These from-scratch Ooey Gooey Butter Cookies were inspired by my Ooey Gooey Butter Cake! They are sweet and satisfying and super fun to make! I even added some orange zest to this recipe to make my Orange Creamsicle Cookies that you will definitely want to try! Don’t miss my 50 Best Cookie Recipes if you want more great cookie options!
Ooey Gooey Butter Cookies
Although my Ooey Gooey Butter Cake recipe is made with cake mix, I wanted to try a from-scratch version for the cookies. I tested quite a few recipes and was troubled by the flavor and consistency that they produced. So after a lot of tweaking and a lot of eating (no complaints here!), I finally settled on a cookie that everyone loved. This version is inspired by the Ooey Gooey Butter Cookie from Taste of Home, only I removed the dry milk powder (oh my word NO ONE liked how that tasted) and replaced it with confectioners’ sugar. I also have Ooey Gooey Browned Butter Cookies you will want to try!
What Are Ooey Gooey Butter Cookies?
Basically one of the sweetest cookies known to man! When my husband tried one his response was, “I don’t think I have tasted anything like this before.” (and he has tried every cookie I’ve ever made!) I presented him with this challenge. Try a bite, and if you can’t help but go for a second bite (as in, you’d fight me if I tried to take the cookie away) then I know they are a winner. He absolutely wanted a second bite and finished off that cookie quickly!
Do I Have to Refrigerate the Dough?
Now, you may have noticed that I did not refrigerate the dough. Most recipes call for this so I, of course, tested that. What exactly does refrigerating do for cookies? Well, when you chill cookie dough, it solidifies the fat. Then, when you are ready to bake the cookies, the chilled dough takes longer to melt and remains solid longer, meaning the cookies spread less. For this recipe specifically, that meant the cookies were much more puffed up and tall, which also meant I had to bake them a bit longer to make sure they were actually baked through. The edges were browned and didn’t look as pretty as I would like.
Those cookies actually tasted less ooey gooey when the dough was chilled, so I opted to delete that instruction and use the dough immediately after preparing. The cookies are a bit flatter, but they are still just as ooey gooey and delicious!
How to Freeze Butter Cookies
The very best way to freeze these cookies is to freeze the dough. I like to scoop out my individual cookies, place them on a baking sheet, and then place them in the freezer for about 30 minutes. Once they are chilled through, I place them in an airtight bag and then label them with the cookie name and date.
If you want to store baked cookies, grab a large flat plastic container and place a layer of parchment or wax paper on the bottom. Set cookies down, place another layer of wax or parchment, then another layer of cookies. Set a slice of bread in the container and close.
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
- ½ cup (63 g) confectioners' sugar
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ cup confectioners’ sugar, for rolling cookie dough in
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer, beat butter, cream cheese and granulated sugar until blended.
- Add in egg and vanilla.
- Add in flour, baking powder, and ½ cup confectioners' sugar. With the mixer on low, gradually beat into creamed mixture.
- Using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop dough and then roll in confectioners’ sugar. Place approximately 6 dough balls on the lined baking sheets.
- Bake until they no longer appear wet on top, 8-11 minutes. After about 5 minutes, place on wire racks to cool.
Video
Did you make this recipe?
Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.
It’s a (rare) rainy day in Soutgern California so I’m gonna stay in today and try these cookies. Just wondering if you’ve ever added any type of nuts to this recipe. I LOVE soft cookies but I love a little crunch as well. I’ll let you know how it goes. -Jill
This past Christmas I made a quite a few batches of these cookies. Some in red and others in green. They were always a hit. hard to eat just one.
oh yum.. these look great.
LOVE Butter cookie but if I want to put sprinkles on when would you do that? put on before baking?
I would add it to the dough before scooping and rolling in sugar. 🙂 (And stir by hand!)
Hi Amanda. Looks great. The video shows baking soda and the recipe shows baking powder. Which is it? Thanks
Whoops! I didn’t catch that! The written recipe is correct. Will have to make note of that in my post.
Thank you. I can’t wait to make them !!!
The video shows adding baking soda but the list of ingredients have baking powder. So does it make a difference which one is used?
Hello in the video for your ooey gooey cookies it’s says add baking soda and not baking powder as the recipe calls for. Just wanted to point that out.
Can you make these into chocolate cookies?
This recipe called me all week long! I took creative license and added, instead of vanilla,zest and juice of a small lemon, along with 1/8 tsp lemon extract…THEY ARE AMAZING!! Thanks for a successful Saturday baking session!
LOVE THAT!!
I so enjoy your recipes! My Ooey, gooey butter cookies did not flatten out. ( I wish they would have!) They were large and very puffy. I was surprised that the recipe called for 3 tsp. Baking powder…?