Christmas Ooey Gooey Butter Cookies are soft, buttery holiday cookies with rich cream cheese centers, festive red and green sprinkles, and a snowy powdered sugar coating. They’re slightly crisp around the edges while the middle stays wonderfully soft and almost melt-in-your-mouth.
These cookies start with a boxed yellow cake mix, which makes them especially easy during the busy holiday season. Cream cheese and butter transform that simple shortcut into a thick, rich cookie dough with the signature gooey texture these cookies are known for.
These cookies look festive without requiring frosting, piping bags, or complicated decorating. Red and green sprinkles and powdered sugar do all the work for you.
The dough is also incredibly easy to prepare. Cake mix provides the dry base, while cream cheese, butter, and egg create that characteristic soft texture. Chilling the dough before shaping makes the sticky mixture much easier to handle.
They’re also a great make-ahead Christmas cookie. Prepare the dough ahead or bake a batch for holiday trays and gifting.
The Christmas sprinkles add plenty of color without requiring any decorating afterward. Once the dough balls are rolled generously in powdered sugar, they develop pretty little cracks as they bake.
They’re perfect for Christmas cookie trays, exchanges, homemade gift boxes, or simply keeping around the house during December. Just be careful not to overbake them—the soft center is the best part.
Ingredients You’ll Need
You’ll need a handful of simple holiday baking ingredients:
- Yellow cake mix
- Cream cheese
- Unsalted butter
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- Christmas sprinkles
- Powdered sugar
How To Make Christmas Ooey Gooey Butter Cookies
Step 1: Add the softened cream cheese and butter to a large mixing bowl. Beat until smooth and creamy with no obvious lumps of cream cheese remaining.
Step 2: Add the egg and vanilla extract. Continue beating until everything is thoroughly combined.
Step 3: Add the yellow cake mix and mix until a thick, sticky cookie dough forms.
Step 4: Gently fold in the Christmas sprinkles, mixing only enough to distribute them evenly without causing their colors to bleed into the dough.
Step 5: Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Chilling firms the butter and cream cheese and makes the sticky dough considerably easier to roll.
Step 6: Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Step 7: Scoop the chilled dough and roll it into approximately 1½-inch balls.
Step 8: Place the powdered sugar in a shallow bowl. Roll each cookie dough ball generously in the sugar until completely coated.
Step 9: Arrange the cookies about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the edges look set but the centers remain noticeably soft. This short bake helps preserve their gooey texture.
Step 10: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a wire rack.
Christmas Ooey Gooey Butter Cookie Variations
White Cake Mix Cookies
Replace the yellow cake mix with white cake mix for a lighter-colored cookie that makes the Christmas sprinkles stand out even more.
Red Velvet Gooey Butter Cookies
Use red velvet cake mix for a deep red Christmas variation with the same soft cream cheese texture.
Almond Christmas Cookies
Add a small amount of almond extract alongside the vanilla for a bakery-style holiday flavor.
Extra-Sprinkle Cookies
Press a few additional Christmas sprinkles gently onto the dough balls before baking for more visible red and green color.
Snowy Gooey Butter Cookies
Leave out the sprinkles and coat the dough especially generously in powdered sugar for simple snowball-inspired Christmas cookies.
Storing Christmas Ooey Gooey Butter Cookies
Let the cookies cool completely before transferring them to an airtight container. Keep them well covered so their soft centers don’t dry out.
For longer storage, freeze the cooled cookies with parchment between the layers. Let them thaw at room temperature before serving.
Why Are These Cookies Called Ooey Gooey?
Cream cheese, butter, and the short baking time create an especially soft, rich center. They’re meant to stay much softer than a traditional crisp sugar cookie.
Why Does The Dough Need To Chill?
The dough is naturally sticky because of the cream cheese and butter. Chilling for at least 30 minutes makes shaping much easier and helps control spreading during baking.
What Kind Of Sprinkles Should I Use?
Red and green jimmies work particularly well. Their colors tend to stay distinct in the dough rather than bleeding as easily as some smaller sprinkles.
How Do I Know The Cookies Are Done?
Look at the edges rather than waiting for the centers to appear completely baked. The edges should be set while the centers still look soft.
Can I Use White Cake Mix?
Absolutely. Both yellow and white cake mix work well for Christmas gooey butter cookies.
Can I Freeze These Cookies?
Yes. Once completely cooled, they can be frozen in an airtight container with parchment between the layers.
What To Serve With Christmas Ooey Gooey Butter Cookies
- Hot chocolate: The creamy chocolate drink pairs perfectly with these rich, buttery Christmas cookies.
- Cold milk: A simple glass of milk balances the sweet powdered sugar and cream cheese cookie base.
- Hot coffee: Coffee adds a slightly bitter contrast to the buttery, sweet cookies.
- Fresh strawberries: Their slightly tart flavor gives you something fresh alongside the rich cookies.
- Christmas cookie platter: Add them alongside shortbread, chocolate cookies, gingerbread, and other holiday favorites.
- Vanilla ice cream: A warm or room-temperature cookie alongside a small scoop makes an easy holiday dessert.
Don’t wait for these cookies to become deeply golden before removing them from the oven. The centers are supposed to remain soft, and overbaking takes away the signature gooey texture.
And be generous with the powdered sugar coating. A thick coating helps create those pretty white crinkles across the surface as the cookies spread and bake.
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