These are the best ooey gooey butter cookies from an old family recipe!
I’m a St. Louis girl, born and raised. I love to bake…a lot, so this means I know all about Gooey Butter Cakes, a St. Louis baking tradition, right? Awhile back I shared a Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake Recipe and my Reese’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Gooey Butter Cake. Now it’s time for the trifecta… the best gooey butter cookie recipe!
And the story…
Well the old story goes that gooey butter cake was created in the 1930s by a baker who was trying to make cake batter and accidentally reversed the proportions of sugar and flour. Well now it seems that any STL family has a gooey butter cookie recipe of their own, including mine.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup softened butter
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1 egg
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 yellow cake mix box
- 1 cup of powdered sugar
Directions:
Combine butter, cream cheese, egg and vanilla in a bowl and use mixer until light and fluffy.
Stir in the dry cake mix until the dough becomes thick but smooth.
Pour powdered sugar into a separate bowl, set aside.
Scoop a spoonful of the cookie dough and roll into a ball, then dip in the powdered sugar until fully covered. If you want easier dough to work with for rolling, chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Place cookie balls on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.
Then get ready to enjoy the most delicious gooey butter cookies you’ll ever eat.
Seriously.
These cookies stay super light and fluffy and have a sweet vanilla taste.
Absolutely delicious!
ALSO CHECK OUT THE PEPPERMINT MOCHA VERSION!
Hope you enjoy!
Gooey Butter Cookie Recipe
Gooey Butter Cookie's are absolutely delicious! These cookies stay super light and fluffy and have a sweet vanilla taste.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup softened butter
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1 egg
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
-
Combine butter, cream cheese, egg and vanilla in a bowl and use mixer until light and fluffy.
-
Stir in the dry cake mix until the dough becomes thick but smooth.
-
Pour powdered sugar into a separate bowl, set aside.
-
Scoop a spoonful of the cookie dough and roll into a ball, then dip in the powdered sugar until fully covered. Tip - If you want easier dough to work with for rolling, chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes
-
Place cookie balls on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.
Don’t forget to check out my Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake
and my Reese’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Gooey Butter Cake recipes!
Judy I, St. Louis MO says
Oh yum! Gotta try these. I made your Reese’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Gooey Butter Cake for my husband’s lodge and I almost didn’t have to wash the pan – they really cleaned it up.
howtonestforless says
Hah! That is still my absolute favorite dessert. I’m actually making it this weekend for my parents’ birthday party!
Alexandra says
Made these a few times and they are always a hit! I’m a KC native and made them for the super bowl and used half red and half regular dough and they turned out so festive and cute for the Chiefs!
Angie says
Well then, I have to ask, where did you go to high school?
howtonestforless says
hah! I went to JFK!
Maggy says
This looks so yummy! I definetly have to try this!
Taylor says
About how many cookies will this recipe make?
howtonestforless says
Depends on the size of the cookies. I made about 3 dozen small cookies.
Tara says
Do these cookies freeze well?
howtonestforless says
I’m not quite sure. We always eat them all right out of the oven!
Debbie says
How many cookies does this recipe make? I need 5 dozen for a cookie swap so I need to know how many batches to make! Thanks!
howtonestforless says
Large cookies I would make 3 batches. Small or medium you only need 2!
stephanie says
Omg these cookies are amazing,I took them to work and everybody loved them thank you so much your awsome
howtonestforless says
WHOO HOO! Makes me so happy 😉
Lauren says
I moved away from St. Louis a while ago and was doing a search for gooey buyer cake recipes and came across yours. The recipe is so so so easy that I have it a try and oh my goodness!!! They are addictively good!! My husband and myself ate all of them in one day and today he asked if I had the ingredients to make another batch lol if only I had his metabolism 😉
Thank you for giving me a taste of home 🙂 (I followed your recipe to a ‘T’ and couldn’t have asked for a better result)
Lauren says
Boo for autocorrect: I meant * butter * and * gave * 🙁
Dawn Wray says
Do they need to be refrigerated?
howtonestforless says
Nope!
Morgan says
My mother has always made these cookies, just without the powdered sugar. She also just refrigerates the whole batter rather than rolling them first. This is the first time I rolled them in the powdered sugar and refrigerated them pre-rolled. Cuts down on the refrigerator time, and, if possible, deliciousness. I have a large family of 9, and they were gone instantly. Before marrying into a large family, my mother and I would experiment with different types of cake mix, the mixes that worked the best were red velvet (we did them macaroon style, with homemade cream cheese frosting) and carrot cake. The carrot cake ones weren’t as appealing, but they were GOOD.
Irene says
Can add all the ingredient s and then freeze them for later?
howtonestforless says
Yes you can! Just don’t roll and cover in powdered sugar.
Amanda says
These cookies are so good! I made them last year for my family and will be making them again to bring to a cookie party.
howtonestforless says
Awesome! Great idea for a cookie exchange too.
monica says
Can I add choc chips to this recipe
howtonestforless says
Sure! Might even be doubley delicious if you use chocolate cake mix!
Beth says
Do you need to grease (or spray) the baking sheet?
howtonestforless says
Nope!
Lola says
I just made these half an hour ago, exactly as the recipe, and they stuck to the pan like glue. I figured with real butter, cream cheese, and non stick pan, that would be enough fat to keep it from sticking, but I’d recommend using parchment paper or spraying your pan first, as these came out more cake like than cookie texture.
[email protected] says
Instead of rolling in powdered sugar, can I used colored regular sugars to create different colors ?
THANKS !
Kelly Brannan says
Wow – these are DELICIOUS!! I just made a batch, and even my non-sweet tooth husband is impressed. He ate 3, which is not something he does with cookies, so you know they are good! And my 7 year old, who didn’t want me to make them at all (“a BUTTER cookie??”) is raving about them and had to be cut off. 😉 Definitely putting this recipe in my recipe box, and will be making again soon! 🙂
howtonestforless says
YAY!!! So glad to hear your family loved them!!
Laura says
These cookies are amazing! I just made them and they came I perfect. Thanks for sharing.
Laura says
* out perfect….
howtonestforless says
Glad you liked them!
Carolyn says
Do they need to be brown on the bottom just 12 minutes only and remove
howtonestforless says
No need for brown bottoms!
rainelle says
I tried this cookie but they burned on the bottom on 12 min and where not done in the middle . What went wrong?
howtonestforless says
Eek, not quite sure. DO you have to adjust your oven for other recipes? Unfortunately {for your oven} other people seem to be doing ok with the cookie recipe.
Armando Luna says
Made these for my family became a great hit now my family more. Really Tnks. Gr8 family memory
howtonestforless says
Glad you loved them!
jelli says
GENIUS! Love the idea and I have a cake mix just waiting in the pantry to be made into these. Can’t wait to try it. Thanks so much, Erin!
howtonestforless says
You’re welcome 🙂
Kaaren says
I’ve made this cookies under a different name, ” Death by Butter” ! Awesome…we’ve added zest of oranges or lemons that enhanced the goodness even more…melt in your mouth.
howtonestforless says
Ooh, the zest sounds delicious!
Stacy says
can I use white cake mix. It’s what I happen to have
howtonestforless says
Sure! You can make them in any flavor of cake mix!
FRANCINE says
These cookies had the taste of cake mix. No show for me.
Kylie says
I made mine with a spice cake mix and added cinnamon to the preferred sugar 🙂
howtonestforless says
YUM!!!
Tiffany says
These look so good. I love Gooey Butter Cake, so I’m sure these are delicious. Will give this recipe a try this weekend!
howtonestforless says
You’ll love it 😉
chefmommy says
My daughter and i just finished making them . Wow the kids cant stop eating them. They were great. I have to go out and buy more milk tomorrow 🙂
howtonestforless says
Hah! Glad you guys love them!! We like to try different cake mixes too, especially the seasonal ones!
Jen M. says
I chilled the batter but it is so sticky I can hardly work with it. Any suggestions?
howtonestforless says
It will be super sticky even if you don’t chill the batter. Once you dip in powdered sugar you can re-roll since it will be easier to work with!
Jeannie Olson says
I made these as part of my Christmas cookie gift baskets for work…my boss asked me what these little yellow pillows of awesome were…as he pointed to the Gooey Butter Cookie! HUGE hit.
howtonestforless says
HAHA! Totally made my day 😉
Jamie says
I had ooey gooey butter bars YEARS (I’m talking like 18+ years) ago from a family friend (who gave me the recipe and it has these exact ingredients!) who used to make them for parties. We lived in KY at the time and they had just moved from SC…wonder where the recipe came from?!
Excited to try out a cookie version!
howtonestforless says
Very weird! You should try out the gooey butter cakes as well! Since these were invented in St. Louis I’m pretty sure she stole it from us 😉
Madiphina says
Hello Erin, I want to try this recipe but unfortunately I can’t buy yellow cake mix box. I’m in the FWI, we don’t have that. Can you tell me how to replace it?
Thank you
howtonestforless says
You can use ANY flavor!! I make chocolate and strawberry all the time.
Maritza says
Has you or anyone else tried this with a gluten free cake mix?? Wondering how the texture will turn out. Those mixes are around $4 to $5 dollars so it could be a pricey experiment! 🙂
Jenny says
I made this delicious recipe for my brother-in-law’s birthday! They loved them! I just made them again and used lemon cake mix instead this time and they turn out delicious, too!! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Virginia says
How are these like the cake whIch is a yeast bread with a gooey topping? This seems more to be a cookie version of a Paula Deen knockoff but it’s nothing close to the traditional gooey butter cake.
howtonestforless says
It has the taste of gooey butter because of the yellow cake mix. And it’s a dang cookie. Just let loose and enjoy it!
Fimy says
hey silly question! Can i use all purpose flour instead of cake mix?
howtonestforless says
No. It needs to be a cake mix.
Sicilia says
Hi! I made this recipe by replacing the cake mix with this substitute that I found online:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 cup non-fat dry milk (I actually used whole fat one because that’s what I have in stock)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
It’s more measuring, but it turned out great!
Jessica Burgess - Fantabulosity says
Ahhhh! I am so tickled that I have found you! I did just leave a post on your FB page, but I wanted to drop a note here too! We totally have to become friends, since we are both bloggers and from the St. Louis area! XO 😉
Kristin says
I made these this way and I’m trying it with lemon cake!!
Cathy says
My husband and son LOVE gooey butter cake. It is the first thing my son gets when he flies in from Colorado. I wasn’t convinced it could be duplicated in a cookie, but this cookie nailed the flavor. The texture is different, but by the 2nd cookie no one cared. Excellent cookie. A++ And very easy.
If you are from St. Louis and like gooey butter cake, Make This Cookie!
Cathy (Ritenour) <— where I went to HS, haha.
howtonestforless says
Hah Cathy! Love the HS reference 😉
Lindsay says
I can count on one hand the amount of times I’ve returned to a website after making a recipe just to say THANK YOU! Made these for a bbq at a friends house and they just flew off the plate. I dusted mine with powdered sugar on the serving dish just for a little extra appeal. Making another batch now with carrot cake mix like another commenter suggested. Awesome recipe!!!
howtonestforless says
Well thank you Lindsay! So glad you enjoyed them!! They’re always a HUGE HIT at our family gatherings 🙂
Emily says
I just made these today. I am sending them with my boyfriend to his mom, so it was really important for them to turn out perfect, and they did! I think next time I make them I will try them with whipped cream cheese and pile on more powdered sugar. This time I ended up sprinkling extra on top after I baked them, just to add a little more.
howtonestforless says
So glad they turned out well!
Dami says
Can’t have cream cheese, think they’ll work with mascarpone or sour cream?
howtonestforless says
No, I dont think it will taste the same. Sorry!
Dami says
Aw, darn. Looks like a great cookie, but cream cheese really dislikes me. 🙁 Thanks for the response.
Penny says
I made the batter for these cookies last night and then rolled them this morning and baked them. I used Devils Food cake. They were awesome! Thanks for the recipe Erin. I love fool proof recipes! Now I don’t know which cake flavor to use next….so many ideas…lol. I may drizzle frosting on the next batch or add some mini chips. I love SWEETS! They didn’t last long at work.
howtonestforless says
Right?! SO MANY OPTIONS!!! Glad you loved them 😉
Paula says
Do you happen to know how long these will last once baked? I need to make a ton of them for a wedding and am hoping for a week (they are so good they have never lasted more than a day in my house!). Not sure I want to try freezing but what about refrigerated?
Thanks,
Btw: Parkway North
howtonestforless says
Yes, they seem to last for about 1 week just fine. I would refrigerate instead of freeze if needed.
Luna says
Hi! These look absolutely fab, but as I live very much outside the US we don’t have yellow cake mix, or any cake mixes, in boxes so would it work just to substitute it with basic flour and baking soda or something? I’m assuming the cake mixes are self rising flours… 😀
Thank you in advance for an answer!
howtonestforless says
Yes, I would assume it works perfectly with self-rising flour, etc!
Kelsey says
Can the dough be frozen for a week before baked?
howtonestforless says
Yes!
Tania Burton says
I made these cookies for dinner tonight and I must say that they are oowey, goowey, delicious????
howtonestforless says
Glad you liked them 😉
Laura says
What a fabulous recipe!
Thank you for sharing it at Thiughts of Home.
We are so glad you are here.
Megan says
These look amazing! Thank you for sharing at Merry Monday!
Jemma says
Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe with us at TOHOT-a cookie with cream cheese, is my kind of cookie!
Tai says
Hello, quick question! Have you ever used the butter cake mix with this recipe? Would that be too much “butter”?
howtonestforless says
I haven’t tried it before. Let me know how it turns out if you try it!
bobbie connolly says
Love these gooey butter cookies, always make a lot of cookies to give away for the holidays, could you please tell me if they can be baked and then frozen for a couple of weeks. I do that with other cookies that are rolled in powered sugar, I’m wondering about the cream cheese. Thank you for the help.
howtonestforless says
Yes, they can be frozen!
Libby says
Can you add chocolate chips to this recipe? Maybe mini chips
howtonestforless says
I make a peanut butter gooey butter cake with chocolate. Might not be too bad… but I would probably prefer without!
Tara says
These were so,so good. I am constantly making them for my husband who has to have soft cookies. As a matter of fact, he will only eat cookies that are made from cake mix. Endless possibilities
Thanks
Tara
Kim says
These cookies are delicious. They’re suppose to have a cake like consistency, correct? Fluffy and soft like muffin tops or are they suppose to have a little crunch to them? Mine came out fluffy and soft like muffin tops.. so good.. just making sure I used a small cookie scoop. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
David V says
I’ve made these several times. Always a hit. Tonight I made 2 batches, one I used a lemon cake mix and skipped the vanilla and used the zest and juice of 1 lemon. The other batch I used a spice cake mix also skipping the vanilla as well as the powdered sugar. Both batches came out great.
Jeanne says
Ok – so I just made 2 batches for my Christmas Cookie Trays – I packed them in an airtight container & put in freezing cold attic. I will let you know if they keep in the cold for a week. Fingers crossed- they are sooooooo good!
Debbie W. says
I followed the recipe but used lemon cake and my family gobbled them uo. They were awesone. Thanks for the recipe
howtonestforless says
Glad they loved them!!
Kimberly Ziesemer says
Made these tonight using chocolate cake mix, had a little bit of chocolate chips so I put about four or five in center of cookie and wrapped cookie dough around them when finished baking had to try a couple very good. I have made the gooey cake for years, my favorite. Had never heard of the gooey cookies until last week, this has become my favorite cookie. Can not wait to try it in lemon. Thank you for posting this recipe.
Village Bakery says
I made these for my wife’s birthday and she loved them. That means I love you. Thank you!
Honk says
These cookies and cakes look really good. Too bad we can’t print them out. Oh well.
Annette Gieseker says
My cookies turned out very flat – not rounded like they should look. They flattened out after cooling. Any advice? Thank you!
Ashley says
Love these cookies! Family really enjoyed the cake-like cookie.
Ashley says
So, you used salted butter?
Raul says
I made these for Christmas this year and they were a big hit. I balled them up and then froze them prior to rolling them in powdered sugar. When I baked them, I just rolled them in powdered sugar, and threw them right in the oven. So easy and my family loved them.