Key Lime Cookies Recipe: Soft, Chewy, and Perfectly Tangy

Key Lime Cookies

These Key Lime Cookies are soft, chewy, and packed with bright citrus flavor, and the tangy key lime glaze on top makes them genuinely hard to stop eating. The dough takes about 10 minutes to prepare, and one batch makes 24 cookies, so this is a dessert you can pull off without a long afternoon in the kitchen.

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The recipe follows the original key lime cookies from Lemons and Zest, and the cookies bake at 350°F for just 8 to 10 minutes. Per cookie, based on the source nutrition, you are looking at about 123 calories, 21 grams of carbohydrate, 13 grams of sugar, 4 grams of fat, 1 gram of protein, and 76 milligrams of sodium.

Why You Will Love These Key Lime Cookies

If you enjoy citrus desserts, this is a recipe worth keeping in rotation. The cookies stay soft and chewy because they come out of the oven while the centers are still slightly underdone and the edges are only just beginning to set.

Here is what makes them easy to love:

• No chilling required. You can mix the dough and bake it right away, which keeps the whole process short.
• About 10 minutes of prep. Cream the butter and sugars, beat in the egg and vanilla, then work in the dry ingredients.
• Simple ingredients. Aside from the key limes, everything is a basic baking staple you probably already have on hand.
• Fresh, slightly tart flavor. Key lime zest goes into the dough, and key lime juice goes into the glaze.
• A quick bake. The cookies need only 8 to 10 minutes in the oven, so you can bake one tray right after another.
• A summery feel. These taste like warm weather, though there is no rule against making them in December.

If that tangy citrus profile is what you are after, No Bake Mini Key Lime Pies are another easy way to get it without turning on the oven.

Ingredient Notes

Exact amounts are listed below, followed by the details that matter most.

• Butter: use unsalted butter softened to room temperature. Cold butter will not cream properly with the sugars, and the texture of the finished cookies depends on getting this right.
• Sugars: 3/4 cup of granulated sugar plus 1/4 cup of light brown sugar gives sweetness with a little extra moisture and chew.
• Egg: one large egg at room temperature blends more evenly into the creamed butter and sugar.
• Vanilla: 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. For an even stronger lime flavor, use 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla plus 1/2 teaspoon of lime extract.
• Key limes: the dough uses 2 to 3 teaspoons of zest only. The glaze uses both zest and juice. If key limes are hard to find, regular lime zest and juice work as a substitute.
• Flour: 1 3/4 cup of all purpose flour, ideally weighed at 219 grams. If you measure by volume, stir the flour first to aerate it, then spoon it into the cup and level it off.
• Baking soda and salt: 1/2 teaspoon of each. They balance the sweetness and help the cookies rise.
• Powdered sugar: also called confectioners sugar, it forms the base of the glaze. Keep a little extra on hand in case the glaze turns out thinner than you want.

What is the Difference Between Key Limes and Regular Limes?

Key limes are small and round with very thin skin, and their flavor is tarter and more aromatic than a regular lime, with floral notes in the background.

Regular limes are larger, with thicker green skin and a more straightforward citrus flavor.

Because key limes can be difficult to find, regular limes are a practical swap. The flavor changes slightly, but once the cookies are baked and glazed, the difference is much less noticeable. Either way, the cookies taste fresh, bright, and unmistakably lime forward.

Use what you can find. Fresh lime zest, whether it comes from key limes or regular limes, is what gives these cookies their character.

Step By Step Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and position a rack in the center.
2. Whisk the dry ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, then set the bowl aside.
3. Cream the butter and sugars. In a large mixing bowl, combine 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter, 3/4 cup sugar, and 1/4 cup light brown sugar. Beat with an electric mixer on high for about 2 to 4 minutes, until the mixture looks light and fluffy. Do not rush this step, because butter and sugar that are under creamed can produce flat, thin cookies.
4. Add the egg and vanilla. Beat in 1 large room temperature egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until everything is mixed in.
5. Add the zest and the flour. Beat in 2 to 3 teaspoons of key lime zest, then add about one third of the flour mixture, mixing only until it disappears. Continue adding the rest of the flour mixture in stages until a soft dough forms, and stop mixing as soon as the last of the flour is incorporated.
6. Shape the dough. Roll it into balls about 1 1/2 inches across and arrange them on a parchment lined baking sheet, leaving a little space between each one.
7. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Take the cookies out just before they look completely done. The edges will not brown much and the centers may still look a touch puffy, which is exactly what you want for a soft, chewy cookie.
8. Cool the cookies. Let them rest on the baking sheet for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
9. Whisk the glaze. Once the cookies are cool, stir together 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon key lime juice, 1 to 2 tablespoons milk, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla, and 1/2 teaspoon key lime zest, plus a pinch of salt if you like. Adjust the thickness with more powdered sugar or a splash more milk. Let the glaze sit for several minutes, about 5 to 10, so it thickens slightly.
10. Glaze and set. Dip the top of each cookie into the glaze or spread it over the top with a knife, then sprinkle on extra key lime zest if you want a prettier finish. Let the glaze set before you stack the cookies, and store any leftovers in an airtight container for 4 to 5 days.

Chilling is not usually needed for this dough. If your kitchen is warm and the dough feels greasy, chill the shaped balls for about 15 minutes before baking to keep them from spreading too much.

Recipe Tips

A few small details separate good cookies from great ones.

• Soften the butter properly. It should hold its shape but take a slight imprint when you press it with a finger. Butter that is too hard will not cream, and butter that is starting to melt will make the dough greasy and the cookies spread.
• Do not overbake. Pull the cookies from the oven almost before they look ready. They firm up as they cool, and taking them out early is what keeps the centers soft and chewy instead of dry and crumbly.
• Roll the dough by hand. A cookie scoop works fine, but rolling smooth balls gives the baked cookies a rounder, neater look. The taste is the same either way.

If the cookies still look slightly puffy in the middle when the timer goes off, that is normal. The edges barely brown, so color is not a reliable way to judge doneness.

Storage

These cookies keep well, and a little planning keeps them tasting fresh for days.

• Room temperature: store in an airtight container for up to 4 to 5 days. The texture is at its best within the first 3 days, and they are still perfectly good for a couple of days after that.
• Refrigerator: if you prefer, refrigerate the cookies for about 5 days.
• Freezing baked cookies: cool them completely first. The preferred method is to freeze them without the key lime glaze and add the glaze after thawing, but glazed cookies can be frozen as well. Separate stacked cookies with parchment or wax paper so the icing does not stick to the cookie above.

Freezing The Cookie Dough

Freezing the dough is the easiest way to have fresh cookies on demand.

1. Roll the dough into balls first, which is the preferred method.
2. Place the balls in a freezer safe bag or container with space between them until they are frozen, then pack them closer together.
3. Freeze for up to 3 months.
4. Bake straight from frozen, adding 2 to 4 extra minutes to the baking time, or let the balls thaw to room temperature and bake as directed.

For another recipe idea, try Key Lime Pie Cookies.

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Key Lime Cookies

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Key Lime Cookies These Key Lime Cookies are soft, chewy, and packed with bright citrus flavor, and the tangy key lime glaze on top makes them genuinely hard to stop eating. The dough takes about 10 minutes to prepare, and one batch makes 24 cookies, so this is a dessert you can pull off without a long afternoon in the kitchen.

• Total Time: 30 min
• Yield: 24 cookies 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Cookies
1/2 cup unsalted butter (113g)*, softened to room temperature
1 large egg, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar (150 g)*
1/4 cup light brown sugar (50g)*
1 tsp vanilla extract
2–3 tsp key lime zest
1 3/4 cup flour (219g)*
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Key Lime Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp key lime juice
1–2 Tbsp milk
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp key lime zest
salt

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Instructions

For The Cookies
1-Preheat oven to 350°F: Preheat oven to 350°F.
2-Whisk together flour, salt and baking soda: Whisk together flour, salt and baking soda in a small bowl and set aside.
3-Combine butter, brown sugar and sugar in: Combine butter, brown sugar and sugar in a separate mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on high to cream for about 2-4 minutes until light and fluffy texture.
4-Add in the egg and vanilla and: Add in the egg and vanilla and beat until mixed in.
5-Add in the lime zest and then: Add in the lime zest and then 1/3 of the flour mixture beating only until mixed in. Continue slowly adding the flour mixture until dough forms.
6-Roll the dough into 1 1/2 inch: Roll the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls and arrange on parchment lined cookie sheet.
7-Bake for about 8-10 minutes: Bake for about 8-10 minutes.
8-Allow to cool on the cookie sheet: Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 2-3 minutes and then transfer to cooling rack.
9-Once cookies are completely cooled, whisk together: Once cookies are completely cooled, whisk together the lime glaze ingredients, adjusting liquid or powdered sugar to desired thickness. Allow the glaze to sit for several minutes and then dip cookies or spread the glaze over top with a knife.
10-Allow the icing to set and then: Allow the icing to set and then enjoy! Store remaining cookies in an air tight container for 4-5 days.

• Prep Time: 10 min
• Cook Time: 9 min
• Method: bake

Nutrition

• Calories: 123kcal
• Sugar: 13g
• Sodium: 76mg
• Fat: 4g
• Saturated Fat: 3g
• Carbohydrates: 21g
• Fiber: 1g
• Protein: 1g
• Cholesterol: 17mg