Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Brown butter white chocolate chip cookies loaded with key lime zest, coconut and hazelnuts.

This post may contain affiliate links, please read the privacy policy for details. // Recipe updated 07/10/24.

Close up of the key lime white chocolate chip cookies.

key lime white chocolate chip cookies

While lemon desserts are amazing (of course), we should also give limes a chance to shine this citrus season. These key lime white chocolate cookies are sweet and zesty, are loaded with white chocolate, hazelnuts and toasted coconut to make them perfectly summery and delicious, and have crisp edges with soft centers

why you’ll love these key lime white chocolate chip cookies

  • Brown butter. It’s so delicious and such an easy way to add even more flavor into a cookie.
  • They’re perfect for spring. It’s zesty and it is loaded with white chocolate – I don’t know about you but it screams spring to me!
  • Key lime: a plain white chocolate chip cookie can be a little, well, plain. The addition of key lime zest, coconut & hazelnuts adds *so* much flavor to these cookies and pairs perfectly with the white chocolate.
A key lime white chocolate chip cookie on a ruffled plate.

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.

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.

chill the cookies prior to baking:

I know, I know – it’s frustrating to have to wait! However, because we’re using melted brown butter, we want to give the dough time to firm up. Letting the cookie dough chill just a little bit in the fridge means that the cookies will bake up thicker and gives the flavors a little bit of time to meld together.

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.

Overhead view of the key lime white chocolate chip cookies.

ingredients for key lime white chocolate chip cookies:

  • All purpose flour: for structure and chewiness.
  • Baking soda & baking powder: helps the cookies rise and the edges crisp up.
  • 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. We’ll also be browning the butter for some extra delicious toasty flavor. If you’re looking to make this dairy-free, Miyoko’s Creamery vegan butter has the ability to brown just like regular butter and works like a charm.
  • Granulated sugar & light brown sugar: a combination of both gives us cookies with crispy edges and soft and chewy centers.
  • Key limes: we’ll only be using the zest of the key limes. Honestly, you can use a regular lime instead – I just think that key limes make it more fun!
  • Egg: for binding and for moisture.
  • Coconut extract: for flavor.
  • White chocolate: I used Valrhona feves which I love, but they are definitely on the pricier side and more of a treat-yourself item. If you’re not using feves, I recommend using a white chocolate baking bar. You can also of course use chocolate chips here, just note that the cookies will end up a little thicker.
  • Sweetened coconut flakes: for flavor and texture – we’ll toast them for a bit more flavor.
  • Hazelnuts: or your favorite nut – for flavor & texture.

how to make key lime white chocolate chip cookies

Here are the basic steps to follow to make these cookies. You can find the complete recipe at the end of this blog post.

The dough after mixing together the sugars, key lime zest and brown butter.
The dough after mixing in the egg and vanilla.
  • Mix together the sugars, key lime zest and brown butter.
  • Then whisk in the egg and coconut extract.
The key lime white chocolate chip cookie dough in a mixing bowl.
The cookie dough scooped out on a baking tray.
  • Fold in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and toasted coconut, followed by the white chocolate and hazelnuts.
  • Chill the dough, then bake, serve & enjoy!

key lime white chocolate chip cookies recipe q&a

What is brown butter?

Brown butter is super simple to make so don’t worry! It’s just regular butter that is cooked on the stove until some of the moisture evaporates, allowing the milk solids in the butter to be toasted. The result is this butter with an amber hue and little speckles that has a toasted and slightly nutty aroma.

Do I need to use key limes?

Not necessarily – we won’t be using the juice from the limes so you can definitely just use a regular lime if you’d like!

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 20 minutes before you want to bake, so that it becomes soft enough to scoop again.

How to store key lime cookies

Store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They will keep for up to 5 days, but will taste the best 1-3 days after baking.

Close up of the key lime white chocolate chip cookies.

cookies troubleshooting

Measuring error: Typically, the #1 culprit for this is always not measuring the flour properly. If you use cup measurements, you run the risk of adding too much flour to the dough which can make it super dry. If you’re using cup measurements, make sure that you fluff up your flour and then spoon it into your measuring cup, rather than scooping up the flour with the measuring cup. Measuring will also be sure that you end up with the right amount of brown butter and that you cooked it for the proper amount of time.

Overmixing: if you over-mix the dough, you will introduce more gluten into the cookies which will lead to tougher, thicker cookies. Make sure to only fold in the flour just until that last streak of flour disappears into the dough.

Oven temperature: Like I said before, it’s possible that your oven isn’t at the temperature that it claims to be at – which is, unfortunately, more common than it should be. If your oven is hotter than 350F without your knowledge, you’ll end up with thicker, more dry cookies.

Chilling the dough: The #1 reason for this would be that you didn’t chill the cookie dough. Although it can be frustrating to wait, the cookie dough does need to chill to give time for the butter to firm up and the ingredients to meld together so that they don’t completely spread out in the oven.

Browning the butter: Another reason I recommend measuring your ingredients. When you brown the butter, moisture cooks off of it. So, if it wasn’t cooked for long enough then there would be extra moisture in the dough, which would make the cookies spread out more.

Oven temperature: It could also be that your oven temperature is running lower than it claims to be. For that reason, I recommend always using an oven thermometer. The one I use was ~$6 and is linked under “baking tools” in my amazon storefront below!

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 White Chocolate Chip Cookies

5 from 8 votes
Brown butter white chocolate chip cookies loaded with key lime zest, coconut and hazelnuts.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Chilling Time 30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Servings8 cookies
Calories391 kcal

Ingredients 

  • 113 g unsalted butter (½ c.)
  • 30 g sweetened coconut flakes (¼ c.)
  • 50 g granulated sugar (¼ c.)
  • 100 g light brown sugar (½ c.)
  • zest of 5 key limes*
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp. coconut extract
  • 160 g all purpose flour (1 ¼ c.)
  • ½ tsp. baking powder
  • ½ tsp. baking soda
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 110 g white chocolate (¾ c. + 1 tbsp.)
  • 56 g hazelnuts crushed (½ c.)

Instructions 

  • In a small saucepan set over medium heat, brown the butter. Stir the butter occasionally until it turns amber in color and develops little brown specks.
  • Transfer the brown butter to a small heat-safe bowl. You should be left with 90g. If you have 1-3g more than that, that's okay – if you have 1-3g less, add in some water until you reach 90g. Set the butter in the fridge while you toast the coconut.
  • Add the coconut flakes into the same pan that you browned the butter in. Place over medium heat and stir until the coconut flakes start to turn brown. Then, remove them from the heat and set them aside.
  • Add the granulated and brown sugar to a medium sized mixing bowl.
  • Zest the limes into the bowl of sugar, then use your hands to rub together the zest and sugar until sugar is fully coated and kind of resembles wet sand.
  • Add in the brown butter and mix until combined. Then whisk in the egg and coconut extract until well combined.
  • Add in the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Use a rubber spatula to fold the mixture together just until a few flour streaks remain.
  • Add in the white chocolate, toasted coconut flakes, and crushed hazelnuts and fold just until no flour streaks remain.
  • Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up.**
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
  • Scoop out heaping 3 tbsp. scoops of the cookie dough. (If you chilled the dough for longer, you may need to wait 10-20 minutes for it to become soft enough to scoop.)
  • Top each cookie with additional white chocolate and a little bit more lime zest if desired, and bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are golden brown.
  • Once the cookies come out of the oven, I recommend "scooting" them. This just means take a bowl, cup, or biscuit cutter that is slightly larger than the cookie, place it on top of the cookie, and swirl the bowl around to make the cookie a little more round.
  • Let the cookies sit on the hot baking tray for at least 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Affiliate links: Kitchen Scale (my favorite) | Kitchen scale (great starter option) | | Oven Thermometer | Cookie Scoops | Cookie Sheet Pan | Milk Pan
*you can use 1 large lime instead if you’d like!
**At this point you could transfer the dough balls to an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for up to 2 days before baking, or in the freezer for 1 month.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookieCalories: 391kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 5gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 273mgPotassium: 151mgFiber: 2gSugar: 28gVitamin A: 389IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 74mgIron: 2mg

Please note that the nutrition facts are only an estimate and may vary based on different brands of ingredients and any substitutions made.

5 from 8 votes (8 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating