Gooey Butter Lemon Cookies
I have decided that vacationing while pregnant is one of the best ideas of all time.
On the surface, it doesn’t sound so great. It’s hot out, you can’t have the giant umbrella-ey drinks that make 24/7 family time more bearable, AND you constantly have to find bathrooms so you can pee ALL THE LIVELONG DAY.
I’m not even going to mention my pasty white self lounging in a maternity one-piece while I watch skinny, tan teenagers run around in their tiny bikinis.
**cough cough face punch cough**
But it turns out, if you dig a liiiiiiitttttle deeper…there is a hidden gem buried deep beneath the pregnant vacationing experience.
You find a way to use it to your advantage.
The kids want to spend the day at that waterpark you’ve been driving by for the past few days?
“Gee, guys…I’d love to take you, but pregnant women can’t go down big slides and it’s SO hot outside…it’s not good for the baby. You should probably ask dad if he can manage it”
Guess who just bought themselves a free afternoon?
Obviously, I’d never encourage you to lie, but if the only thing that tiny fetus wants is for you to lay in bed and eat donuts while your husband takes the kid to ride Go Karts and play arcade games, you probably should listen to your body.
That’s all I’m saying.
And seriously, I’m pretty wise. Like a female Mr. Miyagi, only I’m white and don’t know anything about karate or tiny trees.
Anyways. Let’s talk about cookies now.
Awhile back, I got a sweet email from a reader who shared one of her favorite cookie recipes with me — Gooey Butter Cookies. I have had Gooey Butter CAKES, but I LOVED the idea of Gooey Butter Cookies, and the recipe is amazingly simple.
You can use any flavor cake mix (she favors orange) but I had lemon cake mix on hand so that is what I went with.
Needless to say, these are crazy good, and I’m excited about all the flavor possibilities!!
Thank you so much to Danielle for sharing this recipe. These cookies are the best I’ve had in awhile and I got tons of compliments on them!!Gooey Butter Lemon Cookies
INGREDIENTS
- Box Duncan Hines Lemon Cake Mix
- 8 oz block of cream cheese, softened
- 1 stick of butter, softened
- 1 egg
- About 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In the bowl of a mixer, beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add cake mix and egg and beat on medium until combined. Stir in white chocolate chips.
3. Using a small cookie scoop, scoop onto lined baking sheets, a couple of inches apart. Bake 8-10 minutes or until edges just start to turn golden.
4. Let cool before removing to cooling racks. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and store in refrigerator or freezer for a cool treat.
Enjoy and have a happy Tuesday!!
Thanks for visiting my blog! I realize you could be doing more important things with your time. Like watching the news or washing socks. I hope you stay awhile. Much more fun than socks, I promise. 
These look fabulous! I love lemon and I bet orange would be great too.
Your Mr. Miyagi comment made me think of Garfunkel and Oates – have you ever heard of them? They are a hilarious comedy/musical duo (Miyagi is mentioned in their song, “This Party Just Took a Turn for the Douche.”). http://www.garfunkelandoates.com/
Sorry for saying douche on your blog ;)
I am soooo excited right now. Chocolate are also really good and using Red Velvet cake mix with melted white chocolate is DIE for:) YUMMY!!! Thanks again!!
These are awesome. I don’t have kids, so I’m just storing this bit of information in my back pocket for the future. Better yet, maybe for this weekend. Even though I’m not pregnant, I would love to lay in bed and eat doughnuts all day. Just saying.
It’s rough, when all you can do is listen to your body ;) but at this point .. baby knows best ( it has “nothing” to do with the fact that she’s a little lady and of course girls rule – - and boys drool … hello 90′s :$)
This is a great recipe, and soooo easy. I love it!
These seriously look like heaven!!!
These look so tasty! Awesome idea!
Butter cookies, yum. Lemon in said butter cookies, ZOMFG! I bow down to your Ms. Miyagi skills, even if you can’t do karate, go karting or go down water slides.
Now, how will you spend your free afternoon? More goodness (aka. baking porn) I’m guessing? Woohoo!
These look awesome! Do I have to store them in the fridge?
I loved that you used a lemon cake mix. Cause i love cookies and lemon! :D This looks GREAT!
@ Lynna H. You don’t have to store in Fridge. We make these every year for Christmas and give them as gifts:) They are good out of the freezer if you like cold cookies:) My hubby and his brothers love cookies from the freezer.
Did you drive to Destin and pass through Jackson, MS? Because if you did, next time you do that you MUST let me know so we can meet up for a quick cup of joe, or a donut, or a chest bump.
:)
Two genius ideas!!! (the preggo vacation method and the cookies ;)
Thanks for posting!
I might just get pregnant for the sole purpose of getting out of going to water parks.
These cookies are genius!
Hubby loves lemon.
I have made lemon cook-ez using coolwhip with cake mix but I just gotta try these using the cream cheese.
Oh, how about chocolate using mini chocolate chips.yum yum.
Think of the possibilities just by using different cake mixes.
Thanks 4 the recipe
ColleenB.
We use chocolate cake mix, roll it into balls, and cook it like that. Then roll in powdered sugar. mmm…so good!
Yum- these look great…I think I might try it with a strawberry cake mix…my fav!
Spice mix and roll in cinnamon / sugar mixture
Yum! What a great way to use cake mix!
So simple but they look so good! Sounds like your vacation strategy is on the right track:-)
I needed your blog when I was pregnant years ago – so much insight!
Anything with gooey in the name, HAS to be good!
I like that idea of a vacation. I do something similar…”oh gosh, I’d love to go to the waterpark, but it would take me so long to dry my hair once we get back to the hotel. You guys go and I’ll be ready for dinner when you get back.” ;) Try it.
Gooey. Butter. COOKIES??!?!?!? I like your readers!
Yum! I have a recipe similar that uses two cake mixes. Forgot about that one. Everyone loves them
Vacationing at home sounds like the perfect idea for a pregnant woman! Thanks for the cookies!
hahaha, you’re a funny pregnant lady..those are the best kind! These cookies sound divine!
These cookies look lovely. I’m pregnant myslef and I totally understand the pool issue. We also are expirencing unrealistic heat and was convinced to go to the pool. Everyone there was 21, tan, and holding a drink. I was about to start offering people to stand by me, I’m so pale I’m pretty sure the sun would just reflect and it could help them tan.
You’re good. You know just how to work the system. :)
These look great! I love lemon desserts anyway, but they’re so made for summer…I can’t wait to try these.
Made up a batch. Yummy!
Didn’t have lemon cake mix but had yellow cake mix of which I added a bit of lemon juice or could also use lemon extract.
Good thing I had a couple right away cause hubby took the rest of the cookies to work with him.
I drizzled alittle lemon icing over the top in place of the powdered sugar
I have really been loving cake mix cookies lately. They take so much work out of the process when your pregnant!
I’ve found that this hot, hot weather is good for drinking as much as I want and not having a desperate need for bathrooms ’cause I sweat out all the liquid! Meanwhile, love this recipe. So simple and such yummy ingredients. I find it intriguing how many recipes are created with cake mixes and a few ingredients in lieu of those listed on the boxes.
Keep writing…
What a GREAT cookie!
Delicious looking cookie! Also, you had me laughing so hard at this post. My favorite line was about you being white and knowing nothing about tiny trees…haha
Delicious cookies and a brilliant mind. You rock being pregnant. I say use it to your advantage as much as possible. I swear I read once that doing dishes is not good while pregnant too. Make sure you quote me as a reliable source to hubby.
Cake mix and cream cheese to make cookies? Umm, hell yes!
These look delicious! I LOVE easy recipes that leave me time to lay on the bed and eat donuts. And I’m not even pregnant.
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