Lemon Whippersnappers

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A lemon whippersnapper is a very light and chewy lemon cookie dusted lightly with powdered sugar. The balls of lemon cake cookie dough are rolled in the sugar before going in the oven. Then, as the cookies bake, the heated sugar creates a crackle pattern. This is why these are also known as “lemon crinkle cookies“, but they also go by “lemon cake mix cookies,” too. By any name, they are equally delicious!
 
lemon whippersnappers cool on a rack
 
Let’s talk about these Lemon Whippersnapper Cookies. You see, they are sweet in more ways than one. Not only are these lemony cookies covered in sweet powdered sugar, 
but they are also sweet to make with only 4 ingredients! Easy cookies recipes are a must, don’t you agree?

lemon crinkle cookies with lemons

Lemon Crinkle Cookies, aka Lemon Whippersnappers

The first time that I made these was about a million years ago, I made them for a Christmas Cookie exchange when I was looking for something different to bring. You know, move past the peppermint cookies and the chocolate fudge to give the cookie tray a little more variety.

I tucked the recipe away and ran across it again in 2013 decided to WHIP-ersnapper some up and put them on my blog. Now, almost nine years later, they are got a little cookie facelift with new photos and I am sharing them with you once again.
 
 

lemon cake mix for lemon whippersnappers

Ingredients in Lemon Whippersnappers

You don’t need much, just a few ingredients. You have to love the simplicity that using lemon cake mix gives. So, if you have a box handy in the cupboard, then you are pretty much ready to go!

 
  • lemon cake mix – I love the Duncan Hines brand. It seems to pack more of a lemon citrus punch than the others. *Refrain from using the cake mix with the pudding in the mix. 
  • egg
  • Cool Whip Non-Dairy Whipped Topping – you can use store brand, regular or lite Cool Whip works, too!
  • powdered sugar – also called confectioners sugar, for rolling the cookie dough balls before baking.
 
Find complete measurements and instructions in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
 
lemon cake cookies aka lemon crinkles and lemon whippersnappers

How To Make Lemon Crinkle Cookies

steps to mixing lemon cake cookie dough

Begin by beating your egg slightly with a whisk. Mix in the cake mix and the Cool Whip. Stir until smooth. The dough will be sticky. 

Measuring balls of lemon crinkle cookie dough

Use a Tablespoon sized cookie dough scoop, form your dough balls.

Lemon cake mix for lemon whippersnappers

Roll the dough balls in powdered sugar. Get a generous amount on them!

It is fun to roll the balls of dough in the powdered sugar. (It makes kids feel like grown-ups and adults feel like kids again!) 

arranging lemon crinkle cookies for baking

Make sure to space the lemon whippersnappers out evenly on a greased cookie sheet for baking.

powdered sugar coated lemon whippersnappers ready to bake

Finally, you will bake the cookies in a 350 degree preheated oven. Take care not to overbake them, or they won’t be chewy. 

lemon whippersnappers cool on a rack

Remove the cookies from the oven and place them on a cooling rack. 

Don’t you love that crinkly pattern on the lemon whippersnappers? 

 

chewy delicious lemon whippersnappers

Talk about an easy recipe! Simply tossing a few ingredients together. Roll out some balls of dough. Pop them in the oven. Cool, serve, and enjoy! Doesn’t get much more convenient than that.

lemon whippersnapper crinkle cookies

Love them? Pin Them!

Love these Lemon Crinkles? Better make sure that you can find this easy cake mix cookie recipe when you want to make them! Pin them to your favorite Pinterest recipe board before you go.

 

lemon crinkle cookies on a plate

Perfect for tea time or anytime… because great cookies are delicious all the time!

Variations On Easy Lemon Cake Cookies

Ok, now that you know how easy lemon cake cookies are to make, I know what you are thinking…

What if I used chocolate cake mix instead? Well, chocolate cake cookies are great too! In fact, you can really use any kind of cake mix to create all sorts of crinkle cookies. 

Origins of the Chewy Lemon Crinkle Cookie

Time to give credit where credit is due. Like so many great and wonderful cookie recipes, this is inspired by an old-school Betty Crocker lemon cake cookie recipe.  Betty, like most of her recipes, of course, borrowed the recipe from someone else too. King Arthur flour lemon cake cookies are still a popular version, but of course, there you have to mix in the other cake ingredients too. 

 

one iced molasses cookie on wire rack

More Great Cookie Recipes

Cookies. What’s not to love? If you’re a big fan of crinkle cookies, you must give these Kahlua Crinkles and these Red Velvet Crinkles a try, too!

Here are some more of our cookie favorites:

lemon whippersnappers aka lemon crinkle cookies
Let’s bake up some Lemon Whippersnappers, shall we?  They are so soft and sweet, I hope you enjoy them!M. logo An Affair from the Heart
 
 
lemon cake cookies aka lemon crinkles and lemon whippersnappers
4.88 from 8 votes
Print Recipe

Lemon Whippersnappers

Lemon Whippersnappers, not only are these lemony cookies covered in powdered sugar, They are sweet to make!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Course: Cookies
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cake mix cookies, cool whip, easy cookies, lemon cake mix, lemon cookies, lemon crinkles, Lemon Whippersnappers, powdered sugar
Servings: 24
Calories: 113kcal
Author: Michaela Kenkel

Ingredients

  • 1 box of lemon cake mix don’t use the kind with the pudding
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cups of Cool Whip
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

  • Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Mix together cake mix, whipped topping and egg.
  • Spoon Tablespoon sized portions of dough, and roll into a ball.
  • Roll in powdered sugar and place on a GREASED cookie sheet.
  • Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 113kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 164mg | Sugar: 13g

This recipe was first posted on June 26th, 2013. It has been updated to improve user experience and re-shared on January 10, 2022.

Lemon Whippersnappers coookies on a yellow plate with text "Lemon Whippersnappers"

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8 Comments

  1. These cookies were surprisingly easy to make and tasted so delicious! Now I know what to do when I’ve got extra Cool Whip on hand. Thanks for sharing!

  2. These cookies were such a treat! They had the perfect soft and chewy texture and were full of fresh lemon flavor.

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