These Christmas gooey butter cookies are soft, chewy, and made with just 6 simple ingredients including cake mix and cream cheese. Rolled in powdered sugar and loaded with festive sprinkles, these easy holiday cookies have that signature gooey texture and beautiful crackled appearance. Perfect for Christmas cookie exchanges, holiday parties, or gift giving, this simple recipe comes together quickly and always impresses.
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Chill Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 12 minutes | Total Time: 57 minutes | Yield: 24 cookies
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love These Gooey Butter Cookies
These Christmas gooey butter cookies are a fun twist on classic gooey butter cake but in easy-to-eat cookie form! The cream cheese makes them incredibly soft and chewy with that signature gooey center, while the powdered sugar coating creates a beautiful crackled exterior. They’re ridiculously easy to make using cake mix as a shortcut, making them perfect when you need a quick but impressive holiday treat. The festive sprinkles make them extra special for Christmas celebrations.
What makes this recipe special:
- Only 6 ingredients needed
- Made with cake mix for easy prep
- Soft, gooey, melt-in-your-mouth texture
- Beautiful crackled powdered sugar coating
- Festive holiday sprinkles
- Perfect for cookie exchanges
Ingredients for Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies
- 8 oz full-fat cream cheese (block style), softened
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 (15.25 oz) box yellow cake mix
- 1/2 cup holiday sprinkles
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar (for rolling)
How to Make Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies
Step 1: Preheat and Prepare
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. The parchment prevents sticking and makes cleanup easy.
Step 2: Mix Wet Ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese, butter, egg, and vanilla extract using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed. Beat until the mixture is completely smooth and well combined with no lumps, about 2 minutes.
Step 3: Add Cake Mix
Add the yellow cake mix to the wet ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon or mix on low speed until a thick, sticky dough forms. The dough will be softer than traditional cookie dough—this is normal and creates that gooey texture.
Step 4: Fold in Sprinkles
Gently fold in the holiday sprinkles using a spatula. Be careful not to overmix at this stage, as excessive mixing can cause the sprinkle colors to bleed into the dough, creating a muddy appearance. Just fold until the sprinkles are evenly distributed.
Step 5: Chill the Dough
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes. This chilling time is important—it makes the sticky dough much easier to handle and helps the cookies maintain their shape during baking.
Step 6: Roll in Powdered Sugar
Place the powdered sugar in a shallow bowl. Scoop the chilled dough into 1 1/2-inch balls (about 2 tablespoons each). Roll each ball thoroughly in the powdered sugar until completely coated. The generous coating creates that beautiful crackled appearance when baked.
Step 7: Arrange and Bake
Place the sugar-coated dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are set but the centers still look slightly soft and puffy. Don’t overbake—they should look slightly underdone in the middle.
Step 8: Cool
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. They’ll be very soft when first removed from the oven but will firm up as they cool. After 5 minutes, transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Tips for Perfect Gooey Butter Cookies
Use full-fat block cream cheese. This is crucial! Avoid the spreadable cream cheese in tubs, as it contains more moisture and will make the dough too soft. Full-fat brick-style cream cheese (like Philadelphia) works best.
Bring ingredients to room temperature. Softened butter and cream cheese mix smoothly without lumps. Leave them out for 30-60 minutes before baking.
Don’t overbake. The cookies should still look slightly soft and puffy in the center when you remove them. They’ll firm up as they cool but stay gooey inside. Overbaking creates dry cookies.
Space dough balls properly. Give them 2 inches of space—these cookies spread during baking.
Roll thoroughly in powdered sugar. A generous coating creates the signature crackled appearance. Don’t be shy with the sugar!
Use the right cake mix size. This recipe is designed for 15.25 oz boxes (Duncan Hines or similar). If your box is smaller (some are now 13-14 oz), you may need to adjust.
Chill the dough. Don’t skip this step! Chilling makes the sticky dough manageable and prevents excessive spreading.
Fold sprinkles gently. Overmixing causes color bleeding. Fold just until distributed.
Recipe Variations
Different cake mix flavors: Try vanilla, white, or chocolate cake mix instead of yellow for different base flavors.
Flavor extracts: Replace vanilla with almond extract or add 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract for holiday twist.
Mix-ins: Fold in mini chocolate chips, crushed candy canes, or white chocolate chips along with sprinkles.
Colored dough: Add a few drops of red or green gel food coloring to the dough for festive colors. Split the dough in half and color each portion differently.
Skip sprinkles: For plain gooey butter cookies, omit the sprinkles entirely.
Sanding sugar: Roll in colored sanding sugar instead of powdered sugar for sparkly, festive cookies.
Chocolate version: Use chocolate cake mix and chocolate sprinkles for double chocolate cookies.
Funfetti style: Use funfetti cake mix for extra sprinkles throughout.
Mini M&M’s: Replace or combine sprinkles with mini M&M’s for extra color and crunch.
Storage Instructions
Room temperature: Store cookies in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. They stay soft and gooey.
Refrigerator: Can refrigerate for up to 5 days, but cookies will have a firmer texture when cold. Bring to room temperature before serving for best texture.
Freezer: Freeze baked cookies in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Place parchment paper between layers to prevent sticking. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Unbaked dough: Freeze shaped, sugar-coated dough balls on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 2 months. Bake directly from frozen, adding 1-2 extra minutes to baking time.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Using spreadable cream cheese: This makes the dough too soft and wet. Always use full-fat brick-style cream cheese.
Overbaking: Cookies should look slightly underdone when removed. They firm up as they cool but stay gooey inside.
Not chilling the dough: Skipping this step makes the dough difficult to handle and causes excessive spreading during baking.
Overmixing sprinkles: This causes color bleeding. Fold gently just until distributed.
Wrong cake mix size: Newer cake mixes are often smaller (13-14 oz instead of 15.25 oz). This affects the recipe. Note the size used in comments.
Skipping room temperature ingredients: Cold cream cheese won’t mix smoothly and creates lumps.
Insufficient powdered sugar coating: A light dusting won’t create the crackled effect. Roll thoroughly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use reduced-fat cream cheese? Full-fat works best, but reduced-fat should work okay. Avoid fat-free cream cheese as it’s too watery.
Why didn’t my cookies flatten? This can happen with smaller cake mix boxes or if the dough wasn’t at room temperature. Make sure you’re using a 15.25 oz box and that the dough has chilled properly.
Can I make these gluten-free? Yes! Use a gluten-free cake mix (15.25 oz box). Everything else remains the same.
Why did my sprinkle colors bleed? Overmixing is the main cause. Fold sprinkles in gently and stop as soon as they’re distributed.
Can I skip the egg? For an egg-free version, try using a flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons water, let sit 5 minutes) or 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce.
How do I store these for a cookie exchange? Layer in an airtight container with parchment paper between layers. They travel well and stay soft.
Can I use different colored sprinkles? Absolutely! Use any holiday or seasonal sprinkles you like, or rainbow sprinkles year-round.
Why are my cookies so soft? That’s normal! These are meant to be soft and gooey. If they’re too soft to handle, they may be underbaked.
Serving Suggestions
These Christmas gooey butter cookies are perfect for:
- Holiday cookie exchanges
- Christmas party dessert tables
- Homemade gift boxes and tins
- Classroom holiday treats
- Cookie platters with assorted treats
- Afternoon snacks with milk or hot cocoa
- Festive gatherings and potlucks
Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies Recipe – Easy Holiday Treats
Equipment
- Baking Sheets
- Parchment paper
- electric hand mixer or stand mixer
- Mixing bowls
- Rubber Spatula
- Cookie Scoop
- Wire Cooling Rack
Ingredients
- 8 oz full-fat cream cheese (block style), softened
- 0.5 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 box (15.25 oz) yellow cake mix
- 0.5 cup holiday sprinkles
- 0.5 cup powdered sugar (for rolling)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- In a large bowl, beat together cream cheese, butter, egg, and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the yellow cake mix and stir on low speed or with a wooden spoon until a thick, sticky dough forms.
- Gently fold in the holiday sprinkles with a spatula until evenly distributed. Avoid overmixing to prevent color bleeding.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. This firms up the dough for easier handling.
- Scoop dough into 1½-inch balls (about 2 tablespoons each). Roll each ball thoroughly in powdered sugar until well coated.
- Place dough balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10–12 minutes, until edges are set but centers remain soft. Do not overbake.
- Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
These Christmas gooey butter cookies are the ultimate easy holiday treat that delivers on both flavor and festive appearance. With their soft, chewy, gooey texture, beautiful crackled powdered sugar coating, and cheerful sprinkles, they’re guaranteed to disappear quickly at any gathering. The cake mix shortcut makes them perfect for busy holiday schedules, while the cream cheese ensures that signature melt-in-your-mouth texture everyone loves. Make a batch today and watch them become your new go-to Christmas cookie!