I finally perfected Gooey Lemon Butter Cookies with a single clever pantry swap that keeps the recipe unexpectedly simple.

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I never planned to love a cookie this much, but these Lemon Gooey Butter Cookies totally changed my snack game. They look like innocent Lemon Cookies but the center melts into something almost pudding like, and the bright lemon zest snaps through every bite.

I kept thinking it was too simple to be memorable, yet the cream cheese adds this silky tang that makes you go back for another, and another. I don’t want to spoil the surprise but trust me, they’re the kind of thing you’ll hide from guests, then pretend you only ate one.

Ingredients

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Mostly refined carbs and sugar, gives bright lemon sweetness and soft cookie structure
Add protein and moisture, help lift and bind dough, not very sweet
Rich saturated fat, adds tender crumb and buttery flavor, packs calories
Creamy tang, provides fat and a little protein, makes cookie gooey
Finely ground sugar, pure carbs for sweetness and smooth texture when mixed
Zest gives intense aroma, juice adds bright acid and fresh sour pop
Tiny amount, boosts flavor depth, mostly aroma not nutritional value
Small pinch lifts flavors, balances sweetness, no real nutrition but important
Extra coating adds sweetness and classic snowy look, more sugar of course

Ingredient Quantities

1 box (15.25 oz) lemon cake mix (standard size)

2 large eggs, room temperature

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 large egg, room temperature

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest (about 1 medium lemon)

1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, taste and adjust

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional, but i like it)

Pinch of salt

Extra powdered sugar for rolling or dusting, about 1/2 cup (optional)

How to Make this

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1. Preheat oven to 350 F and line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat, rack in middle. Use a cookie scoop or spoon so they bake even.

2. In a large bowl mix the lemon cake mix, 2 room temp eggs and the melted butter until a thick, slightly sticky dough forms. You can use a spatula or a mixer, either works.

3. In a separate bowl beat the softened cream cheese until smooth, then add the 1 large egg, 1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice (start with 1 and taste), 1 teaspoon vanilla if using, and a pinch of salt. Beat till silky but dont overmix.

4. If the cake dough is too sticky to handle chill it 10 minutes. Scoop about 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of cake dough and roll into balls, place balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared sheet.

5. Gently press each dough ball flat to make a shallow well in the center. This helps hold the gooey filling and keeps cookies from spreading weird.

6. Drop about 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons of the cream cheese filling into each well. You can pipe it with a zip bag or just spoon it on and smooth a bit, leaving a rim of dough around the edge.

7. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until the edges are set and the tops have small cracks but the centers still look soft and slightly gooey. Rotate the pan half way if your oven runs hot.

8. Let cookies cool on the sheet 3 to 5 minutes so they firm up, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. They’ll set more as they cool.

9. When cool enough dust or roll them in the extra powdered sugar if you want that snowy look. Store in an airtight container at room temp up to 2 days or in the fridge up to
5. Tip: you can freeze unbaked dough balls on a tray then transfer to a bag; bake from frozen adding a minute or two to the time.

Equipment Needed

1. Oven (preheat to 350 F)

2. 2 rimmed baking sheets

3. Parchment paper or silicone baking mats

4. Cookie scoop (about 1 to 1 1/2 tbsp) or a tablespoon and a teaspoon for scooping and filling

5. Large mixing bowl and a medium bowl

6. Electric hand mixer or stand mixer, or a sturdy whisk if you wanna do it by hand

7. Rubber spatula or wooden spoon for mixing and scraping

8. Wire cooling rack

9. Measuring cups and spoons plus a microplane or fine grater for lemon zest

10. Small spoon or piping bag (zip top bag with corner snipped) for filling the wells, dont forget one for dusting powdered sugar

FAQ

Q: Why did my cookies spread out too much and turn flat? A: This recipe has extra fat from the melted butter and cream cheese so they can spread if the dough is warm or overworked. Chill the scooped dough 15 to 30 minutes, use parchment or a silicone mat, and don't flatten them before baking. Also make sure your oven is fully preheated so they set fast.

Q: How do I get that gooey center and not a dry cookie? A: Don't overbake, pull them when the edges look set but the centers still look slightly soft, they firm as they cool. Use room temperature eggs and softened cream cheese not melted, and mix just until combined so they stay tender.

Q: Can I use a different cake mix or sugar substitute? A: Yes you can swap vanilla or white cake mix for a milder flavor, but lemon mix gives the best lemon punch. Sugar free mixes or sugar substitutes can change texture, so expect differences. If you switch, keep an eye on bake time.

Q: Any quick tips for stronger lemon flavor? A: Use fresh lemon zest instead of store bought, add the full 2 tablespoons lemon juice if you like more tang, or add a teaspoon of lemon extract for a boost. Just don’t add too much liquid or the filling will get runny.

Q: How should I store or freeze these cookies? A: Store in an airtight container at room temp up to 2 to 3 days, or refrigerate up to a week because of the cream cheese. To freeze, flash freeze baked cookies on a tray then move to a bag for up to 3 months, or freeze unbaked dough balls and bake from frozen, adding a minute or two to the bake time.

Q: My cream cheese layer cracked or separated, what went wrong? A: Often that happens if the cream cheese was too cold or overbeaten, or you added powdered sugar too fast. So soften cream cheese to room temp, beat briefly just to smooth, then add sugar gradually. A pinch of salt helps balance the sweetness too.

Lemon Gooey Butter Cookies – Best Ever Recipe Substitutions and Variations

Lemon cake mix (1 box) -> cant find lemon mix? Use 1 box yellow or vanilla cake mix + 1 tbsp fresh lemon zest and 1-2 tsp lemon extract, or stir in one 3.4 oz instant lemon pudding mix to a plain box for extra lemon punch. Texture might be a bit different.
Unsalted butter, melted (1/2 cup) -> Swap for salted butter and skip the pinch of salt, or use equal amount melted coconut oil for a chewier cookie and a slight coconut note. Let it cool a little before mixing.
Cream cheese, softened (8 oz) -> Mascarpone 1:1 for a richer, silkier filling; Neufchatel 1:1 if you want lower fat. You can also use thick strained Greek yogurt (about 2/3 cup) but expect less gooeyness and more tang.
Powdered sugar (1 1/2 cups) -> Make your own by pulsing 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar with 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch until powdery, or use store bought confectioners sugar. For rolling, regular granulated or sanding sugar gives a crunchy finish instead of the soft dusting.

Pro Tips

1) Start with everything actually at room temp, especially the eggs and the cream cheese. It mixes way smoother that way, you get fewer lumps and you won’t have to overwork the batter which makes dense cookies.

2) Use a cookie scoop for consistent size, and chill the dough a short time if it’s sticky. If you flatten to make the well, don’t press too deep or the filling will bubble out while baking, but do leave a clear rim so the dough can rise around it.

3) Don’t overbeat the cream cheese filling, stop when it’s silky and smooth. Overmixing warms it and makes it runny or greasy, and then the centers sink or spread too much.

4) Pull them from the oven when the edges look set and the centers still seem a little soft, they finish setting on the hot sheet. If your oven is finicky use an oven thermometer and rotate pans halfway, and if you freeze dough balls bake straight from frozen adding a minute or two to the time.

Lemon Gooey Butter Cookies – Best Ever Recipe

Recipe by Tina Bueller

0.0 from 0 votes

I finally perfected Gooey Lemon Butter Cookies with a single clever pantry swap that keeps the recipe unexpectedly simple.

Servings

servings

Calories

186

kcal

Equipment: 1. Oven (preheat to 350 F)