3-Ingredient Lemon Cake Mix Cookies
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Soft and chewy lemon cake mix cookies are the ultimate easy lemon cookie recipe. The delicious cookies are bursting with lemon flavor and super easy to make with just 3 ingredients: a box of cake mix, eggs, and oil.
Give these funfetti cake mix cookies, red velvet cake mix cookies, and strawberry cake mix cookies a try for more easy cake mix cookie recipes.
Easy Lemon Cake Mix Cookies
Lemon desserts are a favorite in our house. There is just something about that combination of sweetness and tartness that we can’t get enough of.
Lately, I have found myself craving delicious lemon cookies.
Luckily, I have found that having warm and tasty just-from-the-oven lemon cake cookies doesn’t have to be difficult.
All you need is a box of lemon cake mix, eggs, vegetable oil, and this easy lemon cookie recipe!
Why you will love this recipe
- Bright lemon flavor in every bite.
- The easiest cookies you’ll ever make.
- Only 3 simple ingredients.
- Perfect for a special occasion, bake sale, or as a quick treat.
Ingredients
This section includes ingredient notes and substitution options. Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
- Lemon Cake Mix – I have used both Betty Crocker and Duncan Hines cake mixes with great results, but any 15.25-ounce boxed cake mix should be fine.
- Vegetable Oil – Canola oil can be used as well.
- Large Eggs
- Confectioners Sugar – Optional, for rolling the dough balls in to make lemon crinkle cookies.
How to Make 3 Ingredient Lemon Cookies From Cake Mix
This section shows you how to make the recipe with step-by-step photos and instructions. For the full printable recipe, see the recipe card below.
Step 1: Mix cake mix, eggs, and oil in a large mixing bowl until combined.
Step 2: Chill dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Step 3: Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Optionally, place confectioners sugar in a small bowl and roll each dough ball in it. Place 2 inches apart on lined baking sheets.
Step 4: Bake for 10-12 minutes in preheated oven. Cool on the sheet for a few minutes, then move to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Storage
Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
What readers are saying
I made these at a Christmas cookie party for the first time. There were 15-20 different cookies made and these lemon cookies were picked the favorite of everyone! Also shared with family and friends who loved them as well, everyone wanted your recipe. Thank you for sharing! – Dawn
Lemon Cookie Tips
- Use parchment paper. Non-stick cooking spray can cause cookies to over-spread so I recommend using ungreased cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.
- Chill the dough. For best results, chill your cookie dough for at least 30 minutes before baking. Chilling the dough works to prevent over-spreading in the oven.
- Keep the same size. Use a medium cookie scoop to make the size of your cookies the same to ensure even baking.
- Roll in sugar. Roll cookie dough balls in confectioners sugar (aka powdered sugar) before baking for a crinkle cookie effect.
Additions and Variations
These simple lemon cookies are incredible on their own, but sometimes it is fun to switch it up. Here are some simple ideas to try:
- Lemon Zest: Mix in the zest from one lemon into the dough. This gives your cookies a pop of fresh lemon flavor.
- Sweet Lemon Glaze: After the cookies cool down, mix 1 cup of confectioners sugar with 2-3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice until it’s smooth. Use a spoon to drizzle this sweet glaze over the cookies.
- White Chocolate Chips: Fold some white chocolate chips into the dough for added sweetness that pairs perfectly with the cookies’ tangy lemon flavor.
- Lemon Extract: For cookies that pack an extra lemon punch, add up to 1 teaspoon of lemon extract to the dough to intensify the lemon flavor.
Feel free to play around with these ideas and see what you like best. You can even mix and match them to make your cookies just the way you want.
More Easy Lemon Recipes
If you enjoy these easy lemon cookies, I’m certain that you will love these easy recipes as well:
Lemon Cake Mix Cookies
Ingredients
- 15.25 ounce lemon cake mix (1 box)
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- confectioners sugar optional
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix well to combine cake mix, eggs, and vegetable oil.
- Place dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to chill.
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Form dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in powdered sugar, if desired. Place balls of cookie dough on baking sheets at least 2 inches apart.
- Bake 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on cookie sheets for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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Note: Recipe updated 2/23/24 with added recipe notes, variations, and new photos. The original photos are below.
Game changer. Excellent.
Can I add a teaspoon of lemon extract to the mix? I like a strong lemon flavor in my lemon cookies.
Yes, you can add the lemon extract. I would just use a little bit less oil as to not throw the ratio of wet ingredients to dry ingredients off
Just curious. I just made these and the batter was extremely sticky even after chilling 30 min. I added some flour to help make the batter more pliable to work with. I know the cake mix box lists as being 13.25 instead of 15.25 which is what all manufacturers are doing with everything lately. What am I doing wrong? Also they didn’t go flat at all and stayed in somewhat of a ball. What am I doing wrong? Haven’t tasted yet as I’m waiting for them to cool.
Hi Joan, it sounds like you had quite the unfortunate chain of events! While cake mix cookies do have a stickier dough than regular cookies, when you used a smaller size cake mix than called for in the recipe it likely made your dough extra sticky. Then when you added extra flour to compensate it resulted in the cookies having too much flour and holding their shape rather than spreading as they should while baking. If you want to try the recipe again be sure to use a 15.25 ounce box of cake mix (I believe only Betty Crocker mixes changed their sizes). I haven’t tested the recipe with the new 13.25 oz boxes of mix yet but I am adding it to my to-do list so I can troubleshoot and see if there is a way to make the recipe work with the “shrunk” packages.
great to have this
First time trying this recipe. The batter was very sticky when I first mixed it up but after putting it in the fridge for about 30 minutes and using a greased scoop, they came out perfect and tasted great. I did bake mine brown a bit because I glazed them but they were delicious. Thank you.
Thank you! I’m really grateful for your feedback and am happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Thank you so much! These came out amazing!
Yay! Glad it turned out great for you. Thanks for sharing.
theses lemon cookies look good.can I add cream cheese to this recipe. some recipes you can’t use cream cheese.
I haven’t tried adding cream cheese to the recipe so I can’t say for sure. Let me know how they come out if you do decide to experiment!
Simple and delicious! I use a glaze to top mine made of lemon juice, powdered sugar and a little butter. I do not chill my dough. Cookies are flatter this way.
Is there a recipe without using store bought mix?
Not for lemon cake mix cookies. If you want a lemon cookie recipe without any boxed mixes you can try these lemon cookies from scratch.
excellent!!! ty for posting this recipe.. the cookies turned out so perfectly soft. 👌 👍