Easy Lemon Cake Mix Cookies: 6 Ingredients + 15 Minutes

Bright, sweet, and bursting with citrus flavor, these Lemon Cake Mix Cookies are a quick and cheerful addition to any holiday dessert table. With their sunny color and fresh lemon flavor, they're perfect for Easter, Mother's Day, or Christmas cookie trays.

You only need one bowl and six ingredients (starting with a boxed lemon cake mix), so they're as easy as they are delicious. Soft, chewy, and dusted with powdered sugar, these cookies bring a pop of springtime flavor to every bite.

These lemon cake mix cookies were inspired by my lemon shortbread cookies, which also have a lovely, bright lemon flavor. If it's summertime like to serve these easy little cookies with a pitcher of summer sweet tea. During the holidays I make a batch of jam sandwich cookies, too!

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs: Room temperature for best mixing results.
• ⅓ cup vegetable oil: Helps keep the cookies soft and moist.
• Juice of ½ lemon (about 2 tablespoons): Freshly squeezed!
• Zest of 1 lemon: Adds incredible lemon flavor that takes these over the top.
• 1 box lemon cake mix (about 15.25 oz): Any brand you like, such as Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, or Duncan Hines.
• ½ cup powdered sugar: For dusting both before and after baking.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easier cleanup.
2. Mix the wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, vegetable oil, lemon juice, and lemon zest until smooth.
3. Add the cake mix: Gently fold in the dry lemon cake mix until just combined, taking care not to overmix.
4. Drop the cookies: Scoop heaping spoonfuls (or use a small cookie scoop) of dough onto the baking sheet (about two inches apart) and lightly coat each one in powdered sugar.
5. Bake: Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are set and the bottoms are just starting to turn golden.
6. Cool & dust: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Once cooled, dust with extra powdered sugar if desired.

Air Fryer Instructions

I like to keep the dough in the refrigerator and bake just a few at a time, which the air fryer is perfect for!

1. Preheat the air fryer to 320°F (lower than the oven to prevent over-browning).
2. Line the basket with parchment paper or a reusable liner to keep the cookies from sticking.
3. Space the cookies at least 1 inch apart.
4. Bake in batches for 6-8 minutes, checking after 6-minutes.
5. Cool in the basket for 2-3 minutes before transferring the cookies to a wire rack.

Flavor Variations & Add-Ins

• White Chocolate Lemon Cake Mix Cookies: Fold in ½ cup white chocolate chips.
• Blueberry: Add ½ cup fresh or dried blueberries.
• Funfetti: Stir in ¼ cup rainbow sprinkles or use funfetti cake mix.
• Glazed: Skip the powdered sugar dusting and drizzle cooled cookies with a simple lemon glaze (powdered sugar + lemon juice).
• Coconut: Mix in ¼ cup shredded coconut for tropical flair.

Storage and Freezing

Room Temperature:
Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Place a piece of parchment or wax paper between layers to prevent sticking.

Refrigeration:
While not necessary, you can refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to 1 week. The texture will be slightly firmer when chilled.

Freezing Baked Cookies:

• Allow cookies to cool completely.
• Place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid (about 1-2 hours).
• Transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container, separating layers with parchment paper.
• Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

Freezing Cookie Dough:

• Scoop dough into balls and place on a baking sheet. Freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag.
• Bake from frozen at 350°F, adding 1-2 extra minutes to the baking time.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Pairings

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Continue to Content

Lemon Cake Mix Cookies

Yield: 24 cookies

Prep Time: 7 minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Just six ingredients go into these simple, brightly-flavored cookies. Perfect for Mother's Day, Easter, or a holiday cookie tray!

Print

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• ⅓ cup vegetable oil
• juice of ½ lemon, about 2 tablespoons
• zest of one lemon
• 1 box lemon cake mix (about 15 oz)
• ½ cup powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, lemon juice and zest. Fold in cake mix until just mixed and no large lumps remain.
3. Drop dough onto ungreased cookie sheet about the size of a heaping teaspoon. Dust with powdered sugar.
4. Bake for approximately 8 minutes or until the bottoms are just starting to brown and cookies are just set (do not overbake). Cool on wire racks and dust with more powdered sugar.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 260Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 342mgCarbohydrates: 44gFiber: 1gSugar: 26gProtein: 3g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix.

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Kristy Bernardo

Kristy Bernardo is a five-time cookbook author, travel writer, and culinary instructor who has been developing recipes for national brands since 2009. A former personal chef, she learned to cook from her mother and grandmother before refining her skills at the Culinary Institute of America’s Boot Camp.

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