Lemon Gooey Butter Cookies are moist, thick and so easy to make! Whip up a batch from scratch or grab a box of cake mix. These taste amazing both ways!
Every day should include lemon cookies! Make these Lemon Ricotta Cookies and these Lemon and Lime Citrus Cookies next.
Table of Contents
Why this Recipe Works
The zesty flavor and melt-in-your-mouth texture makes these Lemon Gooey Butter Cookies a delicious accompaniment to that afternoon cup of coffee.
- This recipe creates perfectly ooey-gooey butter cookies in no time.
- Lemon extract gives the cookies a tangy citrus flavor.
- The cookies are rolled in powdered sugar before baking, giving the gooey cookies a crackly edge.
- It’s made from scratch, with love! No need to open a box.
If you love the look of these crinkly cookies, be sure to try our red velvet crinkle cookies next. Or give our classic chocolate crinkle cookie a try soon.
Ingredient Notes
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Lemon extract. This handy ingredient is our secret for achieving the brightest lemon flavor. A little goes a long way!
- Butter. We use unsalted butter in all of our recipes. If you only have salted butter, omit the added salt in the recipe. Be sure to use our guide on how to soften butter quickly!
- Lemon zest. Using a little zest from a fresh lemon makes all the difference. Our tips and tricks on how to zest a lemon is super helpful.
- Cream cheese. Use full fat cream cheese in these Lemon Gooey Butter Cookies for best results. Don’t forget to let it soften at room temperature for a few minutes first.
Easy Instructions
- Make the dough. Cream together butter, cream cheese and sugar. Add eggs, lemon zest and extract, followed by the dry ingredients. Beat until all ingredients are combined. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
- Make Cookie balls. Scoop out about 2 tablespoons of chilled dough.
- Roll in Powdered Sugar. Use your hands to roll each ball of dough in powdered sugar until evenly coated.
- Bake. Bake cookies for about 11 minutes. Let cool and enjoy!
Tips and Tricks
- First, make sure you chill the dough. This helps solidify the butter to a chilled state, which allows the cookies to stay fluffed and thick. You don’t want flat butter cookies!
- Store these cookies at room temperature in an airtight container. This will keep them soft and fresh for about a week!
- You can freeze gooey lemon butter cookies by letting them cool completely, then transferring them to an airtight container that is safe for the freezer (or ziploc freezer bags).
- Dip your fingers in powdered sugar before working with the dough. This keeps the dough from getting stuck to your hands as you go.
- Line the baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cookie removal and clean up.
How to substitute with a cake mix
Want to make these Lemon Gooey Butter Cake Cookies with a cake mix?
Here’s what you’ll need.
- One box of lemon cake mix (or yellow cake mix)
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 package cream cheese
- 1 Large egg
- 1 lemon, zested
- powdered sugar
Beat butter and cream cheese together. Then beat in the cake mix and lemon zest. Chill dough and proceed with the recipe below as directed.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, it is! It’s labeled as one or the other, depending on the brand. So if your box says confectioner’s sugar it can still be used in this recipe!
You can use a citrus zester to remove the zest from the fruit, or a handheld microplane grater. Hold the lemon and the zesting tool over a bowl. Place the tool against the skin of the lemon and use light downward strokes to remove the colorful part of the peel.
Made as directed, these cookies will be a very pale color. For a more yellow lemony look, add a couple drops of yellow food coloring to the dough before baking.
More Lemon Desserts
- Lemon Coconut Cupcakes
- Lemon Brownies
- Lemon Meringue Pie Fudge
- Lemon Pudding Cake
- Lemon Coffee Cake
- Homemade Lemon Curd
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Lemon Gooey Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- 1 lemon zested
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, beat butter, cream cheese, and granulated sugar until creamy, about 3 minutes.
- Add in eggs and lemon extract, beat until fluffy. Add lemon zest.
- Mix in flour, salt, and baking powder until well combined.
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Once chilled, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Scoop out cookie dough with a 2 Tbsp scoop. If your hands are sticky, dip them in the powdered sugar first. Drop cookie dough into powdered sugar and roll in sugar until generously coated.
- Place on baking sheet and bake for 11-13 minutes. Remove and cool completely on wire rack.
- Enjoy.
Notes
- First, make sure you chill the dough. This helps solidify the butter to a chilled state, which allows the cookies to stay fluffed and thick. You don’t want flat butter cookies!
- Store these cookies at room temperature in an airtight container. This will keep them soft and fresh for about a week!
- You can freeze gooey lemon butter cookies by letting them cool completely, then transferring them to an airtight container that is safe for the freezer (or ziploc freezer bags).
- Dip your fingers in powdered sugar before working with the dough. This keeps the dough from getting stuck to your hands as you go.
- Line the baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cookie removal and clean up.
- See blog post for more recipe tips and tricks.
Nutrition
Unbelievably gooey Lemon Butter Cookies are the melt-in-your-mouth treat you’ve been craving. Cheery and sweet, they’re delicious made from scratch or with a box of cake mix!
They are definitely delish
Best ooey gooey lemon cookie that I’ve come by. I added 3 Tb of lemon extract and 10 drops of yellow food color. If dough is too wet, you can add just a tad more flour. Refrigerate dough overnite and forming balls will be so much easier. Coat your fingers with powdered sugar and form the balls. I made XL 2 inch round balls. Put the balls in fridge about an hour or more. Just before baking, I put the balls in the freezer for 5 minutes then rolled in powdered sugar.
TIP: Use pure Irish butter and only let it sit for 15 minutes before mixing. Turn pan halfway during cooking. Remove cookies once edges start to turn golden. Remove asap from pan and cool on wire rack. So delicious. Thank you for this recipe.
I made the Chocolate pudding cake !!! It was deeeeelicious and so easy. The flavor was outstanding. Will definitely be making that again. My daughter saw the recipe and had me look at it. It was her birthday and so glad I did check it. I also made the homemade whipped frosting. Excellent!! Thank you!!
My favourite cookies of all time. I have to double the recipe because everybody loves them. I have been making these for over a year and never had an issue with the recipe. Yes they are sticky but that’s what makes them “gooey”. Helloooo can’t thank you enough for the recipe!!❤️❤️❤️❤️
Hi – what’s the cooking temperature please?
It’s in the printable recipe card 🙂 350 degrees.
I tried this recipe and it will defintely be the last time. It was a sticky catastrophe. Even chilled overnight. I tried it after 30 mins of chill time and it stuck to everything. So I let it chill overnight. Next day…same sticky mess. I added more flour. Sticky. Added some cornstarch. Sticky. So I rolled this sticky mess of dough into the best ball that I could. Rolled that sticky mess in the powdered sugar, which then created a stickier version of the sticky mess. Plopped that sticky mess on a baking sheet and baked it. It then turned into a ball of…well, don’t want to type that. Not a cookie at all. Not goey, even after all the sticky mess. Not good at all. And, before I get asked if measurements were correct, yes. I double cheked them because this is the first time making these. I bake cookies all the time and I’ve never come into this problem. Again, won’t be making these ever again.
Having made these numerous times, sounds like your measurements from the beginning may have been off. Sorry to hear it didn’t turn out.
How come you don’t recommend a baking temperature? I can’t find one reference in the recipe
Nothing ooey gooey about these. Dry and not lemony enough.
Hmmm, I would double check your measurements. These are definitely a moist cookie!
I love these cookies. I have changed it up a bit and I also added in Lemon Curd which boosts the lemon flavor. I call my cookies “a little taste of sunshine”.
I made these as the recipe indicated. They sure look different. Mine are very pale in color(butter) and missing the gooey part? This is my 2nd attempt at cookies. Love your easy fudge and the pecan pie cheesecake was a huge success. Thanks for all the ideas and shortcuts
Use a few drops of yellow food coloring
Mine too 🙂
1st to: Do not over-bake. I’ve been making these for years! The key is to take them out of the oven before the edges start to turn golden brown! If not, they will be just another lemon flavored cookie. (Take them out just before the middle is totally firm.)
2nd tip: Make a thin glaze of lime juice (packs more punch than lemon), lime zest and powered sugar. Once cool, turn the cookies upside down in the glaze and place on a sheet to dry. This adds an awesome flavor. If you don’t want the mess of the glaze, juice a lime and carefully put a couple of drops on top of each cookie. This enhances the flavor immensely.
Final tip: add lemon zest to cookie dough.
Lemon cookies are one of my all time favorites. Love how simple this recipe is.
Love these lemon cookies! So easy to make and so delicious!
I love having options on making these depending on how much time I have. Such a yummy cookie!
Anything lemon flavored is right up my alley!
Yum, we love lemon! This recipe is awesome!
I love lemons so much so these were a must try! My daughter and I whipped them up real easy and we loved them! Thanks for the fabulous recipe!
I could make these every day and never get tired of them! The lemon flavor is perfect and the recipe is so easy!