Lemon cake mix cookies are one of my favorite kitchen shortcuts! Soft, chewy, and topped with a zippy icing, they’re simple and delicious.

Save time and energy with this recipe for lemon cookies from cake mix. The doctored-up mix creates the perfect cookie dough for soft and flavorful cookies that disappear fast.

a few iced lemon cake mix cookies on a white plate. One cookie has a bite taken out of it, showing its soft and chewy texture.

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Lemon desserts are some of my favorites, because there’s just something so delicious about pairing a sweet treat with the bright and cheery flavor of lemon.

But I don’t always have time to whip something up from scratch.

Let’s be honest–sometimes, you just need a good shortcut recipe to save yourself some time, but you want the result to taste homemade.

That’s where these lemon cookies made with cake mix come in! They’re super simple to make, thanks to a box of lemon cake mix that gets a bit of a glow-up.

I love using lemon cake mix to make baked goods, such as my easiest lemon cake and my glazed lemon loaf cake. A few tweaks to a boxed mix can make such a big difference!

So it was only a matter of time before I used the mix to make perfectly soft and chewy cookies, which we love to top with a simple lemon icing that hardens to a satiny finish.

It’s a fantastic way to make bakery-style cookies with minimal effort!

More Lemon Cookie Recipes:

overhead view of a plate of lemon cake mix cookies; three are topped with lemon icing and three are lemon crinkle cookies.

Using Lemon Cake Mix for Cookies

For years now, I’ve been finding ways to make a wide variety of cake mix recipes for every occasion.

Many people don’t realize you can make cookies with cake mix, but it’s actually a fantastic shortcut that yields delicious results.

For this particular recipe, I like to add a lemon glaze on top, but you can skip it if you prefer. Instead, you can roll the cookies in powdered sugar before baking, which makes lemon crinkle cookies!

These lemon cookies are perfect for spring and summer, but I also really enjoy lemon cookies around the Christmas holidays, too, when the tart and zippy flavor is such a welcome contrast from the super sweet and rich desserts.

For other ways to use cake mix to make delicious cookies, check out these recipes:

close-up of lemon cookies made with boxed cake mix; some are lemon crinkle cookies (without icing) and some are topped with lemon powdered sugar icing.

How to Make Lemon Cake Mix Cookies

It’s really easy to make these cookies.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Lemon Cake Mix
All-Purpose Flour
Vegetable Oil
Eggs
Lemon Zest and Juice
Almond Extract
Powdered Sugar

overhead view of six iced lemon cookies made with cake mix on a wire rack. Two lemon halves are next to the rack.

How to Make It:

Find the full printable recipe available below

Mix the cookie dough. First, you’ll combine lemon cake mix, flour, oil, eggs, lemon zest, and almond extract in the bowl of a stand mixer.

Mix on low speed for about 30 seconds, scrape down the sides of the bowl, then mix for another 30 seconds or so. You want everything to be well-combined and moistened.

two photos; one shows all cookie dough ingredients in a mixing bowl; the other shows the ingredients after being mixed together to form lemon cookie dough.

Scoop, roll, and bake. Next, you’ll scoop out the cookie dough and roll it into balls.

If you aren’t going to be adding icing to the cookies, you can roll the cookie dough in powdered sugar before baking. This will give them a crinkle cookie look.

Otherwise, if you’re going to be using icing, just place the dough balls on the lined baking sheet. Pop them in the oven for 8-10 minutes.

two photos; one shows rounds of lemon cookie dough made with cake mix. Some of the dough balls are rolled in powdered sugar and some are plain. The other photo shows the cookies after being baked; the powdered sugar cookies are crinkle cookies; whereas the plain ones will be topped with lemon glaze.

Make the icing. After the cookies have cooled, make the icing by combining powdered sugar and a couple tablespoons of lemon juice.

Whisk well, adding more lemon juice if the mixture is too thick.

Dip the tops of the cookies in the icing, letting excess drip off. Place the cookies on a wire rack to allow the glaze to set and harden. It will have a smooth, satiny finish when they’re ready.

Enjoy!

two photos; one shows powdered sugar glaze in a white bowl; the other shows the lemon cookies topped with icing and set on a wire rack to dry.

Notes and Adaptations:

If desired, you can use the bottom of a drinking glass to lightly flatten the tops of the cookie dough rounds for a more uniform appearance. Totally optional–I’ve done it both ways.
The icing is optional, but most people in my family prefer them iced. When rolled in powdered sugar instead, they’re more like a lemon crinkle cookie, which is still tasty–we just like the added zip from the glaze.
Let the icing harden to a satiny finish before stacking them.
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-5 days.