These easy Lemon Gooey Butter Cookies are seven-ingredient cookies that melt in your mouth. With the ease of a lemon cake mix, they come together quickly and easily. So, if you and yours are lemon lovers, then this is a must-try.
Have you tried my gooey butter cake? This is the cookie version with a lemon twist. It is so difficult to stop eating these! These Lemon Gooey Butter Cookies are easy, delicious, and consistently excellent. They are absolutely delicious, warm with a hot cup of tea. They are the perfect cookie for that holiday party! Your company will love them.
How do you make Lemon Gooey Butter Cookies?
First, you will cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy without lumps. Turn your mixer to low and add the egg, lemon juice, and lemon zest, mixing just until combined. Now add the cake mix in three parts, mixing just until combined after each part.
Roll the dough into balls about one inch in diameter and roll through the powdered sugar. Place on parchment-covered baking sheets or silicone mats. Bake for about ten minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on the baking sheet for two minutes, then remove to cookie cooling racks. When cool enough to handle, roll through the powdered sugar one more time.
These cookies freeze well. Let them fully cool before freezing, then double-wrap them in freezer bags and place them in a sturdy freezer container. When defrosting, remove them from all the wrapping and let them defrost uncovered in a single stack on a platter or cutting board. Once defrosted, store in covered, airtight containers.
Helpful tips for making Lemon Gooey Butter Cookies
- Use fresh lemon juice and lemon zest. It does make a difference in the taste of the cookies.
- Soften your butter so it is easier to blend.
- Blend your butter and cream cheese until it is smooth, creamy, and free of lumps.
- For optimum results, refrigerate the dough for 2 hours.
- Always preheat your oven and load the cookies on the middle rack in the center of the oven.
- For best results, bake on parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Do not over-bake these cookies. They are done when they are lightly browned.
- If you have time, do a test run with one or two cookies. This will help establish the baking time.
Other cookie recipes you will love!
Lemon Gooey Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter softened 1 stick
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 box lemon cake mix I use Duncan Hines lemon supreme
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Cream butter and cream cheese with a mixer until smooth and creamy. Add egg, lemon juice, and lemon zest; mix until combined on low. Add the lemon cake mix in three parts mixing just until combined after each part.
- Refrigerate dough for 2 hours.
- Roll into 1-inch balls and roll through the powdered sugar. Place on cookie sheets covered with parchment paper.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool for 2 minutes, then remove the cookies to cookie cooling racks. When fully cool, dust with more powdered sugar.
Notes
- Use fresh lemon juice and lemon zest. It really does make a difference in the taste of the cookies.
- Soften your butter, so it is easier to blend.
- Blend your butter and cream cheese until it is smooth, creamy, and free of lumps.
- For optimum results, refrigerate the dough for 2 hours.
- Always preheat your oven and load the cookies on the middle rack in the center of the oven.
- For best results, bake on parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Do not over-bake these cookies. They are done when they are lightly browned.
- If you have time, do a test run with one or two cookies. It really helps to establish baking time.
Nutrition
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Stef
I’m going to try these. They look divine! Love anything lemon!
bpierce
Me too! 🙂
Amber
Okay, this may sound stupid but do I add the cake mix in, in powder form? Or mix it like I’m making a cake?
bpierce
Powdered form. 🙂
Stacia
How many did you get out of this recipes? I need a few dozen and wanted to make sure I bought enough cake mix and butter.
Thank you
bpierce
This recipe makes between 24-30 cookies depending on depending on how large you roll your balls.Try to keep them to one inch and you will get closer to 30. I have also had several readers suggest a little more lemon juice and maybe a little lemon zest.
Mathilda
How much cake mix do you use?
I’m from Germany and the weight of cake mix differs from brand to brand – and I guess from country to country.
Greetings from Heidelberg. 🙂
bpierce
Greetings from St. Charles Missouri! I use 16.5 ounces of cake mix! Happy baking!
Mathilda
Thanks so much! 🙂
bpierce
You are most welcome!
Sarah
Can they be refrigerated overnight instead of for just 2 hours?
bpierce
Yes, just cover real well so the dough does not dry out. Happy cooking!!
Kathy
I made these cookies yesterday mostly for my husband. I don’t really care for lemon anything. WELL, this cookie has changed my mind! I love them! They are so fresh and light and oh so delicious. Thank you so very much. A real family favorite ♡
bpierce
So glad that you love them! Love the compliments…they keep me cooking. 🙂
Michelle
Do I have to refridgerate?
bpierce
No you do not need to refrigerate them. Happy cooking!
Fiona Downes
They get eaten too fast!
Beth Pierce
Awesome!! I love it when the cookies are eaten fast!
Deborah Ann Hefter
We are doing a Holiday cookie exchange in my office, do you think this cookie could be baked on a Popsicle stick? Or will it just fall out?
bpierce
I don’t think that cookie will hold up to a Popsicle stick. Sorry!
Bryan Gierloff
I found these to be delicious but they seemed to me to be just like a little piece of cake! Where was the gooey part?!?
bpierce
There is a coffee cake that is often made in the Midwest that we call Gooey Butter Cake. You can see mine right here: Anyway those cookies are a knock off from that coffee cake including many of the same ingredients. So it is more of a name thing!
Carol Hacker
My thoughts exactly!!!!!
Elizabeth
How does one store them? Must they be refridgerated?
bpierce
No they do not need to be refrigerated. Sorry about the delay. I have been out of town. 🙂
Alexandra
My 6 yr old daughter and I made these Yesterday, they came out perfect! They are beautiful and delicious. I did add a little bit of lemon zest just to add a bit of a pop. Thanks for sharing!! Can’t wait for my family to taste at dinner today.
bpierce
So glad that you like them!
Janet Levine
I’m helping my friend bake cookies for a cookie table at her daughter’s wedding. We will be baking them far in advance of the wedding and freezing. Will these cookies freeze well?
bpierce
Flash freeze them on cookie sheets before stacking them in freezer containers. They are a delicate cookie. When defrosting I would open container, remove cookies and stack on cookie sheets again until defrosted so they do not sweat and stick together. Make sure they are in good sturdy containers that are sealed well.
Kimberly
Hi…. I want to try this recipe but I don’t have a mixer, can I mix the ingredients without having a mixer? and if so can you please explain
Thanks..
bpierce
I think that you could but you are going to have to put some muscle into creaming the cream cheese and butter. Mix by hand until smooth and creamy. Do you have a hand mixer. It would work as well.
Jennifer
Use a spoon!!
Sheila
Could white chocolate chips be added to these cookies?
bpierce
You know it would create a much different cookie. If you try it I would go light on the white chocolate chips. Maybe try some with and some without. Let me know how it turns out. I will interested to hear.
Crystal
I think a drizzle of white chocolate after they are baked would be better. The texture is VERY soft and I think the chips wouldn’t work very well.
Mary Jo
I agree. I think the chips would weigh the cookie down. It is SO good the way it is.
Beth Pierce
Thanks again Mary Jo!
Daryn
Does it have to be butter or can margarine be substituted?
bpierce
This is one of those recipes that needs butter! I would not substitute on this one! Happy cooking!
Moonmonkey
Believe it or not, butter is healthier than margarine.
bpierce
Yes I know and I love it!
Sandra
What is the measurement a stick of butter as in newzealand we don’t have sticks of butter . . We have grams thanks
bpierce
113 grams
1 stick or 1/2 cup butter is equal to 4 ounces, or 113 grams. Happy baking!!
Monica
113 grams 🙂
Joyce
Gotta try them
Deanne
How many does this yield…none of these recipes tell this
Beth Pierce
24 yummy cookies
Janet
Maybe mine our smaller than 1″ because i am done with 2 dozen and have more o bake
Beth Pierce
Could be. It is just an approximation. 😉
Amanda Ensign
Do you just add the mix dry without any of the ingredients on the box?
Beth Pierce
Yes that is correct do NOT add the ingredients on the box
Casey
I made 40 using a small cookie scoop.
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much for the heads up!!
Amy
My families and church groups favorite cookies! Thank you for sharing.
Beth Pierce
My pleasure. So glad that they like them!!