The basic cake mix cookie with a twist.
Wonderful easy recipe! For an extra lemon "bite", double the lemon extract and add 1 tsp of lemon rind. Superb!!!
Read MoreI thought these were just okay. The good: great texture, very chewy, and practically no effort to make. The bad: couldn't get past the "fruit loops" taste from the boxed lemon mix even after I added 2T of pure lemon juice. Maybe I'll try a white cake mix and add lots of real lemon juice.
Read MoreWonderful easy recipe! For an extra lemon "bite", double the lemon extract and add 1 tsp of lemon rind. Superb!!!
I have used this recipe several times and it is always a hit - so, thanks Lissa. I did have to lower the oven to 350 and cooked for 11 min. You can use any flavor box mix. I did one with orange cake mix and lots of orange zest. Another one was yellow cake mix, 2 tspn Almond flavoring and tiny choc chips. The most recent one I used for a crowd of teenage kids was chocolate cake mix, 2 tspns almond flavoring and CHERRY flavored cranberries. WOW did they love these chewie cookies. I called them Chocolate cherry chewies!
My husband and I loved these. I used 1 Tbsp lemon juice in place of the lemon extract, much better flavor. If you prefer a crisper cookie push the ball down a little before baking and bake them till browned. Yum!
I thought these were just okay. The good: great texture, very chewy, and practically no effort to make. The bad: couldn't get past the "fruit loops" taste from the boxed lemon mix even after I added 2T of pure lemon juice. Maybe I'll try a white cake mix and add lots of real lemon juice.
Very easy and versatile, too. My husband did a cookie exchange at his workplace (guess who made the cookies). I made lemon, strawberry (used strawberry extract instead of lemon) and carrot cake (used 1/8 tsp of ground ginger and a tsp of vanilla). Oh, and I did cook mine for 10 minutes. I guess ovens are different. Delicious!
Easy to make, yes, but they really needed more lemon flavor. I added extra lemon extract and lemon zest, and they still were just "sweet" not "tangy". I would add at least 1 1/2 tsp lemon zest and 2 tsp lemon extract! Chill to make the dough less sticky before scooping into balls. On a side note, if you add 1-2 cups of rice krispies to the dough, it adds a nice crunch!
I changed this recipe up, because some people complained of a "Fruit Loop" lemon taste. I doubled the recipe, using one lemon cake and one white cake. I used melted butter instead of oil, because I'm bad!! I added two extra teaspoons of lemon extract. I then rolled the dough into 1" balls and rolled them in the powdered sugar. I made a thumbprint in each cookie and filled it with lemon curd. The cookies cooked up beautifully in about 9 minutes, but as the recipe states, be careful. My family raved and we all ate too many!
I've been making these for years. I bake them without rolling in the powdered sugar. After they are cool I spoon some lemon glaze over each cookie. To make lemon glaze mix about 1 cup of powdered sugar and enough fresh-squeezed lemon juice to make a thick glaze. The glaze makes the cookie super lemony.
Can I rate it higher??? These disappear from our kitchen as fast as they are made. Took them to work last week and everyone praised and asked for recipe. Luv 'em!!!
These were awesome. Used a duncan hines "supreme lemon" cake mix and added 3t lemon juice, 3t lemon extract. Came out perfect.
I love this cookie! I used 2 Tbsp orange zest, and lemon juice instead of extract. Adding more lemon extract would only enhance that cereal taste that some reviewers were complaining about. Using Lemon juice instead is a good fix. I added the orange zest because I wanted it to add little more interest. It definitely worked, and I'd highly recommend doing that. It may seem like a lot, but it helps add a fresh taste, versus the boxed, artificially flavored taste. Thanks for the recipe, I'll be using this for a quick cookie anytime the occasion calls for it!
I read all the reviews before I made these. I decided to make them and so glad I did! They are fabulous. This is going to be a fun recipe that I can play with. In takes "maybe" 10 min to get everything together and mix. About 6 minutes to scoop out 15 balls (I USED A MELON BALLER)onto parchment paper. Bake for 7 minutes in my oven (They didn't look done except for the cracked tops)let cool on the paper then bag in zip locks or eat. I got 52 cookies per box! I made two recipes of cookies that were a modification since I needed something for church ASAP, White cake mix, vanillaextract and raspberry extract. I put white chocolate chips in these. In the other I made golden yellow with butter extract and rum extract. I put regular chocolate chips in this batch. Everyone went wild with both of these. I plan on doing the lemon, the orange, and the strawberry for Easter. I may do a chocolate mint for St Paddy's day. Don't hesitate to try this recioe the flavor is great, the texture is great not cakey, and you dozens of cookies in less than 30 minutes...clean up included.
These cookies were easy to make & a hit at Easter! I followed the recipe exactly except I did not use the lemon extract, but took the advice a previous comment by using the juice & zest of 1 whole lemon. Also, I baked for 11 minutes at 350 instead of 375. Yummy!! Also, the recipe calls for baking them on an ungreased cookie sheet. I highly recommend baking them on parchment paper. I baked both ways--on the plain cookie sheet, they stuck because of the sugar on them. They didn't stick at all on the parchment paper! I will definitely make them again! :)
delecious, but theres an easier recipe! lemon cake mix, 1 egg, and a container of cool whip, but you do have to grease the cookie sheet then. I think they turn out lighter when you use the cool whip.
I was skeptical of these cookies at first, but they were a hit!! I made no changes to the recipe, but I did adjust the size. I found that when I made a normal sized cookie, even extending the baking time, they still seemed a little too chewy for me. I made the second batch only about the size of a quarter to a silver dollar and SUCCESS! Just a slightly crispy edge and soft center. I found that the bite sized portion really complemented the refreshing flavor as well. Thanks for the great recipe, it will definitely continue on my holiday baking list.
Outstanding! I had the urge to bake something and I had all the ingredients for these cookies so I gave them a whirl. They could not be easier! I had no problem with stickiness. I used a cookie scoop to get uniform-size cookies and they turned out perfect! Soooo lemon-y and sooooo soft. I baked for 6 minutes and decided to give them one more minute because they didn't look "done." They still didn't look done at 7 minutes so I took them out and, lo and behold, they were a little too brown on the bottom. Next time I will bake for 6 minutes. Nevertheless, they were still superb and I'll definitely make these again and look forward to trying different variations with different cake mixes! :)
These are wonderful. i made them by the recipe, minus the lemon extract. I didn't have extract so i used lemon kool aid powder (unsweetned). I made them to mail out in Christmas care packages to family in other states. But Im not sure if they will make it in the boxes. My husband and I can't get enough. Thank you for sharing.
I am not a baker. I bake once a year for a Christmas Cookie exchange, so I look for easy recipes. I hate all the mess and time it takes me to make some cookies. I just tried a test batch of these and they turned out very good. I am pleasantly surprised and will bring them to the cookie exchange. A few notes. As others have stated, cake mixes now are 15.25 oz, not 18.25. (Someone should update this recipe). I added 1/3 cup of flour to the mix and it was fine. Instead of the lemon extract, I used 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice and some lemon zest. No fruit loops taste, just lemony. I used a small scoop and made them pretty small. I got 4 dozen from one box of mix. I used parchment paper, so the bottoms did not burn. I also baked them at 350 for 12 minutes. Crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. I will make these again!
What a great, simple recipe! And delicious to boot! Like others I didn't have lemon extract so I used the zest and juice from 1 lemon instead. I also chilled the dough in the refrigerator for an hour or so and it was much easier to handle. For those whose cookies don't seem to bake right the first time do a single test cookie rather than cooking the whole batch. Every oven is different, try changing the temp/time to get the desired results. My oven at 375* and 9 minutes browned the cookie but left the inside undercooked. I dropped the temp to 360* and increased the cook time to 12 minutes and they came out perfect. Don't be afraid to try a couple different settings or bake times.
This was a great recipe. I made it for a MOPS (Mothers of PreSchoolers) cookie exchange. The only thing I changed was that I sifted the powdered sugar on the cookies AFTER I baked them. They look prettier. The moms loved them! I can't wait to try some other versions...one mom has made them before with a chocolate cake mix and mini M&Ms. She said they were good. I'll also try peanut butter chips with the chocolate cake mix next time. I used a 1 inch cookie scoop and ended up with 26 cookies that were 2 inches wide.
I knew it was a good thing that I didn't make these the night before I needed them for a family function. They'd have been gone! I think that says it all. ;-)
simple and delicious. i picked this as starter recipe for my 9yr old daughter and she needed very little help from me. i was concerned about a "fake" lemon flavor after reading the reviews, so we substituted the juice and zest of one small lemon and used a yellow cake mix. my husband thought they were "buttery". i think it was the yellow cake mix since i was tempted to but did not use butter. for my family the more subtle lemon flavor was perfect. did half as jam thumbprints and those were good, too. i think this is a great base recipe and will try other combos for sure.
I get requests for these cookies all the time. I always feel guilty about how easy they are to make when people go crazy over them. They're almost impossible to mess up. If you happen to bake them too long, just store them in an airtight container and they get softer. **I skip the confectioners' sugar. I find that the sugar just absorbs into the cookie and it's a wasted step. It doesn't end up adding much for decoration. Maybe I don't do that step right, but I don't think it affects the taste at all to skip it. I do use the lemon extract, just because I have it, but if you don't feel like spending the money on it, I think they would taste good without that too.
I love tart things, so I took some advice from the other reviewers and used regular yellow cake mix instead of the lemon cake mix and added a lot more lemon juice. I reduced 2 eggs down to 1 egg and dare added 1/2+ cup real lemon juice! Plus, I added 2 tsp of lemon extract. They turned out real tangy and delicious with still nice and chewy texture. I also made sure to refragirate the dough for several hours before baking them.
This is the perfect recipe to fill the gaps in your holiday cookie tins! Easy and Inexpensive to make. So simple this is the cookie my 6 year old makes!
Excellent cookies. I plan to make again, and often. **EDIT**Tried again with some variations. Made another lemon batch exactly to the recipe. Made a strawberry batch with strawberry cake mix and a packet of unsweetened strawberry kool-ade (really makes the strawberry flavor pop!), and then a chocolate batch with some almond extract. All are excellent!
I also used unsweetened kool aid mix and loved it. I also tried strawberry and orange cake mixes with corresponding kool aid flavors. Really good and everyone loved them.
Tasted amazing! I ran out of oil so added about 1 tbsp of melted butter to make for 1/3c. I also used 2 tbsp of lemon juice as well as zest instead of extract. While the first batch was cooking, I put the rest of the batter in the freezer. When the first batch finished, it tasted ok. When i made the other batches that had come out if the freezer, the lemon taste was much more pronounced! Definitely refridgerate if you can or freeZe batter for about 10 min if you are crunched for time before baking. It makes all the difference!!!
These came out perfectly the first time and every time since then. Everyone loves them. They are the first to disappear even along side the usual chocolate chip favorite. Plus they are very pretty cookies, with the crackled appearance and white powdered sugar on top. Making another batch (or 2) today, the day AFTER Christmas!
It was good but not enough of a zesty lemon taste for me. When I bake something with lemon I really want the lemon to pop and it didn't do that for me.
I love these simple cookies. They are not too strong but add a hint of lemon. You might want to leave in the oven a bit longer so they don't get doghey. Enjoy!
I made a batch of these as is - which is why i can actually rate the recipe and will say they were not quite lemony enough for us. I made them again and up'd the lemon extract to 2 tsp and they were much better. I love the base of this recipe though - they make chewey cookies that, if baked right, have a little crunch on the bottom. My huband devoured several. Made for a Spring-time Tupperware party and everyone asked for the recipe!
My friends and husband absolutly love these cookies! The only thing is that I can't get a good coating of powdered sugar on them so you can see it after they're baked.
I use this recipe often to make cookie sandwiches with buttercream frosting in the middle. They are usually a big hit.
These cookies are AMAZING! They are moist on the inside and crisp on the outside. The flavor is perfect. My boyfriend added white chocolate chips and they were to die for - delicious!!
What a fabulously simple recipe! The cookies are moist and tasty (they only lasted a couple of hours anyway). The powdered sugar make them pretty. I used this recipe (minus the lemon extract) with a triple chocolate cake mix and it was great!
This is my new favorite cookie! In half of the batter I stirred in lemon baking chips and it made them even better. So simple and so good.
A super easy cookie recipe that could not be any easier. I used 1 1/2 tsp. of lemon extract and baked the cookies first on a Silpat and then on parchment paper. The ones on parchment paper came out so much better (crispier) so I continued with the parchment paper. They came out identical to the picture as well. I found that if I rolled them in a ball, dropped them in the sugar, rolled them around in the sugar, then rolled them again, dropped them again in the sugar, and then placed them on the cookie sheet, they retained the sugar more than just one roll in the sugar. Absolutely no need to refrigerate this dough as it is light and doesn't stick too much. I can't wait to try them with other types of cake mix and flavorings.
A super easy cookie recipe that could not be any easier. I used 1 1/2 tsp. of lemon extract and baked the cookies first on a Silpat and then on parchment paper. The ones on parchment paper came out so much better (crispier) so I continued with the parchment paper. They came out identical to the picture as well. I found that if I rolled them in a ball, dropped them in the sugar, rolled them around in the sugar, then rolled them again, dropped them again in the sugar, and then placed them on the cookie sheet, they retained the sugar more than just one roll in the sugar. Absolutely no need to refrigerate this dough as it is light and doesn't stick too much. I can't wait to try them with other types of cake mix and flavorings.
I made these cookies the other day and everybody loved them and wanted the recipe. I did leave out the extract and used one tablespoon of fresh lemon juice and a little grated lemon rind. I also let the dough cool in the refrigerator for 24 hours before roling and baking.
I made these for a church bake sale..these were fabulous..thanks for sharing..I also tried it with a strawberry cake mix..that also came out great.
Very easy! and good. Only difference was I made these bigger than the 1 tsp size, that just didn't seem big enough. I free formed balls of the dough and rolled into the powdered sugar. I got 29 cookies, and baked for 10 mins. Its real good as is, but I think next time bake for 11 mins.
These were great!! I did as most other people said and used lemon juice and lemon rind because i don't use lemon extract for anything and didn't want to buy it just for this and they came out fine! My family enjoyed it!!
Had high hopes for these as i love lemon. Wasn't very lemony tasting even with some lemon zest added. Sorry, but next time i will stick with my lemon bars.
I tried this recipe as written and found the lemon flavor lacking. I substituted the zest and juice of one lemon for the extract and got rave reviews from my clients.
Instead of the lemon extract I add juice of 1/2 a lemon and 1tsp of lemon zest. Sooooo good!!
Nice and chewy! I also used grated lemon and some juice. Use a disher, I used a 2 teaspoon one. This way you don't have to deal with the sticky dough, just dish and drop out into the powdered sugar, roll and bake!
I made this recipe last year and it was wonderful. This year I am unable to find a 18.25 oz package of lemon cake mix. I can only find a 16.5 oz package. Is there a way to convert this???
I wanted to make a fun, festive (but easy) treat for St. Patrick's Day today and these were perfect! I put in some green and blue food coloring until it was a nice green color. Then I put 3 small balls together and rolled a little snake for a stem and they came out as really cute shamrocks! I didn't have lemon extract or a lemon so I committed a culinary sin and used bottle lemon juice. I loved the taste of the cookies! So did my kids! We got 16 good-size shamrock cookies out of it.
I have been using this recipe for years except for these changes-I use 1/2 c butter flavored shortening not oil and add 1T lemon zest not extract. I also get citric acid, purchased during canning season in bulk spice section of some stores, and add a little at a time to the powdered sugar until I have a tartness to my liking. Sift it twice before using to incorporate it well, then roll the cookie in it. I also dust a little extra on top for the extra zip I like. This gives the extra zing some of the reviewers wanted. Also the brand of cake mix makes a difference-I prefere Pillsbury
These were really good! I used only 1/4 cup oil (the cake box calls for 1/3) and I thought even that was a bit much...maybe next time I will use 1/8 cup. Anyway, these had just the lemon flavor I was looking for, and rolling them in the powdered sugar really gave them a fancy look. These actually get pretty big while cooking, so you'll definatley want to stick to the 1 teaspoon size.
A good, very easy lemon cookie - kind of embarrassing how easy they are! My only wish, is that would have been a little "puffier"...mine got a smidgen flat.
These were really good. The dough was easy to mix, and turned out just like playdoh. Not sticky at all, fun to work with. The smaller cookies turned out the best, the larger ones didn't quite cook in the middle, although they were still yummy! They were best after a few hours/overnight. I'll definitely make these again. These are also great for the kids to help with.
I made 2 batches up for little valentine's gifts. My brother said it was the best cookie he had ever had. I have already gotten 2 requests for the recipe. It's definitly a keeper!
These are easy and very pretty. The texture is very nice (for a soft, cakey cookie). My daughter loves them, as do many other people. I think that they tasted too artificial (guess I was just fooling myself by thinking that they wouldn't). I agree with the reviewer who said that they tasted like fruit loops, which may not be a bad thing for a lot of people.
Bad texture - and way too artificial tasting, even after adding real lemon juice and zest.
Wow…I made these for my Mom for Easter. She loves lemon and I know she is going to be smiling when she tries one of these…. I reduced the baking temp to 350 in my convection oven and watched them carefully after 6 minutes..I made my cookies a bit larger and I took them out of the oven at 10 mins with no bottom browning. Very happy with these cookies..will make them again…
Fabulous as is, but I did punch it up by substituting the lemon extract with lime juice. Then, I made a glaze of fresh lime juice, lime zest and powdered sugar and drizzled the cookies with this. I slightly flatted the balls with fork tines before baking, too. Everyone went nuts for these lemon-lime cookies. The lime gives it a yummy citrus flavor without the pucker factor. Thanks for the easy recipe. Next time, we'll use German Chocolate Cake mix and sandwich the cookies with a pecan-frosting filling. So many possibilities...
My husband's co-workers request these cookies several times each year - they are SO easy to make, have a great texture and best of all, they taste great! I usually add a little more lemon extract for added flavor, but the recipe is great as written. Thanks!
I'm sorry I have no idea how this cookie got such high ratings. I have never rated a recipe so poorly but they were sickening sweet and fake tasting. I made these for a gathering and I was really embarrassed. Even the kids didn't like them.
I didn't have lemon extract so I added a little pure vanilla extra and a tsp of lemon juice. I also rolled the cookies in powdered sugar when I took them out of the oven instead and they were delicious!!! My husband loves them and he's not a huge lemon person.
I was skeptical of all the rave reviews on this one, BUT when I took it to a holiday cookie party, all 35 of them went, and the others were left in the dust. I too didn't have lemon extract, so I used two packets of True Lemon dissolved in a bit of water.
Fabulous! I added the zest of 2 lemons & an additional 1/2 tsp of lemon extract. They came out wonderful!! I also baked them on parchment paper. I just made them last night, for Easter weekend. I brought a few to work and got rave reviews! They insisted on getting the recipe. Thanks for a refreshing and elegant little cookie! I'll be making these again, very soon!
Not bad. Pretty easy to make. Would make lemon bars over these though...good to use as a last-minute recipe.
This recipe was very easy to make and if you like lemon you'll love these cookies. I only added 1 thing 1/3 cup of crushed pecans. It gave the cookies a little bit more texture. My kids loved this recipe and its great if you need to make something for a childs class party in a hurry!
These are the absolute easiest cookies I've ever made. I tried rolling some in powdered sugar and some in granulated sugar. The powdered sugar ones were definitely the best. This is a great recipe to make with kids.
I thought the cookies were just okay but the rest of my family loved them, I just don't think they are worth the trouble.
A lemon cookie recipe with no lemons, based on a package of chemically flavored cake mix.
These are soooo yummy!!! I added 1 1/2 tsp. of lemon extract and they were perfect!! Very simple and delicious!
I needed a quick recipe and found this one. The cookies turned out great, I used the suggestion from one reviewer to use 1/4 ground ginger, 1 tsp vanilla with a carrot cake mix. As that was the only mix I had in the cupboard, I went with it. The cookies are delicious, I will make them again.
these were fairly good. As someone said, they tasted of fake lemon; next time i think i would add some fresh lemon juice and lemon zest. My cookies took 10 minutes to cook; the first batch was raw after 8 minutes and ended up in the trash.
Very very good! I could only find ONE lemon cake mix and it was a mere 10.5 ounce box. Top compensate, I put a bit less oil, keeping everything else the same. I had to cook them longer, but they were fabulous!!! I'll be making these again. They were a hit at the party.
I was desperate for a "quick" cookie to take to a cookie party and found these. Since it's the Christmas season I used a spice cake mix and added rum extract and dried cranberries. I did lengthen the cooking time to nearly 15 minutes ... must be my oven. And most importantly, I must add that they taste very good - and they look beautiful, too, in their powdered sugar "coats" with bits of red peeking through. I'll definately make these again.
This cookie is really, really good! (I also think this is the copycat recipe to the Lofthouse cookies) I baked mine for 10 minutes and it was perfect. I can't wait to try different flavours...Mmmm. THX
I was surprised at how well we liked these cookies! My husband devoured them! Instead of oil, I used 1/3 heaping cup of applesauce. I also added a small package of sugar-free lemon jello. They turned out perfect. If you like the flavor of lemon, you'll love these easy to make, cake-like cookies!
This is a simple cookie with a lot of flavor. I am not a fan of lemon, but, this is a keeper. Not your typical cookie.
WOW - these cookies were the easiest I've ever made. They taste great - look great - couldn't be easier. This recipe is a keeper.
These cookies are ok. They definitely aren't as exceptional as the rating and reviews lead me to believe. The lemon flavor seems a little artificial to me, as another reviewer said - kind of like fruit loops. Also, they are very soft cookies and I had to cook them longer than the recipe stated, about 11 mins. They are easy to make, but I probably won't make them again.
I used coconut extract and yellow food coloring to ritchen the color and added coconut in the mix so good love anything lemon yum!
I'm giving all 5 stars because this recipe is exactly what it says; a nice lemon cook that is very easy to make! I can't wait to have some of these with tea.
WOW!!! I followed some of the other suggestions and these cookies SING in your mouth! I call them Lemon Zingers. Followed the recipe with the exception that I didn't use the powdered sugar ( I tried it that way before and they looked awful) and I didn't use the Lemon Extract (as I never have any). I used the Lemon Cake Mix, 2 Eggs, 1/3 cup oil, 1 TBS. Real Lemon Juice, and yes 1 Package of Unsweetened Lemonade Kool-Aid Mix (mix for 2 Qrts.). I then used a cookie scooper (equivalent to 1 TBS. of cookie dough) and dropped the balls into regular sugar and coated them. Baked at 375 for 9 min. WOW!!! If you want them to be thick keep at rounded tablespoons, if you want a flatter cookie, press down on the cookie a little bit with the bottom of a glass. These are a big hit!
I loved these... This is the first time I tried cake mix as a base for cookies, and it was so easy and quick. I think I may add a little lemon zest to really amp up the lemon flavor next time, but even without it, they were really good and very lemony! Yums...
Very good, extremely easy, one of the cooks at work even asked for this recipe she loved it so much. Cookies have a perfect blend of crispness on outside, and soft and chewy on inside
I loved these cookies with all my heart! One of the best cookies I've ever made. I used real lemon instead of the extract and I refrigerated the dough for about 15 minutes, then rolled spoonfuls into small quarter size balls and rolled in sugar, turned out great! Will make over and over and over again!
Perfection!! My family asks me to make these for every occasion. No need to add zest or anything. Depending on the size of cookie you make you will need to vary cooking time. When bottom looks a little golden they are done. Also, they taste so good with any cake flavor you prefer. Lemon is my personal fav w/ banana cake mix w/ added chocolate chips coming in a close 2nd.
I thought these were ok, the first batch burnt on the bottom so I turned the oven down to 350 and that worked better for my oven. They do lack the homemade cookie taste but husband and kids are eating them like crazy anyway.
