The flavor of Key Lime Pie meets shortbread cookies in this easy recipe! These Key Lime Slice and Bake Cookies practically melt in your mouth, 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!
What Ingredients do I need to make these cookies?
Key Lime Slice and Bake Cookies are so incredibly delicious and easy – and the ingredient list is nice and short.
- Salted butter
- Brown sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Key lime or regular lime juice (the recipe includes a substitution if you can’t find key lime juice near you)
- Lime zest
- Flour
- A pinch of cinnamon
- Salt
- Coarse Sugar, for rolling the cookies
Now, I’ll show you exactly how to make them!
How to Make Key Lime Slice and Bake Shortbread Cookies:
Start by creaming together your butter and sugar on high speed until nice and fluffy. Then, add the eggs, vanilla, lime zest, and lime juice. Be sure to zest your limes before you juice them – it’s a pain to zest juiced fruit! Add the dry ingredients last, mixing just until the last streaks of flour disappear into the dough.
How to Shape Slice & Bake Cookies:
Divide the dough in half and form into logs. Roll each of these dough logs through coarse sugar. This will give the edges of each cookie a nice crunch.
Do I have to chill the dough?
Yes, these cookies must be chilled in order to turn out. Wrap each log tightly in plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge at least 2 hours, or up to 2 days, or in the freezer for 1 hour, or up to 3 months. Once you’re ready to bake, slice your cookies into 12-14 slices per log of dough.
Bake the cookies:
Place the cookies a few inches apart on a lined baking sheet. Bake one sheet at a time for 14-16 minutes. 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.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet completely, and then we’ll decorate them with a quick 2-minute glaze situation!
Glaze for Key Lime Cookies:
Mix together powdered sugar, key lime juice, vanilla, and lime zest. Dunk your cooled cookies in this glaze for a polished look. Be sure to let the glaze set before storing or stacking these cookies.
Can I freeze these cookies?
Yes! You can freeze the dough logs for up to 2 months in your freezer, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and sealed in an airtight container. Let the cookie dough thaw in the fridge overnight before slicing and 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.
How do I keep my slice and bake cookies perfectly round?
Well, you probably won’t be able to haha. They’re always going to get a bit flat on one side, and that’s completely fine! But, I do have one tip to help. Place each log of dough 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 shelf of your fridge.
I hope you love these key lime pie cookies as much as we do!
Did you make this recipe? Snap a photo and leave a comment!
Be sure to follow bluebowlrecipes on instagram and tag @bluebowlrecipes with your photo – I’d love to see what you make! And, be sure to leave a comment + rating below if you make this recipe.
Key Lime Slice and Bake Cookies
The flavor of Key Lime Pie meets shortbread cookies in this easy recipe! These Key Lime Slice and Bake Cookies practically melt in your mouth, and are full of zingy lime flavor. Top them off with a quick key lime glaze for a polished finish.
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
- 2 large limes, zested and divided in half
- 2 tbsp key lime juice See note
- 2 cups + 1 tbsp all-purpose flour 289 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
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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.
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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.
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Bake: Preheat your oven to 350° F. Line a few cookie sheets 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.
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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.
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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.
Recipe Notes
Key Lime Juice: This is sold in a bottle in many stores. If you can't find it, just add 1 additional tsp of regular lime juice to compensate. In the glaze, add 1/2 additional tsp lime juice if subbing for key lime juice.
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