Gooey butter cookies meet red velvet in these easy cookies made with cake mix. You won’t be able to stop eating these soft Red Velvet Gooey Butter Cookies!
While these are perfect year round, we also love a good seasonal cookie! If you are looking to add more cookies to your cookie plate, try these Valentine’s Day Sugar Cookies for Valentine’s Day or these Spritz Cookies for Christmas.
Red Velvet Gooey Butter Cookies
Back in 2012, I published my very first Red Velvet Week, where I posted red velvet recipes all week long. Then it happened again in 2013, and by that point I was obsessed and it became a yearly thing for me. That eventually led to me writing a cookbook all about red velvet. So to say I love my red velvet is an understatement.
One of my favorite things about red velvet is how it is perfect for holidays year round. Red for Valentine’s Day, Part of the red white and blue for the 4th of July, blood red for Halloween, and of course, anything red is perfect for Christmas.
These Red Velvet Gooey Butter Cookies are not only perfect for celebrating year round, but they are so easy, too. They are cookies made with cake mix, so the ingredient list is very short and they really don’t take a lot of hands on time. So throw these on the cookie plate, share them with the neighbors, and wait for everyone to ask you for the recipe!
Want more red velvet cookies? Try these Red Velvet Whoopie Pies!
Tips for Making Red Velvet Gooey Butter Cookies
- These cookies are super easy, but they do take a little bit of time because the dough must be completely chilled or it will be too hard to roll into balls. The dough will be quite sticky, so you need that time to let the dough chill completely.
- Even with the 2 hour chill, the dough will be sticky. I definitely find that it is easiest to use a cookie scoop. Your hands will still get sticky, but it definitely helps!
- These cookies should not be hard at all, so sometimes it’s a little hard to tell when the cookies are done. The cookie will be set up on the edges, but the middle should still look super soft. Once you remove the cookies from the oven and let them sit for several minutes, the cookies will continue to set up. DO NOT overbake these cookies. If you do, they will be more cake-like than soft and gooey. Still delicious, but not the same.
- Store the cookies in an air tight container.
More Red Velvet Recipes
Oreo Cream Cheese Stuffed Red Velvet Brownies
Red Velvet Quick Bread with Cream Cheese Filling
Red Velvet Sheet Cake Recipe with Cookies and Cream Frosting
Red Velvet Cheese Ball
Red Velvet Cupcakes
Red Velvet Muffins
Tools Used to Make these Red Velvet Gooey Butter Cookies
- While it would be possible to make these completely by hand, it would be difficult. I suggest using a stand mixer or a hand mixer to make the job much easier.
- Because the dough is so sticky, I recommend using a cookie scoop to make the job just a little bit easier.
- You can spray your baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray, but I always recommend using parchment paper or a silpat liner instead.
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Red Velvet Gooey Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese at room temperature
- 1/2 cup butter at room temperature
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 15.25 oz red velvet cake mix
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and the butter together. Beat in the egg, then the vanilla. Beat in the cake mix until completely combined.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Roll the chilled dough into tablespoon sized balls. Roll in the powdered sugar, then place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat liner, at least 2 inches apart.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or just until set on the edges.
- Remove to a wire rack to cool.
Sabeen says
Thanks a lot though for this lovely recipe!!!!!!
Sabeen says
Hi, love this recipe, will be trying them out, hope to achieve the same look as the pic above. How do we store these cookies, in an airtight container over the shelf, or in the refrigerator, because the cookies contain cream cheese.
Deborah says
@Sabeen, I don’t remember how I stored them, but I’m thinking it was just in an airtight container. I know they didn’t last long, though!! If you want to be safe, you could definitely store them in the fridge and let them come to room temperature when you are ready to eat them.
Joyce A. says
I thought they were good. Hubby said not sweet enough though. I may next time try adding a tsp or 2 of sugar while creaming the cream cheese and butter. Love the recipe though, nice and easy. You just have to prepare early because of the refrigerator time
Amy says
Hi! Do you know if these would work with GF red velvet cake mix? Thanks!
Heather Ilene says
Thank you so much for sharing the recipe. I’m baking my second batch and they are taste heavenly!
Alyssa says
Ok…. Loved these… But did anyone have a problem with them staining teeth red? Maybe it was just my cake mix (I used duff’s red velvet cake mix … As in duff from food network) and felt so bad all my guests looked like vampires! This little set back didn’t stop us from devouring an entire batch! 🙂
Deborah says
@Alyssa, oh my goodness – I haven’t heard of that happening!! 🙂 I’m guessing it was the cake mix, because I didn’t have that problem.
evalis says
Just made these and they’re great! Look just like your picture and taste fantastic. My powdered sugar melted in the oven so the cookies didn’t have that powdered sugar layer on top but the cookies were still good. Next time I’ll cover them in more powdered sugar instead of a light dusting.
Sue says
Can white chocolate chips be put in these??
Deborah says
@Sue, I haven’t tried, but I’m guessing it would work!
Rosemary says
Made these tonight and they were awesome. Even though I messed up and only put 1/2 stick butter in them. The dough was really sticky , so I coated my hands with butter, it did not affect the taste.
They are very pretty also with the sugar cracked on the top.
Mike says
All due respect, but Paula Deen did not come up with the gooey butter cookie. My grandma’s been making them for Christmas since long before anyone ever heard of Paula.
That being said, this recipe looks outstanding.
PureX says
Why is it that the red looks so appetizing!
Cassy says
Do these freeze well?
Deborah says
@Cassy, I have never tried freezing them, so I’m not sure. Sorry!
J says
hey there, so i’ve made these twice now, and when i roll the dough in powered sugar, it always just bakes “in” and disappears. so i’ve been just dusting them when they come out of the oven with the sugar. they come out just as pretty!
Jenna says
Hi, my husband is deployed and loves red velvet cake. Do you think these will survive in the mail for 2 weeks if sealed tight?
Deborah says
@Jenna, I can’t say for sure, since I know we ate all of ours well before 2 weeks were over!! I’m guessing that they’d hold up as well as most cookies, though.
Jenny S. says
Thanks for this recipe! I followed it perfectly, but mine, too, came out more cake-y/dense than gooey. I’m wondering if cake mix brand matters (I used Duncan Hines). Also, I wondered if a 2nd egg would have helped moisten them up a little and bring in more gooey-ness. Paula Deen’s gooey butter filling has two eggs. Hmmm…Any thoughts?
Deborah says
@Jenny S., I wonder why they were cakey for you!?! I almost wonder if it has something to do with oven temperature/time baked. But a second egg might help as well.
rachel says
@Jenny S., Funny, I just made these too. They were yum, but definitely on the cakey side. Perhaps I should have baked it a bit longer?!? Will give them a try again.
Nadia says
@rachel, Ok so I’ve tried to bake it using different time for different batches and it turned out that when I bake it for 12 minutes, the cookies turned out to be cakey. I tried to bake it for 9-10 minutes, at first it definitely looked like it’s not done yet, so I let them cooled all the way and there you go, I got the gooey texture. It was even more perfect when I ate it the next day. Hope this helps.
Deborah says
@Nadia, Thank you! I was guessing that the cakey texture was coming from cooking too long – I’m glad you did the experiment for me!
Jenn says
@Nadia, incoprorate more and and bake at a 15 degrees lower baking temp.
rachel says
These look delicious. Do all supermarkets have the red velvet cake mix? I don’t know if I’ve ever seen it.
Deborah says
@rachel, you should be able to find red velvet cake mix at any supermarket – just with the other cake mixes. I’ve never had a hard time finding it (except around Valentine’s day when they sell out quickly!)
rachel says
@Deborah, Thanks for replying so quickly. I just got back from Target and SCORE! I found them. I’m trying them tonight! I’ll let you know how they come out. Kind of excited. ;o)