For a quick and simple lemon dessert, these Lemon Cool Whip Cookies will brighten your day! Only four ingredients needed, ready and out of the oven in less than 30 minutes!
What I love most about this recipe is how the cookies come together effortlessly. There’s no need for fancy equipment, making them a perfect sweet treat for a busy work night.
Why You’ll Love These Lemon Cool Whip Cookies
✔️Only 4 Ingredients! The beauty of only four ingredients is how simple it is to make this recipe. You won’t find any complicated steps here.
✔️Soft, Chewy & Bright. These cookies are bursting with the bright flavor of lemon and are soft and pillowy.
✔️Perfect for all occasions. You can serve these on a Tuesday night, at a spring gathering, a baby shower, or Easter.
✔️Beautiful Crackled Top. Rolling the dough in powdered sugar creates a pretty, crackly finish that makes these cookies look bakery-worthy, and I think that is just so fun.
How To Make Lemon Cool Whip Cookies
Ingredients:
- Lemon cake mix
- Cool Whip (thawed)
- Egg
- Powdered sugar
Step-By-Step
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper; set aside. I love using these parchment paper sheets because I struggle with tearing off straight pieces.
Step 2: In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, Cool Whip, and egg. Stir well until a sticky dough forms; this will take a few minutes of stirring.
Step 3: Pour the powdered sugar out onto a plate.
Step 4: Use a cookie scoop or melon baller to create 1-inch balls of dough and drop them onto the plate of powdered sugar a few at a time.
Step 5: Roll the balls in the powdered sugar, then place them on the prepared cookie sheets, leaving at least 1 ½ inches of space between each cookie dough ball.
Repeat this process until all the dough is turned into balls and rolled in the powdered sugar.
✨Tip: If the dough is very sticky, I like to spray the scoop or even my kitchen gloves with some baking spray to help out. I like to use gloves for this step because I dislike that sticky feeling.
Step 6: Bake the cookies until set. The cookies are ready when the edges look set and the tops have a light crackle appearance. They should still look soft and slightly puffy in the center — that’s how you’ll get that perfect chewy texture!
✨ Tip: If the cookies start to brown around the edges, they may be overbaking — pull them out when they still look soft. They’ll firm up as they cool on the baking sheet.
Step 7: Cool the cookies on the cookie sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling. (I really like this one: a single tier rack with short feet on a crumb tray for easy cleanup.)
Tips and Tricks
Use any brand of whipped topping. Regular Cool Whip brand, extra creamy, or store brands all work great — no need to stick to just one kind! I personally go for the store brand if it is on sale.
Lightly oil your hands or scoop. The dough is sticky! If you have trouble handling it, lightly grease your hands or the cookie scoop to make rolling it easier. I like to use gloves when making these cookies and then spray my gloves with baking spray.
Don’t overbake. The cookies should look soft and slightly underdone when you take them out — they’ll firm up as they cool. Overbaking will make them dry. If your oven is like mine, this can be tricky, so remove them early if your oven runs hot.
Space them out. Make sure to leave at least 1 ½ inches between cookie dough balls on the baking sheet — they spread as they bake. I have a terrible habit of crowding my cookies, so this tip is as much for me as it is for you.
Add extra lemon flavor. For an extra burst of lemon, stir a teaspoon of lemon zest into the dough before rolling it in powdered sugar. I love lemon zest so much that I now keep my zester as close by as my spatula.
Perfect for freezing. These cookies freeze beautifully! Lay them out on a plate or cookie sheet so they freeze separately. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for about 15 minutes when you’re ready to eat one (or three).
Lemon Cool Whip Cookies
These Lemon Cool Whip Cookies are soft, chewy, and bursting with bright lemon flavor! Made with just four ingredients, they’re the easiest cookies you’ll ever bake — perfect for spring and summer gatherings.
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Ingredients
- 1 box lemon cake mix
- 1 (8-ounce) tub Cool Whip, thawed (regular, extra creamy, or store brand all work)
- 1 egg
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine lemon cake mix, Cool Whip, and egg. Stir well until a sticky dough forms — this will take a few minutes of stirring.
- Spread the powdered sugar onto a plate. Scoop 1-inch balls of dough using a cookie scoop or melon baller, and drop them onto the powdered sugar a few at a time. Roll to coat.
- Place sugar-coated dough balls onto the prepared cookie sheets, spacing them at least 1 ½ inches apart.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the cookies are set.
- Cool on the cookie sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
