These wonderfully tender Lemon Gooey Butter Cookies only need a few ingredients including rich creamy butter from my generous sponsor, Finlandia® Cheese!
What kinds of treats do you like to give and receive for Easter? I think it’s traditionally a candy holiday, with Easter baskets filled with chocolate bunnies, jelly beans, and peanut butter eggs. I would always rather indulge in fresh baked goodies than candy though. How about you?
This year, I’m going to bake up another batch of these Lemon Gooey Butter Cookies for Easter. They are so amazingly rich, tender, and delicious. They sure didn’t last long at our house! The bright citrus flavor and pretty pastel colors makes them the perfect treat for the holiday.
When butter is a key ingredient of a recipe, you don’t want to use just any butter! I used Finlandia butter and gourmet cheese in these cookies, and I’m certain that’s why they tasted so incredible. I encourage you to discover the legendary taste of Finlandia too!
Finlandia’s butter and cheese is made with the purest milk from Finnish family-owned farms, where the farmers treat their cows like family. They have been making cheese and butter for over 100 years, and all that care and experience is reflected in the taste of their products! I used Finlandia unsalted butter in this cookie recipe, and I love their salted butter on toast, vegetables, grits, and more. They really raise the bar on butter with their rich, creamy taste and texture!
Since you are using premium butter and cheese in this recipe, I recommend also choosing an all-natural cake mix. (Sometimes you have to look on the top shelf of your grocery store for the better brands!) I chose a gluten-free yellow cake mix, so you can enjoy these butter cookies even if you need to avoid wheat!
Decorating these soft cookies in Spring colors was so easy! Gooey Butter Cookies are traditionally coated in powdered sugar, so I made three bowls of powdered sugar and added different colors of sugar sprinkles to each bowl. I decorated my cookies in pastel, Easter colors, but you could change the color to match any holiday or theme!
I can’t wait for you to try this recipe for yourself. I just know you’ll adore the butter cookies! You can check out Finlandia’s web site to find a store near you that sells their fine dairy products. Also check them out on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest to keep up with their recipes, promotions, and more!
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Lemon Gooey Butter Cookies
These tender, rich, delicious Lemon Gooey Butter Cookies are made with cake mix, premium butter, and just a few other ingredients. Decorate them to match any season!
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 24 1x
Ingredients
- 7 ounces Finlandia unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 7 ounces Finlandia Creamy Gourmet Cheese lemon, vanilla, or classic flavor (or substitute cream cheese)
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (about 1/2 lemon)
- 18 ounces cake mix white, yellow, or vanilla (gluten free OK)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- colored decorating sugar (optional)
Instructions
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Use a stand mixer or hand mixer on medium speed to cream together butter and cheese until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes).
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Add egg, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Mix again on medium speed until well combined (about 1 minute).
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Add cake mix, and mix on low and then medium-high speed until dry mix is completely mixed in. Cover cookie dough, and refrigerate at least one hour.
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When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
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In a small bowl, stir together powdered sugar and about 2 teaspoons of your desired colored sugar. (If you’d like to make multiple colors, mix up as many bowls of powdered sugar with different colored sugars as you’d like!)
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Use a medium cookie scoop or tablespoon to make balls of cookie dough. Roll each dough ball in the powdered sugar to coat it generously. Place coated cookies about 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets (12 cookies per sheet).
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Bake in preheated oven for approximately 15 minutes, until edges are lightly brown. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack. (Cookies will be soft, so be gentle with them.)
Notes
- Cake mix weights can vary by brand, but this recipe should work with mixes ranging between 15 and 21 ounces.
- I recommend storing these baked cookies in the refrigerator.
- Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 15
Here are more cake mix cookie recipes you’ll want to try!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Finlandia. The opinions and text are all mine.
Jessica | Novice Chef says
I’m obsessed with these! They look amazing!
Cathy@Lemon Tree Dwelling says
These sound amazing and I love the sprinkles!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Those look so good, the texture look perfect!
Catalina @ Peas and Peonies says
I would love some of these delicious lemon gooey butter cookies!
Jen says
I’m positive these would disappear very quickly! They look fantastic!!
Krista says
I cannot wait to try one of these! Or two!