Yield: 8 key lime cheesecake cookies // Total Time: 40 min. // Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links. // Recipe updated 06/08/22.

The softest key lime sugar cookies get topped with key lime cheesecake frosting for the ultimate summer citrus cookie.

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 chewy thanks to a combination of brown sugar and powdered 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!

recipe tips

weigh your ingredients

Weighing your ingredients is important for getting the recipe perfect and getting consistent results. Not weighing your ingredients can lead to adding too much or too little of an ingredient. In a small batch recipe it is especially important to get those correct measurements because there is less room for error. If you haven’t already, I highly recommend purchasing a kitchen scale. This one is super cheap and worked well for me when I was starting out!

room temperature ingredients

It is important for the ingredients to be at room temperature so that they properly incorporate with each other. If you have ever had your batter look curdled, it is most likely due to the ingredients separating from being at different temperatures. Take out the eggs, butter, and cream cheese at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hr 30 min. before starting the recipe. To get an egg to room temperature quickly, you can run it under hot water for 1 minute. To get butter and cream cheese to room temperature quickly, you can slice them and lay them flat on a plate, then microwave in 5 second intervals until they are soft to the touch.

get more flavor out of zest

Because we often can’t put a lot of citrus juice directly into our bakes because it will throw off the texture, we need a way to maximize that 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 therefore, will 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. Overmixing the dough leads to more gluten formation, which can make the cookies super tough and chewy.

under bake for perfect cookies

Cookies continue baking after they have been taken out of the oven. Once the edges turn slightly golden brown, the cookies 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.

cookie scooting

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!

ingredients and substitutions

For the key lime sugar cookies:

All purpose flour: for structure and chewiness.

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.

Powdered sugar: for sweetness and for keeping the cookies extra soft and chewy.

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 1 large lime.

Egg: for binding and for moisture.

Key lime juice: for some extra lime flavor in the cookies.

Cream cheese: for the cheesecake filling! You can also use Neufchatel cheese.

For the key lime 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.

key lime cheesecake cookies q&a

can I double this recipe?

Of course! I even more strongly recommend measuring by weight if you are going to double the recipe for the best results.

can I make these cookies ahead of time?

Definitely! Cookie dough only gets better with time. You can keep the cookie dough tightly covered in the fridge for up to 3 days before baking. For longer term storage, you can also freeze the cookie dough. 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.

how to store key lime cheesecake cookies

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 minutes before eating them!

a note on oven temperature

Ovens vary and fluctuate in temperature. For example, at my old apartment I would always have to set my oven to 330°F if I want it to bake at 350°F, and now my current oven runs a little bit hotter. 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.

tools and ingredients

You can find all my favorite tools and ingredients that I use on my Amazon Storefront page, here!