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These gooey butter cookies are prepped in 5 minutes and have a perfectly addicting chewy texture making them one of our go-to cookies!

Gooey butter cookies stacked on top of each other on white plate.

Cake Mix Cookies!

We love making cookies with the kids, and these gooey butter cookies are a family favorite! This cake mix cookie is pretty much half a cookie and half a cupcake, and you really can’t go wrong with that. You may also want to try our Gooey Butter Cake!

When you need a quick and easy cookie recipe, cake mix cookies are the way to go! They’re so convenient, and you can easily switch up the flavors depending on the mix—like these Frosted Lemon Cookies, or Funfetti Cookies.

WHY WE LOVE IT:

  • Mix it up. Easily change the flavor by using your favorite flavor of cake!
  • Soft and chewy. They are made with cake mix, butter, and cream cheese and are so soft and moist.
  • Easy. Simply dump, mix, roll, and bake. The batter is prepped in only 5 minutes!
Ingredients for gooey butter cookies on white counter.

Ingredients

  • 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese – softened
  • ½ cup unsalted butter softened How to Soften Butter Quickly
  • 1 egg room-temperature incorporates best
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 (15.25-ounce) box yellow cake mix or another flavor like strawberry or chocolate cake mix
  • 1 cup powdered sugar – plus more for dusting
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How to Make Gooey Butter Cookies

  1. BATTER. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer (or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment) to beat 8 ounces cream cheese, ½ cup butter, 1 egg, and ½ teaspoon vanilla with a hand mixer until fluffy.
    • Add the cake mix powder and mix until combined. Chill for 30 minutes.
  2. PREP. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  3. BAKE. Place 1 cup powdered sugar in a shallow bowl. Scoop and roll dough into 1½-inch cookie dough balls then roll in powdered sugar until well coated. Place onto a lightly greased baking sheet.
    • Bake for 10–12 minutes.
    • Let cookies sit on the cookie sheet for a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool.
  4. ENJOY! Sift more powdered sugar on top, if desired.
Gooey butter cookies recipe stacked on top of each other on white plate.
4.99 from 440 votes

Gooey Butter Cookies

By: Lil’ Luna
Made easy with a yellow cake mix, these gooey butter cookies are prepped in 5 minutes and have a perfectly addicting chewy texture!
Servings: 24 cookies
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Chill time: 30 minutes
Total: 45 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 egg
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 (15.25-ounce) box yellow cake mix
  • 1 cup powdered sugar, plus more for dusting

Instructions 

  • In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, egg, and vanilla with a hand mixer until fluffy.
  • Mix in cake mix until combined, and chill for 30 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • Place powdered sugar in a bowl. Scoop out and roll dough into 1½-inch balls and roll in powdered sugar until well coated. Place onto a lightly greased cookie sheet.
  • Bake for 10–12 minutes.
  • Let cookies sit on the cookie sheet for a few minutes, then remove to a rack to cool.
  • Sift more powdered sugar on top, if desired.

Video

Notes

Variations. Other cake mix flavors such as strawberry, chocolate, and Funfetti can be used. 
Store cookie dough. Place the dough in an airtight container or wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days or see How to Freeze Cookie Dough.
Store cookies. Place cooled cookies in an air-tight container on the counter for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 57kcal, Carbohydrates: 5g, Protein: 0.3g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 17mg, Sodium: 4mg, Potassium: 4mg, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 129IU, Calcium: 2mg, Iron: 0.04mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Recipe FAQ

How to store the dough?

Place the dough in an airtight container or wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days or see How to Freeze Cookie Dough.

How to store?

Place cooled cookies in an air-tight container on the counter for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

About Kristyn

Kristyn Merkley is a published cookbook author, wife, mom of six, and major food enthusiast! For the past 15 years, she has been sharing foolproof, family-friendly recipes—each one tested in her kitchen—that anyone can master. As a seasoned recipe creator, she loves making cooking simple, stress-free, and totally doable for everyone!

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4.99 from 440 votes (332 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




430 Comments

  1. Kathryn says:

    5 stars
    Oh.My.God.
    These cookies are heavenly. I followed the recipe exactly, except I baked them for 14 minutes, and let me just tell you I think angles sang when I tasted them. I made these for a friend’s birthday, which was literally the only thing that (just barely) stopped me from gobbling up the whole batch right then! Seriously, I’m not exaggerating, these cookies are by far the best I’ve ever tasted, not to mention the fact that there are so many different ways you can go with it! Next time I think I’m going to try it with pumpkin bread mix in honor of fall! Thanks for the delicious recipe 🙂

    1. Lil' Luna says:

      LOVE it!! Your comment made my day. They are definitely one of our favorite cookie recipes too. And I made a Pumpkin version too using Pillsbury’s Perfectly Pumpkin Cake Mix. They were sooo good! DELICIOUS!! https://lilluna.com/gooey-butter-pumpkin-cookies/

  2. Cheryl says:

    5 stars
    Made these for a bake sale that my daughter’s Girl Scout troop is having today. These are so good, so soft and so easy to make. These will definitely be on my go-to cookie list.

    1. Lil' Luna says:

      Thanks for taking the time to comment, Cheryl. So glad you like them. They are always on my go-to cookie list! 😀

  3. Dina says:

    sounds yummy!

    1. Lil' Luna says:

      They are SO yummy! Let me know if you ever give them a try. Would love to know what you think. 🙂

  4. Najmah says:

    5 stars
    I honestly don’t know how many cookies this recipe makes because me & my husband kept eating them as I pulled them out of the oven! Such a great, simple recipe and the cookies were not overly sweet. 10 minutes left my cookies a little too gooey (so I baked them for 12 minutes) and the texture was perfect! If anyone is a fan of cream cheese, they will adore these cookies.

    1. Lil' Luna says:

      SO glad you liked them… they are definitely addictive, lol! 😀

  5. Mrs. Thurston says:

    Do you dip/roll the whole ball in powdered sugar before you bake it or just one side?

    1. Lil' Luna says:

      I roll the entire ball in the powdered sugar… hope that helps. 🙂

      1. Betty J Beck says:

        5 stars
        I roll my dough balls in regular sugar then again in the powered sugar. Seems to give the cookie a better crinkle effect. These cookies are the best. For Christmas, I bake a batch of chocolate, almond, butter and lemon then use tins for gifts. Everyone loves these and wants more!!! LOL

      2. Kristyn Merkley says:

        I love giving them as gifts! Those all sound so good! Thank you for letting me know!

  6. Caitlin says:

    5 stars
    These cookies are the best cookies I’ve ever had. *had. I made them yesterday and now they are gone. 🙁 Haha but thanks so much for the recipe! I dont ever want to make cookies again unless they are these lol!!!

    1. Lil' Luna says:

      Aren’t they SO GOOD?! They are definitely one of my favorites and so easy to make. 😀

    2. Victoria says:

      5 stars
      Amazing cookies! I’m definitely making these again! Gooey goodness!

      1. Kristyn Merkley says:

        They are one of my favorites! Glad you liked them 🙂 Thank you!

  7. Whitney says:

    I am considering making either the original butter cookies, or the chocolate rolo ones. Which do you guys like better?

    1. Lil' Luna says:

      Both are SO good, but the rolo ones are really good because of the caramel center. Just depends if you’re in a chocolate-y mood or not. 😉

  8. Ashley says:

    Do you soften the butter or cream cheeses before you mix them? Or let them be at room temperature before you mix them? Thanks! They look sound so good!

    1. Lil' Luna says:

      I let them be at room temp. Need to add that to the recipe. Let me know how you like them. 🙂

  9. ericka finder says:

    5 stars
    Just pulled a batch out of the oven….oh my, soooooo very good, and I’m not easily impressed!!!! Impressed now!!! Super easy as well. Am actually putting this one in my family cookbook!!!

    1. Lil' Luna says:

      You’re sweet comment made my day, Ericka! SO glad you made them and liked them. They are definitely one of my “go-to” cookie recipes. Thanks for stopping by! 😀