Ultimate Lemon Cake Mix Cookies
Super soft, chewy, and bursting with bright lemon flavor, these cookies are incredibly easy to make thanks to a simple cake mix shortcut.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 25
- Yield: 24 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- Lemon cake mix – 1 box (15.25 oz)
- Cream cheese, softened – 8 oz
- Unsalted butter, softened – ¼ cup
- Egg, room temperature – 1 large
- Vanilla extract – 1 teaspoon
- Powdered sugar – ½ cup (for rolling)
- Butter – 2 tablespoons (for glaze)
- Powdered sugar – 1 cup (for glaze)
- Milk – 2–3 tablespoons
- Vanilla extract – ½ teaspoon
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the lemon cake mix, softened cream cheese, softened butter, room temperature egg, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
- Mix until all ingredients are fully incorporated and a thick, sticky dough forms.
- Use a medium cookie scoop (about 1½ tablespoons) to scoop out portions of the dough.
- Roll each dough portion into a smooth ball.
- Roll each dough ball generously in the ½ cup of powdered sugar until completely coated.
- Place the coated dough balls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving some space between each.
- Bake for 9–10 minutes, or until the cookies are puffed, have visible cracks, and are still soft in the center.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cookies cool completely on the sheet before glazing.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter for the glaze.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, 1 cup of powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons of milk.
- Add an additional tablespoon of milk if you prefer a thinner glaze for dipping instead of drizzling.
- Drizzle or dip the completely cooled cookies in the prepared glaze.
- Allow the glaze to set before serving the cookies.
Notes
Full-fat cream cheese gives the fudgiest texture.
The dough is very sticky, so using a cookie scoop is highly recommended.
Do not overbake; cookies should remain soft when removed from the oven.
Allow cookies to cool fully before glazing, or the icing will slide off.
Organic or clean-label cake mixes often work best for color and flavor.
Find it online: https://theopenoven.com/ultimate-lemon-cake-mix-cookies/