These Easter Gooey Butter Cookies transform a classic St. Louis dessert into a festive spring treat that comes together in just 15 minutes. With a soft, melty center and a slightly crisp exterior coated in powdered sugar, these cookies deliver maximum flavor with minimal effort. No cake mix is needed for these made-from-scratch delights that yield 24 perfectly gooey cookies. Inspired by the famous Ooey Gooey Butter Cake, these cookies bring that same indulgent texture to your Easter celebration in bite-sized form.
Gooey Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 box yellow cake mix about 15.25 oz
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and cream cheese until smooth.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract, mixing until well combined.
- Gradually add the cake mix and stir until a soft dough forms.
- Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes for easier handling.
- Scoop tablespoon-sized portions of dough and roll them into balls.
- Roll each dough ball in powdered sugar until fully coated.
- Place the coated dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are set but the centers are still soft.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Customization: Use different cake mix flavors like chocolate or lemon for a unique twist.
- Freezing Tip: Freeze unbaked dough balls for up to 3 months and bake as needed.
Nutrition
The Magic Behind Gooey Butter Cookies
Easter Gooey Butter Cookies: A Festive Twist on a Classic
If you’ve never experienced the joy of gooey butter cookies, you’re in for a treat! These cookies have a rich, velvety texture that’s impossible to resist. The secret lies in the cream cheese and butter combination that creates that signature melty middle while maintaining a slightly crisp exterior.
The origins of this recipe trace back to the famous St. Louis Ooey Gooey Butter Cake, which was reportedly created by accident in the 1930s when a baker mixed up the proportions of ingredients. That happy accident has evolved into various desserts, including these cookies that capture all the same decadent flavors in a convenient hand-held form.
What makes these cookies perfect for Easter? Their snow-white powdered sugar coating creates the ideal canvas for festive decorations. Plus, their quick preparation time means more moments spent with family instead of in the kitchen. I’ve added these to my collection of Easter desserts for family fun because they’re so simple yet impressive.
The best part? Unlike many gooey butter cookie recipes that rely on boxed cake mix, this version is completely homemade with pantry staples you likely already have on hand. The result is a fresher flavor with the same minimal effort.
Essential Ingredients for Perfect Cookies
The beauty of these cookies lies in their simple ingredient lineup. You’ll need 1/2 cup (113g) of softened salted butter and 8 oz of softened cream cheese – these form the rich, creamy base that gives the cookies their signature texture. Add 1 1/2 cups (300g) of granulated sugar for the perfect level of sweetness.
For binding and flavor, you’ll incorporate one large egg at room temperature and a teaspoon of vanilla extract. The structure comes from 2 1/4 cups (282g) of all-purpose flour, while 3 teaspoons of baking powder provide the necessary lift. Finally, 1/2 cup (63g) of confectioners’ sugar goes into the dough, with extra set aside for rolling.
Room temperature ingredients are crucial for this recipe. Cold butter or cream cheese won’t blend properly, resulting in lumpy dough and uneven baking. I recommend setting these ingredients out about 30 minutes before you plan to start mixing.
If your kitchen is particularly warm or you’re looking for Easter egg dessert ideas that can be prepped ahead, remember this key tip: chill the dough if it becomes too sticky to handle. Just 15-20 minutes in the refrigerator will make it much more manageable without affecting the final texture.
Step-by-Step Baking Instructions
Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C) and preparing your baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and cream cheese until smooth, then add the granulated sugar and beat until well combined – about 2 minutes.
Add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter mixture, beating until fully incorporated. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and 1/2 cup of confectioners’ sugar. Gradually add this dry mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed just until combined – don’t overmix or your cookies may become tough.
Pour some additional confectioners’ sugar into a small bowl for rolling. Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, portion the dough into 1.5-inch balls, then roll each ball in the confectioners’ sugar until completely coated. Place the cookies about 2 inches apart on your prepared baking sheets.
Bake for 8-11 minutes, watching carefully toward the end. The perfect gooey butter cookie should be set around the edges but still slightly soft in the center. The tops will no longer look wet, but you don’t want to see any browning – that’s a sign they’re overbaked. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Creating Festive Easter Decorations
Transform these delicious cookies into eye-catching Easter treats with simple decorating techniques. The powdered sugar coating serves as a perfect blank canvas for all your creative ideas! For a quick and easy festive touch, gently press pastel-colored sprinkles or mini Easter egg candies into the tops of the cookies immediately after baking while they’re still soft.
For more defined shapes, you can take inspiration from Easter bird nest cookies and create an indent in the center of each cookie before baking. After they cool, fill the indentation with colorful buttercream frosting and top with jelly beans or chocolate eggs for a nest effect.
Want to try something more elaborate? Roll the dough slightly thinner and use bunny-shaped cookie cutters before baking. You can also divide the dough and tint portions with food coloring for a pastel rainbow effect. After baking and cooling, decorate with simple royal icing details like bunny faces, carrot designs, or Easter egg patterns.
These cookies make perfect additions to Easter baskets or holiday dessert tables. For gifting, stack them in clear cellophane bags tied with pastel ribbons, or arrange them in decorative Easter tins. They pair beautifully with other Easter treats like Easter M&M cookies for a varied dessert platter.
Tips for Achieving the Perfect Texture
The hallmark of these cookies is their irresistibly gooey centers paired with slightly crisp exteriors. To nail this texture, be vigilant about not overbaking them. Even an extra minute in the oven can take them from perfectly soft to disappointingly firm. When in doubt, it’s better to underbake slightly than overbake.
Properly measuring your flour makes a huge difference. Use the spoon-and-level method rather than scooping directly with the measuring cup, which can pack in too much flour and result in dry cookies. For extra insurance against dryness, you can replace up to 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar with light brown sugar to add moisture.
If you’re making these in advance or want to prepare Easter egg cookie dough variations, the dough handles freezing beautifully. Shape the cookie balls, roll in powdered sugar, and freeze on a baking sheet before transferring to a freezer bag. When ready to bake, add 1-2 minutes to the baking time – no need to thaw first.
For the signature crackled appearance, make sure your cookies are generously coated in powdered sugar before baking. The contrast between the white exterior and the cracks revealing the cookie beneath creates that classic gooey butter cookie look that’s sure to impress your Easter guests.
Storage and Make-Ahead Options
These Easter Gooey Butter Cookies maintain their delicious fresh-baked quality for up to 4 days when stored in an airtight container at room temperature. To keep them extra soft, place a slice of bread in the container – it works like magic to maintain moisture without making the cookies soggy.
If you’d like to prepare these ahead of your Easter celebration, you have several options. The cookie dough can be made up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated. When you’re ready to bake, let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes to soften slightly before scooping and rolling in powdered sugar.
For longer storage, both the dough and baked cookies freeze exceptionally well. Freeze the shaped dough balls on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe container where they’ll keep for up to 3 months. Baked cookies can be frozen in single layers separated by parchment paper for up to 2 months.
At 150 calories per cookie with 8g of fat, 18g of carbs, and 1g of protein, these treats are a moderate indulgence. The yield of 24 cookies from a single batch makes them perfect for sharing at Easter gatherings, and you can easily double the recipe if you’re hosting a larger crowd or want to have extras for Churro & foodie-themed apparel gift bags!
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