Gooey Butter Cookies Recipe (2024)

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

These Gooey Butter cookies are made with a yellow cake mix, butter, cream cheese, and a few additional ingredients. They are so gooey, chewy, and moist – it’s impossible to resist them!

When you need a quick and easy cookie recipe, cake mix cookies are the way to go! They’re so convenient, and you can easily switch up the flavors depending on the mix—like these Lemon Cookies, or Funfetti Cookies!

made with cake mix – so easy!

We love making cookies with the kids, and today’s recipe for Ooey Gooey Butter Cookies (aka Butter Cookies) are a family-favorite. They are made with cake mix, butter and cream cheese and are so soft and moist that I have yet to meet someone who didn’t like them.

If you’re looking for a quick cookie recipe that will be a hit – this is your treat (they’re just as good as our Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies and Sugar Cookies)! This cookie is pretty much half a cookie and half a cupcake, and you really can’t go wrong with that. 😉

Another reason why I LOVE this recipe is because it can be easily changed up. Based on whatever cake mix you use, you can change the flavor up. You can also add candy and sprinkles on top or in the cookies which can take them to a whole new level.

For this specific recipe, we always use a yellow cake mix, and just sprinkle powdered sugar on top right when they come out of the oven. The powdered sugar melts and lightly frosts the top of the cookie.

Gooey Butter Cookies Recipe (2)

Making Yellow Cake Mix Cookies

We love simple cookies and love that these yellow cake mix cookies are just that.

To make them, beat butter, vanilla, egg and cream cheese until fluffy. Add the cake mix and mix until combined.

Chill for 30 minutes. Once chilled, roll into 1 – 1 1/2 inch balls and roll in a bowl of powdered sugar. Place on cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Once out, sift more powdered sugar on top if desired.

Place on wax paper to cool. Before cooling and right when you take the cookies out, that is the perfect time to add candy on top. We’ve added Hershey’s kisses when we’ve made gooey butter cookies with chocolate cake mix, and they are amazing!

Gooey Butter Cookies Recipe (3)

Flavor variations

The possibilities are endless when it comes to the different kinds of gooey butter cookies you can make. This is partially because Betty Crocker and Pillsbury and Duncan Hines are constantly releasing new cake mixes, which means there are more recipes to try.

Here are some of the other recipes we’ve tried using the same recipe but with a different cake mix, and adding a few toppings.

  • Gooey Chocolate Rolo Butter Cookies –Chocolate Cake Mix with a Rolo inside
  • Gooey Monster Cookies –Dyed cake mix with candy eyeballs on top – perfect for Halloween!
  • Butter Pumpkin Cookies –Pumpkin Cookies using pumpkin cake mix, which is a seasonal product.
  • Pink and Blue Velvet Butter Cookies – used making Pink and Blue velvet cake mixes.
Gooey Butter Cookies Recipe (4)

Additional Tips

Storing.Once cool, place ooey gooey butter cookies into an air-tight container and place on the counter for up to 3 days. They should take soft during that time period and although they have butter and cream cheese, they do not need to be refrigerated.

Can you make a cake version of these cookies?I’m so glad you asked! You can, and it’s one of our favorites. We have a recipe for Gooey Butter Cake which uses similar ingredients and makes a delicious cake/bar version of these cookies. Check it out HERE.

Gooey Butter Cookies Recipe (5)

For more favorite cookies, check out:

  • Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • No Bake Cookies
  • Peanut Butter Cookies
  • Snickerdoodles
  • Cream Cheese Cookies
  • Butter Cookies

Gooey Butter Cookies Recipe (6)

Gooey Butter Cookies Recipe (7)

Gooey Butter Cookies Recipe

By: Lil’ Luna

Whether you call them butter cookies or cake mix cookies, you know they are ultra yummy! These cookies are made with a yellow cake mix, butter, cream cheese, and a few additional ingredients. They are so gooey, chewy, and moist – it's impossible to resist them!

Servings: 24 cookies

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 10 minutes mins

Chill time: 30 minutes mins

Total: 45 minutes mins

Ingredients

  • 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese softened
  • ½ cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1 egg
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 (15.25-ounce) box yellow cake mix
  • 1 cup powdered sugar plus more for dusting

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, egg and vanilla with a hand mixer until fluffy.

  • Mix in cake mix until combined, and chill for 30 minutes.

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

  • Place powdered sugar in a bowl. Scoop out and roll dough into 1½-inch balls and roll in powdered sugar until well coated. Place onto a lightly greased cookie sheet.

  • Bake for 10–12 minutes.

  • Let cookies sit on the cookie sheet for a few minutes, then remove to a rack to cool.

  • Sift more powdered sugar on top, if desired.

Video

Notes

Make Ahead: Store cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3–4 days.

Variations: Change this up by using your favorite cake mix and adding your own
embellishments. A few of our favorite combos include:
o Chocolate Rolo Cake Mix Cookies: Chocolate cake mix with a Rolo candy enclosed in each dough ball
o Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies: Red velvet cake mix with white chocolate chips
o Funfetti Cake Mix Cookies: Funfetti cake mix with extra sprinkles

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 57kcal, Carbohydrates: 5g, Protein: 0.3g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 17mg, Sodium: 4mg, Potassium: 4mg, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 129IU, Calcium: 2mg, Iron: 0.04mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Making this recipe? Tag us!

Share it with us on Instagram using the hashtag #lilluna, so we can see what you’re creating in the kitchen!

Categorized as: American Recipes, Cookies, Cuisines, Desserts, Recipes

About Kristyn

My name is Kristyn and I’m the mom of SIX stinkin’ cute kids and the wife to my smokin’ hot hubby, Lo. My mom’s maiden name is Luna, and I’m one of the many crafty “Lil’ Lunas” in the fam. On this site I like to share all things creative - from recipes to home decor to gifts and home decor ideas. Welcome!

More About Kristyn

Related Posts

Cookie Bar Recipes

30 mins

Almond Cookie Recipe

23 mins

Recipe Video

Easter Cookies

17 mins

Recipe Video

Easter Sugar Cookies

3 hrs 20 mins

Recipe Video

Gooey Butter Cookies Recipe (13)

So Easy & So Yummy

Get my cookbook!

My new cookbook is the ultimate resource for feeding your friends and family with 200+ simple recipes including videos, tips & more!

Order Today

Gooey Butter Cookies Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What happens if you don't put enough butter in cookies? ›

Butter is an emulsifier and it makes cookies tender. It also adds in the crispy-around-the-edges element. Adding too much butter can cause the cookies to be flat and greasy. Adding too little butter can cause the cookies to be tough and crumbly.

What happens if you use melted butter instead of softened for cookies? ›

Cookies made with melted butter often deflate and become denser when they cool, resulting in a perfectly cooked fudgy center — a similar textural result to brownies that get rapped (aka banged against an oven rack mid-bake to deflate them) or Sarah Kieffer's iconic pan-banging cookies that turn out pleasantly compact.

What does adding more butter to a cookie do? ›

The higher the proportion of butter to other ingredients, the more tender your cookie will be (and consequently, the more it will spread as it bakes).

What if I don't have enough butter for cookie recipe? ›

Read on to understand how the following 15 ingredients can act as butter substitutes for different recipes and dishes.
  1. MARGARINE. Margarine is a fat that is made mostly from vegetable oil that's flavored to taste like butter. ...
  2. SHORTENING. ...
  3. OLIVE OIL & VEGETABLE OIL. ...
  4. COCONUT OIL. ...
  5. PUMPKIN PURÉE. ...
  6. APPLESAUCE. ...
  7. GREEK YOGURT. ...
  8. BANANAS.

Does the amount of butter affect cookies? ›

Butter doesn't affect just the flavour of your cookies, it has a major impact on their texture and structure, too.

What is the secret to making soft cookies? ›

Baking cookies quickly in a hot oven – at 375 degrees F as opposed to a lower temperature – will make for soft results. They'll bake fast instead of sitting and drying out in the oven's hot air. Ever so slightly underbaking your cookies will give you softer results than cooking them the full amount the recipe says.

What to do if I accidentally melted butter instead of softened? ›

They can be reestablished but only if the butter is rapidly chilled. (Returning it to the refrigerator will cool it too slowly and fail to reestablish the tiny crystals.) To quickly cool down partially melted butter, we mixed in a few ice cubes.

What makes cookies chewy vs crunchy? ›

The ingredients you use and how you shape your cookies both play an important role in whether your cookies turn out crispy or chewy. The type of flour and sugar you use, if your cookie dough contains eggs, and whether you use melted or softened butter all factor into the crispy-chewy equation, too.

What is the secret to gooey cookies? ›

In Short, Here Are the Secrets to Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies:
  1. Cornstarch helps product soft and thick cookies.
  2. Using more brown sugar than white sugar results in a moister, softer cookie.
  3. An extra egg yolk increases chewiness.
May 13, 2022

How do you make cookies stay gooey? ›

Keep Them Sealed

The key to keeping cookies fresh and soft is to seal them in an airtight container, like a resealable freezer bag. And here's a nifty little trick: add a piece of bread to the bag.

How gooey should cookies be? ›

Fully cooked cookies should have a slightly crisp edge with a soft and chewy centre. If the cookie tastes raw or doughy, it needs more time in the oven.

What happens if you put too much butter in cookies? ›

Too much butter makes cookies turn out just as you'd expect: very buttery. This batch of cookies was cakey in the middle, but also airy throughout, with crispy edges. They were yellow and slightly puffy in the middle, and brown and super thin around the perimeter.

Why did my cookies flatten so much? ›

If your cookies consistently come out flat, you may have selected the wrong baking temperature. If you bake cookies using too much heat, the fats in the dough begin to melt before the other ingredients can cook together and form your cookie's rise.

Why did my cookies come out puffy? ›

A spread with less fat, diet "margarines" or spreads in tubs contain have too much water. The water creates steam, causing the cookies to puff. Low protein flours, such as cake flour, absorb less water, leaving excess water to create steam, which causes the cookies to puff.

What makes a chewy cookie? ›

Cornstarch helps product soft and thick cookies. Using more brown sugar than white sugar results in a moister, softer cookie. An extra egg yolk increases chewiness. Rolling the cookie dough balls to be tall and lumpy instead of wide and smooth gives the cookies a bakery-style textured thickness.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Dong Thiel

Last Updated:

Views: 6141

Rating: 4.9 / 5 (59 voted)

Reviews: 90% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Dong Thiel

Birthday: 2001-07-14

Address: 2865 Kasha Unions, West Corrinne, AK 05708-1071

Phone: +3512198379449

Job: Design Planner

Hobby: Graffiti, Foreign language learning, Gambling, Metalworking, Rowing, Sculling, Sewing

Introduction: My name is Dong Thiel, I am a brainy, happy, tasty, lively, splendid, talented, cooperative person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.