Key Lime Cookies are soft and chewy sugar cookies topped with a key lime frosting, and served with a fresh lime wedge to squeeze on top. They are easy to make and are BEYOND delicious. This lime sugar cookie recipe is by far the best sugar cookie I have ever had!
If you are looking for the best cookie recipe, these Key Lime Cookies are just what you have been searching for. If you’ve ever been to Utah, you know we love our drink and cookie shops here. The lines are always wrapped around the corner at every shop. My favorite drink shop around the corner has the best Lime Sugar Cookies, so I set out to re-create this recipe at home. The soft and chewy sugar cookie is topped with the creamiest fresh lime frosting and topped with a lime wedge to squeeze on top. They are OUT OF THIS WORLD!! If you love these cookies, you are going to love some of our other desserts. Try our Brownie Cookies, Cowboy Cookie, and Key Lime Cupcakes.
Ingredients for Key Lime Sugar Cookies
- Butter: I like to use unsalted butter when baking. It allows me to control the salt content in recipes.
- Sugar: White granulated sugar is used in these sugar cookies.
- Eggs: Medium or large eggs both work well.
- Vanilla: Pure vanilla or vanilla extract work well when baking.
- Flour: I like to use all-purpose flour when baking sugar cookies.
- Baking Powder: Creates a sugar cookie that is soft and chewy.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch with create a crispy outer edge and a soft and chewy center.
Key Lime Frosting
- Cream Cheese: Using full fat cream cheese works best when making frosting.
- Butter: Make sure your butter is softened, not melted. I also like to use unsalted butter to control the salt content in my recipes.
- Vanilla: Pure vanilla or vanilla extract work well when baking.
- Lime Zest: This recipes calls for the zest of two limes.
- Lime Juice: Freshly squeezed lime juice from 2 limes works the best, but you can also use lime juice in a bottle.
- Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar is perfect for a creamy frosting.
How to make Key Lime Cookies
- In a large mixing bowl beat softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add in eggs and vanilla and beat until ingredients are mixed well.
- Add in baking powder, cornstarch, and flour 1 cup at a time. Mix with a hand mixer until thoroughly combined.
- Wrap dough in saran wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. *Do not skip this step*
- Preheat oven to 350F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Once dough has had a chance to chill, scoop cookie dough using a cookie scoop to create equal size cookie dough balls. (I used a food scale and measured each cookie dough ball to be 1.3 ounces). Double scoop the cookie dough to make large bakery style cookies. *see notes in the recipe card for baking large cookies*
- Flatten the cookie dough by gently pressing the bottom of a drinking glass down on the center of the cookie dough ball. I like to spray the bottom of the glass with cooking spray, and dip it in sugar before flattening the cookie.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 8 minutes or until the center of the cookie has puffed up and is no longer glossy. *DO NOT over bake cookies. They will become dry and crumbly*
- Remove from the oven and cool completely. I like to place my baked cookies in the fridge until I am ready to frost.
How to make key lime frosting
- With a hand mixer cream softened cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy.
- Add in vanilla, lime zest, and lime juice and mix until combined.
- Slowly add in powdered sugar until frosting becomes smooth and creamy.
- Once cookies have had a chance to completely cool, scoop a generous amount of frosting onto each cookie and top with a lime wedge.
- Refrigerate cookies until ready to serve. Enjoy!
Can I freeze sugar cookies
Yes, sugar cookies freeze very well. Simply place in individual freezer safe bags, and place in the freezer (without frosting). Pull sugar cookies out of the freezer 30 minutes before serving.
Key Lime Cookies
Key Lime Cookies are soft and chewy sugar cookies topped with a key lime frosting, and served with a fresh lime wedge to squeeze on top. They are easy to make and are BEYOND delicious. This lime sugar cookie recipe is by far the best sugar cookie I have ever had!
Ingredients
Sugar Cookie Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 2 tsp. cornstarch
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
Key Lime Frosting Ingredients
- 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla
- zest from 2 limes
- juice from 2 limes
- 2 1/2-3 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
Sugar Cookies
- In a large mixing bowl beat softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add in eggs and vanilla and beat until ingredients are mixed well.
- Add in baking powder, cornstarch, and flour 1 cup at a time. Mix with a hand mixer until thoroughly combined.
- Wrap dough in saran wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. *Do not skip this step*
- Preheat oven to 350F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Once dough has had a chance to chill, scoop cookie dough using a cookie scoop to create equal size cookie dough balls. (I used a food scale and measured each cookie dough ball to be 1.3 ounces). Double scoop the cookie dough to make large bakery style cookies. *see notes for baking large cookies*
- Flatten the cookie dough by gently pressing the bottom of a drinking glass down on the center of the cookie dough ball. I like to spray the bottom of the glass with cooking spray, and dip it in sugar before flattening the cookie.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 8 minutes or until the center of the cookie has puffed up and is no longer glossy. *DO NOT over bake cookies. They will become dry and crumbly*
- Remove from the oven and cool completely. I like to place my baked cookies in the fridge until I am ready to frost.
Key Lime Frosting
- With a hand mixer cream softened cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy.
- Add in vanilla, lime zest, and lime juice and mix until combined.
- Slowly add in powdered sugar until powdered sugar becomes smooth and creamy.
- Once cookies have had a chance to completely cool, scoop a generous amount of frosting on each cookie and top with a lime wedge.
- Refrigerate cookies until ready to serve. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition Disclaimer: All information presented on this site is intended for informational purposes only. Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on Modernmealmakeover.com should only be used as a general guideline.
*When baking large bakery style cookies, increase the baking time to 11 minutes or until the cookies puff up and are no longer glossy on the top*
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookieCalories: 270kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 2.6gFat: 14gCholesterol: 52.5mgSodium: 36.1mgPotassium: 66.4mgSugar: 20.8gVitamin A: 36.9IUVitamin C: 1.9mgCalcium: 9.5mgIron: 0.4mg
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Lime is a lovely flavor and these cookies are definitely unique. A must try recipe for sure.
Agreed! I hope you love them as much as we do!
Yum! With the heather finally warming up here I think key lime would be a great light and fresh flavor to have going to try these this weekend.
I can’t wait to hear what you think!
Lucky me! I have all the ingredients on hand to make these great looking cookies.
Yay, I hope you love them as much as we do!
I love the lime flavor. These cookies a perfect for me. I just saved the recipe and will try to make them over the weekend. Can’t wait.
I love lime flavors as well!! I can’t wait to hear what you think!
Oh my gosh, these are the best cookies I’ve ever had in my life! I don’t even want to share any with my kids. I think I’m just going to give them one and eat the rest in my closet. 😁❤️😆
This is the best! Definitely eat them all in your closet!!!