
TIA
I have made these for Christmas the past two years. They are very popular! But, now I have a question about the recipe. Since cake mixes are now only 13.25 ounces, do I need to use a cake mix extender for this recipe? Thanks!
THESE ARE GREAT! AND SO EASY! I didn’t have sprinkles or powdered sugar, so I sprinkled the balls with sanding sugar before baking – came out great! Big Christmas hit!
These are amazing !! I Cooked them exactly like the recipe and they are totally perfect!
Do these need to go in fridge after baking because of the cream cheese ?
I may try this recipe with a chocolate cake mix or lemon or spice cake ! Or strawberry !
Omg the possibilities are endless lol
Thank you !!
Also I doubled this recipe and they still came out wonderful ..
I first tried this recipe a few years ago for a cookie exchange event and they turned out great! Ever since they have been a family and friend favorite. Such an easy recipe. The only thing I’ve changed is to omit the sprinkles entirely since I rarely have sprinkles on hand. I always bake at 350F for 9-11 minutes and they turn out perfectly (I wait til they get just the slightest golden color on the top), if you want a firmer/crispier cookie then leave in another couple minutes. I have not had any issues with the cookies sticking to the cookie sheet but I’m sure parchment paper would work great. Still soft when they come out of the oven but become firmer with sitting on the baking sheet for a couple minutes. Definitely recommend!
Anyone try this with peppermint extract?
Yes, it was really good with white cake mix, but even better when I made it with chocolate cake mix the next time. It tasted like the peppermint patties that the kids love.
I discovered your recipe several years ago. I never deviate from the recipe except I only use the long sprinkles, never the small round ones. I change up the color of sprinkles depending on what I’m making them for. I use a standard cookie sheet with parchment paper. Every batch has turned out perfect every time. It is my go-to cookie recipe and everyone in my family requests them for every holiday, party, or randomly.
These cookies are so delicious. I made these for a holiday party the Christmas before last and they were a hit. My family also enjoys these cookies as well.
Just made these cookies. I only used pure vanilla and just rolled the dough in sprinkles then sugar. I needed 12 minutes to bake. Maybe next time I will make smaller balls. I will definitely make these again probably double batch
I have colored sugar crystals (not sprinkles). Will those work? Thanks!
Yes, that will be great!
Our family’s absolute favorite ?