Key Lime Cookies taste just like Key Lime Pie in cookie form! These shortbread cookies are melt in your mouth good, and are full of zingy lime flavor. Top them off with a quick lime glaze for a polished finish.
This recipe comes from my cookbook, “The One-Bowl Baker”. Order a copy today!
Why you’ll love these Key Lime Cookies:
- Key Lime Flavor – These cookies are full of key lime flavor and fresh key lime zest.
- Shortbread Cookies – Shortbread slice and bake cookies have crisp edges and melt-in-your-mouth centers – they make the best cookies!
- Zippy Glaze – This glaze adds an extra pop of lime flavor to these easy cookies.
Ingredient Overview:
Key Lime Slice and Bake Cookies are so incredibly delicious and easy – and the ingredient list is nice and short.
- Key Lime Juice – You’ll need key lime juice but you can use juice from regular limes too – the recipe includes a substitution if you can’t find key lime juice near you. Find Key Lime juice with the other juice in the grocery store.
- Coarse Sugar – Rolling the dough in raw or cane sugar gives a nice crunch to the edge of your cookies.
- Butter – I always use salted buter for the best flavor, but feel free to use unsalted butter if you prefer.
Ingredient Substitutions:
- Fresh Lime Juice – Regular fresh lime juice can be used in place of the key lime juice, in a slightly different quantity given in the recipe card below.
- Dairy-free – Use your favorite dairy-free butter sticks to keep this recipe dairy-free.
- Granulated Sugar – If you don’t have a coarse sugar like raw or cane, just use granulated sugar or skip it.
How to Make this Key Lime Cookie Recipe Step-by-Step:
Step 1: Make the Cookie Dough. Cream the butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer. Add the sugar and mix until well creamed. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, lime juice, and lime zest. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients to the flour mixture, mixing just until a dough comes together.
Step 2: Shape the Dough. Divide the dough into two sections and roll each into a log. Roll the logs through a plate of coarse sugar, then wrap in plastic wrap to chill for at least 30 minutes in the freezer. (See tips below about storing dough longer.)
Step 3: Slice & Bake the Cookies. Once chilled, slice each dough log into 12-14 cookies. Place on a prepared baking sheet and bake as directed in the recipe card below. Let them cool for a bit on a wire rack before glazing.
Step 4: Glaze the Cookies. Make this 2-minute glaze by whisking together powdered sugar, lime juice, lime zest, and vanilla extract. Dunk the cookies in the glaze and enjoy this easy key lime cookie recipe! These will be your new favorite cookies.
Expert Success Tips:
- Glaze – Be sure to let the glaze set before storing or stacking these cookies.
FAQs:
Yes! Chill this dough in the fridge at least 2 hours, or up to 2 days. Or, chill it in the freezer for 1 hour, or up to 3 months. Let thaw in the fridge overnight before slicing & baking. You can also slice the cookies once they’ve been chilled, and freeze them like that rather than in whole logs of dough. In this case, you can bake them directly from frozen – no need to make any adjustments.
Yes, the dough must be chilled for these cookies.
The cookies will spread a bit but should hold their shapes. The edges will have just a hint of golden brown, and will appear set.
Place each dough log inside two drinking glasses laid on their sides so the dough log is encapsulated inside the glasses. This helps keep the dough more rounded than if you just laid it on the fridge shelf.
Recipe Variations:
- Other Fruits – Feel free to try this recipe with another citrus fruit if you don’t care for lime. Lemon, orange, or blood orange would all work well!
- Graham Crackers – Sprinkle some crushed graham crackers or graham cracker crumbs on top of the glaze for that key lime pie feel.
Serving + Storing this Recipe:
Baked and cooled cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temp for 4-6 days, or in the fridge for longer.
Special Tools:
- Cookie Sheet – These are my favorite cookie sheets, I’ve used them almost every day for 6 years and they’re still in great shape.
- Silicone Baking Mat – I love silicone baking mats because they’re reusable and dishwasher safe.
More Citrus Recipes to Love:
- Key Lime Pound Cake
- Key Lime Pie Bars
- Mini Key Lime Cheesecake
- Mojito Cake
- Blood Orange Upside Down Cake
- Pound Cake with Grapefruit Glaze
Did you make this recipe? Snap a photo and leave a comment!
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Key Lime Slice and Bake Cookies
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 3/4 cup salted butter, softened at room temperature (12 tbsp, or 170 g)
- 2/3 cup packed brown sugar 160 g
- 1 large egg
- 1 and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- zest of 2 large limes See note
- 2 tbsp key lime juice See note
- 2 cups + 1 tbsp all-purpose flour 268 g
- 1/8 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- raw sugar, for coating the dough
For the Key Lime Glaze
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp key lime juice
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make the Cookie Dough: In a large mixing bowl, cream softened butter for about 30 seconds. Add the brown sugar and mix until well creamed with the butter, at least 1 minute. Add the egg, vanilla, lime zest, and lime juice and mix until just combined. Add the flour, cinnamon, and salt and mix until just combined.
- Chill the Dough: Divide the dough into two equal logs, each about 8 inches long and 2 inches wide. Add some raw or coarse sugar to a plate, and roll each dough log in the sugar to coat the outside. Wrap logs tightly in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or in the freezer for 1 hour. Make Ahead Tip: You can also chill the dough in the fridge for up to 2 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months (thaw dough in the fridge overnight before baking).Tip: To keep the dough from flattening on one side, place the dough log inside two drinking glasses (one on each end). This will keep the log more well-rounded.
- Bake: Preheat your oven to 350° F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Slice each cookie dough log into 12-14 equal slices. Place cookies a few inches apart on the cookie sheet, and bake for 12-14 minutes. The edges will apear set and be very lightly browned. Keep additional cookie sheets full of unbaked cookies in the fridge, covered with a kitchen towel, until ready to bake.Let cookies cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Glaze: Whisk together the glaze ingredients in a small bowl or measuring cup. Dunk the tops of the cooled cookies into the glaze, and sprinkle on some lime zest.
- Serve + Store: Enjoy immediately! Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temp for 4-6 days, or in the fridge for a bit longer.
Notes
Nutrition
Manuel says
Hello! Does the key lime juice has to be cold or room temperature? Greetings from Lyon
Stephanie Simmons says
Hi Manuel! Either is fine for this recipe. ☺️ please let me know how you like the cookies!
Manuel says
The cookies are really good!
I was a bit confused though for the dough: the lime juice comes from the 2 limes we zested or from the key lime juice? I used the ones of the limes I zested but also the key lime juice
The log were not an easy part for me … I had to use a bit more flour to get the dough less sticky and easier to work
But in the end I guess I succeed this awesome recipe
Stephanie Simmons says
Hi Manuel, the recipe is just calling for the key lime juice and the zest of the two limes. Not the juice and zest from the limes, in addition to the key lime juice. The extra liquid is probably why your dough was sticky. Glad you enjoyed the recipe anyways! 🙂
Sofy says
These are so so yummy. I just loved the look of them when I found the recipe online and was dying to give them a go. So glad I did!
I found the dough quite sticky to roll… is that what it’s meant to be like?
Thank u for a great recipe xx
Stephanie Simmons says
Hi Sofy! So glad you liked these cookies. The dough is a bit sticky but shouldn’t be super sticky. You can always lightly flour your hands to make it easier to work with next time. 🙂
Keely says
Great for summer!
These were great and so easy to make! I got 32 cookies out of 1 batch so I may have sliced them thinner than you are suppose to but they turned out great! Will definitely make again!
Stephanie Simmons says
Glad to hear it, Keely!
Christina Lafferry says
Made 14 dozen of these for a cookie exchange and they were easy impressive and delicious
Stephanie Simmons says
That is impressive! Thanks, Christina!
Kenzie Church says
I made these to go with Sunday dinner and they were a hit with the entire family! A few were even snuck prior to me glazing them and still said they were some of the best cookies they’d ever tasted. Definitely a keeper!
Stephanie Simmons says
Thanks so much for your sweet review, Kenzie! 🙂
Claudia says
I made them last weekend and they are just perfect! My family and I really enjoyed them… but they complained a little because they wanted more 🙂 !! Thank you for the recipe! I can not wait to try another! Regards from Seville! (Spain)
Stephanie Simmons says
Thanks so much for your kind words, Claudia! I hope to visit Spain someday! Regards from snowy Wisconsin. 🙂
Katie says
These were easy to make and had such a fun and unique taste for a cookie! I brought them to work and a co-worker even asked for the recipe too!
Stephanie Simmons says
Thanks so much, Katie! ☺️
Danielle says
Easy recipe to follow! These turned out so beautiful and delicious! 10/10!
Stephanie Simmons says
Thanks so much, Danielle!
Marlene says
I have made these twice and they are perfection! These cookies are the perfect combination of tart and sweet. Great recipe!
Stephanie Simmons says
Thanks for the lovely review, Marlene! 🙂