Lemon cake mix cookies are soft and tender, with a delicious tangy, sweet flavor. This 4-ingredient cookie recipe makes one of the easiest lemon desserts ever!
If you're looking for simple treat to make in a hurry, look no further! Making lemon cookies with cake mix is as simple and quick as it gets. These 4 ingredient crinkle cookies come together easily, and it only takes 20 minutes to make a batch!
I was skeptical about using a cake mix for cookies, but it cuts down on ingredients, saves a lot of time, and allows you to get creative with all the flavor combos.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- The quickest and easiest cookie recipe ever. I still like making traditional lemon drop cookies from scratch, but Cool Whip cake mix cookies are perfect when you're in a hurry.
- Soft, moist, and cakey. Eating one of these treats is like tasting the best slice of lemon cake, but in cookie form.
- An easy homemade holiday gift to share. Just about everyone appreciates getting a batch of homemade goodies for the holidays! Wrap them up in a pretty tin or cellophane bag tied with a bow.
If you love crinkle cookie recipes, I also have one for Chocolate Cake Mix Crinkle Cookies.
Ingredients
See ingredient substitutions in the next section. ⬇️
All you need are 4 ingredients to make the lemon cake mix cookies!
- lemon cake mix: Any brand will work. I use Betty Crocker, but Duncan Hines and Pillsbury have box cake mixes too.
- Cool Whip: This is a non-dairy whipped topping. You can find it near the frozen desserts at the grocery store.
- egg
- powdered sugar
Substitutions and Recipe Variations
- Lemon Cake Mix: You can make this recipe using other cake mix flavors! If you’re not a fan of lemon, you can use any flavor of cake mix you prefer. This recipe has been tested with regular cake mix and super moist cake mix, and both work perfectly.
- Cool Whip: I haven't tried making the cookies with Lite Cool Whip, so I can't say whether or not it will work, but store brand non-dairy topping works. If you need a substitute, you can use sweetened whipped cream.
- Eggs: Egg substitutes will not work with this recipe.
- Powdered Sugar: You can skip the powdered sugar on these cookies. they will just be very soft, smooth puffy cookies - almost like a muffin top!
If cake mix cookies are a favorite, I also have a recipe for strawberry cake mix cookies!
How to Make Lemon Cake Mix Cookies
Summary only. The complete recipe instructions are in the card at the bottom of this post ⬇️
- Combine the egg, cake mix and Cool Whip.
- Portion batter and roll in powdered sugar.
- Arrange cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake and cool the lemon cake mix crinkle cookies.
Liz's Tips for the Best Cookies
- Line your baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. This will prevent the cookies from sticking to the pan.
- The batter will be sticky. Most cookie dough is stiff, but this isn't the case with Cool Whip cookies. It's closer to the consistency of thick whipped cream.
- Use a cookie scoop. Don’t try and use your hands to form the balls of batter; it's too sticky to work with. Just portion it with a scoop or large spoon, then drop it into the powdered sugar.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. This allows them to set up a bit, so they don't fall apart.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
Storing: You can store the baked cookies at room temperature for up to 4 days, in an airtight container.
Freezing: You can freeze the cookies for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container. Thaw completely before enjoying. It's best to lay wax paper or parchment paper in between each layer of cookies so they don't stick to one another.
The unbaked cookie dough does not freeze well.
Cake Mix Cookie Recipe FAQ
No, Cool Whip is a non-dairy topping, and it is lower in fat and higher in sugar than whipped cream.
When it comes to making cake mix cookies, it truly doesn’t matter which brand of cake mix you buy. However, some cheaper brands will have lumpier mixes. In this case, you might want to sift the cake mix before combining the other ingredients for the best results. Be careful switching to other baking mixes such as brownie or muffin mixes, as this will change the composition of the cookie.
They aren't the same thing. Cool Whip is a non-dairy topping, sold in a tub in the freezer section of the grocery store. Redi Whip is actual whipped cream that comes in a spray can, and is found in the dairy section.
Lemon Cake Mix Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 15.25 oz box lemon cake mix
- 14 ounces cool whip
- 1 egg
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Place the powdered sugar in a shallow bowl - set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the cake mix and the egg - mix well.
- Add the cool whip to the bowl and mix well again.
- Using a medium cookie scoop or spoon scoop about 2 tablespoons of the dough into the bowl of powdered sugar then form into a ball. (Don't try to form into a ball without the powdered sugar, it will be too sticky.)
- Place the dough balls onto the parchment lined baking sheet, with plenty of room to spread out when cooking.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes until the cookies start to look cracked and puffy. They will look unfinished at first - this is normal.
- Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes.
Helpful Notes and Tips From Liz
- Make other flavors - If you’re not a fan of lemon, you can use any flavor of cake mix you prefer. There are countless flavor options when it comes to cake mixes.
- Batter will me sticky - It will feel strange when first mixing the cookies - keep going, the batter will eventually form. Also, don’t try and use your hands to make the balls before they’ve been dropped in the powdered sugar - the batter will stick to everything.
Annemarie
can you add blueberries to the lemon cake mixture?
Liz Marino
I haven't tried that, but I don't think it would work well. I think they would make them very soggy!
Denise
Looking forward to making these lemon cookies! Can we mix with a hand mixer or do we need to mix by hand?
Liz @ Tasty Treats & Eats
I always use a mixer!
Colette
When I make these cookies, I can't keep up with the demand! Eaten faster than I can bake them!
So easy to make!
Cris
Is it correct on the recipe? 14 oz cool whip? I’m just checking before I make these. Thanks
Liz @ Tasty Treats & Eats
Yes, that's correct!
Emily
These are some of our favorite cookies!
Sylvia
so do we not add the water and oil the the mix? Just the mixture and eggs 🤷🏾
Liz @ Tasty Treats & Eats
No you do not add water and oil. Please follow the recipe 🙂 Cake mix, eggs, cool whip.
Kelly
Love love love these super easy cookies! Big hit at my house… they were all gobbled up in two days! Great lemon flavor with a refreshing taste! A staple for sure!
M Melton
I’ve made this recipe with several different cake mixes; spice cake mix is my favorite. Today I tried it with red velvet cake mix. Not so successful. First the batter was too wet. I added some corn starch but that didn’t completely solve the problem. I added 8oz of white chocolate chips just to make them a little different. I baked them 12 minutes instead of the recommended 8 because at 8 minutes they were still too wet. One tray baked for 14 minutes and it was the best tray. Red velvet was much messier, harder to cook and while they taste good they aren’t spectacular enough for make up for the mess.
Cheryl Geller
I used a Betty Crocker Super Moist Lemon cake mix that has pudding in the mix. My cookies are flat ! Is it because of the pudding in the mix? They taste great , but don’t look pretty like the above picture, no cracks either. I too had to bake them longer as much as 14 minutes, so that I could remove them from the cookie sheet. I also used a silo at, would that possibly be a reason they never puffed up?
lifebeginswithdessert
I'm not familiar with cake mix that has pudding in it, but I'd guess this is the reason they don't look like photo!
Lea
Delicious ! My husband’s favorite cookie. Super easy to make. Almost like a cake cookie if that was a thing. Soft and sweet.
Will def make again and bring to people
sylvia
Is the Egg and Cake Mix mixed by hand or hand mixer?
Will this work with Light cool whip?
Judy
I made them and they turned out beautiful but they are soft and not crispy like a cookie why? Is this how their supposed to be. It seems like they need to bake longer, I baked them for 12 min , they were cracked and puffed up. So help
Me
lifebeginswithdessert
These cookies come out soft and delicious even though the exterior looks like they would be crispy!