The softest brown sugar key lime sugar cookies get topped with key lime cheesecake frosting for the ultimate summer citrus cookie.
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key lime cookies with key lime cream cheese frosting
I LOVE citrus-y bakes, which is why summer is probably my favorite season to create recipes for. These key lime cheesecake cookies are loaded with key lime zest in both the cookie and in the frosting. The sugar cookies are super soft and melt-in-your-mouth thanks to brown sugar, and the frosting is super creamy, zesty, and delicious. So if you’re looking for a perfect cookie for the summer, look no further!
why you’ll love these key lime cheesecake cookies:
- They’re easy to make: you do need a hand or stand mixer (unless you’re in for an arm workout), but the cookies come together super easily in one bowl.
- Key lime flavor: key limes are a tad sweeter than your typical limes, making them perfect for sweet bakes. And the tiny little slices make for a very cute garnish on top.
- Cheesecake frosting: the tanginess of the cream cheese is just the *perfect* compliment to the sweetness of the cookies and key lime.
expert baking tips
Weigh your ingredients:
My recipes are all written in grams because it is the most accurate way to bake. When you use a kitchen scale, you ensure that your baked goods turn out as close to the written recipe as possible. Plus, the cleanup is way easier when using a scale! I will provide standard cup measurements but please note that I have not tested the recipe using cup measurements and therefore can not guarantee your recipe will come out how mine did. Here is my favorite kitchen scale.
Use room temperature ingredients:
It’s important that your ingredients are at room temperature so that they can easily incorporate with each other. Take out your egg and butter about an hour before starting the cookies, and the cream cheese about an hour before making the cream cheese frosting.
get more flavor out of zest
Because we often can’t put a lot of citrus juice directly into our bakes since it will throw off the texture, we need a way to maximize the citrus flavor. A little trick you can do is to rub the zest with the sugar, which will release oils from the zest into the sugar and release more flavor into the dough.
Mix the dough carefully:
When adding in the flour, only fold the mixture just until no flour streaks remain. Over mixing the dough leads to more gluten formation, which can make the cookies thicker and more tough in texture.
Under bake for perfect cookies:
Cookies continue baking after they have been taken out of the oven. Once the edges turn slightly golden brown, and the cookies look just a little wet on top still, they are ready to come out. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for an additional 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool.
The secret to perfectly round cookies:
Wanna know the secret to perfectly round cookies? It’s cookie scooting! Right when the cookies come out of the oven, take a bowl, cup, or biscuit cutter that is just slightly larger than your cookies and place it over one of the cookies. Gently swirl the bowl around the cookie to make the cookie perfectly round (and slightly thicker). And that’s all there is to it!
A note on oven temperature:
Ovens vary and fluctuate in temperature and might not always actually be at the temperature they claim to be at. If you love to bake like I do, I highly recommend getting an oven thermometer. They are super helpful for letting you know when your oven might be lying to you! I use this one.
ingredients for key lime cheesecake cookies:
key lime sugar cookies:
- All purpose flour: for structure and chewiness. AP flour ranges from about 10-12% protein. If you use a flour closer to 10%, the cookies will be slightly less chewy. I use and love King Arthur Flour, which is 11.7% protein.
- Baking powder: for helping the cookies rise.
- Salt: to help balance and bring out the sweetness of the cookies
- Unsalted butter: for tenderness and flavor. You can use salted butter in place of the unsalted, just be sure to omit the extra salt from the cookies.
- Light brown sugar: for sweetness and for moisture.
- Key lime: the star of the show in these key lime cheesecake cookies! If you can’t find key limes, you can easily use regular limes in their place. You’ll just want the zest from 2 limes.
- Egg: for binding and for moisture.
cheesecake frosting:
- Cream cheese: the tanginess from the cream cheese compliments the sweetness of the frosting and cookies so well.
- Unsalted butter: a little bit of butter helps thicken up the frosting.
- Salt: a little bit of salt helps balance the sweetness and bring out the flavor of the frosting.
- Key lime: some more zest and juice in the frosting for flavor of course.
- Powdered sugar: to sweeten and thicken up the frosting.
how to make key lime cheesecake cookies
Below are a few images of the process of making these cookies. You can find the full recipe at the end of this blog post.
- Zest the key limes into the brown sugar, then use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar.
- Beat in the butter until the mixture is light and fluffy, followed by the egg.
- Mix in the dry ingredients until just combined, then chill the dough for 30 minutes.
- Bake the cookies, then frost, serve, and enjoy!
key lime cheesecake cookies q&a
can I double this recipe?
Definitely – I’ve tested this recipe up to quadrupling it with no problem. Please be sure to use grams for the best results.
can I make these cookies ahead of time?
Definitely – cookie dough really only gets better with time. You can keep the cookie dough tightly covered in the fridge for up to 2 days before baking. For longer term storage, you can also freeze the cookie dough balls. Just be sure to take the dough out of the fridge at least 30 minutes to 1 hour before you want to bake, so that it becomes soft enough to scoop again. I would recommend waiting to make the frosting until you would like to bake and frost the cookies.
store the key lime cookies in the fridge
Because the frosting is made with cream cheese, these cookies do need to be stored in the fridge once they are frosted. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you’re not a fan of cold cookies, you can let them sit out for 30-60 minutes before eating them.
tools and ingredients:
You can find all my favorite tools and ingredients that I use on my Amazon Storefront page, here!
other recipes you might enjoy:
did you make this recipe?
I’d love to see and know your thoughts! please leave a comment and review below, and tag me on instagram @freshbeanbakery. #freshbeanbakery
Key Lime Cheesecake Cookies
Ingredients
Key Lime Sugar Cookies
- 150 g light brown sugar (¾ c.)
- zest of 4 key limes
- 90 g unsalted butter room temperature (6 ⅓ tbsp.)
- 1 egg room temperature
- 160 g all purpose flour (1 ⅓ c.)
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. salt
Key Lime Cheesecake Frosting
- 100 g cream cheese room temperature (½ c.)
- 42 g unsalted butter room temperature (3 tbsp.)
- zest of 4 key limes
- ⅛ tsp. salt
- 1 tbsp. key lime juice
- 160 g powdered sugar (1 ⅓ c.)
Instructions
Soft Key Lime Sugar Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or with a silicone baking mat.
- To a medium sized mixing bowl, add in the brown sugar and key lime zest. Use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar (or you can beat the mixture with a hand mixer.)
- Add in the butter and beat the mixture until it's light and fluffy (2-3 min.)
- Beat in the egg until well combined.
- Add in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix the ingredients together just until no flour streaks remain.
- Cover the dough and leave it in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes, or for up to 2 days.*
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or with a silicone baking mat.
- Use a 3 tbsp. cookie scoop to dish out the cookies onto the prepared cookie sheet. Evenly space the cookies apart to allow room for spreading. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the sides of the cookies start to turn golden brown.
- Immediately after taking the cookies out of the oven, take a bowl that is slightly larger than the cookies and swirl it around over the cookies to make them a little more uniform and circular.
Key Lime Cheesecake Filling
- In a small bowl, beat together the cream cheese, butter, salt and key lime zest until the mixture is smooth. Then beat in the key lime juice.
- Add in the powdered sugar and mix until the mixture is smooth and free of lumps.
- Wait for the cookies to cool down to room temperature before frosting. After frosting. top with more zest and a key lime slice if desired. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that the nutrition facts are only an estimate and may vary based on different brands of ingredients and any substitutions made.
Would this recipe be suitable for a 1:1 gluten-free flour substitution?
I don’t see why not! I’ve had great success with King Arthur Flour’s and Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gf flour!
The sugar cookie might be the best one on this website! Soft and fluffy—with a hint of lime! Then the topping—oh my gosh it was good!
Ah thank you so much, I’m so happy you liked them! 🙂
Really want to make these however the recipe doesn’t include the quantity of eggs to put in. Can you edit please? Thank you so much.
Hello, sorry about that! The egg quantity likes to disappear sometimes but it’s back in there now!
I can’t print. Made it grandson loved them.
These cookies are perfect for the key lime lovers! 😋
I probably would prefer them a bit less sweet (but that might have been due to user error, hihi my daughter helped me measure the sugar).
Be sure to double up on the recipe, these won’t last for long!! Perfect summery party treat.
Hi Julia, thank you so much for your kind words and for making my recipe, I’m so happy you liked the cookies!