Lemon Snowflake Cookies Recipe (with Cake Mix)

Delicious, no-fuss cookie recipes are a mom’s best friend. You can make these light, flavor-filled lemon snowflake cookies with just four simple ingredients. This recipe for lemon cake mix cookies will literally melt in your mouth (like a snowflake!) and will rapidly become the new favorite.

Even with “Snowflake” in the name, these cookies are one of our favorite recipes any time of year. Also known as Lemon Crinkle Cookies, they’re quick and easy to make. If you like lemon, you’re going to love this soft cookie bursting with sweet lemon flavor. Let us show you how!

Why You’ll Love Lemon Crinkle Cookies

I found an old newspaper clipping with this recipe in the recipe box that my mother-in-law gave me and wondered why in the heck I’d never heard of Lemon Snowflake Cookies. What’s even more surprising is that John had never had them before either.

Imagine our delight when we took our first bite. It’s not every day that I run across a simple cookie recipe that I’ve never heard of and find out it tastes better than what I anticipate. Heaped with flavor, these cookies are perfect for the holidays when Cool Whip is on sale and they make an amazing cookie exchange cookie because they are unique. They’re also perfect for when you need a delicious treat on short notice and are so easy to make.

Snowflake Cookie Ingredients

• Lemon Cake Mix. Don’t make the cake mix. We combine it with the other ingredients. 
• Cool Whip. Place the frozen container in the refrigerator until thawed. You want it thawed but not warm. We don’t recommend that you whip your own cream. It will not have the stabilizers necessary for the consistency and texture needed for this recipe. The “Free or Lite” varieties are what we use.
• Egg. Using fresh grade A large eggs creates structure and stability within the batter and adds moisture to our Lemon Snowflake Cookies recipe.
• Powdered Sugar (Confectioners’ sugar). We recommend sifting the powdered sugar after measuring it.

Equipment Needed

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Easy ingredients right? I sure didn’t need any fancy equipment either. I used my favorite baking sheets and covered them with parchment paper. Cool them on a cooling wire rack if you can wait that long.

How to make Lemon Snowflake Cookies

1. Use a large bowl and a wooden spoon to mix the cake mix, Cool Whip, and egg. You can also use an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment to mix on low or medium speed. The cookie dough will be sticky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Drop the cookie dough using a tablespoon or cookie scoop into a small bowl of powdered sugar and gently roll until covered. This is what gives these cookies the cracked tops and snowflake appearance.
3. Place cookies onto a prepared baking sheet and bake.

Tips for Best Results

Preheat your oven completely before baking so the cookies start baking immediately. They’ll hold their shape better instead of just spreading out.

Use a cool baking sheet for each batch of cookies. Don’t use a warm sheet from the previous batch. They’ll start to melt before baking. Also, place dough in the refrigerator until it’s baked.

Cookies are soft and can be more difficult to get off the parchment paper right out of the oven so let them cool completely on the cookie sheet before removing them from the pan.

Variations

Instead of rolling the cookies in powdered sugar, you could roll them in sprinkles like our Halloween Kiss Cookies.

Use the type of cake mix you love! You’ll be delighted with the flavor variations.

How to Store Lemon Crinkle Cookies

If you have any leftovers, keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 to 5 days. I’m shocked I actually know this to be true, but they do eventually get stale.

Can I freeze Lemon Snowflake Cookies?

Yes, I make lemon cookies ahead of the holidays so I don’t miss out on cookie exchanges during the holiday season. Freeze baked cookies in a freezer-quality bag or airtight container and thaw to serve within six months.

Can Lemon Cake Mix Cookies be frosted?

This is a soft cookie that bakes up thin and a little less sturdy than your typical sugar cookie so I don’t recommend it. How about trying our Crumble Cookie recipe instead?

If you enjoyed Lemon Cake Mix Cookies take a look at these!

Just like this soft cookie recipe, our Lemon Poke Cake with Lemon, Lemon Olive Oil Cake, and Lemon Pistachio Muffin recipe burst with fresh lemon flavor. If you’re still looking for a of couple soft cookie recipes, our Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies and Old-fashioned Butter Cookie recipe are for you.

I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe as much as we do. Drop me a comment below, and don’t forget to give it a star rating. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. Your comments and ratings help others decide if this recipe is for them too.

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Originally released on October 10, 2017, this Lemon Cake Mix Cookie Recipe has undergone updates to enhance our readers’ experience, including tips and variations. No changes were made to the actual recipe.