Rich, gooey, buttery cookies that totally live up to their name – Homemade Gooey Butter Cookies are melt-in-your-mouth marvelous!
Oooey, gooey, soft and chewy, our 10-minute-made-from-scratch Gooey Butter Cookies are easy to make and bake! Created with pantry staples like flour, eggs, butter, sugar and vanilla (along with yummy cream cheese) this recipe gives you dozens of luscious cake cookies – a sprinkle of powdered sugar makes them absolutely spectacular!
Why We’re Not Using a Boxed Cake Mix
Traditionally, Gooey Butter Cake and Cookies are made with a boxed yellow or vanilla cake mix, which is fine. They’re fast and easy. But…this homemade version is FAR superior! The texture is softer, the taste is fuller, it’s not loaded with artificial ingredients, it uses pantry staples you already have, and it only takes an extra couple of minutes to mix up. Homemade wins, hands down!
Other Recipes that Combine Cake & Cream Cheese
- Carrot Cake Swiss Roll combines a homemade cake with a layer of cream cheese for a remarkably soft, rich roll cake you’ll love!
- Another super yummy cake & cream cheese combo is these Pumpkin Oatmeal Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting!
Ingredients
Dairy: Softened butter and cream cheese make these cookies rich and creamy, and the dough is easy to work with!
Dry Staples: Granulated sugar, salt, baking powder, and all-purpose flour make up the foundation of this delicious cookie!
Wet Staples: Eggs and vanilla extract finish up this flavorful cookie dough.
Sprinkle: We’re rolling the cookie dough balls in powdered sugar before baking to give them an irresistibly sweet finish.
How to Make Gooey Butter Cookies
STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Use a hand mixer to beat together the butter, cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a large mixing bowl until it’s smooth and creamy. Add the eggs and mix until they’re incorporated.
STEP TWO: In a second bowl, mix the flour and baking powder. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix at a low speed until just combined. The dough will be soft, so cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 60 minutes to firm it up and make it less sticky.
STEP THREE: After the dough firms up, remove it from the fridge and use a cookie scoop to make dough balls. Roll each ball in the powdered sugar, coating it completely.
STEP FOUR: Arrange on the baking sheet, leaving ample space between each cookie, as they will spread. I do about nine cookies per tray.
STEP FIVE: Bake for 8-11 minutes, depending on how cold the dough is. The cookies are done when the tops look set. Remove from the oven and allow to sit on the baking pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips for Success
- If you’re in a hurry, you don’t have to refrigerate the dough. Scoop into balls, coat with powdered sugar, and bake.
- Start this recipe with room temperature butter, cream cheese & eggs.
- Use a tall-sided bowl when dipping the cookie dough balls into powdered sugar, and use a spoon to coat all the sides and lift them out.
- The baking time can vary a couple of minutes depending on whether you bake right after mixing or chill the dough first.
- Gooey Butter Cookies take on new flavors with the addition of lemon zest, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, etc. Experiment and enjoy!
- The dough will keep (well covered) in the fridge for a couple of days, so you can make fresh, hot cookies 3 days in a row if you want!
What Are Gooey Butter Cookies?
Gooey Butter Cookies are an adaptation of Gooey Butter Cake, which originated by accident in St. Louis, Missouri, back in the 1930s when the baker accidentally reversed the amounts of butter and flour. The easy version of this dessert consists of a bottom layer, or crust, made with a boxed yellow cake mix, and a topping, or filling, of cream cheese, eggs, butter, and powdered sugar. It bakes up into a rich, sweet, gooey “cake” that’s absolutely irresistible!
Can You Freeze Gooey Butter Cookies?
Yes! You can freeze extra cookies (already baked) in an airtight container for 2-3 months. Thaw on the counter before eating. But even better, you can freeze Gooey Butter Cookie DOUGH and have fresh-baked cookies anytime you want! Follow the recipe to form cookie dough balls (do NOT roll them in the powdered sugar). Place dough balls onto a parchment-lined baking pan and freeze for 30 minutes, until firm. Put these frozen cookie dough balls into ziplock baggies in the amounts you want to bake at a later date. Freeze for up to 6 months! When you’re ready to bake, thaw, roll in powdered sugar, and bake!
Other Scrumptious Cake Mix Cookie Recipes!
- Cake Mix Thumbprint Cookies
- Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies
- Cake Mix Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Chewy Chocolate Cake Mix M&M Cookies
- Cake Mix Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Reese’s Pieces Cake Mix Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup powdered sugar for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Add the eggs and mix to combine.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the flour and baking powder. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. (see note)
- Add the powdered sugar to a high-sided bowl. Use a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop to portion the cookie dough. Drop each scoop directly into the powdered sugar and roll it around until it's coated. Place on the prepared baking sheet until there are 9 dough balls about 2 inches apart. (You'll need to work in batches.)
- Bake for 8-11 minutes or until the tops look set. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before transferring the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
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