Soft and Simple Lemon Cookies are a favorite with everyone. The butter, cream cheese and powdered sugar in this Lemon Cake Mix Cookie make them totally melt in your mouth!
Of all the lemon cookie recipes on the site, this one is definitely the most simple! We also like the cake mix version with frosting, and the lemon sugar cookie recipe. All are delicious in different ways!
melt in your mouth Cookies
Remember how I’m a lemon convert?!
I haven’t always loved lemon-y treats, but I’m obsessed these days and thought it would be fun to try a Lemon version of our Gooey Butter Cookies and make some delicious Lemon Cake Mix Cookies.
Knowing just how much we love our Gooey Cookies, we were sure a lemon version would be amazing. It also helps that this cookie recipe is simple and so soft. The cream cheese and butter in the recipe make them so irresistible as well as make them so good, they melt in your mouth.
How to make lemon cake mix cookies
I don’t always have lemon cake mix on hand, which is the main ingredient, but all the remaining ingredients are simple – butter, cream cheese, egg, lemon extract and powdered sugar. Because we have been making these more, though, I’ve been sure to grab a few lemon cake boxes each month, especially because we’re also obsessed with this Lemon Sheet Cake that uses them.
Other than chilling the dough for these cookies for half hour, these cookies can be made quickly, and with the help of the kiddos.
DOUGH. Beat butter, lemon extract, egg, and cream cheese until fluffy, using a hand mixer. Add in cake mix and beat until smooth.
REFRIGERATE. Chill in fridge for 30 minutes.
POWDERED SUGAR. 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.
BAKE. Bake for 12 – 13 minutes. Sift with powdered sugar if desired. ENJOY!
Additions: If you’re feeling extra fancy, you can 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.
STORING AND FREEZING
How do I store baked cookies?
- Counter: Once the cookies have cooled Place them in an airtight container. Cookies will keep for several days. To help keep them from getting stale put a slice of fresh bread in the container as well.
- Freezer: Once the cookies has cooled place them in an airtight container. Put parchment or wax paper between each layer. Freeze for 4-6 months.
Can I freeze cake mix cookie dough? Yes! You can easily freeze the dough to bake later. Place dough balls on a cookie sheet to flash freeze them. Freeze for about 2 hours or until the outside has become frozen. Place balls in an airtight freezer safe container. Safely freeze for 4-6 months.
To Bake: remove the desired number of dough balls. Allow to thaw on a cookie sheet and bake according to recipe.
These cookies really are so soft and melt in your mouth. They have just enough lemon to appeal to all those obsessed with lemon treats, but not so lemon-y that they are too tart.
For more cake mix cookies, check out:
More Lemon Treats
Lemon Cake Mix Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Lemon Cake Box Mix
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1/2 tsp lemon extract
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 egg
- powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- With a hand mixer, beat butter, lemon extract, egg, and cream cheese until fluffy. Add in cake mix and beat until smooth.
- Chill in fridge for 30 minutes.
- Add 1/2 cup powdered sugar to a small bowl. Roll dough into 1/2-1 inch balls and dip in powdered sugar. Placed on greased cookie sheet.
- Bake for 12 - 13 minutes. Sift with powdered sugar if desired. ENJOY!
so much food, I would most like to try this recipe……..
looks fresh and tasty….
They are! Let me know what you think! Thank you!
I’m making these right now, and after chilling the dough for 30 minutes, I tried to roll the dough into balls. The dough is a little sticky and hard to roll. Any suggestions?
It is still a little sticky, but should still roll, once in powdered sugar. You could always leave it in the fridge a little longer. I hope they turned out 🙂
Just made these tonight and they were marvelous! Didn’t change a thing. Although they did stay in the fridge 2 hours before I had a chance to bake them! Just perfect, thank you!
I am glad you think that!! We love them! Thank you for letting me know!
I have had these cookies in other flavors & I think the lemon is one of my favorites! Lemon is so refreshing. I took these to a church function & everyone wanted the recipe!
I’m not a huge fan of lemon however, these cookies are to die for!
If you like lemon you’ll love this cookie. Easy to make with simple ingredients.
Fantastic! So simple and so delicious! I just made 3 batches of these to go in the favor bags for my daughter’s BIRTHDAY Party. I have no doubt everyone will love them!
Awe, thank you for sharing them 🙂 I hope they were a hit!
These cookies were so gooD. So light and airy. Best cookies recipe hands down! Thank You.
Yay..glad you liked them! Thank you so much!
could this dough be pressed into a small silicone mold and baked into a shape?
I personally have not tried, but possibly 🙂
Amazing Lemon cookies recipe!
These were so light and flavorful; made them for my daughter’s bake sale and sold out! Can’t wait to make them again or myself!
I am so happy I found this recipe! These cookies were so DELICIOUS and they didn’t last long here!
I am obsessed with these cookies! They are so delicious!
This is a terrific lemon cookie!
I like to make my “cookies really quick” and put most in 9×13 or 1ox15 pan spread thin. Is this possible? Peanut butter or Chocolate chip work really well with just a basic riciepe. I love lemon anything, sooohelp me out. Thanks
I personally have not tried, but I don’t see why not. I will have to try that way!
Do I need to follow the directions on the cake mix or just use the contents of the cake mix with the other ingredients you have listed?
Nope, you will just add the cake mix with the other ingredients 🙂 Enjoy!
Cake mix makes this recipe a breeze. So loght and refreshing, love the lemon taste.
Easy peasy cookies, right? Glad you like them! Thank you 🙂
Love your gooey butter cookies & these lemon ones are so good! Lemon is such a refreshing flavor, perfect for Spring!
These are my go-to cookies when I am in a rush. So simple to make and everyone loves them. Lemon is always a good idea!
We absolutely love these cookies! Have made them several times, so good and so simple even the kids can help. What lemon cake mix do you normally use? This most recent time making them I used Betty crocker and they weren’t quite as good as when I normally make them using Duncan Hines. Just curious is you had a fav cake mix. Thanks for the amazing recipe!
These cookies are aMazing!! They turned out fluffy and super moist! I added a little extra lemon extract…but that was more for me. I have a feeling that i’ll Be making these a lot!!
Perfect! Happy you liked them! Thank you!
This recipe is… average at best. I added extra lemon juice and zest and they still had no flavor. The result is cakey and crumbly, not soft and chewy!
Thank you for trying them!
Best cookies ever! I am NoT a cookie maker but these are super easy and delicious!
Yay! That makes me so happy to hear! Glad you tried them. Thank you!
I love the ease of these cookies! Not to mention how good they are!
I took these to a whole new level today by adding diced frozen strawberries.
Perfect! That would be so good! Thank you for sharing that!
Is there a substitute for lemon extract
You can substitute lemon juice for lemon extract. 1 tablespoon of lemon juice equals 1/2 teaspoon of lemon extract. You can also use orange juice if you don’t have lemon juice on hand. Hope this helps!
Super easy and very soft and moist! I subbed a white cake mix as I didn’t have lemon on hand and upped the lemon extract to 2 1/2 tsps. And I didn’t chill for 30 minutes as I was pressed for time. Will be making these again. Thank you for sharing!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for sharing what you do! 🙂
These cookies are like eating air! Light and moist! Perfect tea cookies.
I’m so happy you like them! Thanks for sharing!
Did you flatten them slightly before baking? Mine were very tasty but didn’t look as good as yours. Mine were still a half ball but good.
I do flatten them slightly by using the bottom of a drinking glass and pressing down on the dough ball very lightly to flatten it out just a bit. Hope this helps!
Great recipes but how can I print “magic custard cake” recipes?
I was thinking for making these cookies cause they sound so yummy. But I was wondering if I could add some raspberry and make them into raspberry lemonade cookies? Do you have any suggestions on how much I should add and what I should use?
I haven’t tried adding raspberries to this cake mix cookie recipe but if you do try it out I would suggest using frozen raspberries instead of fresh because they hold up better in the batter and tend to look more pretty coming out of the oven. The fresh raspberries usually create a mess in the batter and they don’t turn out looking as good. As far as taste goes – they taste the same. I would add however many raspberries you think looks like a good ratio of “batter to berry”. Hope this helps!
When short on time these cake mix cookies are the thing.
I do roll my cookies first into white granulated sugar and then roll in powdered sugar before baking.
Love it! The more sugar the better! 🙂