Strawberry Gooey Butter Cookies (Cake Mix Recipe)

These easy Strawberry Gooey Butter Cookies are conveniently made with a box of strawberry cake mix. All you need is five ingredients and a little patience!

If you’ve ever tried gooey butter cake, you know how delicious it is! This Strawberry Gooey Butter Cookie recipe harnesses that same energy. It adds some sweet strawberry flavor and puts it into cookie form. 

These five-ingredient strawberry cookies are perfect for Valentine’s Day, a baby shower, a garden party, or anytime you’re craving a fruity sweet treat. They’re such an easy dessert recipe. Let’s get started!

Gooey Butter Cake (more often called “ooey gooey butter cake”) originated in St. Louis, Missouri. I lived there when I first graduated from college and grew to love it! It’s a dense, moist yellow cake that’s best served slightly warm for maximum gooey texture. 

Strawberry Gooey Butter Cookie Ingredients

Some strawberry cookie recipes are made fully from scratch. This is not one of them, though! I’m the type of baker that goes for simplicity, so all you need are a few basic ingredients:

• Box of strawberry cake mix
• Cream cheese
• Butter
• Egg
• Powdered sugar. No exact measurements needed, just scoop out enough you’ll be able to coat the dough balls before baking. This gives them the crinkle effect while baking.

Street Smart Nutrition Tip: The two most common brands in U.S. grocery stores are Betty Crocker and Duncan Hines. Note that the Duncan Hines mix (at the time of this post) is 15.25 oz while the Betty Crocker box is only 13.25 oz. The Duncan Hines version will give you more cakey cookies, while Betty Crocker will turn out more soft and gooey. 

​This formula is super simple: one box of cake mix, one block of cream cheese, one stick of butter, and one egg. It’s very easy to remember if you’re caught in a pinch and need to bake a batch in a hurry!

As far as equipment, make sure you have:

• A large bowl for mixing
• Cookie sheet or baking sheet, along with parchment paper to line it
• Strong whisk or hand mixer
• Cookie scoop

While the cookie scoop is technically optional, I think it makes it so easy to ensure all the cookies end up the same size. I also use mine for meatballs and muffins, so it’s worth investing in if you’ll get frequent use out of it!

Swaps and Substitutions

There are lots of ways to customize these Strawberry Gooey Butter Cookies. Here are a few ideas to start with:

• Top with strawberry-flavored, cream cheese, or vanilla frosting (homemade or store-bought). Just note that these cookies are very soft so bake slightly longer and let them cool completely before attempting to ice or frost them.
• Mix in mini chocolate chips or white chocolate chips before chilling the cookie dough.
• Drop in some strawberry extract for supercharged strawberry flavor.

And if you’re wondering, yes, you can make gooey butter cookies in pretty much any flavor! Grab a box of your favorite flavor, like I did with my Red Velvet Gooey Butter Cookies. 

How to Make Strawberry Gooey Butter Cookies

​You only need about 15 minutes of hands-on time to make these soft strawberry cookies. The rest is chilling time or baking time.

The cooking method is very simple. Just follow these steps:

1. Make sure to start with room temperature ingredients. Scrape the cream cheese and butter into a large bowl, then add the egg. Use a hand mixer or strong whisk to combine the wet ingredients. 
2. Add the strawberry cake mix (which already includes all the dry ingredients). Mix until a sticky dough forms.
3. Mix until the cookie dough is smooth. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours. 
4. When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a cookie scoop for equal-sized cookies. No cookie cutter needed!
5. Use clean hands to roll the portions into dough balls. Add a scoop (1/2 to 1 cup) of powdered sugar to a small bowl and roll the dough in it to fully coat the outside. The more powdered sugar you use, the more intense the crinkle effect will be. Place the dough ball on the prepared baking sheet but do not press down. 
6. Repeat with the remaining dough, leaving two inches between each cookie. Bake for 11-12 minutes for an extra gooey cookie, or 13-15 minutes for a crispier crust. Once baked, place on a wire rack to cool and firm up before serving.

Street Smart Nutrition Tip: This recipe yields about 24 cookies. Adjust accordingly if you’re serving a crowd. And don’t overbake! Once the cookies get too brown, you’ll lose the bright pastel-pink color.

These cookies look stunning served with an assortment of fresh berries. The dietitian in me loves the excuse to encourage a serving of fruit. And if you’re looking for more recipes that feature fresh strawberries, try my Balsamic Macerated Strawberries and Cream or Korean-Inspired Strawberry Milk!

Storage Tips for Strawberry Gooey Butter Cookies

When these Strawberry Gooey Butter Cookies are fully baked, you can store them at room temperature for two to three days. Place them in an airtight container, with a piece of wax paper separating the layers if you have to stack them. 

Don’t be alarmed if they lose their crispy edges. There’s a lot of moisture in them (that’s what makes them so ooey and gooey), so this is normal and expected. 

If you like a firmer texture or need longer storage, stash them in the fridge. They can last up to one week. Or, freeze up to 3-6 months and thaw before serving. 

Once you taste these delicious cookies, this might become your new go-to recipe! I hesitate to even call it that because it starts with a dry cake mix. But life is busy! Simplicity can be a good thing and convenience is your friend.

If you try these out, I’d love to know what you think! Leave a comment and rating at the bottom of the post. 

As always, thanks for stopping by the Street Smart Nutrition blog. Cheers to more fearlessly nourishing meals!

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