Description
Festive Christmas gooey butter cookies bring pure holiday magic to your dessert table. Rich, creamy, and dusted with powdered sugar, these treats promise delightful moments of sweet celebration you’ll cherish with family and friends.
Ingredients
Scale
Primary Ingredients:
- 1 box (15.25 ounces / 432 grams) yellow cake mix
- 1 (8 ounces / 226 grams) package cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, softened
Binding Ingredients:
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Finishing Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup (60 grams) powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup (45 grams) holiday sprinkles (red and green, optional)
Instructions
- Gather all ingredients and equipment, ensuring cream cheese and butter are at room temperature for optimal mixing consistency.
- Combine cream cheese and butter in a spacious mixing bowl, whipping until achieving a velvety, homogeneous texture using an electric mixer on medium speed.
- Introduce egg and vanilla extract to the creamy base, blending thoroughly until ingredients are completely integrated.
- Gradually incorporate cake mix into the wet mixture, stirring carefully to prevent lumps and create a uniform, slightly tacky dough.
- Gently fold holiday sprinkles into the dough, distributing them evenly throughout the mixture for festive visual appeal.
- Prepare a shallow dish with powdered sugar for coating the cookies.
- Use a tablespoon or cookie scoop to portion the dough, then roll each portion between palms to create uniform spheres.
- Completely enrobe each dough ball in powdered sugar, ensuring a generous, even coating that will create a delicate exterior.
- Arrange sugar-coated dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them approximately two inches apart to allow room for slight spreading.
- Position the baking sheet in a preheated oven set to 350°F and bake for 10-12 minutes, watching for characteristic crinkled tops and set edges.
- Remove cookies when they appear slightly underbaked in the center, as they will continue firming while cooling.
- Let cookies rest on the baking sheet for several minutes to stabilize, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to reach room temperature.
- Serve and enjoy these luxuriously soft, melt-in-your-mouth holiday treats.
Notes
- Swap cake mix for gluten-free alternatives to accommodate dietary restrictions, ensuring everyone can enjoy these festive treats.
- Chill the dough for 30 minutes before rolling to prevent excessive spreading and create more uniform, picture-perfect cookies.
- Experiment with different holiday sprinkle colors or add crushed peppermint for a festive twist that elevates the classic recipe.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, separating layers with parchment paper to maintain their soft, gooey texture.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 145
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 17 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg