This post is sponsored by Danish Creamery. All opinions are my own.
Wonderfully sweet and ultra soft, Gooey Butter Cookies are so easy to make from scratch! Featuring cream cheese, almond extract, and powdered sugar, these butter cookies are completely homemade – no boxed cake mix here. Add these simple cookies to your Christmas baking list!
Gooey Butter Cake Cookies
It wouldn’t be Christmas baking season in my family without a batch of homemade gooey butter cookies! Rich, creamy, and melt in your mouth delicious, these sweet cookies are always a hit. You can’t stop at just one!
What makes these cookies so amazing? Using my all-time favorite butter. Hint: you won’t regret it!
For more holiday baking recipes, be sure to check out my Christmas Sugar Cookies, Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies, Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake, and Holiday Ginger Cookies!
Why You’ll Love this Gooey Butter Cookies Recipe:
- Easy: These butter cookies come together in minutes with simple ingredients, many of which you have on hand already!
- Make Ahead: If you want to get a head start on your Christmas baking, these cookies are a great option. They’re freezer friendly – freeze before or after baking.
- So Festive! Rolled in powdered sugar, they look like little snowballs!
- High Quality Ingredients: For best results, I always recommend using high quality ingredients. I love using Danish Creamery European style butter for these butter cookies – you’ll taste the difference.
I love these for Christmas, but they make a great Easter cookie idea too!
The Best Ooey Gooey Butter Cookies
With such a short ingredient list, the quality of ingredients matters. For the best ever gooey butter cookies, European style butter is best!
European Style Butter
Danish Creamery butter is a staple in my kitchen – I recently used it to make Brown Butter Banana Bread and our fave Tuscan Chicken Skillet, and use it everyday at home! I’m constantly blown away – made in small batches, I can trust the quality. I trust that the cows are pasture-raised (always better!) and that each batch is churned by hand. This type of butter is perfect for baking and a must-use for these Gooey Butter Cookies.
When a recipe has “butter” in the name, using the best butter is the only way to go. Find out where to buy Danish Creamery near you!
How to Make Gooey Butter Cookies
You can jump to the recipe card for full ingredients & instructions!
- Beat the Danish Creamery butter, cream cheese, and granulated sugar together.
- Add the egg and almond extract.
- Mix the dry ingredients together.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and combine.
- Refrigerate the dough.
- Roll the chilled dough into balls.
- Roll the balls to coat each in powdered sugar.
- Bake.
All the Holiday Cookies
25+ Favorite Christmas Cookies
Baking and Christmas go hand in hand. See our guide for our fave recipes + tips and tricks for perfect cookies.
These cookies are best fresh, but they keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 or 4 days. To extend their shelf life to 5-6 days, refrigerate them.
To make these gooey butter cookies ahead of time, freezing the dough is the best option. Place the dough onto a baking sheet, freeze it until solid, then wrap in plastic wrap and place into a freezer bag. The cookie dough will stay fresh in the freezer for up to 3 months.
If you’d like to freeze baked cookies, place the baked cookies onto a baking sheet, freeze them until solid, and place in an airtight container with parchment paper between each layer of cookies. Thaw frozen cookies at room temperature.
Yes! Do not skip this step no matter how much of a hurry you are in! Chilling the cookie dough solidifies the butter so the cookies won’t spread as much when you bake them.
Tips!
- For super soft cookies, do not overmix the dough. When adding the flour, mix the dough together on a low speed so the gluten doesn’t become overworked (this leads to tougher cookies).
- Wait for the oven to fully preheat before baking the cookies. They bake quickly so keep your eye on them!
- Give some space between each cookie dough ball on the baking sheet – the cookies will spread while they bake!
More Easy Cookie Recipes
These Gooey Butter Cookies are the first step to making all of our favorite cookie recipes. Try them all!
If you make this recipe be sure to upload a photo in the comment section below or leave a rating. Enjoy! You can also jump to recipe.
Gooey Butter Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter 113 grams, room temperature (1 stick), Danish Creamery European Style
- 8 ounces cream cheese 227 grams, room temperature (1 brick)
- 1½ cups granulated sugar 300 grams
- 1 large egg 50 grams, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon almond extract 4 grams
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour 270 grams
- ½ cup powdered sugar 57 grams, divided
- 1 tablespoon baking powder 12 grams
Recommended Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, cream cheese, and granulated sugar together until smooth.½ cup salted butter, 8 ounces cream cheese, 1½ cups granulated sugar
- With the mixer running, add in the egg and then the almond extract.1 large egg, 1 teaspoon almond extract
- In a separate bowl, stir the flour, baking powder, and ¼ cup powdered sugar together.2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ½ cup powdered sugar
- With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry flour mixture to the already creamed mixture.
- Once smooth, remove the bowl from the mixer and cover. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill.
- Line a large sheet pan with nonstick parchment paper. Place the extra ¼ cup powdered sugar (for rolling) in a shallow bowl.
- Once chilled, use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to create a cookie dough ball and immediately roll the cookie dough ball fully in powdered sugar.
- Place powdered sugar covered cookie dough balls on the baking sheet, 6 at a time, and bake for 10-11 minutes. When they’re no longer wet on top and are firm on the sides, they’re done. We prefer them on the shorter cook time so they’re extra gooey.
- Allow to cool on the sheet pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
- For super soft cookies, do not overmix the dough. When adding the flour, mix the dough together on a low speed so the gluten doesn’t become overworked (this leads to tougher cookies).
- Wait for the oven to fully preheat before baking the cookies. They bake quickly so keep your eye on them!
- Give some space between each cookie dough ball on the baking sheet – the cookies will spread while they bake!
Nutrition Information
Do you think I could make these into bar cookies in a 9 x 13 pan?
I haven’t tried that, but it could work! You could also make my gooey butter cake recipe instead!
Hi, just found this recipe and can’t to try them but I don’t have a stand mixer, will a regular hand held mixer work?
Absolutely!
Great recipe. I subbed vanilla for almond, as I’m not a big fan of the 60s taste of almond extract cookies. Otherwise made exactly to code. I don’t understand the commenters who complained about not being able to taste these cookies– they are tender, light, creamy and wonderful, like a buttery pastry crust. The sugar on the outside is just enough to give you a pop of sweetness without being overwhelming. They are incredibly tender in the center almost like a macaron. These are going in my cookie rotation for sure.
I’m so happy to hear you loved this recipe, James! These cookies are near and dear to my heart!
These cookies are super easy and so delicious. They never last long in my house❤
Those look wonderful, Brenda! Thanks so much for sharing!
Hi, I went to the butter site and it is not available in my area or anywhere close. Do you know if Kerry Irish gold butter could possibly work? It’s the only European butter I saw available around here.
Yes, any brand of European butter should work! Danish Creamery is just my personal favorite!
These tasted good but I couldn’t get them to bake. The inside was raw while the outside was browned. I tried flattening them, changing the temp, and the cool time. So confused!
Hi Jorin, I highly recommend investing in a kitchen scale to get the most accurate measurements for your ingredients. Too much butter could cause these cookies to spread and bake quickly on the outside while remaining raw in the middle. Be sure not to skip the chilling step, as it is crucial to reducing spread as well. The other issue may be your oven temperature. If you invest in an oven thermometer, you’ll be able to tell if your oven temperature is off, which can have a huge impact on the outcome of this recipe!
Made this with vegan alternatives & butter extract and they were amazing!
Thanks so much for sharing what worked for you, JoAnne!
This cookies are amazing
Those look great!!
I loved them.
I’m so happy to hear that, Rhonda!
Very good. I am also from St. Louis.I made them for Christmas. I will let you know how everyone liked them.
Those look wonderful, Rhonda!