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Easy Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies (Melt-in-Your-Mouth Holiday Baking)

Two halves of a Christmas gooey butter cookie, dusted heavily with powdered sugar and topped with red and green sprinkles.
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Make these soft, chewy Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies using cake mix for simple preparation. They feature a signature gooey center and a festive powdered sugar coating, perfect for cookie exchanges and holiday trays.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 box (15.25 oz) yellow cake mix
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup powdered sugar, plus more for rolling
  • 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup red and green sprinkles (optional, for festive look)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the yellow cake mix, melted butter, 1 egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Mix until a soft dough forms.
  3. In a separate bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Add the second egg, the second teaspoon of vanilla extract, and 1 cup of powdered sugar. Beat until the mixture is creamy and well combined. This is your filling.
  4. Place about 1/4 cup of the cake mix dough into your hands and flatten it slightly. Place about 1 teaspoon of the cream cheese filling in the center of the dough.
  5. Carefully fold the edges of the dough around the filling, sealing it completely to form a ball. Roll the dough ball lightly in extra powdered sugar.
  6. If using sprinkles, gently press the top of the dough ball into the red and green sprinkles.
  7. Place the dough balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
  8. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. The edges will look set, but the centers should still look soft and slightly underdone for that gooey texture.
  9. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies will settle and become wonderfully soft as they cool.

Notes

  • For the best melt-in-your-mouth texture, do not overbake. The center should remain soft when you remove them from the oven.
  • If you skip the cake mix, you will need to adjust the dry ingredients to match the volume of the mix.
  • These cookies are excellent for Christmas cookie exchanges because they hold their shape well while remaining incredibly soft.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://cookincorner.com/christmas-gooey-butter-cookies/