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We have been making Gooey Butter Cookies almost our whole lives! They’re one of our favorites, which is why we decided to make a lemon version. We are glad we did, because today’s Lemon Cake Mix Cookies have become a family favorite!

These cookies are soft, flavorful and beyond simple. You just need 5 ingredients (including our shortcut cake mix) and some powdered sugar to dip them. The cream cheese and butter in the recipe make these cookies melt in your mouth.

Other than chilling the dough for half an hour, these lemon cream cheese cookies can be made quickly, and with the help of the kiddos. For more lemon cookies, try our Frosted Lemon Cookies and the Lemon Sugar Cookie recipes as well.

Why we think you’ll love it:

  • A favorite shortcut. A cake mix makes this dessert EXTRA easy with just a few ingredients.
  • Bright flavor. We love lemon and these easy cookies are gooey and chewy with plenty of tasty lemon flavor.
  • Saves you time. The chilled dough can easily be made ahead of time, and baked cookies are PERFECT for freezing for a last-minute treat!

Lemon Cake Mix Cookie Ingredients

  • 1 (15.25-ounce) box of Lemon Cake Mix – use only the cake mix powder in the recipe
  • ½ cup butter softened – We use unsalted butter, see How to Soften Butter Quickly
  • ½ teaspoon lemon extract – or 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
  • 8 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 1 large egg – room temperature
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • optional ingredients – Add white chocolate chips to the dough, top with toasted coconut, or even drizzle a powdered sugar/lemon glaze on top of your baked cookies.
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Butter, cream cheese, and an egg in a glass bowl.
Whipping up butter and cream cheese in a glass bowl.
Adding lemon cake mix to cream cheese and butter mixture.
Cream cheese and butter mixed with cake mix in a glass bowl.
Covering lemon cookie dough with powder sugar.
Baked lemon cookies on a lined cookie sheet.

How to Make Lemon Cake Mix Cookies

STEP 1. PREP. Preheat oven to 350°F.

Whipping up butter and cream cheese in a glass bowl.

STEP 2. BATTER. In a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat butter, lemon extract, egg, and cream cheese until fluffy.

Lemon cake mix cookie dough in bowl.

STEP 3. Add in cake mix and beat until smooth. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Covering lemon cookie dough with powder sugar.

STEP 4. ROLL. Add ½ cup powdered sugar to a small bowl. Roll dough into ½-1 inch balls and dip in powdered sugar. Placed on greased cookie sheet.

Baked lemon cookies on a lined cookie sheet.

STEP 5. Bake for 12-13 minutes. Sift these easy lemon cake mix cookies with more powdered sugar if desired. ENJOY!

    4.96 from 73 votes

    Lemon Cake Mix Cookies Recipe

    By: Kristyn Merkley
    Melt-in-your-mouth lemon cake mix cookies are a simple cookie and summer favorite. With few ingredients, they mix up in minutes!
    Servings: 24
    Prep: 5 minutes
    Cook: 12 minutes
    Chill: 30 minutes
    Total: 47 minutes

    Video

    Ingredients 

    • 1 (15.25-ounce) box lemon cake mix
    • ½ cup butter, softened
    • ½ teaspoon lemon extract
    • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
    • 1 egg
    • powdered sugar

    Instructions 

    • Preheat oven to 350°F.
    • With a hand mixer, beat butter, lemon extract, egg, and cream cheese until fluffy. Add in cake mix and beat until smooth.
    • Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
    • Add ½ cup powdered sugar to a small bowl. Roll dough into ½-1 inch balls and dip in powdered sugar. Placed on a greased baking sheet (or line the pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat).
    • Bake for 12-13 minutes. Do not let the cookies brown.
    • Allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes on the baking pan before transferring them to a cooling rack. If desired, sift more powdered sugar over the tops. ENJOY!

    Notes

    Recipe Tips.
    • Do not make the cake into batter. You will only be using the lemon cake powder in the cookie recipe.
    • We always use room-temperature cream cheese and eggs because they incorporate the best.
    • This dough is a little sticky. We chill the dough and use a cookie scoop to help make it easier to scoop. This also prevents flat cookies!
    Store the cookie dough, covered, in the fridge for up to 2 days, or freeze cookie dough balls for up to 3 months. See How to Freeze Cookie Dough for tips.
    Store baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days or in the freezer for 3-4 months. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 148kcal, Carbohydrates: 18g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 27mg, Sodium: 223mg, Potassium: 25mg, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 255IU, Calcium: 57mg, Iron: 0.5mg

    Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

    Kristyn’s Recipe Tips

    • Do not make the cake into batter. You will only be using the lemon cake powder in the cookie recipe.
    • We always use room-temperature cream cheese and eggs because they incorporate the best.
    • This dough is a little sticky. We chill the dough and use a cookie scoop to help make it easier to scoop. This also prevents flat cookies!

    Recipe FAQ

    How to add more lemon flavor?

    To add even more flavor to these cookies, mix 1 teaspoon of lemon zest into the cookie dough. You can use lemon juice to make a lemon glaze to drizzle on top of the baked cookies.

    How to prep ahead of time?

    Store the cookie dough, covered, in the fridge for up to 2 days, or freeze cookie dough balls for up to 3 months. See How to Freeze Cookie Dough for tips.

    How to store?

    Baked cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days or in the freezer for 3-4 months. 

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    This recipe was originally published April 2018.

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    About Kristyn

    Kristyn Merkley is a published cookbook author, wife, mom of six, and major food enthusiast! For the past 15 years, she has been sharing foolproof, family-friendly recipes—each one tested in her kitchen—that anyone can master. As a seasoned recipe creator, she loves making cooking simple, stress-free, and totally doable for everyone!

    More About Kristyn

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    4.96 from 73 votes (37 ratings without comment)

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    85 Comments

    1. Ro says:

      Serving = 24… does this mean the recipe yields 24 cookies? What equals a serving? 24 servings meaning that the recipe yields 24 cookies?

      Reply
      1. Lil' Luna Team says:

        The yield will be about 24 cookies give or take few depending on how big you scoop them.

        Reply

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