Best Gooey Butter Cookies
Pillowy, crackly Gooey Butter Cookies with a nutty brown-butter twist, balanced sweetness, and a soft, melt-in-your-mouth center.
Equipment
- Cookie sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Shallow bowl
- Small light-colored pan
- Electric Mixer
- Medium bowl
- Wire rack
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened Brown the butter first, then cool until it returns to a soft-solid state similar to “softened.”
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 (15.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
- 1 pinch sea salt Add while mixing to balance sweetness.
Instructions
Prep and set up
- Gather all ingredients, then preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper if you want the fastest cleanup.
- Place confectioners’ sugar into a shallow bowl so it is ready when the dough is chilled.
Brown the butter, then build the base
- Before mixing, brown the butter in a small light-colored pan over medium heat until it smells nutty and you see amber flecks, then cool it until it returns to a soft-solid state similar to “softened.”
- Beat cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer in a medium bowl until creamy and completely smooth.
- Stir in egg and vanilla, and add a small pinch of sea salt here to balance sweetness.
Mix, chill, and shape
- Add cake mix and stir until well blended; the dough will look thick, glossy, and sticky.
- Refrigerate the dough for 1 to 2 hours so it firms up and becomes much easier to roll.
- Roll dough into 1-inch balls.
Coat, bake, and cool
- Roll balls in confectioners’ sugar to coat, then place 1 inch apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
- Bake until set, 10 to 13 minutes, pulling them when the tops look matte and the edges are just set, but there is no browning.
- Remove from the oven and transfer to wire racks to cool so the centers finish setting into that signature gooey texture.
Notes
For the best gooey centers, avoid browning the cookies; pull them when the tops look matte and edges are just set.
Nutrition information is estimated based on common ingredients and serving sizes and may vary.