Easter Ooey Gooey Butter Cookies are soft, melt-in-your-mouth treats with a creamy, buttery dough filled with colorful Easter M&M’s and rolled in confectioners’ sugar. I like to add a few more pastel-colored M&M’s on top for even more Easter fun! If you are looking for another Easter cookie, you will want to check out my Easter Monster Cookies, too–loaded with peanut butter, oats, and M&M’s.
What Are Ooey Gooey Butter Cookies?
These Easter Ooey Gooey Butter Cookies are a fun spin-off of the classic Ooey Gooey Butter Cookies. The dough is soft and creamy with a gooey center that melts in your mouth, and a cracked, sugar-coated top. This version gets a festive twist with colorful Easter M&M’s mixed in, adding a fun crunch and making them perfect for celebrating the season! Once you taste one, you will want to try my other variations from my Ooey Gooey Browned Butter Cookies to Ooey Gooey Lemon Cookies and Chocolate Ooey Gooey Butter Cookies.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Butter: We can’t have butter cookies without the butter! It makes them soft and chewy and helps give the dough a creamy texture. The butter also helps the cookies spread a little while baking, giving them that perfect, melt-in-your-mouth quality!
- Cream Cheese: The cream cheese (let it come to room temperature first) makes the cookies extra soft and gives them a rich, smooth texture. It helps the dough stay moist and adds a little tangy flavor, making the cookies taste even better!
- Sugar: I used both granulated and confectioners’ sugar (also called powdered sugar) in the cookies. Divide the confectioners’ sugar in half—mix some into the dough and use the rest for rolling the dough. This creates a crackly, sugary top.
- Baking Powder: Yes, you will use 1 tablespoon of baking powder in the cookies. The full helps the cookies rise and become nice and fluffy. It also helps them spread a little while baking, making sure the texture stays soft and gooey in the middle. Without enough baking powder, the cookies might turn out too dense or not spread as much! And, make sure your baking powder is fresh and hasn’t expired!
- M&M’s: These cookies are perfect for your Easter weekend, thanks to the festive Easter M&M’s! The pastel colors make them extra springy and fun. I love having a few extra M&M’s on hand to top the Easter cookies for that extra pop of color!
Can I Substitute M&M’s With Other Types Of Chocolate?
Yes! It is easy to swap out the M&M’s for a different kind of chocolate! M&M’s are fun because of their colorful crunch but feel free to get creative with whatever chocolate you love. Some great options are chocolate chips (milk, semi-sweet, or white), chopped chocolate bars for big chunks, Reese’s Pieces for a peanut butter twist, or mini chocolate candies that are similar to M&M’s but in a different shape or flavor. Keep in mind, if you are using bigger chocolate pieces, try chopping them smaller so they mix in evenly with the dough!
Can I Make Easter Ooey Gooey Butter Cookies Ahead Of Time?
Yes, you can definitely make these ooey gooey butter cookies ahead of time. I recommend freezing the dough. You can prepare the dough, roll it into balls (but do not roll them in the confectioners’ sugar yet), and freeze them on a baking sheet. Once frozen, transfer the dough balls to a sealed bag or container and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, roll the dough balls in confectioners’ sugar, place them on a baking sheet, and bake from frozen, adding a minute or two to the baking time.
How To Store Ooey Gooey Butter Cookies
To store ooey gooey butter cookies, first, let the cookies cool completely. Next, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They will last up to 3 days.
Can I Freeze Ooey Gooey Butter Cookies?
Absolutely! If you want to keep them longer, you can freeze the Easter Ooey Gooey Butter Cookies. Place them in a single layer on a baking sheet to freeze first, then transfer them to an airtight container or freezer-safe bag. They’ll stay fresh for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Easter Ooey Gooey Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup (1 stick / 113 g) salted butter, softened
- 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups (282 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 cup (125 g) confectioners' sugar, divided
- 1 cup (203 g) Easter M&M's milk chocolate candies, pastel blend, plus more for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, use a hand-held mixer to beat the butter, cream cheese, and granulated sugar until smooth and creamy.
- Mix in egg and vanilla until fully combined.
- Add the flour, baking powder, and ½ cup of confectioners' sugar (save the remaining ½ cup for rolling). With the mixer on low, slowly blend the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined.
- Fold in M&M's.
- Using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop, portion out the dough and roll each ball in the reserved confectioners' sugar.
- Place about 6 dough balls on each lined baking sheet. Bake for 13-16 minutes (start checking around 11 minutes ), or until the tops no longer look wet.
- If desired, press a few extra Easter M&M's into the top of each cookie right after baking for an extra festive touch!
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Did you make this recipe?
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What the Test Kitchen had to say about this recipe:
Autumn
These are super soft, sweet cookies that I love! And, the pastel colored M&M's are perfect for Easter!
Elizabeth
These cookies look so pretty and Springy! I love the soft texture with the crunchy M&M's.
Stephanie
These are the softest cookies ever! And, they are easy to make.
Annabelle
Very Easter-y and Springy! I like the sugary, crinkly top.
Bella
These would be perfect for an Easter gathering or celebration.
