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Key lime cookies are the perfect sweet and tangy taste combination. They are refreshing, rich, and so delicious for summer. You might also like our frosted lemon sugar cookies! Our cookies start with a graham cracker cookie. It’s a buttery and delicious treat.
The cookie is spread with yummy lime buttercream and then topped with a tiny lime wedge. The lime wedge not only serves as a garnish, but it's also a boost of flavor! Give the wedge a little squeeze over the cookie before taking a bit. So yummy.
These cookies aren’t made with key limes or key lime juice. I use regular lime juice and zest. You can use key limes if you’d like, but I prefer the flavor of regular limes. They are easier to juice too. I call them key lime pie cookies because they take after the pie in flavor and style, but I cheat and use bigger, juicier limes.
Key Lime Pie Cookie Ingredients
COOKIE DOUGH
- ½ cup butter (salted or unsalted butter)
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup white sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp. milk
- ¾ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups flour
- ¾ cups graham cracker crumbs
Lime Buttercream
- ½ cup butter
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 Tbsp. lime zest
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
How To Make Key Lime Pie Cookies
I use my stand mixer with the paddle attachment to make cookies, but you can use a hand-held electric mixer as well.
You can use storebought graham cracker crumbs (found in the baking aisle next to graham cracker crumb pie crusts) or place a couple of sleeves of broken graham crackers into a blender of food processor and pulse until finely ground. I’ve done both methods and the cookies turn out the same.
Cream butter and sugars in a large mixing bowl. Mix in egg. Add vanilla and milk.
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients.
Scoop dough (using a medium cookie scoop) onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Let cookies cool for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks.
Beat frosting ingredients together and spread frosting over cooled cookies.
Add a small lime wedge to the top of each cookie.
Squeeze lime juice over cookies before eating. This recipe makes 22 cookies that can be stored at room temperature or chilled.
Optional: sprinkle extra graham cracker crumbs over the cookies as a garnish.
Key Lime Pie Cookie Recipe
Key Lime Pie Cookies
If you love the sweet and tangy flavors of key lime pie you'll love our key lime cookie recipe! A sweet graham cracker cookie topped with lime buttercream. Don't forget to squeeze extra lime juice over the cookie before eating it---it's the best part!
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Servings: 22 cookies
Calories: 222kcal
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- ½ cup butter softened
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup white sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 Tbsp. milk
- ¾ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- ¾ cups graham cracker crumbs
LIME BUTTERCREAM
- ½ cup butter softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 Tbsp. lime zest
- ¼ cup lime juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Cream butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer or mix in large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer. Mix in egg. Add vanilla and milk.
- Add dry ingredients.
- Scoop dough (using a medium cookie scoop) onto parchment paper-lined cookie sheets and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Let cookies cool for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks.
- Beat frosting ingredients together and spread frosting over cookies.
- Add a small lime wedge to the top of each cookie.
- Squeeze lime juice over cookies before eating.
Notes
- I use my stand mixer with the paddle attachment to make cookies, but you can use a hand-held electric mixer as well.
- You can use storebought graham cracker crumbs (found in the baking aisle next to graham cracker crumb pie crusts) or place a couple of sleeves of broken graham crackers into a blender of food processor and pulse until finely ground. I’ve done both methods and the cookies turn out the same.
- This recipe makes 22 cookies that can be stored at room temperature or chilled in the fridge. Store in an airtight container or cover in plastic.
Nutrition
Calories: 222kcal
Vicki F says
These cookies were a HUGE hit at poker/game night! Very easy to make and so delicious. Next time I may incorporate some bottled key lime juice as key limes can be a challenge to juice. Thanks for the great recipe!
Brandy says
Yay! So glad to hear this!