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Gooey Butter Cookies are the soft, sweet, melt-in-your-mouth cookies that start with a boxed cake mix, and this spiced version tastes just like fall in one bite. Cream cheese keeps them impossibly gooey, a spice cake mix does all the flavor work, and a roll in powdered sugar gives them that pretty crackled top. I whip these up on a chilly afternoon when I want something cozy fast, and they disappear before they even cool. If you love an easy cookie, our cream cheese cookies are another must-try.
With just six ingredients and no chilling required, these are about as easy as homemade cookies get.
Gooey Butter Cookies Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 5 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 11 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 16 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 24 cookies
- ⚡ Calories: 158kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Soft, gooey, and buttery with warm cinnamon spice and a sweet powdered sugar coating
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, as simple as our soft frosted Lofthouse cookies
Quick Answer
Gooey Butter Cookies start with a boxed cake mix and cream cheese. You cream together cream cheese, butter, egg, and vanilla, then mix in a spice cake mix to form a soft dough. Roll the dough into balls, coat them in powdered sugar, and bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 11 minutes until the bottoms are lightly browned. The cream cheese keeps them soft and gooey in the center.
Jump to:
- Gooey Butter Cookies Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Gooey Butter Cookies
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Gooey Butter Cookies FAQs
- Other Recommended Easy Cookie Recipes
- Spiced Gooey Butter Cookies
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- The cake mix does the work. A boxed spice cake mix means all the flavor and leavening are built in, so the dough comes together in minutes.
- Cream cheese keeps them gooey. It adds richness and moisture, giving these cookies their signature soft, gooey center.
- Only six ingredients. Everything is a pantry or fridge staple, and there is no long list to shop for.
- No chilling required. The dough is ready to scoop and bake right away, so you can have warm cookies fast.
- That pretty crackled top. Rolling the dough balls in powdered sugar gives them the classic crinkle-cookie look.
- Easy to flavor any way you like. Swap the cake mix for any flavor and you have a brand new cookie with the same foolproof method.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They start with a boxed cake mix, so they are ready in under 30 minutes with just six ingredients.
- Cream cheese makes them soft, rich, and gooey in the middle every single time.
- They are as easy as our cream cheese chocolate chip cookies, with no chilling needed.
Key Ingredients
Just six simple ingredients make these gooey butter cookies come together in a flash.
- Cream cheese: The key to that soft, gooey texture. Make sure it is softened so it creams smoothly with the butter.
- Spice cake mix: A 15.25 ounce box does all the flavor work, bringing warm cinnamon and spice to every cookie.
- Butter: Softened butter adds richness and helps the dough come together. Unsalted lets you control the sweetness.
- Egg and vanilla: The egg binds everything and adds structure, while vanilla rounds out the flavor.
- Powdered sugar: Rolling the dough balls in powdered sugar creates the signature crackled, snowy top, just like our almond flour cookies.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
These gooey butter cookies are endlessly easy to change up.
- Swap the spice cake mix for yellow, chocolate, red velvet, lemon, or funfetti to make a whole new cookie.
- Add a handful of white chocolate chips, toffee bits, or chopped pecans to the dough.
- Stir a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice or extra cinnamon into the dough for even more warmth.
- Drizzle the cooled cookies with a simple glaze, the way we top our raspberry thumbprint cookies.
How to Make Gooey Butter Cookies
- In a large bowl, cream together the softened cream cheese, butter, egg, and vanilla until smooth.
- Add the spice cake mix to the creamed mixture.
- Mix until fully combined with no dry patches of cake mix remaining.
- Place the powdered sugar in a bowl. Using a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop, roll the dough into balls and roll each one in the powdered sugar to coat.
- Place the coated cookie dough balls 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 11 minutes until the bottoms are slightly browned. Cool for 5 minutes on the tray, then transfer to a wire rack.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Soften the cream cheese and butter fully so they cream together smoothly with no lumps.
- Use a cookie scoop for evenly sized cookies that bake at the same rate.
- Roll generously in powdered sugar so the tops crackle into that classic snowy look.
- Do not overbake, since these are meant to be soft and gooey. Pull them when the bottoms are just lightly browned.
- Let them rest on the tray for 5 minutes before moving, as they firm up as they cool.
- Store in an airtight container to keep them soft, and refresh the powdered sugar before serving if needed.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
These gooey butter cookies are perfect with a cold glass of milk or a hot mug of coffee. Their warm spice flavor makes them a natural fit for fall and holiday cookie trays.
Set them out on a dessert table next to our soft frosted Lofthouse cookies and chocolate dipped shortbread cookies for a pretty, varied spread.
For a bake-sale or party lineup, pair them with our white chocolate raspberry cookies so there is a flavor for everyone.
Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days, or freeze them for up to three months. They also make a sweet homemade gift, boxed up with a little parchment and a ribbon.
Gooey Butter Cookies FAQs
Gooey Butter Cookies are inspired by the classic St. Louis gooey butter cake. Like the cake, these cookies have a soft, gooey, buttery center thanks to the cream cheese in the dough. They deliver that same rich, melt-in-your-mouth texture in an easy, poppable cookie form.
Absolutely. This recipe works with any boxed cake mix, so you can swap the spice cake mix for yellow, chocolate, red velvet, lemon, funfetti, or strawberry. Each one makes a completely different flavor of gooey butter cookie using the exact same simple method.
No chilling is required for these cookies. The dough is soft but scoopable right after mixing, so you can roll, coat, and bake right away. If your kitchen is very warm and the dough feels too sticky to handle, a quick 15 minutes in the fridge makes it easier to roll.
Spreading usually happens when the butter or cream cheese is too warm, or if the dough balls are too large. Make sure your ingredients are softened but not melted, use a 1.5 tablespoon scoop for even cookies, and space them 2 inches apart. Baking on a cool tray also helps them hold their shape.
Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days. The cream cheese in the dough is baked in, so they do not need refrigeration for short-term storage. For longer storage, freeze the baked cookies for up to three months and thaw at room temperature before serving.
Yes. Roll the dough into balls, coat them in powdered sugar, and freeze them on a tray until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake straight from frozen, adding a minute or two to the bake time. This makes it easy to have fresh, warm cookies whenever you want them.
Made these Gooey Butter Cookies? I would love to hear how they turned out, leave a comment and a star rating below!
Spiced Gooey Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 15.25 ounce box spice cake mix
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line sheet trays with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, cream together the cream cheese, butter, egg, and vanilla until smooth.8 ounces cream cheese, ½ cup unsalted butter, 1 large egg, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add the cake mix.15.25 ounce box spice cake mix
- Mix cake mix in until combined with no dry patches.
- Place the powdered sugar in a bowl.1/2 cup powdered sugar
- Using a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop, roll the cookie dough into balls with your hands and roll it in the powdered sugar.
- Place the cookies, 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 10-11 minutes until the bottoms are slightly brown.
- Let cool for 5 minutes on the sheet tray. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Use Room Temperature Ingredients: This helps everything mix smoothly. Softened cream cheese and butter are easier to cream together.
- Don’t Overbake: Bake for 10-12 minutes for soft cookies. They might look slightly underdone, but they’ll set as they cool on the wire rack.
- Chill the Dough: If the dough is too sticky, chill it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. This makes it easier to roll into balls.
- Roll in Powdered Sugar: Gives the cookies a sweet, crackly exterior. You can also roll them in colorful sprinkles for a festive look.
- Line Baking Sheets: Use parchment paper or a lined baking sheet for easy cleanup and to prevent sticking.
- Cool Completely: Let cookies cool on a cooling rack for best results. This helps them set and keeps them from becoming too soft.
Nutrition
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