Lemon Poppyseed Cookies are easily made with a lemon cake mix, lemon zest, poppy seeds, eggs, and butter. The lemon glaze on top is also simple and delicious!
Spring is the time for all things lemon, and these Lemon Poppyseed Cookies are the perfect cookies to make. They taste very much like Lemon Poppyseed Bread, but in cookie form.
Why we love these Lemon Poppyseed Cookies
- Made with a cake mix. I love cookies that start with a cake mix because they are just so easy.
- Fabulous flavors. Adding lemon zest to the cookies and the lemon glaze adds just the right amount of lemon flavor. The poppy seeds also add a little bit of flavor and a wonderful texture to the cookies.
- The glaze. The glaze makes the cookies look so pretty, and it also has a very strong lemon flavor. The cookies are delicious without the glaze as well.
Ingredients in Lemon Poppyseed Cookies
-1 box lemon cake mix
-1/3 cup butter, melted
-2 eggs
-1-2 tablespoons lemon zest (I just used all of the zest from one large lemon)
-3 tablespoons poppy seeds
How to make Lemon Poppyseed Cookies
The full instructions for Lemon Poppyseed Cookies can be found on the recipe card below, but I wanted to share a few helpful tips.
- Use the right tools. A cookie scoop will make your cookies perfectly shaped they will all be the same size too. Use parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. This makes it really easy to remove the cookies from your cookie sheet so that you don’t have to scrape them off the pan.
- Adjust the glaze to your preference. The lemon flavor in the glaze is pretty strong, so if you want a milder lemon flavor, you can swap some or all of the lemon juice with milk. Adding less liquid will produce a thicker glaze, and you can thin it out by adding more lemon juice or milk.
- Preheat the oven. This will help your cookies turn out right every time!
What are cake mix cookies?
Cake mix cookies are cookies that are made with a box of cake mix as the base ingredient. Because many of the dry ingredients used in cookies are also the same ingredients you find in a boxed cake mix, you usually only have to add a few more basic ingredients to make soft and chewy cookies!
How to zest a lemon
Don’t be intimidated about getting the zest from a lemon – it’s really easy! And fresh lemon zest adds such an amazing lemon flavor to recipes! The taste is a lot more natural than that of lemon extract.
Lemon zest is just tiny pieces of the outside of the peel of a lemon. I just use the small side of a regular cheese grater – as long as the holes are tiny, it will work just fine. You can also use a citrus zester like this one if you prefer! Either way, make sure to just grate the darker yellow outer layer of the lime peel. Once you have revealed the lighter part of the peel underneath, rotate the lemon and start grating another part of the outer layer.
How to get the juice out of a lemon
To get the juice from a lemon, I just cut the lemon in half and squeeze it really hard. You can also use a citrus press like this one to get all the juice out of the lemon. You can also use bottled lemon juice if you don’t have any fresh lemons on hand.
More delicious lemon cookie recipes to try:
- Lemon is delicious when paired with fruit. Lemon Blueberry Cookies and Lemon Raspberry Cookies are both made with fresh berries!
- Frosted Lemonade Cookies are made with lemonade concentrate in the cookies and the frosting!
- If you are looking for a lower-calorie option, these Lemon Cake Mix Cool Whip Cookies are made with only 3 ingredients!
Lemon Poppyseed Cookies are easily made with a lemon cake mix, lemon zest, poppy seeds, eggs, and butter. The lemon glaze on top is also simple and delicious!
wilhelmina says
I could eat the whole batch by myself! So good!
Kaylie says
Thank you, Wilhelmina!
Justine says
These were so good! Way better a muffin. 😉
Kaylie says
Thank you, Justine!