Lemon Cool Whip Cookies {VIDEO}
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With the perfect mix of sweet and tart, Lemon Cool Whip Cookies taste just like spring in a cookie. It’s impossible to not enjoy the burst of lemon flavor from these light and soft-baked cookies! You only need 4 ingredients and your tastebuds won’t know what hit them.
Table of Contents
What Are Cool Whip Cookies
I’m sure you’ve heard of (and even made) classic cake mix cookies, where you combine a box cake mix with eggs and oil for a soft-baked cookie.
Cool Whip cookies use a box cake mix as well, but Cool Whip whipped topping replaces the oil, resulting in a softer cookie with a different texture. Cool Whip cookie dough is sticky, so the cookie dough balls are rolled in powdered sugar giving them a cracked crinkle cookie appearance when baked.
While Cool Whip and whipped cream are similar and both are used to top desserts like strawberry shortcake and pie, I’ve never tried whipped cream with this Cool Whip cookie recipe.
Why We Love Lemon Cool Whip Cookies
They say when life gives you lemons, you should make lemonade. That may be true… but I prefer to make lemon cool whip cookies! These buzz-worthy cookies are impossible to resist. When I make a batch of these at home, or serve them at a potluck or party, they disappear within minutes! This recipe is tried and true – I really don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who didn’t love these cookies.
These cake mix cookies are one of my favorites to make because it’s the best hack to guarantee delicious cookies every time.
With their light and fluffy texture, you’ll think these cookies came right from the sky. That tantalizing texture mixes seamlessly with the sweet and tangy flavors brought to you by the lemon and cool whip.
The best part about the whole recipe is that you can whip these out in under 30 minutes! Lemon cool whip cookies really are just as easy to make as they are to eat, because who says tasty cookies have to be complicated?
Lemon crinkle cookies are just one example of an incredibly tasty citrus recipe that you can enjoy by the pool or on Easter Sunday. With that being said… these cookies have definitely found their way into my Christmas cookie exchanges, too!
How To Make Cool Whip Cookies
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I have a great appreciation for the fancy and involved cookies, but sometimes I just want a quick and delicious cookie I can whip up at a minute’s notice. That’s why my last-minute cookie go-to is always Cool Whip cookies. You only need 4 ingredients and it takes under half an hour to whip up. It’s also so easy, your kids will love helping you out with it. Now that’s what I call a simple, stress-free dessert recipe!
You’ll Need:
- Lemon Cake Mix (with pudding in the mix)
- Cool Whip, thawed
- An Egg
- Powdered Sugar
(full printable recipe at the end of this post)
PREP: Preheat your oven to 350° F. Line a half sheet pan or cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet.
MIX: While your oven is preheating, combine the dry cake mix and a beaten egg in a medium mixing bowl. The mixture should be pretty crumbly. Then, fold in the thawed Cool Whip until it’s well combined. At this point, the dough should be thick and sticky.
ROLL: Next, using a small cookie scoop (about 1.5 tablespoon scoop) drop the dough into a bowl of powdered sugar, and roll to coat. Place the dough balls onto the prepared cookie sheet about two inches apart.
BAKE & COOL: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until slightly set, and the tops are cracked. Let the baked cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool. That way, they cool long enough to maintain their shape.
Lemon Cool Whip Cookie Tips
Whether you’re a cookie expert or a newbie in the kitchen, we can all use a little help from time to time! Here are just a few tips that I always keep in mind to make sure my cookies come out perfect every time.
I like to use cake mix with pudding in the mix if it’s available. It was mentioned in the comments that some people add a small box of pudding mix to this recipe if the cake mix doesn’t have it. A regular cake mix works wonderfully.
I usually buy Cool Whip Lite or Fat-Free Cool Whip, so you can use any kind you prefer.
Before baking, try refrigerating the dough. This cookie dough is a little easier to handle if you refrigerate it for about an hour before dropping it in powdered sugar. This step isn’t required, but I’ve found it helps.
Use a cookie scoop! Since the cookie dough is sticky, and to keep your cookie size small and consistent, try using a small cookie scoop to drop cookie dough into powdered sugar. This not only makes for easy handling but also ensures that all of your cookies will be the same size.
If you wet your hands with water before handling the sticky dough, it helps cut down on the dough sticking to your hands.
Line your sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Not only will this help your cookies bake more evenly, it will also help make it easy to remove the cookies from the pan.
Don’t over-bake. When you remove cool whip cookies from the oven, they should look slightly under-baked. They will continue to bake on the cookie sheet for a couple more minutes.
Cool Whip Cookie Variations
If you really want to switch things up, try using a different cake mix and adding flavorings or food coloring! The possibilities are endless!
- Lemon Whippersnaps: add a teaspoon of lemon extract to this recipe for even more intense lemon flavor.
- Strawberry or Orange: I love using strawberry or orange cake mix instead of lemon from time to time. They’re all wonderfully fruity cookies that are perfect for summer and springtime! You could even add a teaspoon of almond extract.
- Chocolate Cookies: Use a chocolate cake mix ( devils food or dark fudge are favorites) and add a teaspoon of vanilla extract.
- Spiced Cookies: Use a spice cake mix and add a little cinnamon and nutmeg to the powdered sugar
- Red Velvet Cool Whip Cookies: Use red velvet cake mix.
- Christmas Cool Whip Cookies: Use a White or French Vanilla cake mix, with 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract and red, green and yellow gel food color.
- Forth of July Patriotic Cool Whip Cookies: Use a White or French Vanilla cake mix, with 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract and red and blue gel food color (the powdered sugar will be the white).
- Birthday Cake Cool Whip Cookies: Use a Funfetti cake mix, with 1 teaspoon of butter extract or vanilla extract.
Can I Use Whipped Cream Instead of Cool Whip For These Cookies?
While I have not tried whipped cream in Cool Whip Cookies, a reader has and left the following directions in the comments:
My d-i-l and gdtr are allergic to high fructose corn syrup which is a component of Cool Whip. So, instead of using the ready made stuff, I simply took 1 cup “whipping cream” and beat it until medium-stiff peaks held their shape. Then I dumped in the egg and cake mix (Duncan Hines doesn’t use corn syrup.) and beat until well blended. From there I followed the procedure in the original recipe.
I didn’t sweeten the whipped cream, figured the cake mix was sweet enough. And the cookies came out like the picture. They have a “melt in your mouth” feel. :0>
Storage and Freezing
How Do You Store These Cookies? Cool Whip cookies do not need to be refrigerated. They should keep on the counter in an airtight container and are best if eaten within three days.
Can You Freeze Cool Whip Cookies? You sure can. Place the baked and completely cooled cookies in an airtight container, with wax paper (or parchment paper) between layers, and place in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours and enjoy!!
It’s cookie season all year long at our house! The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies, Peanut Butter Blow Out Cookies, or The Perfect Snickerdoodles are a few more delicious options.
Like This Recipe?
I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a review below and let me know how you liked the recipe!
Lemon Cool Whip Cookies
Enjoy the burst of lemon flavor from these light, fluffy soft baked Lemon Whippersnaps.
Ingredients
- 1 box Lemon* Cake Mix (preferably with pudding in the mix)
- 1 (8 ounce) container Cool Whip, completely thawed
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar (for rolling)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F and line a half sheet pan or cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet.
- In a medium bowl combine dry cake mix, and beaten egg. Mixture will be crumbly. Fold in thawed Cool Whip until well combined. Dough will be thick and sticky.
- Using a small cookie scoop (about 1.5 tablespoon scoop) drop the dough balls into a bowl of powdered sugar, and roll to coat. Place the dough balls onto the prepared cookie sheet about two inches apart.
- Bake for 10- 12 minutes or until slightly set and tops are cracked. Cool on pan for 5 minutes then transfer to wire racks to cool.
Notes
*Try making these cookies using strawberry or orange cake mix for variety.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 36 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 63Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 108mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 0gSugar: 8gProtein: 1g
Nutrition information is estimated based on the ingredients and cooking instructions as described in each recipe and is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Please note that nutrition details may vary based on methods of preparation, origin, and freshness of ingredients used.
Originally posted in August 2010. UPDATED March 2021. We spiffed up this post with more info and better pictures! No changes to the original recipe.
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Saw this recipe on TT&J and just made them to donate to a fundraise. They are so easy to make and so delicious. I have to drop them off immediately or I will have eaten them all. They taste like yummy little lemon cakes.
I baked these a couple weeks ago for a family get together and they were so fast and easy to make. I got several compliments! These cookies are good and they get eaten fast!
Thanks for this! Can’t wait to try it! Do you know if I can trade the egg for applesauce?? My son is allergic to eggs, but these sound delicious and wanted to see what you thought. THanks!
I made these cookies and they didn’t turn out at all 🙁 They are flat as a board, what did I do wrong? I used wax paper instead of parchment. Would that screw it up? They are super ooey gooey as well? I baked 12 minutes since they didn’t look done. Please help!!
I used parchment paper and they came out flat and gooey as well.
I used parchment paper and mine turned out very flat and chewy. After they cooled they are more like lemon chews than cookies… I’m not really of a mind to try it again either.
And I don’t think you should be using wax paper to bake anyway. 🙂 I’ve heard they’re not meant for baking in the oven.
I had a friend who had the same recipe except with 2 eggs and she said hers turned out fluffy like marshmallow.
mine were flat… GREAT flavor, but flat. I also baked mine 12-13 min. I will try again with 2 eggs and see. I do know my coolwhip was nearly frozen in middle… thought that might have been an issue.
Just a very important fyi: Parchment paper is not the same as wax paper. It would be a very bad idea to ever cook with wax paper. Sorry to hear your cookies didn’t turn out well. I used to make these years ago…and true, some batches are better than others.
I have been making these cookies for years at Christmas. I originally got the recipe from Taste of Home ~ Lemon Snowflake cookies. That recipe calls for lemon cake mix with pudding. My cookies have never failed! My sister makes them as well. This year, she forgot to get the cake mix with pudding and hers were a flop. I think the pudding makes a difference. If I can’t find cake mix with pudding, I add a small box of lemon pudding to yellow cake mix. These cookies are a hit every time I make them!!
I just made these and they are amazing!!! After reading commets posted before about maybe needing one more egg because they were to flat, I went ahead and made them with the 2 eggs and they turned out light and fluffy they are great and I WILL be making these again.
Do you know if they need to be refrigerated after baking? Also, If I sent them in a package overseas, would they hold up well?
I made these today and although inured nly the ingredients it said to (box of cake, container of cool whip, and 1 egg) mine did come out flat after baking for 11 minutes. I used wax paper and it seemed to be sticking to the cookies and I put them in the fridge a few minutes before attempting to take them off again! The flavor was awesome and i love the crackling effect from the powdered sugar! P.s. Be sure to have A LOt of powdered sugar available to make these cuz without it you will have a sticky mess! I made about 20 decent sized cookies! I will make these again and am curious too see how the 2egg approach will go!
Thanks for sharing your experience. But just so you know, you are not supposed to put Waxed paper in the oven
I know this is a older recipe, but hey is the cool whip frozen or thawed?
it should be thawed
Made these tonight as described and they turned out great! Am taking them into the office to share with everyone tomorrow. The trick is to not make them too big. When it says teaspoon, keep to the teaspoon size — if it’s too big of a spoonful then the cake doesn’t cook thru in 12 minutes.
I used a silicon baking sheet instead of parchment, and mine turned out great, even with one egg! The cookies are soft coming out of the oven, but once they cool — YUM! Thanks for this great recipe.
I suspect some of the problem with flat cookies is because some cake mixes are larger than others. Try one of the 18+ oz mixes as opposed to the brand that is around 15 oz.
Does anyone know if the dough can be frozen and baked at a later date? Thanks!
I have made these a couple of times. Once with chocolate cake mix and once with spice cake mix Both times they were a huge hit. Today I am trying red velvet.
This receipt definitely works well if you use the “super moist” cake mix with the pudding mixed into it. Even my batch that burnt a little turned out tasting great!
Tidy Mom:
I just posted your wonderful Lemon Burst Cookies on my blog I made them today. Delish!
I used the Strawberry cake mix rather than Lemon and I used 2 eggs rather than 1 . It was PERFECT!! I was nervous trying them. I didn’t use parchment or wax paper. I just used a teflon cookie sheet with a light coat of cooking spray. Light, fluffy and tasty
I’m dumbfounded at all the people cooking with waxed paper!!! LOL! It’s WAXED! Meaning, it’s actually COATED WITH WAX!! Wax melts in heat! How do people not know this stuff? It’s complete and utter common sense! o.O
I have made these several times and I always end up baking them for about 20 minutes. The 10-12 minutes must be for little tiny cookies…not the teaspoon sized ones as recommended! They are SO yummy though! Just not sure what the perfect baking time is…either really raw or very tough…there has to be a just right! 🙂
I made these like the recipe, but added two eggs after reading the reviews. I also made them the 1 teaspoon size and they turned out GREAT!! I noticed that the larger ones were a little flatter, so size is the key to a fluffy cookie!! Good luck!
This recipe came from a fiction book by JoAnne Fluke– at least that is where I first saw this recipe. She called them Lemon Whippersnappers. Her recipe specified that you bake them on a greased cookie sheet. Also measure out the cool whip exactly– it called for 2 cups(stating that the 8oz cool whip container has about 3 cups)—also whip the one egg with a fork before adding. Side note: I accidentally made them better one day–lol– I thought for sure the recipe called for one 8oz pckg of cream cheese when I was making them the third time–but after I got the book out again- it didn’t but it was too late–so I suggest you try them with the cream cheese–AMAZING, Light and fluffy–EVERYTIME!!!!! Coworkers say it is like eating a cloud! lol .. hope this helps!!!
Did you use the cream cheese instead of cool whip or in addition to the cool whip?
We made these cookies for Father’s Day and they were ALL GONE by the end of the day. Everyone LOVED them. It was so easy the kids could make them on their own (9 & 12 years old). Now we are going to try it with some other flavors too.
These cookies were AMAZING! I am not a crazy lemon fan but I like it enough….these blew my mind 🙂
And a friend that loves lemon loved them too. I served them at a party and she took 6 home in a baggie!! I have been having 1 (or two!!) every night from the leftovers!! Thank you so much for this awesome recipe!!
so happy to hear you enjoyed them!
My d-i-l and gdtr are allergic to high fructose corn syrup which is a component of Cool Whip. So, instead of using the ready made stuff, I simply took 1 cup “whipping cream” and beat it until medium-stiff peaks held their shape. Then I dumped in the egg and cake mix (Duncan Hines doesn’t use corn syrup.) and beat until well blended. From there I followed the procedure in the original recipe.
I didn’t sweeten the whipped cream, figured the cake mix was sweet enough. And the cookies came out like the picture. They have a “melt in your mouth” feel. :0>
Oh that’s awesome!!! Thanks for the update!
Sounds yummy! But is there a substitute for the whipped cream? We don’t eat it at all. Is it just for the moisture or for the fluffiness that you’d use it? Thanks!
I’ve made these twice – once with lemon and once with red velvet – and they were a huge hit both times! I did notice that my first batch was a little flat, but I’m pretty sure it was because the cool whip wasn’t completely thawed. The second batch it was completely thawed and I beat the egg and cool whip together before adding the cake mix – perfection! Another tip – I used a #20 spring-loaded scoop. It’s the perfect size and helps deal with the stickiness. 🙂
Thanks for the tips, I did it like you said and they turned out great, like little lemon clouds.
I made them pretty small, I think I could have gotten 5 dozen if I’d scrapped the bowl down good.
I wonder if a bit of lemon juice or lemon zest in the batter would enhance the lemony flavor without effecting the consistency.
Definitely gonna try these again with different flavors.
My daughter & nephew made these last night and I had them add the juice from one lemon – although this was our first attempt in making them, nothing seemed to go “wrong” by adding the lemon juice: the cookies were still fluffy, had the taste of lemon, and the entire batch was eaten within an hour of being baked! Next time I think I’ll have them add some lemon zest as well – I LOVE lemons and always think lemon desserts don’t taste lemon-y enough, but these were probably the closest I’ve ever tasted.
Love this light and fluffy recipe! I did 2 eggs and yellow cake mix and added lemon extract to taste!!! So good!
These are awesome! I tried the lemon first and my Mom saw me baking them and had serious doubts. But she sure was a believer when she tried them! They are so good. My friends loved them. They are so addictive. I’m trying strawberry this weekend for a pink themed party. 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Best cookies ever! Changed cool whip to 1 1/2c. and added another egg and they were perfect!
I got this recipe from a friend, used a moist Duncan Hines chocolate cake mix and added a package of Andes Creme De Menthe baking chips and they turned out the most delicious Chocolate Mint Crinkle Cookies! Messy to make, but amazing!
I just made these for Easter with my daughter. They melt in your mouth. I used.2 eggs like you all suggested and foil w pam spray. You also must make them no more than a tspoon size (or all the same size) . Also they take about 18mins to bake, my first batch were not fully done but my second one came out terrific!. Just watch them until slightly brown. YUM!!!
How many cookies does this recipe make?
I just made these (used 2 eggs per all the comments) and my only complaint is they are too good. I’ve got to hide them before I eat them all!
I tried these for a bake sale. They were a mess to work with. But they taste great. Very soft cookie. The recipe I had said nothing about adding pudding. Maybe that makes the difference. I might try them one more time with pudding but so far, except for the taste, this isn’t my favorite recipe.
I used to make these with my Nana many years ago. The recipe (which I think is in my mom’s recipe box) came from the side of a Duncan Hines cake mix. We made strawberry cookies, but I love to use red velvet cake mix at Christmas or for Valentine’s Day.
Tried these today, and they came out great! I used light cool whip (store brand), and added 1/8 tsp of lemon extract, beat the egg firsts hem added the cool whip, then the mix. They were light and fluffy. And I did cook them for an additional 3 minutes. Will try this again.
I tried these again with red velvet cake mix. Were really good. They are a hit in my house.
how many calories is this recipe or per cookie?
The original recipe for this Lemon Cake Mix Cookie came from Duncan Hines. It uses 1 package Duncan Hines Lemon Supreme cake mix, 1/3 cup vegetable oil, 2 eggs, 1 Tbsp. lemon juice. Glaze: 1 cup powdered sugar, 2Tbsp. lemon juice, 1 tsp. lemon zest. Mix cake mix, oil, eggs, and 1 Tbsp. of lemon juice together. Dough will be very stiff. Drop dough on ungreased cookie sheet ( I use a Tablespoon) and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 12-14 minutes. Watch carefully; they brown quickly. Let cookies cool for 1 minute then top with glaze. Using a 1-Tablespoon measurement , I usually get 12-15 cookies. If you love lemon, you will LOVE these soft, chewy, intensely lemon cookies. Addicting!!
Thanks Laura, that’s a different recipe, but I’m sure yields a very similar cookie
I made these tonight, and they turned out perfect. I honestly hate making cookies. but will be making these again for sure. I used a Betty Crocker. super moist lemon cake mix with pudding in it, 1 egg, and 1 tub of fully thawed cool whip. I also used one of the small Pampered chef cookie scoops and it was perfect for the sticky dough. I dropped the scoop of dough into a small bowl of powdered sugar and rolled it. I used 1 parchment paper lined cookie sheet at a time in the oven to ensure uniform baking at 350 for exactly 12 minutes. Was quick, easy, and the cookies came out the perfect size. Thank you for a great easy cookie recipe.
I couldn’t finf lemon cake with pudding ONLY lemon cake mix, will that be OK?
These are also good with coconut and I have made them with German Chocolate Cake mix with coconut…both got great reviews!!!
I absolutely love lemon so I’m definitely intrigued! I’ll have to try and remember to pick up a lemon cake mix when I’m at the store so I can try these out!
Looks delicious!
Really looking forward to trying these Lemon cookies this weekend! How do i adjust time/temperature for the high altitude baking (over 6,000 feet)?
Thanks, Jan
I’m afraid I don’t know – sorry
Do you know if anyone has had success making these with an egg substitute?
Can you substitute a chocolate cake mix to make chocolate crinkle cookies?
sure!! enjoy!
These cookies sound incredibly delicious!! A must try!
Give me all the Lemon desserts!
These cookies are my favorite!
Yes! These are simple and amazing!
I made these, but my cookies came out really flat…any recommendations?