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Melt-in-your-mouth lemon cake mix cookies are a simple cookie and summer favorite. With few ingredients, they are ready in minutes!
Of all the lemon recipes on the site, these lemon cake mix cookies are definitely the most simple! We also like the Frosted Lemon Cookies version 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 lemony treats, but I’m obsessed these days and thought it would be fun to try a lemon version of our Gooey Butter Cookies Recipe and make some delicious lemon cake mix cookies.
Knowing just how much we love our gooey cookies – all cookies really, 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.
Simple Dough
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.
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 the 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 a greased baking sheet (or line the pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat).
BAKE. 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!
Recipe Tips
This lemon cookie recipe uses a lemon cake mix, you will love the bright lemon flavor.
Cake mix. I don’t always have lemon cake mix on hand, which is the main ingredient, but all the remaining ingredients are simple. 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.
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 + FREEZING
Store baked cookies. Once the lemon gooey butter 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.
Freeze baked cookies. Once the cookies have cooled place them in an airtight container. Put parchment paper or wax paper between each layer. Freeze for 4-6 months.
Freeze cookie dough. Place the cookie 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 the recipe or you can bake them straight out of the freezer and add 2-3 extra minutes to the bake time.
Recipe FAQ
To add even more flavor to these cookies I recommend mixing 1-2 teaspoons 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.
One reason is that the butter became much too warm. Even if it wasn’t melted all the way warmer butter can cause the dough to spread in the oven. Another reason is that some people accidentally make the cake batter using the ingredients on the back of the box and then add even more ingredients listed in the recipe. You will only be using the cake mix powder. Do not add any ingredients other than what is listed in the recipe instructions.
Absolutely! Be sure that you use the cake mix powder for a 15.25-ounce box. You’ll also want to omit the lemon extract or change it to a different complementary flavor.
For More Cake Mix Cookies, Check Out:
- Funfetti Cookies
- Gooey Butter Cookies Recipe
- Cake Mix Cookie Bars
- Gooey Rolo Cookies
- Cake Mix Snickerdoodles
Lemon Cake Mix Cookies Recipe
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 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 greased cookie sheet.
- Bake for 12-13 minutes. Sift with powdered sugar if desired. ENJOY!
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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!
Great recipes but how can I print “magic custard cake” recipes?
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!
These cookies are like eating air! Light and moist! Perfect tea cookies.
I’m so happy you like them! Thanks for sharing!
Just made these, and our family loves them! 💛
Yay! So glad to hear the cookies were a hit!
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! 🙂
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!
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!
I love the ease of these cookies! Not to mention how good they are!
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!
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!