Home » Recipes » Desserts » Cookies » Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies
posted by Crissy Pageon Dec 3, 2020 (updated Jan 19, 2024) 107 comments »
‘Tis the season to be jolly, and to eat lots of holiday treats like these amazing Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies! If you’re looking for the perfect melt-in-your-mouth Christmas cookies that are super easy to make, you’ve stumbled upon the perfect recipe.
Friends, I’m telling you, these Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies are THE BEST!
Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies Recipe
As far as I am concerned, you really can’t go wrong with a recipe that is so simple to make, especially during the busy holiday season.
Want to know another recipe I’m obsessed with making this Christmas? My easy chocolate chip banana bread.
I make this bread as a gift to my friends because they all love it so much.
Of course, it’s hard to pick a favorite when it comes to Christmas cookies. I adore these Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies, but I also love my Raspberry Almond Shortbread Cookies, Chocolate Crinkle Cookies, Snowball Cookies and my Soft Ginger Molasses Cookies.
See, I told you, difficult to choose just one! :)
Of course, it’s the holiday sprinkles that make these cookies festive. You could use regular sprinkles to make these gooey butter cookies perfect for any occasion!
I can tell you that I really tend to prefer soft and chewy Christmas cookies. It’s one of the reasons that I love this recipe so much. They are also a big favorite when I take them to holiday gatherings and parties.
People are always surprised when I tell them that I made these cookies using a cake mix!
Be sure to pin this recipe to your favorite boards on Pinterest so you don’t forget about it when it’s time to whip up a batch of cookies this Christmas. I hope you enjoy this holiday treat as much as we do!
More Cake Mix Treats
- Cake Mix Cookie Bars
- Fantasy Fudge
Yield: 3 dozen
These simple cake mix cookies will melt in your mouth this holiday season!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 white cake mix
- ½ cup sprinkles, divided
- ½ cup confectioner’s sugar
Instructions
- Cream together the butter and the cream cheese. Add the egg and the vanilla and beat just until combined. Beat in the cake mix until well blended. Stir in ¼ cup of the sprinkles. Refrigerate at least one hour or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a cookie sheet or line with parchment paper. Scoop out rounded tablespoons of dough and roll into a 1-inch ball. Sprinkle the ball with sprinkles then roll in the confectioner’s sugar until completely covered. Place about 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheet. Bake 8 to10 minutes then allow to sit on the sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Cookies
originally published on Dec 3, 2020 (last updated Jan 19, 2024)
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107 comments on “Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies”
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Judy — Reply
These are so delicious, will definitely make again 😋
Rating: 5
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Vannesa — Reply
Can you use a pumpkin spice cake mix instead?
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Patti — Reply
We used crushed candy canes instead of sprinkles.
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Bonnie Cohn — Reply
I have a recipe from the 70’s just like this. Back then cake mixes were 18.5oz. I add enough flour to the present mix to equal that. To this day these are my sons favorite cookies at Christmas. Making a patch right now for him! Nothing fancy with powdered sugar or sprinkles, just plain dropped on a cookie sheet!
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Desiree Besson — Reply
Do you still follow the instructions on the cake mix box in addition to instructions posted here?
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may — Reply
how much cake mix am i suppose to add? recipe is not clear, please help!
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Linda Zeman — Reply
Do they need to be kept in the refrigerator?? Just made them and will serve the them in 4 days??
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Joan — Reply
I was hesitant to try this recipe with an entire brick of cream cheese. The dough is sticky but the end result is delicious! I might try a chocolate cake mix with mini M&M’s.
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Janice Carpini — Reply
My grandkids and I just made these with pastel colored sprinkles. For Spring! They are so easy and yummy! Using a chocolate cake mix is good too. They are supposed to be rounded and cracks as it spreads. Mine made 18 cookies; approx 1 1/2”
The history about these;
there is an area in St Louis, MO where many Italian families settled when they came from Italy. Appropriately it is known as “The Hill.”In one of the Italian restaurants a baker was making a white cake that was their specialty. The cook mistakenly put in too much butter and then baked it. It was a hit! Many great foods are an accident. So gooey butter cookies evolved from this cake. YUM!-
Jennifer — Reply
I’ve been to the Hill!! There was a bakery there too, that had the macaroons and the Italian cake bites with the almond paste in them!! Amazing!
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Marsha — Reply
These are the best cookies!! So easy to make and yummy to eat. Disappeared quick at the Christmas party.
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Char — Reply
Can’t wait to make these cookies along with the others that you have posted. They are so pretty also. Thank you for posting!!!
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Karen — Reply
How do you store them Street banking? Can they be left out?
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Luciana — Reply
Hi! I’m getting ready to make these cookies and just wanted to make sure that it is a standard cake mix box size that is used?
Also best to use refrigerated dough when making them into balls? Thank you -
Teresa — Reply
12/12/2021
I Recently bought Vanilla Cake Cookies at my bakery at my Grocery Store. They Were Delicious! They sound similar to these.
The only difference is that they were covered in confectionery Icing and Then with sprinkles. So, I Was Wondering If I Could Do The Same Thing Here ?
I’d Appreciate Any Answers !! Soon !!!!! -
Karen — Reply
Hello! Thank you for sharing this recipe! My 5 year old and I just finished making them together. They are so simple and yummy! I did have to adjust cooking time to 11 or 12 minutes.
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Lela — Reply
Made these at Christmas. I do not typically bake so I was hoping they were “simple” as described. I did have some trouble rolling them into balls and realize now it’s not hard if the batter is cold. If you are slow like I am and they start to warm up they will be harder to roll. But it was worth it because they were an absolute hit with everyone and I was so proud of myself! I love the idea of using different cake flavors too! Will definitely try that! This recipe is a keeper!!
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Praty Taylor — Reply
I tried it with different flavor cake mixes and it turns out just as good. For chocolate I added chips& nuts & rolled in sugar. For spice cake I used dried fruit trail mix and rolled in cinnamon& sugar.
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Kitty Desrosiers — Reply
My family loved these cookies. Made 3 batches before Christmas Day.
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Mandy — Reply
My batter keeps coming out sticky! I’m unable to use the cookie scooper it’s so sticky. What can I do to avoid that?!
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Peggy Payne — Reply
Let dough cool in fridge for at least 1 hour. If it becomes soft again set in fridge again
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Tish — Reply
These cookies are really amazing! My hubby and I paired them with a really good bottle of red wine. Our son loved the cookies too!! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
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Peggy — Reply
My husband said these are the best cookies I ever made. Easy to make. Excellent in all ways. Love your recipes.
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Elaine — Reply
Just made them. They are so good. Giving them for Christmas.
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Joyce — Reply
These cookies are very good, Made them last year and making them again tomorrow, I seen a comment asking about how many they make. If you print the recipe it says on the top left corner, that it makes about 3 dozen. Thanks for the recipe its a good one
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Vivian D. — Reply
I have funfetti Christmas sugar cookie mix. Can I use that to make these cookies instead of the cake mix? Do I use the same amount of cream cheese?
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Allison — Reply
Excited to try this recipe! How long can I store the dough in the fridge before baking?
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Nikki — Reply
What size of cake mix do you use?
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Cindy — Reply
How long do these last stored? I want to bake them a 3 days before christmas..will they still be good? Should they be stored in fridge?
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Jessica — Reply
Hi, I’m thinking of making these for Christmas treat boxes. Does anyone know if I can freeze the batter ? Any tips / tricks for making ahead ? Thank you :)
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Marlene — Reply
I love this recipe. I made them with my 3 year old grandson and we used red velvet cake mix with green sprinkles and white chocolate chips. He was so proud!
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Irene — Reply
Can they be stored for a few weeks? Thanks in advance,
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Cindy — Reply
How long do these last once baked? I am going to bake cookies 3 days before christmas. Will they last? Should I store in refrigerator?
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Cindy Herzog — Reply
I have been looking everywhere for a recipe for these! I’m from St. Louis Mo. which is known for the Gooey Butter Cake and Cookies. I just made them and they are DELISH!!!!! Thanks for the recipe!
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Erin Salisbury — Reply
Fancy seeing you here,Cindy! Haha. I make these every year… I’m actually heading to moms to make some now and I’ll be sure to make extra for you!
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Laurie — Reply
Very pretty and yummy. At first I thought I didn’t cook them long enough because they were so soft on the inside. Next tray I did 10 min and they were good.
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Kimberly Lax — Reply
I made these today. Do they need to be refrigerated or can I keep them in a rubbermaid container at room temperature until Christmas?
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Carlotta — Reply
there is no size for the cake mix .
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kae — Reply
These definitely did not cook in 8-10 minutes for me :( but they taste and look great!
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Theresa — Reply
So good, definitely under bake them though, 8 minutes was perfect for me! Also make sure you have a good mixer (I have a cheaper one and it struggled to mix with the thickness of this recipe) otherwise so good and easy!!
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Vanessa Tangaro — Reply
how many pounds is the cake mix? I have 5lbs so I could convert the remaining ingregients. TIA
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Teylor — Reply
These cookies are amazing! I don’t roll them in in powdered sugar, I bake them and dip half of the cookie in melted whites chocolate once they are cooled. I also sprinkle them with a few extra sprinkles. :)
Rating: 5
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Debbie Lovern — Reply
Thanks for the idea. I am going to melt the rest of my white chocolate and do the other half in that
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Nancy Fischer — Reply
Very nice cookie moist easy to make taste great,everyone enjoyed them,very colorful
Rating: 5
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Katrina Burks — Reply
These cookies are just like the Gooey cake. So delicious.
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Jae — Reply
What if I don’t love sprinkles???!
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Gina — Reply
Mini chocolate chips, crushed candy canes, coconut, chopped nuts, etc
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Christi — Reply
This! I’m thinking I’ll just leave them out and have less cute but delicious cookies. (Because sprinkles are not delicious, IMHO.)
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Praty Taylor — Reply
I used colored sugar. It ends up melting into the cookies so you don’t notice it.
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Abby — Reply
I made these today. I used a Devil’s Food cake mix. Once they were completely cool, I put the baked cookies in the powdered sugar and sprinkles mixture again. I froze them and will bring them out Christmas Eve night just before going to bed. They are delicious!!
Rating: 5
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Julie — Reply
I didn’t see an answer to the very important question, “What size cake mix did you use?” Cake mixes have gotten smaller over the years.
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Kim — Reply
I only know of one size cake mix.
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Pat — Reply
Can you freeze these cookies?
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Christine Rockhold — Reply
How many cookies does this recipe make??
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Laura — Reply
So with it being a cake mix cookie all we need to do to change the flavor is change the cake mix — spice, chocolate, etc. This sounds great, looks like it is time for grocery shopping???. Thank you for your recipe.
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Jessica — Reply
Are you able to freeze the dough?
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Joanne Rinnier — Reply
Why do mine come out flat & take so long to cook. I checked my oven & everything is correct.
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Judy Young — Reply
Once that happened to me, and I found out you should use a large egg. I had used a jumbo egg. Next time used a large one, and they came out fine.
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Ashley — Reply
I am having the same problem. I followed it to the t
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Debbie Johnson — Reply
I made these and they are wonderful! I added a peppermint white chocolate kiss to each one and they were amazing!
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Angel Quintero — Reply
Every single person LOVED these chewy cookies! One by one they disappeared in about 5 minutes. The key is to definitely pull them out before they are completely done and let them stay on the cookie sheet like she said. Follow her instructions to a tee & you will have amazing cookies! (My 1st pan cooked about 2 minutes too long and they have more of a cake like substance & started to brown. So I paid closer attention to the 2nd & 3rd pans and they turned out perfect!!)
Rating: 5
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Francine Fizzinoglia — Reply
They were delicious I have to say. I made them this weekend, three batches, and the family loved them. Very easy to make and I plan on making them again! Thanks for sharing the recipe and Merry Christmas :)
Rating: 5
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Debby — Reply
I made these and they are really really wonderful. They were gone in no time. I have a question and comment. My question is how do you store these ? I put them on a zip lock bag and they got to be kind of soggy I guess from the powered sugar. Any suggestions ? Thank you for a great cookie recipe.
Rating: 5
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Brandi Thompson — Reply
I would suggest putting them in a cookie tin. That’s what we do and our cookies last longer and don’t get soggy.
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Joan — Reply
I am going to try this recipe but I’m going to use chocolate cake mix. Hoping it comes out ok. Think it will be pretty with the sprinkles and I wanted to add a chocolate cookie to my list.
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Donna Mc — Reply
So I made these cookies and took them to work, next thing I knew they were chasing me down wanting another one. I made a double batch, because there are a lot of employees. They are waiting for me to make more. Thank you so much fgor this recipe.
Rating: 5
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Terri Leann Povis — Reply
Looks great! I plan on making them to take to my sister and brother-in-law’s house on Christmas Eve. I may have to make them before hand so that my husband, son and I can eat a batch.
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Becky — Reply
I am making these right now with my grands, ut my friend made these last week and they are absolutely to die for…..My new favorite cookie to eat and make??
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Linda — Reply
I just made these and they’re delicious! For those of you who are asking, my batch made almost 5 dozen 1” cookies (1” before baking).
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Jane Marie Gramza — Reply
These are so good & easy to make! The only little change I made was to add the other 1/4 cup of sprinkles in with the powdered sugar. It made it a little easier to get the sprinkles to stick to the cookie dough. Thanks for a new cookie to add to the rest of my Christmas cookies! :)
Rating: 5
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Cathy D — Reply
I made these cookies and they are tasty. Pretty easy to make.
Rating: 5
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Kris Ballew — Reply
These cookies are really good and I am taking them to a cookie exchange! You have a gift for great recipes!
Rating: 5
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Jennifer — Reply
How many cookies does one batch make?
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Donna — Reply
Could this be rolled and cut with cookie cutters?
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Emily — Reply
About how many cookies does 1 batch make?
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Wendy — Reply
I would really like to make these, could you please tell how much (cups or grams) homemade cake mix I should add to the recipe.
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Jen — Reply
Could you use this in a cookie press? I wasnt sure of the consistency! Looks yummy!
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Tracy — Reply
I did use my cookie press just make sure the pan is really cold I waited to put the sprinkles on till after I pressed them
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Pingback: Gooey Butter Cookies * Evonne Jones
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Sam — Reply
I’m not normally one to leave a comment, but I added these into my Christmas cookie rotation this year, and they were such a hit! Thank you for sharing this great recipe–can’t wait to use it year-round with different sprinkles!
Rating: 5
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Crissy — Reply
Hi Sam, I’m so glad you took the time to comment. Your feedback and support keep me motivated to do this, and what people don’t realize is that almost no one comments on blog posts these days!! :) Hope you had a great Christmas — Happy New Year!
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Chantal — Reply
Did the recipe, only I cook them for 15 minutes instead of 10 minutes. Very good !
Rating: 4
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Crissy — Reply
Glad you liked them! :)
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Brittany — Reply
Looks delicious! How long do you think I can keep the dough in the refrigerator for, prior to baking? If I premix and refrigerate…
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Susie — Reply
These were delicious!!!! You def need to let them cool off because initially I thought they were undercooked but once they cooled, they were perfect.
Rating: 5
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Raquel — Reply
Made these for a team food day at work. LOVE IT!
Rating: 5
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Jane — Reply
These are delicious. Thank you for the recipe. My 16 year old went overboard with the sprinkles.
So good. ? -
Jennifer — Reply
How many cookies did one batch make?
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Marianne — Reply
How many does it make
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Katie — Reply
Hi can you make these cookies with salted butter or only unsalted?
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Raquel — Reply
I used salted and they turned out just fine!
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Amanda Merlone —
Thanks for answering this! Dough is in fridge now and I used salted butter, too!
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D — Reply
Could I use lemon extract instead of vanilla?
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Patricia Michalec — Reply
How many cookies does this make?
Rating: 5
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Sherry Pollock — Reply
The recipe shows that it makes 3 dozen
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Siobhan — Reply
I’m out of cream cheese. I have everything else. Can i use more butter?
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Courtney — Reply
Can you freeze these?
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Julie — Reply
Can you freeze them?
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Crystal — Reply
Could you use a gluten free cake mix?
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patricia woyahn — Reply
COULD YOU USE A YELLOW CAKE MIX ?
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patricia woyahn — Reply
could you use a yellow cake also ?
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Crissy — Reply
Yes!
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Fran MacCormack — Reply
Made these last year and they flew off the plate!!! This year made them without the sprinkles as I forgot to buy them. Cookies are still delicious!!
Rating: 5
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Tylene — Reply
What size came mid box did you use? These look really yummy!
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Tina — Reply
Besides sprinkles, have you or anyone else made these cookies with other add-ins? Not interested in nuts due to my son’s allergies.
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Crissy — Reply
Hey Tina, I haven’t tried any other mix-ins, but honestly, they are delicious on their own. The sprinkles are only for color anyway. :)
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Karl —
Do this
cookies need to be refrigerated?
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