I love Lemon Cookies, especially these Lemon Drop Cookies. Made from a Lemon Cake Mix, this cookie recipe couldn’t be easier! Our Lemon Cake Mix Cookies are the perfect Spring and Summer treat!
EASY LEMON COOKIES
If you love citrus and lemon recipes, you are going to want to pay attention to what I am sharing today…Lemon Drop Cookies! Sometimes these can be compared to Italian lemon drop cookies or Panera lemon drop cookies. This is one of the easiest cookie recipes around. They are made with a cake mix and have only three ingredients (one being the cake mix of course). So if you don’t have a lot of time and need a quick and tasty dessert recipe, no need to look any further.
LEMON DROP COOKIES
These cookies were a hit at my house. It’s a good thing…because I actually had to make them twice because I burnt the first batch…oopsie! They were not too burned to actually eat and enjoy…but they were a little too burned for me to take a pretty picture of them. But no one seemed to complain that we ended up with a couple batches of lemon cookies! So much lemon flavor!
WHAT ARE DROP COOKIES?
“Drop cookie” is a term applied to cookie recipes where you will “drop” cookie dough from a spoon or cookie scoop onto a baking sheet, rather than roll it out or cut it into specific shapes. In contrast, most Christmas cookies and shortbread-style cookies are “cut out” cookies.
LEMON DROP COOKIES INGREDIENTS
COOKIE INGREDIENTS
- lemon cake mix
- eggs
- vegetable oil
- lemon extract (optional)
- lemon zest (optional)
LEMON DROP COOKIES INGREDIENTS
COOKIE INGREDIENTS
- lemon cake mix
- eggs
- vegetable oil
LEMON GLAZE INGREDIENTS
- powdered sugar
- lemon juice
- water
HOW TO MAKE LEMON DROP COOKIES
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Add all ingredients to a medium mixing bowl of a stand mixer or mix by hand with a hand mixer.
- Creamingredients together on medium speed until dough forms and is well mixed.
- Grease a cookie sheet and roll into 1 inch round balls or use a small cookie scoop to drop cookies into small balls.
- Add some confectioner’s sugar to a small bowl and roll the top of the cookie in the sugar.
- Bake for 7-9 minutes. Remove cookies from oven before they turn golden brown. Place on a wire rack.
- Let cookies cool completely.
- If you want to add a Lemon Sugar Glaze to the cookies instead of rolling them in confectioner’s sugar, simply omit step 5 above. When the cookies have cooled to room temperature , glaze them with the recipe below.
Directions for making the Lemon Glaze
-
Add fresh lemon juice and water to a bowl and mix together.
-
Slowly add water to mixture while stirring. When you get a nice consistency for a think glaze stop adding water. If you add too much water, simply add a little more confectioner’s sugar.
-
Drizzle each cookie with the lemon sugar glaze.
Note: We rolled the cookies in confectioner’s sugar before baking them…but you could add a lemon glaze frosting to them if that sounds better to you. Either way, you will find that these are super tasty! I also love how pretty they are! Aren’t they so cheerful looking?
Now go and make some!
LEMON DROP COOKIE RECIPE
Lemon Crinkle Cookies
I Love Lemon Cookies, Especially These Lemon Drop Cookies. Made From A Lemon Cake Mix, This Cookie Recipe Couldn't Be Easier! Our Lemon Cake Mix Cookies Are The Perfect Summer Treat!
Ingredients
- 1 box Lemon Cake Mix
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
Lemon Sugar Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- water as needed
Instructions
-
Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
-
Add all ingredients to a medium sized bowl.
-
Using a spoon, mix ingredients together until dough forms and is well mixed.
-
Grease a cookie sheet and roll into 1 inch round balls.
-
*Add some confectioner's sugar to a small bowl and roll the top of the cookie in the sugar.
-
Bake for 7-9 minutes. Remove cookies from oven before they turn golden brown.
-
Remove from oven and let cookies cool completely.
-
*If you want to add a Lemon Sugar Glaze to the cookies instead of rolling them in confectioner's sugar, simply omit step 5 above. When the cookies have cooled completely, glaze them with the recipe below.
Directions for the Lemon Glaze
-
Add lemon juice and water to a bowl and mix together.
-
Slowly add water to mixture while stirring. When you get a nice consistency for a think glaze stop adding water. If you add too much water, simply add a little more confectioner’s sugar.
-
Drizzle each cookie with the lemon sugar glaze.
DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING LEMON GLAZE
- Add fresh lemon juice and water to a bowl and mix together.
- Slowly add water to mixture while stirring. When you get a nice consistency for a think glaze stop adding water. If you add too much water, simply add a little more confectioner’s sugar.
- Drizzle each cookie with the lemon sugar glaze.
Note: We rolled the cookies in confectioner’s sugar before baking them…but you could add a lemon glaze frosting to them if that sounds better to you. Either way, you will find that these are super tasty! I also love how pretty they are! Aren’t they so cheerful looking?
Now go and make some!
HOW TO STORE LEMON DROP COOKIES
These drop cookies are easy to store. Simply place your cooled cookies in an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to a week. They will stay fresher a little longer when stored in the refrigerator.
CAN I FREEZE LEMON DROP COOKIES?
Yes! These cookies freeze really well. Store them in an airtight container or a sealable freezer bag for up to one month. To eat let the cookie thaw on the counter top before eating.
COOKIE BAKING SUPPLIES
- Jelly roll baking sheets
- Silicon mat baking liners
- Kitchenaid mixer
- Marble rolling pin
- powdered sugar shaker
- Cooling rack
- rubber spatula
- kitchen hand towels
- cookie spatula
- parchment paper
- white round sprinkles
HOW TO STORE LEMON DROP COOKIES
OTHER LEMON DESSERT RECIPES
If you love lemon you may want to give some of my other lemon recipes a try!
COOKIE SUPPLIES
- Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer
- Cookie Baking Sheet (we love these pans)
- Silicone Baking Mats
- Cookie Scoop
- Silicone Spatulas
- Cooling Racks
- Hot Pads
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betty says
Would be nicer if you mentioned the powdered sugar in original ingredient list or at least in instructions. Was only mentioned in a “by the way” manner after the glaze instryctions, which were also not counted in the “only three ingredient” claim.
Diana B. says
That’s why we READ ALL OF IT to make sure we have a proper understanding. My gawd, it’s not the author’s fault you’re so dull, cut your attitude!
deb says
Good grief-what a tactless, ignorant comment.
Everyone knows a recipe is to be read through to the end. It’s called getting the big picture. Not exactly an independant thinker…
Pam says
A little snarky are we?
Risa says
any idea how to store these and how long they might keep? I would love to start making cookies but never know how to keep them. Thanks to anyone who can enlighten me.
Chassity Jackson says
I found that I you keep them in a Ziploc bag and put a piece of bread in the bag the cookies stay fresh longer. The bread gets stale.
michelle says
I made these one Christmas eve and just put them in a covered container on the counter by themselves. they stayed good for quite a few days. also left one sit out open on the counter all night and it was still soft the next day. very good cookies
I made these today and they taste great. Very easy to make. The only problem I had is that mine did not flatten out like in the pictures. Mine are more dome shaped. The cake mix I used was Duncan Hines extra moist lemon cake mix. Could the extra moist be the reason?
I flattened mine out with a back of a spoon once I pulled them out of the oven. Worked great.
Great tip. Thanks.
They look yummy and I can’t wait to try them!
I make these just a bit different, 1 cake mix, 1 egg, 1 8 oz carton cool whip (thawed) and the powered sugar. drop spoonful (sticky) in powered sugar and bake! YUM
These sound delicious! Thanks for the recipe! Could the lemon cake mix be substituted with any flavor cake mix? I feel like chocolate would be amazing! (But really, when is chocolate not amazing?!)
Any cake mix could be substituted. Chocolate does sound amazing!
I’ve been baking cake mix cookies for over 30 years. But I use 1/2 cup oil and cheap cake mix NOT extra moist and such. I also use yellow and chocolate mix and mix in about 1/2 cup of one of the following chocolate chips, Reece pieces, M & M’s, nuts. Whatever you want.
Sounds delicious!
Can you use a yellow cake mix instead of lemon cake mix?
How many cookies does one recipe make?
Hi there! I just finished mixing the dough for these cookies and it is super sticky. So sticky that there is no way I’ll be able to roll it into balls. I’ve read and re-read the recipe and I have the right ingredients/measurements :-/. Any ideas on what I did wrong or how to fix the dough?
Cecy, if you roll them in powdered sugar, it can kind of form a ball in that process! I used a cookie scoop to drop a “blob” in the powdered sugar (can also use two spoons though) and then rolled them around until they were coated and pretty round. Hope that helps!
Thank you!! I’m going to try that!
You will have to let me know if you like them.
Great tip. Thanks
I’ve been making these for a long time. Put the dough in the fridge overnight, it will get rid of the stickiness.
Hi – these sound delicious…how many cookies does this make?
2 dozen
In the glaze instructions, it says, “Add lemon juice and water to a bowl and mix together. Slowly add water to mixture while stirring. When you get a nice consistency for a think glaze stop adding water. If you add too much water, simply add a little more confectioner’s sugar.”
Did you mean add lemon juice and confectioners sugar together, then slowly add water? Or add the lemon juice and water and then slowly add the confectioners sugar?
Also, chopping up lemon drops and adding them to the dough would be awesome! Or white chocolate chips. or if you could find lemon chips.
Hi. I made these – delicious. Mine came out rounded – not flat. Second batch I tried this and it made a difference – when the cookies come out of the oven drop the pan a few times to get the air out of the cookies – they flatten out nicely.
Just made them. Is nine minutes enough? Mine still look gooey inside. Maybe they need to cool more. Suggestions?
You may have to adjust the time with altitude change.
How’d you get them to roll? My dough is too sticky.
Can you substitute veg oil for coconut oil? Will still taste the same?
You can but it does have a different taste.
Made these tonight with my 5yr old. They turned out Great! We used Duncan Hines super moist mix. We also used Coconut Oil (just melted it in a glass bowel as to make sure we had exact amount needed). We followed a previous suggestion of banging the pan on counter after taking cookies out of oven to help flatten them a bit.
I love coconut oil. I will have to try that in my recipes next time I make these. Thanks.
Add a handful 1/3 to 1/2 cup of shredded coconut to the batter. So good. Almost like a chewy macaroon! My ‘go to’ recipe for ever.
I will have to try coconut. Sounds amazing!
Tried these out the other day — they were a hit! I’m not sold on the texture, but LOVE the flavor and simplicity of this recipe! I used the general idea with butter pecan cake mix, pecans, and cinnamon chips, too — created an interesting cookie I’d be willing to try again!
They look delicious! Thanks for sharing.
Hey there! Some of you mentioned how sticky this batter is. I didn’t have time to put mine in the refrigerator overnight, so I sprayed some unflavored cooking spray on my hands and rubbed it in a bit. I was able to roll the cookies just fine, and the oil didn’t seem to affect the cookies at all. Just make sure to get your fingertips with the spray as well. Washes off easily with dish soap.
Tasha, Great tip! Thanks for sharing!
I did the same thing. Worked great.
Excellent recipe and so easy. I used Dunkin Hines Lemon Cake mix; perfect lemony taste. I did have to cook for 12 minutes, but everyone’s oven is different.
Emailed you. Thanks.
I make these…they are delicious!
The lemon glaze instructions in the step by step don’t mention the powdered sugar, so do you mix the powdered sugar and juice and then gradually add water?
Yes! Let me fix that so it is more clear! Thanks for pointing that out!
The recipe calls for 2.25 eggs. How do you get a quarter of an egg?
Jody- It is suppose to be 2 eggs…lol.
Simple, easy, and delicious!
Becca- Thank you!
Mmmm!!! Lemon is such a refreshing flavor, especially during summer! These look incredible!
Kristyn- It really is! I LOVE LEMON!
Love how easy these are to make and who doesn’t love lemon?!
Heather- They are so easy to make!
These were so simple to make and turned out delicious! I needed a quick, easy, (and cheap) recipe for a last minute church meeting and these do not disappoint… I read earlier comments and decided to refrigerate for about an hour before rolling and topping with the powdered sugar. I also gave each of them a gentle tap as they came out of the oven to give them that nice, flat cookie appearance. I will definitely be making these again – often! Wish I could upload a pic of these beauties…
Jennifer- I am so happy that you loved this recipe! Thanks for your comments and rating!
I can hardly wait to make these babies. Yummy! Thank you for sharing.
Ivory- They really are SO simple to make!
Lemon crinkles, yes please!! They are so soft & refreshing. My kids will devour them!
Natalie- They really are so refreshing!
I love these equally with the chocolate version. There is something about the lemon flavor that has become a new favorite of mine!
Kristyn- Me too. You can go wrong with either flavor!
These cookies are so bright and carry just enough punch of lemon! We love them.
Katie- They are such a fun Spring and Summer Cookie!