White Chocolate Chip Key Lime Cookies are like key lime pie in cookie form! They start with a key lime sugar cookie dough that gets filled with white chocolate chips and graham cracker pieces. These lime cookies are so much easier to make than a key lime pie but are just as delicious! You can have them in less than 30 minutes if you start now!
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I'm instantly transported to Florida in my mind any time I eat key lime pie, and because it still feels like winter here in Chicago, I decided to take a mental trip somewhere warm with this recipe for key lime cookies.
The key lime zest and white chocolate chips remind me of key lime pie filling, and I couldn't resist adding my favorite part of key lime pie to these cookies - the graham cracker crust! This is done by adding pieces of graham crackers right into the dough!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Delicious key lime pie flavor, but way less work than making a pie!
- It's a super simple citrus cookie recipe, like my Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars.
- The colorful key lime zest will brighten your day!
- Rich and creamy white chocolate in every bite.
- They're a fun tropical twist on white chocolate macadamia nut cookies!
Ingredients
- Key lime zest is what gives these lime sugar cookies their classic pie taste. You won't need the juice in this recipe, but save it to make my No Bake Key Lime Cheesecake Bars!
- Granulated sugar and light brown sugar add sweetness and create a great chew in these key lime pie cookies.
- White chocolate chips compliment the zesty citrus in these cookies. Use good quality white chocolate chips such as Guittard or Ghirardelli, or chop up a white chocolate bar.
- Graham cracker pieces are reminiscent of the graham cracker crust in this lime cookie recipe.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions & Variations
- If you can't find key limes at your grocery store, substitute regular lime zest.
- Create a lime glaze by adding a bit of lime juice to powdered sugar. Drizzle it over the cookies for extra lime flavor.
- Make cookie sandwiches with your favorite ice cream or frosting, and roll the edges in graham cracker crumbs!
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
How to Make Key Lime Cookies
Step 1: Cream room temperature butter, granulated and light brown sugars, and key lime zest until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg and vanilla.
Step 2: Stir the all purpose flour, baking soda, and salt into the wet ingredients.
Step 3: Mix the white chocolate chips and graham cracker pieces into the lime cookie dough.
Step 4: Scoop large balls of cookie dough onto a prepared baking sheet and top with extra crushed graham crackers and white chocolate chips (optional). Bake at 350°F until the edges start to lightly brown.
Expert Baking Tips
- As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, use a biscuit cutter or round cookie cutter to scoot the cookies to make them perfectly round.
- Make sure your unsalted butter is at room temperature before creaming.
- Use a large cookie or ice cream scoop to get even dough balls.
- Don't over-zest your limes! The very outer green layer is all that should come off with the zester. If you get too much of the white layer underneath, the cookies may taste bitter.
Recipe FAQs
Key limes are a smaller, more aromatic lime than the common grocery store variety. The juice is less acidic than normal limes.
No. This recipe does not require you to chill the dough before baking.
This could be from over-measuring flour. I highly recommend using a food scale to weigh this in grams (see "metric" tab in recipe card below).
Storage
Room Temperature
Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Add a slice of bread to the container to keep them extra soft!
Freezing Instructions
Freeze fully cooled key lime pie cookies in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
Did you try this recipe?
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📖 Recipe
White Chocolate Chip Key Lime Cookies
Equipment
- Baking sheet
- Mixing bowls
- Electric mixer recommended
- Measuring spoons
- Spatula
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
- 10 tablespoons (140 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon key lime zest
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1¾ cups (218.75 g) all-purpose flour weighed in grams or spooned and leveled
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (90 g) white chocolate chips
- ½ cup graham cracker pieces about 2 graham crackers
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (optional).
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, and key lime zest until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg and vanilla extract.
- Stir the flour, baking soda, and salt into the wet ingredients. Fold in the white chocolate chips and graham cracker pieces just until combined.
- Scoop large cookie dough balls (3-4 tablespoons each) onto the prepared baking sheet. Top with extra white chocolate chips and graham cracker pieces (optional). Bake on the middle rack until the edges just start to tan (8-11 minutes).
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Sara says
I made this recipe but swapped the key lime for lemon because that's what I had. These were so tasty. Definitely will make again