Description
These easy lemon cake cookies are soft, chewy, and bursting with bright lemon flavor. Made with just three simple ingredients—lemon cake mix, eggs, and vegetable oil—they come together quickly and make a delicious treat for tea time, parties, bake sales, brunches, or gifting. Roll them in confectioners sugar for a classic crinkle finish or drizzle them with lemon glaze for extra sweetness.
Ingredients
1 box (15.25 ounces) lemon cake mix
2 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup confectioners sugar, optional, for rolling
Optional additions:
1 teaspoon lemon extract
Zest of 1 lemon
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
Optional Lemon Glaze:
1 cup confectioners sugar
2–3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
Add the lemon cake mix, eggs, and vegetable oil to a large mixing bowl.
Mix until all the ingredients are well combined. The dough will be thick and slightly sticky.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes to firm it up and prevent excessive spreading.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Scoop the chilled dough into approximately 1-inch portions and roll each portion into a ball.
If desired, roll each dough ball in confectioners sugar until generously coated.
Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie.
Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges are set while the centers remain soft.
Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes.
Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely.
If using lemon glaze, whisk the confectioners sugar and lemon juice together until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled cookies and allow the glaze to set for 10–15 minutes before serving.
Notes
Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes for thicker, chewier cookies.
Avoid overbaking. The centers should still look slightly soft when the cookies come out of the oven.
Use parchment paper rather than a heavily greased baking sheet to help prevent excessive spreading.
For a stronger lemon flavor, add lemon zest or up to 1 teaspoon of lemon extract.
White chocolate chips, poppy seeds, or chopped nuts can be added for extra flavor and texture.
For gluten-free cookies, use a certified gluten-free lemon cake mix.
Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Freeze baked cookies in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 145 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 145 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 16 mg
Keywords: easy lemon cake cookies, lemon cake mix cookies, lemon cookies, cake mix cookies, soft lemon cookies, chewy lemon cookies,