Gooey Butter Cookies Are Suddenly Everywhere: 12 Melt-in-Your-Mouth Christmas Twists

Gooey butter cookies are the soft, crackly, powdered-sugar treat that suddenly seems to be on every holiday cookie tray this year. Searches for Christmas gooey butter cookies just jumped into the Breakout zone on Google Trends, and it is easy to see why. They start with a box of cake mix, a block of cream cheese and a stick of butter, then bake into pillowy cookies with a center that stays almost fudgy for days. The idea comes from the famous St. Louis gooey butter cake, shrunk down into bite-size rounds. Below you will find 12 festive ideas, from red velvet and chocolate peppermint to eggnog, strawberry and lemon, plus the original cake and a smart way to pack them in a tin. Grab the powdered sugar and get ready for a very happy kitchen..

Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies in Red, Green and Gold

This is the cookie platter that has everyone talking this season. One batch of dough, three colors, and a tray that looks like it came from a bakery window. The golden ones are classic butter, the red ones are red velvet and the pale green ones get a drop of food coloring and a hint of mint. Every cookie bakes up with a snowy, crackled top and a center so soft it almost melts when you break it open. Make the dough a day ahead, chill it overnight, and you can bake all three colors in under an hour..

You will need: 1 block (8 ounces) cream cheese softened, 1/2 cup butter softened, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 3 boxes (15.25 ounces each) cake mix (yellow, red velvet and white), green food coloring, 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract, 2 cups powdered sugar for rolling.

How to make it: 1. Make the cream cheese base three times, once for each cake mix, beating the cream cheese, butter, egg and vanilla until fluffy. 2. Stir one cake mix into each bowl, tinting the white batch green with a few drops of coloring and the peppermint extract. 3. Cover and chill the doughs at least 2 hours. 4. Roll into 1 inch balls, coat thickly in powdered sugar and bake at 350°F on parchment for 10 to 12 minutes. 5. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then dust with more sugar and arrange in rows by color.

Classic Powdered Sugar Gooey Butter Cookies

Before you try any twist, master the classic. A yellow cake mix gives the dough its buttery, vanilla flavor, while the cream cheese makes it extra tender and a little tangy. The secret is a thick coat of powdered sugar before baking: as the cookies puff and spread, the sugar cracks into that famous crinkled pattern. Pull them from the oven while the centers still look slightly underdone. They firm up as they cool but stay soft and gooey inside, which is exactly the point.

You will need: 1 block (8 ounces) cream cheese softened, 1/2 cup butter softened, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 box (15.25 ounces) yellow cake mix, 1 cup powdered sugar for rolling.

How to make it: 1. Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth, then beat in the egg and vanilla. 2. Stir in the dry cake mix until a soft, sticky dough forms. 3. Chill for 2 hours until firm enough to scoop. 4. Roll into 1 inch balls and coat heavily in powdered sugar. 5. Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes until the edges are set and the tops are cracked, then cool on the pan.

Red Velvet Gooey Butter Cookies

Red velvet was made for Christmas, and in this cookie the deep red shows through every crack in the white sugar coat. A red velvet cake mix brings the cocoa flavor and color, and the cream cheese in the dough tastes just like the classic frosting baked right in. Break one open and you get a moist, fudgy red center that looks gorgeous on a dessert table. Set out a plate next to a pitcher of cold milk and watch them vanish faster than the sugar cookies.

You will need: 1 block (8 ounces) cream cheese softened, 1/2 cup butter softened, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 box (15.25 ounces) red velvet cake mix, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 cup white chocolate chips (optional).

How to make it: 1. Beat the cream cheese, butter, egg and vanilla until creamy. 2. Mix in the red velvet cake mix and fold in the white chocolate chips if using. 3. Chill the dough for 2 hours. 4. Roll into balls and coat generously in powdered sugar. 5. Bake at 350°F for 11 to 13 minutes, then let them rest on the pan for 5 minutes before moving.

Chocolate Peppermint Gooey Butter Cookies

Chocolate and peppermint is the flavor of December, and this version tastes like a cup of peppermint hot cocoa in cookie form. A chocolate cake mix makes a dark, fudgy dough, a little peppermint extract adds the cool finish, and crushed candy canes on top add crunch and color. If you love the snowy crackled look, our snowy crinkle cookies gallery has even more holiday flavors to try. Tuck a mini candy cane next to each cookie when you gift them and they look ready for a bake sale.

You will need: 1 block (8 ounces) cream cheese softened, 1/2 cup butter softened, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract, 1 box (15.25 ounces) devil’s food cake mix, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1/3 cup crushed candy canes.

How to make it: 1. Beat the cream cheese, butter, egg, vanilla and peppermint extract until fluffy. 2. Stir in the chocolate cake mix and chill the dough for 2 hours. 3. Roll into balls and coat in powdered sugar. 4. Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes. 5. While still warm, press a pinch of crushed candy cane onto each top so it sticks as the cookies cool.

Green Christmas Tree Cookies With Sprinkles

Kids love helping make these gooey butter cookies. A white cake mix tinted pale green turns into soft little cookies that look like snowy evergreen trees, especially when you arrange them in a tree shape on the platter. Tiny red, white and gold sprinkles pressed on top right after baking look like ornaments. The flavor stays sweet and buttery, so even picky eaters reach for seconds. For a fun party trick, stack the cooled cookies on a cake stand in a cone shape and top the pile with a star sprinkle.

You will need: 1 block (8 ounces) cream cheese softened, 1/2 cup butter softened, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 box (15.25 ounces) white cake mix, green gel food coloring, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 cup holiday sprinkles.

How to make it: 1. Beat the cream cheese, butter, egg and vanilla, then add green gel coloring until you like the shade. 2. Stir in the white cake mix and chill for 2 hours. 3. Roll into balls and coat in powdered sugar. 4. Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes. 5. Press sprinkles gently onto the warm tops and cool on the pan.

Eggnog Spice Cookies With a Custardy Center

If eggnog is your favorite holiday drink, these gooey butter cookies are your new tradition. Nutmeg and cinnamon go straight into the dough, and a splash of eggnog stands in for some of the vanilla, so every bite tastes like a cozy mug by the tree. The tops crack into a golden, spiced crust while the inside stays soft and custardy. Serve them with a small glass of chilled eggnog dusted with fresh nutmeg, and you have the easiest dessert pairing of the season.

You will need: 1 block (8 ounces) cream cheese softened, 1/2 cup butter softened, 1 large egg, 2 tablespoons eggnog, 1/2 teaspoon rum extract, 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 box (15.25 ounces) yellow cake mix, 1 cup powdered sugar.

How to make it: 1. Beat the cream cheese and butter, then add the egg, eggnog, rum extract and spices. 2. Mix in the cake mix until smooth. 3. Chill the dough for at least 2 hours since it is softer than the classic. 4. Roll into balls, coat in powdered sugar mixed with a pinch of nutmeg. 5. Bake at 350°F for 11 to 13 minutes and cool on the pan.

Double Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies

For the chocolate lovers at the party, this is the one. A rich chocolate cake mix plus a handful of chocolate chips gives these gooey butter cookies a brownie-like middle under a bright white sugar shell. The contrast of the dark cracks and snowy sugar makes them look like they were dusted with fresh snow. They also freeze beautifully, so bake a double batch now, freeze half in a zip bag, and pull them out when surprise guests show up in December.

You will need: 1 block (8 ounces) cream cheese softened, 1/2 cup butter softened, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 box (15.25 ounces) chocolate fudge cake mix, 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, 1 cup powdered sugar.

How to make it: 1. Beat the cream cheese, butter, egg and vanilla until creamy. 2. Stir in the cake mix, then the mini chocolate chips. 3. Chill for 2 hours. 4. Roll into balls and coat thickly in powdered sugar. 5. Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes, until puffed and cracked, and cool on the pan.

Pink Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies

Pink is having a big holiday moment, and these strawberry gooey butter cookies fit right in next to the reds and greens. Strawberry cake mix gives them a soft pastel color and a sweet, fruity flavor that tastes like strawberry cheesecake thanks to the cream cheese. Under the powdered sugar the cracks show a pretty pink, and the centers stay tender and gooey. They are a hit at cookie swaps, baby showers and girls’ night, and they look adorable wrapped in clear bags with a white ribbon.

You will need: 1 block (8 ounces) cream cheese softened, 1/2 cup butter softened, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 box (15.25 ounces) strawberry cake mix, 1 cup powdered sugar, fresh strawberries for serving.

How to make it: 1. Beat the cream cheese, butter, egg and vanilla until fluffy. 2. Mix in the strawberry cake mix until evenly pink. 3. Chill for 2 hours. 4. Roll into balls and coat in powdered sugar. 5. Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes and cool on the pan before serving with fresh berries.

Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk Gooey Butter Cookies

This is the grown-up version, and it might be the one people ask you to bring every year. Browning the butter first gives the dough a toasty, nutty, caramel-like depth, and big chunks of dark and milk chocolate melt into gooey pockets. Skip the powdered sugar coat on this one so the golden, crackly tops and chocolate show through, just like the batch pictured here. Serve them slightly warm with a cup of coffee and watch the plate disappear in minutes.

You will need: 1 block (8 ounces) cream cheese softened, 1/2 cup butter browned and cooled until soft, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 box (15.25 ounces) butter golden cake mix, 1 cup chopped dark and milk chocolate, flaky salt.

How to make it: 1. Melt the butter in a pan and cook until golden brown and nutty, then chill until soft but not liquid. 2. Beat it with the cream cheese, egg and vanilla. 3. Stir in the cake mix and chocolate chunks, then chill for 2 hours. 4. Scoop into balls and bake at 350°F for 11 to 13 minutes. 5. Sprinkle with a pinch of flaky salt while warm.

Lemon Cookies for a Bright Holiday Tray

Every holiday cookie tray needs one bright, fresh flavor to balance all the chocolate and spice, and lemon is it. A lemon cake mix plus fresh zest gives these gooey butter cookies a sunny yellow color and a zingy taste that wakes everything up. Roll them in powdered sugar for the classic crackle, or flatten them slightly and roll in granulated sugar for neat golden rounds like the ones pictured. They are especially good with a cup of hot tea on a cold afternoon.

You will need: 1 block (8 ounces) cream cheese softened, 1/2 cup butter softened, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 box (15.25 ounces) lemon cake mix, 1 cup powdered or granulated sugar for rolling.

How to make it: 1. Beat the cream cheese, butter, egg, vanilla, lemon zest and juice until smooth. 2. Stir in the lemon cake mix. 3. Chill the dough for 2 hours. 4. Roll into balls, coat in sugar and press lightly to flatten. 5. Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes until just set, and cool before stacking.

The St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake That Started It All

Every gooey butter cookie owes its life to this St. Louis legend. As the story goes, a local baker in the 1930s mixed up the proportions of a coffee cake and ended up with a sticky, buttery filling that customers adored. The gooey butter cake has been a St. Louis favorite ever since, with a cake or yeast base topped with a rich layer of butter, sugar and eggs. Cut it into small squares, dust with powdered sugar, and you can see where the cookie idea came from.

You will need: 1 box (15.25 ounces) yellow cake mix, 1/2 cup melted butter, 3 large eggs divided, 1 block (8 ounces) cream cheese softened, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar plus more for dusting.

How to make it: 1. Mix the cake mix, melted butter and 1 egg and press into a greased 9×13 inch pan. 2. Beat the cream cheese, remaining 2 eggs and vanilla, then beat in the powdered sugar. 3. Spread over the crust. 4. Bake at 350°F for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden on top but still a little jiggly in the center. 5. Cool completely, dust with powdered sugar and cut into small squares.

How to Pack Gooey Butter Cookies in a Tin Without Sticking

Gooey butter cookies are soft and sticky, so packing them for gifts takes one small trick. Let them cool completely, then give them a second roll in powdered sugar to soak up any moisture. Line the tin with parchment and layer the cookies with squares of wax paper between each row so they do not glue together. Keep the tin in a cool spot and they stay fresh for up to five days, which makes them perfect for neighbors, teachers and the mail carrier.

You will need: Fully cooled gooey butter cookies, 1 cup powdered sugar, parchment paper, wax paper squares, a metal cookie tin with a tight lid, ribbon for tying.

How to make it: 1. Cool the cookies on the pan for 5 minutes, then on a rack for 30 minutes. 2. Roll each one in powdered sugar a second time. 3. Line the tin with parchment and add a single layer of cookies. 4. Cover with wax paper and repeat the layers, ending with paper on top. 5. Close the lid tightly, tie with ribbon and store at cool room temperature up to 5 days.