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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Ruth
Thanks for the easy recipe! I just made a batch and although these are really YUMMY! I have one complaint – they didn’t last very long -LOL!!! I must double the recipe next time!!
I think the dough would freeze very well and if rolled into a log between plastic wrap, it could then be sliced nicely with a sharp knife.
I did add 2t lemon zest as well as 10 drops of YLEO Vitality Lemon Oil – Loved it!!
bpierce
Sorry to hear that they did not last!!! LOL! I think they would freeze well too!! Thanks for the recommendations. What is Vitality Lemon Oil?
Ruth
Vitality Lemon Oil is a line of highly concentrated essential oil from Young Living Essential Oils that naturally helps enhance the flavor of foods and water. Young Living offers a wide variety of oils but now with their Vitality line you can confidently use them to cook and bake with as well as flavor your water with the assurance of no added anything! I like that! I’m all for a healthier lifestyle! Email me and I can tell you more…..
Elicia
Can the dough be frozen for a later time?
bpierce
I have never frozen it. My gut instinct is yes. if you try please let us know the outcome and I will post the results. 🙂
Dani
Do you use salted or unsalted butter?
bpierce
Yes I do! Happy baking!
Dani
I’m sorry I’m confused. I asked which one u use? Salted? Unsalted? Which one?
Sp
Can I use a stamp cookie cutter with these or will it just sticks to the stamp 🙂 my dad loves anything lemon but I’d love to use my new Halloween stamp !
bpierce
I am not sure. I am sorry I have never used a cookie stamper. If you try and it works let me know because I will let the readers know.
Rosario
i need to know how many cookies this recipe yields. Need it asap please can you help me?
bpierce
Approximately 24 cookies. Happy Baking!!
Pam
What does a stick of butter weigh? I’m in Australia, we don’t buy it in sticks. Thank you.
bpierce
1/4 of a lb. or 4 ounces. I hope that helps!! 🙂
Fiona Downes
Real butter is sold in stick form in Australia (I’m in Sydney). But the measurements are different. A “stick” of butter in Australia is 250g or a cup.
Beth Pierce
Thanks for the heads up! A stick of butter in the United States is 1/2 cup.
Addi
I am making these for a school project, and i need to know what they are supposed to taste like and what the texture should be like. could you help me
bpierce
Well let me see if I can help!! They have a light lemon and butter taste. They are not a heavy cookie. They are not chewy. They are more airy and melt in your mouth but not as airy as meringue. I hope I have helped.
Addi
that should help thank you
Lorraine
How much is a stick of butter? What is that in ml or cups? Thanks
bpierce
1/2 cup 🙂
Chrissy
They sound wonderful and are in oven right now!
bpierce
Fantastic. Let me know what you think!
kati
Making these right now for the second time this week. They are divine. Mom and boyfriend approved, as well. Thanks for the recipe and helping me score points in the kitchen!
bpierce
Glad you scored some points!!! You are most welcome! My pleasure!
Mindy
I’m in a hurry, does the dough have to be refrigerated for 2 hours??
bpierce
Not if it is stiff enough to roll into balls.
csgo
Thank you for sharing your well put together website
bpierce
You are welcome!
Grace
The cookies didn’t bake even ! Don’t know why? But they’re very good!!!!
bpierce
Not sure what happened. Did you refrigerate the dough and roll them into balls?
Mandy
Do you think this mix would be enough to fill a bar pan for bar cookies instead of individual cookies?
bpierce
I don’t think that there is enough dough to make these into bar cookies and I really don’t think they would turn out well. I always hate disappointing my readers but I want to be honest! 🙂
Vivian
My daughter has been making these for a few years. Her teenagers and their friends love them.
bpierce
They are delicious! 🙂 Your daughter has fine taste!
Kris
Made these but added powdered lemon to the powdered sugar for an extra punch of lemon. Yummy!!
bpierce
I did not know there was such a thing as powdered lemon? Where do you find that? 🙂
Kris
It’s crystallized lemon called True Lemon. I find it it baking items at my grocery store. By the Stevia. It comes in packets like sweetener but it does not contain sweetener. Only lemon.
bpierce
Thanks for the info. Appreciate it!
Tisa
Thank you. So glad to know about “true lemon”. Hope we have it here.
bpierce
I hope so too!! 🙂