Easy Lemon Cookies Recipe | Gimme Some Oven (2024)

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I have to confess…

As much as I love making homemade cookies entirely from scratch (which is what I do about 95% of the time), on occasion I still seriously enjoy a good cake-mix cookie. I know…judge away… :) But hey – they’re simple, wonderfully fluffy, and can be mixed up in just three minutes. Definitely a nice back-up dessert, especially when you’re short on time!

One of my favorites, that is also most requested from friends, are these simple lemon cookies. They’re made with a basic cake mix recipe, but kicked up a notch with some fresh lemon juice and peel – yum. Feel free to roll them in sugar, glaze them (as explained in the tip below), or just cook and eat them plain. I guarantee they won’t last long. :)

Easy Lemon Cookies

★★★★★4.9 from 22 reviews

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 9 minutes
Total Time: 19 minutes
Yield: 20 -30 cookies 1x

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Description

Love the sweet tartness of lemon cookies? You will love this Easy Lemon Cookies recipe! Quick and easy to prepare and delicious to enjoy!

Ingredients

Scale

1 (18.25 oz) package lemon cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
juice of half a lemon (about 1 Tbsp.)
zest of half a lemon (about 1 tsp.)
1/3 cup powdered sugar for decor (optional)

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Pour cake mix into a large bowl. Stir in eggs, oil, lemon juice and zest until well blended. Form dough into small balls (about 1 Tbsp.), and drop into a bowl of confectioners’ sugar. Roll them around until they’re lightly covered. Once sugared, place on a lightly-greased cookie sheet.
Bake for 6 to 9 minutes in the preheated oven. The bottoms will be light brown, and the insides chewy.
**To get a rounder, fluffier cookie, let the dough refrigerate at least 30 minutes. (You can also prepare the sugared balls of dough on the cookie sheet, and just refrigerate the sheet for about ten minutes for a similar effect.)

Notes

Recipe adapted from AllRecipes

Ali’s Tip:

For a fun variation, I’ve also drizzled these with a lemon glaze (instead of rolling in the powdered sugar). Just whisk together about 1 Tbsp. lemon juice (or water) with 3/4 cup powdered sugar, and then drizzle it over the cookies after they have come out of the oven. Let sit for an hour or so for the glaze to firm up.

posted on January 27, 2010 by Ali

Christmas, Cookies, Desserts, Easter, Miscellaneous, Occasions, Thanksgiving

88 Comments »

88 comments on “Easy Lemon Cookies”

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Sandy — December 4, 2019 @ 12:03 pm Reply

Lemon cake mixes are now 15.25 ounces so you have to add extra flour to get a dough consistency that works for cookies!
★★★★★
Kate — December 29, 2019 @ 8:25 pm Reply

My husband and I tried making these cookies a couple weeks ago for a holiday party and went ahead and made them a second time for Christmas day because they are just so good! We had family members arguing over who would get the last few cookies to take home (we also doubled the second batch). Great recipe!
★★★★★
PotatoQueen — February 2, 2020 @ 9:32 am Reply

Ok, I may not be the best baker, but all of my friends and family totally adored these. Now whenever they stop by, they always check to see if I made anymore. THIS RECIPE IS AMAZING! THEY TURN OUT PERFECT! But also it includes how to get back on track if you accidentally mess up. Sure was correct about it being easy. :)
★★★★★
PotatoQueen — February 2, 2020 @ 9:40 am Reply

One time I forgot the cake mix was not cookies, so I followed the box and it was so creamy! That was when my mom realized it was cake. So today I will follow this recipe and it will be cookies not cake. :)
RUTH — March 22, 2020 @ 3:56 pm Reply
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Have not made yet. But Im looking forward to I love lemon
Melanie Williams — March 28, 2020 @ 8:14 pm Reply

Tried it today and they came out perfect! I used Pillsbury Sugar Free Classic Yellow Cake Mix and rolled the dough in Stevia! They came out chewy just as the recipes stated! Thank you for the recipe hack! VERY VERY REALLY REALLY GOOD! ???
★★★★★
Margie McGill — May 17, 2020 @ 9:25 pm Reply

I printed this recipe sometime ago, and just now decided to make these lemon cookies. The problem is that it calls for a mix that’s 18.25 oz., and all of my cake mixes are now only 15.25 oz. Wouldn’t the lower volume change the ingredients? Help!
- Veronica — July 26, 2020 @ 11:29 pm
  
  Hello. I always buy 2 boxes of the cake mix. I add 6 tablespoons from the 2nd box and it comes out perfect every time.
monica longano — May 30, 2020 @ 11:47 am Reply

what if the cake mix is only 15.25 oz?
Bella Falasca — August 11, 2020 @ 6:48 am Reply

Can I freeze these cookies once they are baked?
Daniel Silvas — October 7, 2020 @ 12:03 pm Reply

So I made this recipe and doubled it because I did one Strawberry and one Lemon cake mix together to make Strawberry Lemonade cookies… SO GOOD!!
Kristy Muraca — November 15, 2020 @ 1:55 pm Reply

Awesome easy recipe !! Delicious cookie !
A win win !!!!
★★★★★
Carol Clark — December 18, 2020 @ 3:11 pm Reply

For milder flavor just use 1 Tbs lemon zest.
★★★★★
Patrice — January 10, 2021 @ 5:54 pm Reply

My daughter made these for me. I ate most of the batch. Ummmm, they’re absolutely delish. Will make these many times I’m sure.
★★★★★
Nainah — May 29, 2021 @ 5:06 am Reply

I used ½ the sugar on the recipe and still found them extremely sweet.
★★★★
Denny Calk — September 22, 2021 @ 2:48 pm Reply

I simply wanted to write down a remark to be able to appreciate you for all of the nice instructions you are writing at this site. My time-consuming internet search has now been paid with brilliant facts and techniques to share with my contacts. I ‘d express that many of us website visitors are really lucky to dwell in a very good site with very many wonderful people with helpful methods. I feel extremely blessed to have seen your entire webpages and look forward to so many more exciting times reading here. Thanks once more for everything.
Pat — October 25, 2021 @ 9:36 pm Reply

They are very good. Thank you for the recipe
★★★★★
Daniel — December 20, 2021 @ 6:55 pm Reply

Amazing! I double the recipe but use a lemon and a strawberry cake mix to do strawberry lemonade. It makes a lot so I usually ball them all and roll in powdered sugar then freeze what I don’t make. I’ve had no issues baking them from frozen. Great recipe! Lots of ways to make it your own! Thanks for this!
Laura — March 8, 2022 @ 5:53 pm Reply

Can I freeze these before baking instead of refrigerate? Just defrost a bit before baking?
Rebecca — May 9, 2022 @ 2:05 pm Reply

As with any cake mix cookie, these are only as good as the mix itself. We used Betty Crocker and really didn’t care for the fake lemon flavor. Do you have any preferred brands? Texture was great, and I can see how this would be a nice recipe with the right cake mix.

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FAQs

Which ingredient makes cookies moist and tender? ›

Add Molasses or Honey Another way to add more moisture to your cookies is incorporate a tablespoon of molasses into a standard-sized cookie recipe. Don't use any more than a tablespoon, because it will make your cookies very sweet and runny. One tablespoon is just enough.

Discover More Details ›

Can I make lemon cookies with yellow cake mix? ›

Yellow cake mix will work in a pinch, but you'll need to use more lemon extract. Powdered Sugar – Granulated won't work here, but you can use it to make powdered sugar! Use a ratio of 1 tablespoon cornstarch for every 1 cup of granulated sugar.

Know More ›

How to use oven for cookies? ›

For more even baking, position oven rack at the center of the oven and bake one sheet of cookies at a time. If you prefer to bake two sheets, space racks so oven is divided into thirds and switch cookie sheets top to bottom and back to front halfway through baking.

Is it better to bake cookies in a fan or conventional oven? ›

Differences Between Convection and Conventional Ovens

In contrast, convection ovens have a fan that circulates hot air around the food, resulting in more even cooking and a faster cooking time. This fan also helps to reduce hot spots and promote browning, making it ideal for baking cookies.

Read The Full Story ›

What not to do when making cookies? ›

Common Cookie Baking Mistakes:

Cookies not baking evenly.
Overcrowding the pan.
Not chilling the dough.
Using wrong flour.
Too much butter softening.
Using stale baking powder or baking soda.
Overworked the dough.
Measuring ingredients incorrectly.

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Jan 31, 2023

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Can you bake cookies without foil or parchment paper? ›

Summary: In a pinch, greasing your pans or baking molds can work in place of parchment paper. Be sure to coat your pans with a thin layer of flour for best results.

Get More Info Here ›

How do you keep cookies moist in the oven? ›

“To keep cookies soft, store them in an airtight container and not in a cookie jar,” Amanda recommends. “While cookie jars are cute, they usually don't have airtight lids.

Read The Full Story ›

What ingredients add tenderness to a cookie? ›

Melted butter

When you melt the butter, water in the butter will dissolve the sugar, resulting in cookies that are tender and flat. In most cookie recipes, you are instructed to cream room-temperature butter and sugar together.

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What ingredient in cookies keeps them soft? ›

Eggs, particularly egg yolks. Eggs work to make your cookies soft in two ways: They add a ton of moisture, and the proteins add structure that prevents spreading. Cake flour instead of all-purpose flour. Low in protein and high in moisture, cake flour is used to leaven all sorts of baked goods.

What can I add to moisten cookies? ›

Add a Slice of Bread to the Container

You might find it surprising, but adding a slice of bread to your cookie container can help keep the cookies moist for a while!

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Which type of ingredient makes a baked product tender and moist? ›

Butter is used for a variety of purposes in baking. It helps to create tender, flaky crusts in pies, pastries, and croissants. It also helps to provide structure and moisture to cakes, cookies, and bread.