Description
Delightful Creamsicle Cookies combining a moist vanilla cake mix base with cream cheese and a burst of orange flavor, coated in powdered sugar for a crackled finish. These soft, flavorful cookies are perfect for a sweet snack or dessert and offer a nostalgic creamsicle taste in cookie form.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 15.25 ounce box vanilla cake mix (Betty Crocker Super Moist recommended)
- 8 ounce block cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon orange extract
- 1/2 teaspoon orange gel food coloring
- 11 ounce bag white chocolate chips (Ghirardelli recommended)
Coating
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Prepare Baking Sheets: Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside to prepare for cookie dough placement and baking.
- Mix Cream Cheese and Butter: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and unsalted butter on medium-low speed with a handheld mixer for 1 minute, ensuring a smooth texture without lumps.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Add the egg, orange extract, and orange gel food coloring to the cream cheese mixture and continue mixing for 1-2 minutes until fully incorporated and smooth.
- Combine Cake Mix: Gradually add the vanilla cake mix and mix on low speed for 1-2 minutes until a very thick batter forms.
- Add White Chocolate Chips: Fold the white chocolate chips evenly into the thick batter using a wooden spoon or spatula to distribute throughout the dough.
- Scoop and Chill Dough: Using a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop, form 36 dough balls and place them on one prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate the dough balls for 30 minutes to chill thoroughly.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Sugar Coating: While chilling, preheat the oven to 350°F. Pour powdered sugar into a small bowl for coating the dough balls.
- Coat Dough Balls: After chilling, roll each dough ball in powdered sugar to lightly coat and place 9-12 coated balls spaced evenly on the second prepared baking sheet.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 12 minutes. The cookies should appear set in the center and develop a crackled look from the powdered sugar coating.
- Cool Cookies: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Repeat Baking: Repeat the coating, baking, and cooling steps with the remaining dough balls until all cookies are baked and cooled.
Notes
- Use gel food coloring for vibrant orange color instead of regular liquid food coloring.
- Ensure cream cheese is at room temperature to avoid lumps in the butter mixture.
- The powdered sugar coating step is optional but gives a beautiful crackle finish that enhances the cookies’ appearance.
- Store cookies in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for 5-6 days.
- Freeze cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
