Lemon Cake Mix Cookies

These lemon cake mix cookies couldn’t be easier to make. A few simple ingredients, a few minutes of prep, and the cookies are ready for the oven. No mixer, no chilling, and they turn out sweet-tart and delicious every time!

Anyone in the mood for cookies? (I’m guessing most of you are saying yes.)

These lemon cake mix cookies (also known as lemon cool whip cookies or lemon crinkle cookies) are just the thing when you’re craving a sweet treat.

Because of the lemon flavor, they’re not too sweet and you can whip them up in a flash.

I’m gonna recommend making a double batch here—these little cuties disappear really fast!

Why you’ll love these lemon cake mix cookies:

• They require just a handful of easy-to-find ingredients, most of which you probably already have on hand
• You don’t need a mixer for these cookies—just a bowl and a spatula
• The dough doesn’t need to be chilled, which means the cookies can be in the oven in just about 10 minutes (less if you’re a really fast mixer!)
• Because they start with a cake mix, these cookies are practically foolproof. They’re the perfect dessert for people who aren’t regular bakers!

Cookie ingredients

• lemon cake mix
• frozen whipped topping
• 1 egg
• lemon zest (optional)
• powdered sugar

Notes on the ingredients:

• I used Duncan Hines Perfectly Moist lemon cake mix but use whatever you can find that’s roughly 15.25 ounces
• I used Cool Whip whipped topping but you can use generic
• The lemon zest adds nice extra kick of lemon flavor but you can leave it out. I use this microplane to zest citrus for all of my baked goods because it grates the zest so small it really just melts away, leaving flavor without adding weird texture
• See the recipe card below for measurements and full recipe!

How to make your cookies

See how cute and crinkly these cookies get once they bake? You can see those beautiful crinkles because you roll the cookies in powdered sugar before you bake them.

The powdered sugar not only makes the cookies look extra special but also adds such a nice sweetness to complement the tart lemon. Now without further ado, the step-by-step pics:

• Combine all your ingredients (except powdered sugar!) in a bowl
• Stir until combined
• Roll balls of dough in powdered sugar and arrange on baking sheets
• Bake for about 10 minutes

And that’s it! Cookies are done and ready to be eaten or added to a holiday cookie tray or stuck in the back of the freezer for cookie emergencies.

Notes on making your cookies:

• If your whipped topping is frozen, thaw it in the fridge as instructed on the package. Don’t heat it in the microwave!
• The cookie dough will be really sticky so you won’t be able to shape the dough into balls until after you’ve rolled tablespoons of it in powdered sugar. Just drop blobs of dough into the powdered sugar, turn to coat, and then roll the dough between your hands to form balls.

How to store your cookies

Uneaten cookies (should you actually have any) can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature for a couple of days.

These cookies can also be frozen (in airtight containers, layered with parchment) for up to 2 months. Defrost them in the fridge overnight or on the counter at room temp before eating them.

A few more easy recipes:
Cake Mix Funfetti Cookies
Brownie Mix Cookies
Easy Nutella Fudge
Cake Mix Cookie Bars

If you make these lemon cake mix cookies, be sure to leave me a comment and a rating below–let me know what you think!  Post a pic over on Instagram too.  Tag @theitsybitsykitchen so I can see!

5 from 5 votes

Print

Lemon Cake Mix Cookies

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Total Time

20 mins

 

These lemon cake mix cookies are easy to make, perfectly chewy, and a delicious sweet-tart treat for lemon lovers!

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: 34

Author: Kelsie

Ingredients

• 1 15.25-ounce box lemon cake mix*
• 2 cups Cool Whip**
• 1 large egg lightly beaten
• finely grated zest of 1 lemon optional
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar for rolling

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 large baking sheets with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Combine the cake mix, Cool Whip, egg, and lemon zest (if using) in a medium bowl. Stir with a rubber spatula until smooth.
3. Place the powdered sugar in a small bowl. Scoop 1 tablespoon of dough at a time into the powdered sugar and roll to coat.
4. Shape the sugar-coated dough into neat balls and arrange on the prepared baking sheets about 1 1/2 inches apart.
5. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until just starting to turn golden at the edges. Cool on baking sheets for 1 minute, then carefully transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
6. Uneaten cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature for a couple of days. They can also be frozen (in airtight containers, layered with parchment) for up to 2 months. Defrost them in the fridge overnight or on the counter at room temp before eating them.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

• *I used Duncan Hines perfectly moist lemon supreme mix
• **An 8-ounce tub of Cool Whip is roughly 3 cups, so you’ll need about 2/3 of the tub. If your Cool Whip is frozen, thaw it in the fridge as instructed on the package.
• I like to add lemon zest for an extra pop of flavor but if you prefer a more subtle lemon in your cookies then feel free to leave it out.
• You can add up to 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to these cookies if you like, either along with the lemon zest or in place of it.
• The cookie dough will be really sticky so you won’t be able to shape the dough into balls until after you’ve rolled tablespoons of it in powdered sugar. Just kind of drop blobs of dough into the sugar, turn to coat, and then roll the dough between your hands to form balls.