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These easy Lemon Cake Mix Cookies are such an easy cookie recipe! They’re made with yellow cake mix, sprinkles and are bursting with lemon flavor from lemon extract, juice, and zest. This is my go-to cake mix cookie recipe!
Why we love Lemon Cookies from Cake Mix
Lemon cake mix cookies are like little lemon clouds that taste like cake. I used one of my favorite baking shortcuts for these cuties – yellow cake mix. All of the dry ingredients are ready to go making these a super simple cookie recipe to make.
I like to doctor up the cake mix with lots of lemon flavor – lemon extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Adding the extra lemon ingredients makes these cookies taste like homemade delicious lemon cookies.
Triple the lemon gives a huge punch of lemon flavor, and then you add sprinkles, and by the magic of unicorns and rainbows, the cookies turn into funfetti. You know how I love my sprinkles! These are soft and chewy and so, so good.
Lemon Cake Mix Cookies Ingredients
- Yellow cake mix: you can use white or yellow cake mix. Be sure to get one that is about 15 ounces (most cake mixes are around that size).
- Softened butter: I use unsalted. Learn how to soften butter fast!
- Egg: a regular cookie ingredient
- Extracts: adding vanilla extract and lemon extract to cake mix cookies makes them taste homemade.
- Lemon: Lemon juice AND fresh lemon zest amps up that lemon flavor of the cookies
- Mix-Ins: Rainbow sprinkles are perfect but you could also use white chocolate chips.
How to Make Lemon Cookies Out of Cake Mix
- Start the batter: Pour the dry cake mix into the bowl and add the butter and egg. This is best done with an electric mixer.
- Flavoring: Add both extracts, lemon juice, and zest and mix to combine. Stir in the sprinkles.
- Scoop and Bake: Drop two tablespoons of the dough (a medium cookie scoop) on the prepared baking sheet. I like to bake these cookies on silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Bake the cookies for eight to twelve minutes or until the cookies tops start to crack and the edges turn golden.
Recipe Variations
Maybe you’re not sprinkle obsessed like I am and want to try switching up the recipe? I’ve got you covered and have tried a few different variations for this recipe. All of these are amazing, too!
- Swap the sprinkles for white chocolate chips, or you could do a combo of half and half. (See my White Chocolate Lemon Cookies recipe)
- Whether you use sprinkles or chips, adding a simple lemon glaze takes them to a whole new level!
- Sometimes I roll the cookie dough balls in powdered sugar before baking them. This turns them into lemon crinkle cookies.
Tip From Dorothy
Expert Tips
- You can use vegetable oil in place of the melted butter, but they will spread more.
- These freeze really well – place them in an airtight container or gallon size bag in the freezer for up to 2 months. Place layers between paper towels – the paper towels absorb the moisture as the cookies defrost!
- You can also use a lemon cake mix – you can omit the lemon extract but still use the zest and juice for that homemade fresh flavor.
- The cookies are best when they are still a little underdone when you take them out of the oven, so keep an eye on them so they don’t overbake. Cool them on the cookie sheet and then store them in an airtight container.
FAQ
You don’t have to make the cake on the side of the box – use this recipe and it’ll be thick enough for cookies.
You can keep them at room temperature for up to four days or pop them in the freezer for up to a month.
Lemon Cake Mix Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 15 ounce box yellow cake mix
- ½ cup (113g) butter , softened
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon lemon extract
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest (about 1 medium lemon)
- ½ cup rainbow sprinkles or 1 cup white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silpat baking mats.
- Place cake mix in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. (Alternately, use a large bowl and a hand mixer.) Add butter and egg and mix slowly until the butter works it’s way through the mix. Add the extracts, lemon juice, and zest. Stir until mixed, then stir in sprinkles.
- Drop 2 tablespoon cookie dough balls onto your prepared cookie sheets. Chill at least 30 minutes.
- Bake for 8-12 minutes until the tops start to show cracks and they just start to get golden around the bottoms. Don’t over bake these, they’re better more underdone. Cool completely on cookie sheets, then remove to an airtight container. Will keep for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 1 month.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Recipe Nutrition
Other Cake Mix Recipes to Try
These easy Lemon Cookies made with cake mix are an easy cookie recipe! They’re made with yellow cake mix, sprinkles and are bursting with lemon flavor from lemon extract, juice, and zest.
Last Updated on December 19, 2023
Dorothy, this is the second recipe I’ve seen using cake mix for cookies!!! I am so intrigued!!! love these!! Lemon Funfetti Cookies, the cure for pop culture ailments ..  haha, love this!! and re: T Swift. .  I love her song, Shake It Off, I listen to it all the time . . and yeah let’s hope she doesn’t have a sex tape/twitter/Miley Cyrus moment anytime soon!!!Â
I’d use only cake mix for cookies by my readers would revolt. It’s so much easier than measuring, lol!!
I used to watch the view once in awhile when I was on mat leave, and then saw it again recently after Barbara left and it was so different looking I barely recognized it! As long as Whoopie stays, I’m good 😉 These cookies look delicious! Love the lemon and the funfetti!
Me too, I love her!!
I’ve been moping around for 3 days since learning Jon Stewart was leaving The Daily Show. I need to self-soothe with about 16 of these cookies.
I can understand that!! Thank you Amy!!
I agree about Rosie, she is annoying. Â And a bully. Â But I will miss her on The View, because she is funny, and there is never a dull moment with her there. Â I really like the addition of Rosie Perez and Nicole Wallace; they seem really nice, well-read and reasonable. Â And TS – yay for good role models! Â I love her new CD – great music, now that she is no longer in her some-guy-was-a-horrible-boyfriend-to-me phase. Â And she seems to really enjoy hanging out with her fans, and she said that there are no naked photos of her.
Right? She’s a total bully but there are ALWAYS fireworks!!! 🙂
I keep trying to resist falling in love with Taylor Swift, but her stuff is always so catchy! I haven’t heard the new one yet, but Blank Space gets me every time. So do cookies made with cake mix. #trueloveÂ
Yes!! Blank Space and her starbucks lovers. 🙂
Ok these are so fantastic!!!
I use cake mixes too and I think it is totally fine! Â You doctored it up anyway so it’s not just a cake mix! Â I love how these cookies look and I really like lemon too, they remind me of spring!
That’s pretty much the only way I like cake mixes these days…not as cake. (Unless it’s poke cake…coming soon. 🙂 )
I am starting to warm to Taylor Swift; I am more of an alt-rock or indie type so this is surprising different, in a good way. These cookies  look great, lemon is a perfect way to add a little boost to the long winter months.Â
Lemon is an all year dessert for me, and it makes me smile when it’s cold and dreary!
that Brandy, she really is a walking talking storm, and YES she needs to lay off the wine
just stuff her face with these Dorothy
LOL, glad I’m not the only one who thinks so!
I don’t even watch the view or listen to the radio much. I am definitely behind with what’s going on outside of my four walled office. How do find the time to keep up with the world? Please share your secret!Â
These cookies are so fun and cheerful. Perfect for the weekend! I need to make a batch asap!
LOL, I watch Hot Topics for 15 minutes as a lunch break. It’s where I get all my pop culture and my news. That says a lot about me, I’m sure. 🙂
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