Key Lime Cookies

These key lime cookies are soft and delicious and simply melt in your mouth! They are loaded with key lime flavor and topped with a tangy lime frosting.

Say hello to your new favorite cookie!

These key lime cookies are ultra soft and gorgeous with the most beautiful melt-in-your-mouth texture.

The lime flavor is suble but perfect and they are topped with a lovely lime buttercream frosting that has just enough tang to offset the sweetness to perfection.

You’ll also love our lemon cookies and our coconut cookies.

Ingredients For The Cookies:

Ingredient Notes

• Lime juice – should ideally be freshly squeezed. Key limes OR regular limes are both perfect to use in this recipe.
• Lime zest – adds delicious flavor to the cookies. We use a zester which makes quick work of zesting limes.
• Butter – should ideally be softened. If you forget to soften it, then cut it into cubes and just beat it with the sugar for a minute or two longer.
• Cornstarch – softens the cookies for an ultra soft texture.

Ingredients For The Frosting:

Frosting Ingredient Notes

• Butter – as with the cookies, it’s ideal if the butter is softened, but if you forget to take it out the fridge in time then no problem. Just cut it into cubes and beat it in the stand mixer for a minute or two extra to soften it before you add the other ingredients.
• Lime juice – should be freshly squeezed for the best flavor. Key limes or regular limes are both fine to use.

How To Make Key Lime Cookies

Full instructions and measurements can always be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.

Cookies:

• Add softened butter and white granulated sugar to the bowl of your stand mixer and cream them together until smooth.

• Add fresh lime juice and an egg and mix them in.

• In a separate bowl add all purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt and whisk them together.

• Add the dry ingredients in with the wet and mix it by hand (don’t use the stand mixer for this) into a cookie dough.

• Add the lime zest and form it into a big ball of dough.

• Break off pieces of the dough and roll them into balls. Aim to get 20 balls of cookie dough from the batch.
• Place the balls evenly on a large parchment lined baking sheet.

• Flatten the balls either with your hands or by using the base of a glass. Place a square of parchment paper on top of the cookie so that the glass doesn’t stick and then gently press down on it with the base of the glass to flatten.
• Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes.
• Leave them on the baking sheet to cool down and firm up before frosting.

Frosting:

• Add softened butter to your stand mixer and beat it until smooth.

• Add powdered sugar and lime juice and beat it in until your frosting is smooth and fluffy.

• When the cookies are completely cooled, spread on the frosting.

Baker’s Tips

Measure the flour correctly. For the perfect texture you need to use the exact right amount of flour. Ideally weigh it out on a food scale. The next best thing is to use the spoon and level method. Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level off the top with a knife. Don’t pack the flour into the cup and don’t scoop it.

Baking times. Baking for 10 minutes results in a lovely soft cookie. If you want them a little crunchier then bake them for 12 minutes.

Storing and Freezing

Keep them stored in an airtight container at room temperature and enjoy within 2-3 days. They can also be stored in the fridge for up to a week. Let them come to room temperature before serving.

They can also be frozen for up to 3 months.

More Cookie Recipes

1. White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
2. Peppermint Cookies
3. Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
4. Pumpkin Cookies
5. Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
6. Meringue Cookies

Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below.