Description
These Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies are a festive treat perfect for the holiday season. Soft and buttery with a sweet cream cheese base, they are packed with colorful Christmas sprinkles and coated in powdered sugar. Finished with a decadent dip in melted Ghirardelli white chocolate and topped with more sprinkles, these cookies combine rich flavors and delightful textures to create a beautifully festive dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 (15 oz) white cake mix
- ¾ cup red, white, and green Christmas sprinkles
Coating & Topping
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- Additional Christmas sprinkles for rolling and topping (about ¾ cup)
- 2 cups Ghirardelli white chocolate melting chips
Instructions
- Cream Butter and Cream Cheese: In a large bowl, cream together the softened unsalted butter and cream cheese until the mixture is smooth and well combined, ensuring a creamy base for the dough.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Beat in the large egg and pure vanilla extract until fully incorporated into the mixture for flavor and structure.
- Mix in Cake Mix: Gradually mix in the white cake mix until just combined to form the cookie dough.
- Fold in Sprinkles: Gently fold ¾ cup of the red, white, and green Christmas sprinkles into the dough, distributing the festive colors evenly.
- Chill Dough Overnight: Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight to firm it up, which helps the cookies keep their shape during baking.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats to prevent sticking.
- Scoop and Shape Cookies: Using a small ice cream scooper, portion out dough balls and roll them gently into smooth balls.
- Prepare Sugar and Sprinkles Coating: Place the powdered sugar in a large bowl. Lightly sprinkle cookie balls with additional Christmas sprinkles to add extra festive flair.
- Coat Cookies: Roll each sprinkled cookie ball thoroughly in the powdered sugar until completely coated, giving them their signature gooey butter cookie look.
- Arrange on Baking Sheets: Place the coated dough balls onto the prepared cookie sheets, spacing them evenly to allow for spreading.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until the cookies turn lightly brown on the edges and set in the middle.
- Cool Cookies: Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely.
- Melt White Chocolate: Place white chocolate melting chips in a heat-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second increments, stirring between sessions, until fully melted and smooth.
- Dip Cookies in Chocolate: Carefully dip half of each cooled cookie into the melted white chocolate, ensuring an even coating on one side.
- Remove Excess Chocolate: Gently shake each cookie to remove any excess white chocolate for a cleaner finish.
- Decorate and Set: Place the dipped cookies back onto parchment paper or silicone mats, then sprinkle additional Christmas sprinkles over the wet chocolate for extra holiday charm.
- Allow Chocolate to Harden: Let the dipped cookies rest until the white chocolate has completely hardened before serving or storing.
Notes
- Chilling the dough overnight is essential to achieve the perfect gooey texture and shape retention during baking.
- Use a small ice cream scooper for consistent cookie sizes and even baking.
- Be careful not to overbake; cookies should be lightly browned but still soft in the center.
- If you don’t have white chocolate melting chips, you can use white chocolate bars chopped into small pieces.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze for longer storage.