Name: Key Lime Cookies | The Best Easy Family Recipe for Making Soft & Fluffy Key Lime Cookies
Prep time: 20M
Cook time: 10M Additional Time: 20M
Total time: 50M
Yield: 3 dozen cookies
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup of white sugar (even granulated and brown sugar); 1 egg – egg yolk; ½ cup of butter; 1 teaspoon of baking powder (& baking soda); Vanilla butter emulsion; ½ cup of confectioners’ sugar; 1½ cups of all-purpose flour; Graham crackers; 1½ teaspoons of grated lime zest; Cream cheese; ½ teaspoon of salt; ¼ cup of fresh lime juice For the Coating:; Powdered sugar; Key lime juice (from fresh key limes, bottled key lime juice, or regular lime juice is a good sub if needed)

This is the perfect recipe for key lime cookies! You'll think you're in Key West after tasting these simple, delicious key lime cookies!

Quick Facts About Key Lime Cookies

Better than cookies from a box are these handmade key lime cookies! These delicate, melt-in-your-mouth cookies are completely refreshing because of a hidden lime icing layer that offers a mild cooling sensation. The ideal summer dish for lime lovers!

These delicious key lime cookies will make you crazy if you like key lime pie! These shortbread-like biscuits are then dusted with powdered sugar after being dunked inside a secret key lime glaze. A wonderful sweet and sour taste combination that is difficult to resist is the end product.

All right, enough intro. Let’s begin!

Key Limes – What are they?

The hybrid citrus trees that are native to Southeast Asia give rise to key limes. Normally green when picked, leaves become yellow as they ripen. The key lime has a thin, yellowish-green peel and is tiny and spherical in shape. The tart citrus flavor is utilized to give beverages or desserts more acidity.

Why is it such a well-liked fruit? Key limes were introduced to Florida by the Spanish in the 1500s and 1600s, and Florida is where they became well-known in the United States.

What Are the Differences Between Key and Normal Lime?

Actually, the Florida Keys are home to a specific kind of citrus fruit called key limes. They have a characteristically tangy taste because they are more small and more acidic than conventional limes.

Key limes may be substituted for normal limes in this key lime cookies recipe if you can't locate them. Please be aware that the taste will change significantly.

Since key limes are in season throughout the summer, key lime cookies are indeed the ideal summertime treat. Yet, they are excellent at any season of the year!

So, What Do These Key Lime Cookies Taste Like?

These cookies are a little crumblier and have a consistency more akin to shortbread. While I believe I must surely create a recipe for them, they are neither key lime sugar cookies nor chewy key lime cookies.¹

They also differ from key lime pie cookies in that they don't have any other pie-related tastes.

What About Key Lime Cooler Cookies?

These key lime cookies are straightforward lime cookies that are great to eat on a hot day, comparable to key lime cooler cookies. In actuality, this key lime cookies recipe is based on my recipe for lemon cooler cookies.

The key lime glaze lends a tiny cooling effect beneath the powdered sugar, rendering these soft, melt-in-your-mouth biscuits completely refreshing.

The Nutritional Information of Key Lime Cookies

Servings Per Recipe: 36

Calories: 74
Total Fat: 3g
Saturated Fat: 2g
Cholesterol: 18mg
Sodium: 66 mg
Total Carbohydrate: 11g
Dietary Fiber: 0g
Total Sugars: 7g
Protein: 1g
Vitamin C: 1mg
Calcium: 11mg
Iron: 0mg
Potassium: 11mg

If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.²

How to Make Soft & Fluffy Key Lime Cookies

Prep Time: 20mins
Cook Time: 10mins
Additional Time: 20mins
Total Time: 50 mins
Servings: 36
Yield: 3 dozen

Materials and Kitchen Utensils Needed: Cookie sheets, stand mixer or hand-held mixer, oven, bowls (large and small), teaspoons, kitchen table, cookie scoop, timer, fridge, Breville 12 Cup Food Processor, and large baking sheet.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup of white sugar (even granulated and brown sugar): This cookie uses two types of sugar to get the right texture and sweetness. You can also use powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar in this key lime cookies recipe because it contributes to a softer, melt-in-your-mouth texture! I would recommend using a kitchen scale to measure your powdered sugar by weight or using the spoon-and-level method to measure by volume.
1 egg - egg yolk: The egg is the binding agent. Your eggs should be at room temperature to help to get that light, fluffy texture that we want in these key lime cookies!
½ cup of butter: You can use either salted or unsalted butter as long as it is softened. Your butter should be at room temperature. You have to know how to soften your butter to room temperature quickly! Some bakers like to use salted butter to add flavor to this key lime cookies recipe, but if you prefer to use unsalted butter, just add an extra ¼ teaspoon of salt with your dry ingredients.
1 teaspoon of baking powder (& baking soda): These leavening agents will give the cookies a little height.
Vanilla butter emulsion: The vanilla butter emulsion will help give a little extra depth to the cookies. Be sure to use a high-quality pure vanilla extract.
½ cup of confectioners' sugar: For decoration
1½ cups of all-purpose flour: All-purpose flour works great for this recipe and be sure to use a kitchen scale to measure 256 grams of flour by weight, or use the spoon-and-level method to measure by volume.
Graham crackers: This is what will give the cookies that key lime pie crust feel.
1½ teaspoons of grated lime zest: This is the start of the show. Use a microplane zester to remove the zest from your key limes. If you aren't able to find key limes, feel free to substitute regular limes.
Cream cheese: Use softened cream cheese at room temperature to make the filling of the key lime pie cookies. I recommend using full-fat cream cheese for this recipe. Like the butter, your cream cheese should also be softened to room temperature.
½ teaspoon of salt: Always use a little salt in your sweet treats to balance out the flavors.
¼ cup of fresh lime juice: This begins the whole process. Your best option is fresh juice from key limes, but you can also opt for store-bought key lime juice, or if you can't find either then freshly squeezed regular lime juice would work too.

For the Coating;

Powdered sugar
Key lime juice (from fresh key limes, bottled key lime juice, or regular lime juice is a good sub if needed)

Making Soft & Fluffy Key Lime Cookies Within the Comforts of Your Home

This is how you can make these pie cookies at home. Make sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the full detailed instructions!

Cream the butter and both sugar together.
Mix in the egg and vanilla butter emulsion.
Add in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, graham cracker crumbls, and salt and mix just until combined.
Scoop out 8 equally-sized cookie dough balls.
Roll them in the rest of the graham cracker crumbs, place them on the prepared baking sheet, and make an indentation using a tablespoon measuring spoon and bake in the oven.
Pull the cookies out and make an indentation with a ¼ cup measuring up or the bottom of a glass, and bake again for 2 minutes.
Let the cookies cool down while you make the key lime pie filling.

Making the Key Lime Pie Filling

Cream the cream cheese with sweetened condensed milk, lime juice, and lime zest together until combined and fluffy.
Top each cookie down with the key lime pie filling and enjoy!

The Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar, egg, and egg yolk until smooth. Stir in lime juice and lime zest. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt and blend into the creamed mixture. Form dough into 1/2 inch balls, and arrange them on the prepared cookie sheet.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks. Sift confectioners' sugar over cookies while still warm.

Key Lime Zest Recipe

Key lime zest is difficult to get since the limes are so little, so use caution while zesting the limes using a sharp microplane. Since lime zest contains concentrated oils, it will lend a great deal of flavor to these cookies. This is crucial for seasoning these key lime cookies!

While microplaning the limes, be careful you just remove the brilliant green section of the rind. The white region under the pith is very bitter, so avoid zesting it if at all possible. If you can't obtain key limes, normal lime zest will suffice.

How to Make Key Lime Sugar

Bakers prefer to create key lime sugar first to guarantee that we get the most flavor out of these key lime cookies! That really distinguishes these sweets.

Inside the bowl of a food processor, combine the granulated sugar and key lime zest. Then pulse and blend till the zest and sugar are entirely combined. After it's finished, the sugar will have a tiny green color to it.

Preparing key lime sugar is an excellent technique to ensure that this cookie is properly loaded with key lime flavor! If you're pressed for time, you may bypass this phase, but I believe it makes a difference.

How to Make Key Lime Icing

The key lime icing is what sets these cookies apart! It's made using powdered sugar and key lime juice.

People like fresh key lime juice for its finest taste, but bottled key lime juice or normal lime juice may be substituted if fresh key limes are unavailable.

The key to creating the ideal glaze for this recipe is to keep it thin. You almost don't want to notice the layer of frosting under the powdered sugar - this is what gives these cookies a cooling feeling in the mouth.

You'll prepare a thin glaze with powdered sugar and fresh juice, and then dip the whole biscuit into it. Next, before going on to the next cookie, let the extra key lime glaze drip off.

When you've dipped each cookie in key lime glaze, it's time for the finishing touch: powdered sugar! Roll the cookie in the powdered sugar for the coating to take place, then return to the wire rack to set and dry completely.

One of the best aspects of the finished cookie look is how the powdered sugar seeps into certain spots with the wet glaze, leaving a wonderful uneven coating of sugar throughout the cookie.

To me, it appears just like the original coolers that come in a box. If you desire a more coated appearance, you may easily add extra powdered sugar to the exterior of the cookie!

Where Can You Buy Key Lime Juice?

Absolutely, most supermarket shops sell bottled key lime juice. It may be found on the same aisle as the other citrus juices. Ordinary bottled lime juice also works.

Why You Must Try This Recipe for Key Lime Cookies!

It's a wonderful and simple cookie. The iconic key lime pie has a delightful new spin in this recipe. This key lime cookies recipe was one of the most often requested Crumbl knockoffs ever, so I can assure you that it will become a favorite of yours.

You won't have to wait for them to bring back your favorite Crumbl copycat recipe because of this key lime cookies recipe, and you'll also save a ton of money!

Frequently Asked Questions About Key Lime cookies

Can I use regular limes instead of key limes?

It is preferable that you use the juice of key limes because it is stronger in flavor and will yield a tangy key lime pie filling. Of course, if you don’t have that, feel free to use regular limes.