Rich, chewy red velvet gooey butter cookies are covered in powdered sugar for an indulgent treat! This is an easy cake mix cookie recipe made with just a few ingredients.

They’re perfectly puffed and chewy on the outside with a moist, fudgy bite hiding inside. Serve the for your next cookie exchange, Valentine’s Day party, 4th of July and more!

Red velvet gooey butter cookies dusted in powder sugar on a white countertop.
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Red velvet gooey butter cookies are a fun twist on the St. Louis classic gooey butter cake! With a swap of the cake mix my Gooey Butter Cookie recipe turns into a delicious mix of rich red velvet flavor with the ooey gooey goodness of butter cake.

Red Velvet Gooey Butter Cookies

Why You’ll Love them

  • Easy Shortcut Recipe – Made with a cake mix for convenience.
  • Best of Both Worlds – Blends everything you love about red velvet cake in cookie form!
  • Unique – Surprise friends and family with this one of a kind treat!
Red velvet gooey butter cookies dusted in powder sugar on a white countertop.

Red velvet cake is known for its luxurious texture, gentle cocoa flavor and fudgy bite. It’s even more amazing blended with tart cream cheese into delicious bite-sized treats! These cookies are a match made in heaven!

A stack of red velvet gooey butter cookies on a white surface.

Ingredients and Substitutions

  • Cream Cheese – Full fat cream cheese, softened. Learn how to soften cream cheese here.
  • Butter – Unsalted butter is preferred to keep these cookies delightfully sweet. For best results, properly soften butter.
  • Egg – At room temperature.
  • Vanilla – Pure vanilla extract.
  • Red Velvet Cake Mix – I use Duncan Hines, but you can use your favorite cake mix for this easy shortcut recipe.
  • Powdered Sugar – Powdered sugar, also known as confectioner’s sugar, gives these cookies a luxuriously smooth texture. Don’t have any? Learn how to make powdered sugar here.
Red velvet gooey butter cookies dusted in powder sugar on a white countertop.

Variations

  • Use your favorite cake mix to customize your own gooey butter cookies!
  • For really gooey cookies, add ¼ cup powdered sugar to the batter and increase bake time by one minute.
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Tools to Use

  • Cookie Scoop – Keeps cookies consistent in size which prevents cookies from under or over baking.
  • Parchment Sheets – Makes cleanup a breeze.
  • Gold Cookie Sheets – The light color bakes evenly and prevents the bottom of your cookies from over baking.
Red velvet gooey butter cookies dusted in powder sugar on a white countertop.

How to Make

  1. Combine – Cream butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add egg, vanilla and cake mix. Red velvet gooey butter cookie dough in a glass mixing bowl. A cake mix in a glass mixing bowl Red velvet gooey butter cookie dough in a glass mixing bowl.
  2. Chill – Cover and refrigerate. Make loose dough balls and roll in powdered sugar to coat. A hand dipping a red velvet gooey butter cookie into a bowl of powdered sugar. Red velvet gooey butter cookie dough in a mixing bowl. A red velvet gooey butter cookie in a bowl of powdered sugar. Red velvet gooey butter cookies dusted in powder sugar on a gold baking sheet.
  3. Bake – Preheat oven and line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Bake and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Red velvet gooey butter cookies dusted in powder sugar on a gold baking sheet.
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Tips

  • Resist the temptation to over bake. Bake cookies until just set and transfer to a wire rack to cool (they’ll continue baking on a hot cookie sheet). This helps them maintain their irresistible gooey texture!
  • Bake the cookies on a parchment lined cookie sheet.
  • Cookie dough is easiest to work with chilled and yields a fuller cookie.
  • Use a cookie scoop for consistent cookie size, but careful not to pack the dough.
Red velvet gooey butter cookies dusted in powder sugar on a white countertop.

How to Store

  • Room Temperature – Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
  • Refrigerate – Store in an airtight container up to 1 week.
  • Freeze – Place cookies in a freezer bag and store in an airtight container to prevent any freezer odors from seeping in. Freeze up to 6 months.
Red velvet gooey butter cookies dusted in powder sugar on a white countertop.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Gooey Butter Cookies a Midwest thing?

Yes! These are a quintessential St. Louis dessert!

Why are they called Gooey Butter Cookies?

The ratio of butter to flour makes them really gooey and exceptionally delicious!

What flavor is Red Velvet?

Red velvet is a mild, yet tart cocoa known for its smooth texture and tender bite.

Red velvet gooey butter cookies dusted in powder sugar on a white countertop.

More Easy Cookies

A stack of red velvet gooey butter cookies on a white surface.
5 from 1 vote

Red Velvet Cookies

Rich, chewy Red Velvet Gooey Butter Cookies are covered in powdered sugar for an indulgent treat! This is an easy cake mix cookie recipe made with just a few ingredients.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 8 minutes
Chill two hours: 2 hours
Total: 2 hours 18 minutes
Servings: 36
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Ingredients  

  • 8 ounces cream cheese softened
  • ½ cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1 egg size large
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 15.25 ounces red velvet cake mix (one box- we use Duncan Hines)
  • ½ cup powdered sugar to coat

Instructions 

  • In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and cream cheese for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
  • Add egg and vanilla.
  • Blend in cake mix.
  • Cover and refrigerate (or freeze) dough for 2+ hours.
  • Preheat oven to 325°F.
  • Using a cookie scoop or teaspoon, scoop dough and roll dough into 1″ balls. Roll in powdered sugar to coat.
  • Bake 8-9 minutes (resist the urge to bake longer). Allow to cool 1 minute before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Julie’s Tips

  • If you want really gooey cookies, add ¼ cup powdered sugar to the batter and increase bake time by one minute.
  • This cookie dough is best when cold. It makes it easier to work with and produces a fuller cookie.
  • Use a cookie scoop if you have one to avoid sticky fingers and make consistent size cookies.
  • To make clean up a breeze, I line my cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Video

Calories: 105kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 121mg | Potassium: 51mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 170IU | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg

Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.

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