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Ooey Gooey Butter Cookies Recipe (aka Cake Mix Cookies)

Ooey gooey butter cookies recipe - you'll never guess that these delicious cookies come from a yellow cake mix! Make these St. Louis quick and easy cake mix cookies from scratch for Christmas cookie exchanges and school celebrations. #ooey #gooey #butter #cookies #recipe #cake #mix #easy #yellow #christmas #scratch

This Christmas ooey gooey butter cookies recipe (also known as ‘cake mix cookies recipe’) is courtesy of my friend Debbie who makes these yummies for her annual Christmas party. Debbie is from St. Louis where gooey butter cake is a local staple, and this gooey butter cookie recipe is meant to pay homage to that cake, albeit with about 10 fewer steps.

Now I’ve never tasted ooey gooey butter cake but it’s clear that if it tastes anything like this gooey butter cookie recipe then I would love it. The gooey butter cookie inside is indeed gooey — soft, moist, addicting, with a flavor unlike any other regular cookie that you’d find on a holiday cookie exchange table.

See also: ‘Easy DIY cookie packaging in 5 minutes’ »

Easy cake mix cookies recipe

The secret to this ooey gooey butter cookie recipe is cake mix. Yeah, a box of yellow cake mix. I was kind of floored when I read Debbie’s email and saw that cake mix is the main ingredient. Clearly, that’s why many call these cake mix cookies. But scoff if you will – you would never guess after you take a bite that these cookies are made using cake mix.

And you can even use a box of gluten-free yellow cake mix to bake your own gluten-free Christmas cookies. How cool is that?

Ooey gooey butter cookies recipe - you'll never guess that these delicious cookies come from a yellow cake mix! Make these St. Louis quick and easy cake mix cookies from scratch for Christmas cookie exchanges and school celebrations. #ooey #gooey #butter #cookies #recipe #cake #mix #easy #yellow #christmas #scratch

The only downside is that ooey gooey butter cookies look a little bit plain on the outside compared with all of the va-va-voom Christmas cookies out there. But sometimes something plain on the outside hides something truly unique on the inside, yes?

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Gooey Butter Cookies Recipe Ingredients

  • 1 (18.5-ounce) package of yellow cake mix or experiment with other cake mix flavors such as lemon (make sure the boxed cake mix is 18.5 oz – see my note below if your mix is only 15.25-16.25 ounces. If you’d like to make gluten-free cookies, you can buy this gluten-free yellow cake mix.)
  • 1 (8-ounce) package of full-fat cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (do not use margarine)
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

What if I cannot find an 18.5 oz package of cake mix?

Isn’t it sneaky how manufacturers have quietly reduced the cake box ounces from 18.5 ounces to 15.25-16.25 ounces for the same or higher price? So there are a couple of ways to adjust this recipe if you cannot find 18.5 oz cake mix boxes. What I do is buy two cake mixes and then measure out the extra ounces using my food scale, then I keep the rest in the bag/box for my next cookie baking day. Alternatively, I found this article that talks about other methods too, including substituting 5-6 tablespoons of flour.

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Supplies for making my ooey gooey butter cookies recipe

  • KitchenAid stand mixer (recommended)
  • Spatula
  • Measuring spoons and scoops
  • Measuring scoops
  • Cookie scooper or small ice cream scooper
  • Silipat liner (recommended)
  • Cookie sheets
  • Wire cooling rack


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How to make ooey gooey butter cookies (cake mix cookies)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In your KitchenAid stand mixer (or medium-sized bowl), cream together the softened cream cheese and butter. Add the egg and vanilla and stir. Slowly add the yellow cake mix (or gluten-free yellow cake mix) in batches, and stir until well blended. You may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again.

One dough is made, put in the fridge for 1-2 hours. This will make it easier to work with because ooey gooey butter cookie dough can be sticky. In the meantime, pour the confectioner’s sugar into a shallow bowl. Now you’re ready to scoop. Scoop up the ooey gooey butter cookie dough in your small ice cream scooper…

Scooping cookie dough with an ice cream scooper

…and plop it in your bowl of confectioner’s sugar. Coat the ooey gooey butter cookie dough ball with the powdered sugar. They will no longer be sticky.

Rolling ooey gooey butter cookies in powdered sugar

Roll the confectioner’s sugar-covered ooey gooey butter cookie dough balls in the palms of your hands to make them a bit more round. Place on a silipat-covered cookie sheet about 1 inch apart (or use an ungreased cookie sheet). They will not spread very much while baking.

How far to space ooey gooey butter cookies on a cookie sheet

Bake for 10 to 13 minutes. BE CAREFUL TO NOT OVERCOOK! You want them to be gooey in the middle. Experiment with a couple in a trial batch and adjust the baking time to your oven. I also recommend sliding the Silipat off of the hot cookie sheet, letting the cookies cool for about 5 minutes on the Silipat, and then moving them onto wire racks to fully cool. Ooh, so gooey!

Ooey gooey butter cookies recipe - you'll never guess that these delicious cookies come from a yellow cake mix! Make these St. Louis quick and easy cake mix cookies from scratch for Christmas cookie exchanges and school celebrations. #ooey #gooey #butter #cookies #recipe #cake #mix #easy #yellow #christmas #scratch

Ooey Gooey Butter Cookies Recipe (aka Cake Mix Cookies)

Debbie Hawickhorst
Ooey gooey cookies, also known as cake mix cookies, take just a handful of ingredients and taste fancy. They will never guess that these cookies come from a box of yellow cake mix!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 13 minutes
Total Time 28 minutes
Course Cookies
Cuisine Baking

Ingredients
  

  • 1 18.5 ounce package yellow cake mix (make sure the boxed cake mix is 18.5 oz - see my note below - also you can buy gluten free yellow cake mix to make this recipe gluten free or experiment with other cake mix flavors such as lemon)
  • 1 8 ounce package full-fat cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened (do not use margarine)
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
  • What if I cannot find a 18.5 oz package cake mix? Isn’t it sneaky how manufactures have quietly reduced the cake box ounces from 18.5 ounces to 15.25-16.25 ounces for the same or higher price? So there are a couple of ways to adjust this recipe if you cannot find 18.5 oz cake mix boxes. What I do is buy two cake mixes and then measure out the extra ounces using my food scale then I keep the rest in the bag/box for my next cookie baking day. Alternatively add 5-6 tablespoons of flour.

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  • In your KitchenAid stand mixer (or medium sized bowl), cream together the softenened cream cheese and butter.
  • Add the egg and vanilla and stir.
  • Slowly add the yellow cake mix (or gluten-free yellow cake mix) in batches, and stir until well blended. You may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again.
  • Put in fridge for 1-2 hours. In the meantime, pour the confectioner's sugar into a shallow bowl.
  • Scoop up the ooey gooey butter cookie dough and coat in confectioner's sugar. Roll in the palms of your hands to make them a bit more round.
  • Place on a silipat-covered cookie sheet about 1 inch apart. They will not spread very much while baking.
  • Bake for 10 to 13 minutes. BE CAREFUL TO NOT OVERCOOK! You want them to be gooey in the middle. Experiment with a couple in a trial batch and adjust baking time to your oven. I also recommend sliding the Silipat off of the hot cookie sheet, letting the cookies cool about 5 minutes on the Silipat, and then moving them onto wire racks to fully cool.

 

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Pin this ooey gooey butter cookies recipe for later (also called cake mix cookies)

Ooey gooey butter cookies recipe - cake mix cookies

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Recipe Rating




Stephanie

Tuesday 18th of December 2018

I made these last Christmas and they are absolutely amazing! They were such a hit, everyone LOVED THEM! I am just about to start a batch, for this year’s festivities! Thank you so very much, for sharing this delicious and deceptively easy recipe! Everyone will think you slaved away, for hours, on these tasty, buttery, ooey-gooey delicious powdered gems!

Kathy

Tuesday 18th of December 2018

Hi Stephanie, I'm so glad that you like this recipe! Yes, it is so easy and tastes oh so good. I love that they're becoming a part of your Christmas traditions. Thanks so much for commenting - makes my day. Merry Christmas!!

Joanne Mcgowan

Sunday 24th of July 2016

Your recipe says to use an 18.25 ounce cake mix. The Betty Crocker cake mixes are only 15.25 -16.25 ounces. How do I adjust this recipe?

Kathy Beymer

Monday 25th of July 2016

Hi Joanne! Isn't it sneaky how manufactures have quietly reduced the cake box ounces from 18.25 ounces to 15.25-16.25 ounces for the same or higher price? So there are a couple of ways to adjust. What I do is buy two cake mixes and then measure out the extra ounces using my food scale, then I keep the rest in the bag/box for my next cookie baking day. Alternatively I found an article that talks about other methods too, including substituting 5-6 tablespoons of flour. I will take a deeper look at it and update my recipe but in the meantime this article should help: http://rosebakes.com/smaller-cake-mixes-how-to-adjust-recipe-recipes-fix/ Happy baking!

Joan

Friday 18th of December 2015

WHY IS THERE NO PRINT OPTION?

Kathy Beymer

Saturday 19th of December 2015

Hi Joan, I'm sorry that I don't have a print option yet. Maybe in my next Wordpress template this spring. I hope you enjoy the cookies! They're so yummy.

MuppetMom

Tuesday 14th of January 2014

I tried these over the Christmas 2013 holidays and they were awesome. They were so light and fluffy, kind of like a Tea Cake. I served them to my 5 yr old with hot cocoa on Christmas Eve. Perfect!! Since then I have remade them with a Spice cake, a Chocolate cake and a Lemon cake. The chocolate was good, a little more moist than the other flavors. However, the Spice and Lemon are the most phenominal! The Spice cake takes you back to elementary school and Spice cake day at lunch time.. The Lemon flavor is like a perfect spring kiss. I now make these once a week amd my kids (and husband) love them. And I continue to look for new flavors!

Kathy Beymer

Wednesday 15th of January 2014

This is so amazing! It's like you are your own test kitchen :) I want to try Lemon flavor now ...I have a weakness for lemon. Thanks so much for sharing and please let me know what else you come up with!

renée

Tuesday 13th of December 2011

i wish i was eating these right now! they look so good! you had me at... gooey butter.