If you've ever made lemon cake mix cookies that tasted more sweet than citrusy, fresh lemon zest is the fix. Rubbing the zest into the dry cake mix releases its fragrant oils, giving these cookies a bold, lemon flavor you just can't get from the cake mix alone.
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Why You'll Love These Lemon Cake Mix Cookies
You'll love these lemon cake mix cookies because they're soft, chewy, and packed with bright lemon flavor.
Starting with a boxed cake mix means they're quick to make, while fresh lemon zest and a simple glaze make them taste amazing.
Bonus: no electric mixer needed, stir dough with spatula.
Love baking with cake mix? Don't miss my collection of cake mix cookie recipes.
Do you love lemon, you must try my recipe for Half Batch Soft Lemon Sugar Cookies.
Ingredients You'll Need
Ignore the ingredient list on the back of the box.
- 1 box lemon cake mix (15.25 ounces preferably)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup vegetable or canola oil, or melted butter
- Zest of one medium lemon (about one heaping teaspoon)
Make the Lemon Glaze
Combine 1 cup of powdered sugar, two tablespoons of fresh lemon juice and a ½ teaspoon of fresh lemon zest in a bowl and stir until combined.
How to Make These Cookies
Combine the ingredients, mix in fresh lemon zest, and scoop the dough onto a baking sheet.
Bake until the edges are set, then let the cookies cool before topping them with a simple homemade lemon glaze.
Tips for Success
Use fresh lemon zest.
Fresh zest gives these cookies a much brighter, fresher lemon flavor than the cake mix alone.
Use a rasp-style grater.
A Microplane or similar grater removes just the flavorful yellow zest while leaving the bitter white pith behind.
Don't overbake.
The cookies are done when the edges are set and the centers still look slightly soft. They'll continue to firm up as they cool.
Let the cookies cool before glazing.
If the cookies are still warm, the glaze will melt instead of setting into a pretty finish.
If using a smaller cake mix, add a little flour.
Many cake mixes are now smaller than 15.25 ounces. If yours is, add about ¼ cup of flour so the dough is the right consistency.
How to Store and Freeze
Store baked cookies at room temperature in a sealed container. Separate layers of cookies by lining container with wax paper.
Double wrap cookies with freezer paper or put them in resealable bags and putting into a sturdy container so they don't break. Store for up to two months in the freezer.
Note: unlike most all other cookie doughs, cake mix cookie dough does not freeze well. I recommend only freezing already baked cake mix cookies.
Looking for more easy desserts? Browse all of my Cake Mix Recipes for chocolate, strawberry, butter cake, brownie mix and more.
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Recipe
Lemon Cake Mix Cookies
Soft, chewy lemon cake mix cookies get bright, real lemon flavor from fresh lemon zest. This easy recipe comes together with just a few ingredients and bakes in minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 box lemon cake mix (15.25 ounces preferably)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup vegetable or canola oil, or melted butter
- Zest of one medium lemon (about one heaping teaspoon)
Instructions
- Zest lemon onto a piece of wax paper or parchment.
- Pour cake mix into a mixing bowl.
- Rub lemon zest into the cake mix with your fingers to release the lemon oils. Stir with a spatula until no clumps remain.
- Add the eggs.
- Stir in oil.
- Mix until a thick, soft dough forms.
- Use a #40 cookie scoop (about 1.6 tablespoons) to scoop the dough into balls.
- Bake 12 at a time at 350F° for 10 to 12 minutes on a parchment lined baking sheet. The edges should be set but the centers may look slightly soft. Don't over bake. The cookies will continue to set up as they cool.
Notes
Use a Microplane or other fine rasp grater to remove only the yellow part of the peel avoiding the bitter white pith. (I use and love the Microplane brand).
Recommended Products
This post and/or recipe may contain affiliate links, which means if you click through and make a purchase, I'll earn a commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. See Disclosure policy.
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Nordic Ware Naturals Aluminum Commercial Half Sheet - USA Made Cookie Sheet Pan, 2-Pack -
KitchenAid Bamboo Spatula Set, 2-Piece, Aqua Sky
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Reynolds Kitchens Stay Flat Dispensing Parchment Paper for Baking and Roasting, Parchment Paper Roll, Great for Baking and Rolling Dough, Non-stick, Reusable Up to 3x, 45 Sq. Ft.
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Pyrex Prepware 4-Quart Rimmed Mixing Bowl, Clear
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Microplane Premium Classic Series Zester Grater, 18/8, Black - Lemon Zester & Cheese Grater & Vegetable Grater - Citrus, Parmesan Cheese, Garlic, Ginger, Nutmeg, Chocolate - Stainless Steel Grater
Nutrition Information
Yield 24 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 132Total Fat 6gSaturated Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 16mgSodium 167mgCarbohydrates 18gFiber 0gSugar 9gProtein 1g
Nutrition information is an estimate because I am not a registered dietician.
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