4 ingredients make up these delightfully simple Lemon Cool Whip Cookies. Make these cookies to fit any occasion by switching the flavor of cake mix!
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I love trying out funky new recipes. When I mix every day ingredients together and they come out of the oven in an amazing way, I must say it is pretty exciting. Cake mix recipes are so fun. One of my favorites? Strawberries and Cream Cookies. One of your favorites? Buckeye Brownie Cookies. Which is actually made with a brownie mix, but it’s the same idea. Take a box mix and make it into something special by thinking outside the box (literally) and adding your own ingredients.
About a month ago, we were visiting my 90+ year old Grandma and she handed us her recipe box. I love looking through recipes. And seeing a stack of recipe cards either typed out (with a typewriter!) or written in my Grandma’s handwriting makes them pretty special.
One of the first recipes I came across were a cookie called Lemon Whippersnappers. They used just 4 ingredients:
A box of lemon cake mix
1 egg
2 cups of thawed Cool Whip
1/2 cup powdered sugar
And the powdered sugar is just for rolling the cookie dough in, so really, these are just a 3-ingredient cookie.
And is your mind spinning with the flavor possibilities here? Carrot cake for the Easter…red velvet for Christmas time…chocolate for any other time of the year. Choose your favorite flavor of cake and bake away.
The hardest thing about making these cookies was that they wanted to stick to the pan just a little. We used a Silpat Non-Stick Baking Mat and didn’t have any problems with not getting them off the pan, but if you don’t have one of those handy kitchen tools, use parchment paper or spray the pan with cooking spray.
Enjoy these easy-to-make cookies this summer!
Lemon Cool Whip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 box lemon cake mix
- 2 cups frozen whipped topping thawed
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a medium bowl, combine the cake mix, Cool Whip and egg. Stir until well mixed.
- Place the powdered sugar in a small bowl. Drop the cookie dough by teaspoons into the powdered sugar and roll the dough to coat.
- Place the balls 1 1/2 inches apart on a baking sheet that has been covered with a non-stick baking mat or sprayed with cooking spray.
- Bake the cookies for 10 minutes, or until barely brown.
- Remove the cookies from the cookie sheet to a cooling rack and allow them to cool. Makes 4 dozen.
Averie @ Averie Cooks says
Ive heard of this before – what a fun idea! Glad to see it really ‘works’! 🙂 pinned
Lizzy T says
Thanks, Averie!
Mallory @ Chocolate with Grace says
Such an easy summer cookie! Love lemon!
Jamie @ Love Bakes Good Cakes says
These wouldn’t last long at my house!
dina says
wow i never thought to use cool whip in this way. how cool. they look great!
Lizzy T says
Thanks, Dina! I was surprised to find this recipe, too! 🙂
Christopher James says
Oh wow. Whip cookies. I want!
Jennifer @ My Sweet Sanity says
I have never thought to use Cool Whip in cookies like this! What a great idea!
Selma @ Selma's Table says
Stopping by from Spoonful of Foodies to say hello! I love that you got a chance to look through your gran’s recipe box – imagine having the time to type using the typewriter! I would have to have shares in Tippex to cope with all my typos!
Lizzy T says
Yes, Selma! I can’t imagine all the typos I’d have!
Shari says
Beautiful cookies! Thanks for partying with us this week at Let’s Get Real.
Michal says
I’ll have to try this. My husband loves lemon so I always have to stop by any blog that shares a Lemon recipe. 🙂 Found you via Pink Sunday link up. Take care and have a good week.
Lizzy T says
I hope your husband loves these, Michal. They’re so simple! 🙂
Ellen @ From Scratch says
We’ve done this with green added and called them “Grinch Cookies” for Christmas. 🙂
Lizzy T says
I love that idea, Ellen!
Jennie says
I am a big lemon fan! I will have to try these =)
-Jennie
http://thediaryofarealhousewife.blogspot.com
Linda says
I had this recipe once and misplaced it. I’m so Happy that you posted it. because I really Love these cookies! I remember I begged a co worker for the recipe for the Fabulous cookies she would bring to work and she always said it was a Secret Family Recipe. When she was quitting she pulled me aside and gave me the recipe…..and I was like “That’s it?” These are so Yummy!
Lizzy T says
I love that story, Linda! It’s such a simple recipe for such good cookies! 🙂
Mallory @ Chocolate with Grace says
Such a simple, fresh summer recipe. Its wonderful to keep things simple in the summer.
Amy says
Wow! I just made these 30 minutes ago. I didn’t know that they would be like little lemon pillows. Soft and lovely! They look very basic but are SO good. An FYI. I used lite cool whip and a scoop that hold 2 Tbsp level which made 30 cookies. They clock in at 77 calories each. 🙂
Lizzy T says
Awesome, Amy! Thanks for the feedback on the lite Cool Whip. I wondered if that would work! Thanks!
Janet says
Just finished baking the cookies. The cookies turn out great. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Lizzy T says
Great, Janet! I’m glad you enjoyed them!
stacy says
I was wondering if you could use fat free cool whip? I’m on weight watchers and thought this would be a great dessert to make. They seem to be pretty low fat anyway
Lizzy T says
I’ve not tried it, but I wondered the same thing and think it would definitely be worth a try! Let me know how it works if you do try it.
Laurie says
I tried to make these today and I used parchment paper and they stick terribly. I can’t get them off the paper at all. Did I do something wrong?? HELP!!!
Lizzy T says
Hmmm….I usually use a Silpat baking mat. You could try spraying the parchment paper with cooking spray. Maybe both of those together would work.
Patty says
These look wonderful. I was wondering if you could use various cake mixes, like strawberry, vanilla, coconut etc. It was change the whole taste of the cookie. Im doing a Xmass Bazaar and would like to do a red one. Worth the try, Ill keep you posted on the outcome.
Julie Clark says
Yes! Different cake mixes is a great idea! I’d love to see a picture of your red ones if you try them. 🙂
Anonymous says
Can you make into a bar cookie?
Julie Clark says
I’ve not tried this. It may work!
Judy says
Just made these. I have a sweet tooth, and that’s an understatement. I also love lemon, but these were too sweet, even for me! They are very pretty, though, and quite easy…..
Kelly says
Could you use a gf cake mix?
Julie Clark says
I’m not sure. I’d say it is worth a try!
Julie says
I’ve made these before but it’s been a while. Could you chill the dough like you do for cutout cookies to make them less sticky to work with? I’m making these for a party at work next week and sure don’t want them to stick to the pan.
Julie Clark says
You could chill the dough and that may help with stickiness.
Julie says
Made these last night and put the dough in the freezer for a bit before making them and in between batches. Doing that and spraying the parchment paper with cooking spray really seemed to help. Everyone was shocked at how easy and yummy these were!
Alice says
After baking can these cookies be frozen till ready to serve?
Julie Clark says
Yes!
Cassie says
I made these last year for our Christmas cookie day and they were a HUGE hit! The only thing I do differently is add lemon zest to give it that extra lemon kick. I’m am making them again this year. Tried and true so why give up a good thing?
Julie Clark says
I like that you add lemon zest! Great idea 🙂
Treva Brownlee says
I make these with a strawberry cake mix and and mini chocolate chips. Gone before I know it.