Key Lime Shortbread Bites
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Key Lime Cookies have all the delicious, buttery flavor of your favorite shortbread cookie with a fabulous dose of zesty, tart lime and topped with a sweet key lime glaze. With only 5 simple ingredients this is a go-to cookie for spring and summer!
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I’m on a citrus kick lately. First it was lemonade cookies, then eggless lemon curd, and now we’ve moved on to limes! Lime poke cake, key lime curd, and today’s delicious key lime cookies recipe!
Why I love this recipe
Key lime pie cookies are not a super sweet cookie, more of a shortbread…buttery with a tangy little zip of key lime flavor. They would be a great way to end a rich meal, serve with coffee, or add to a Springtime buffet or party table.
I love that these bite-sized cookies only have 5 simple ingredients as well!
Ingredients
- butter
- powdered sugar
- key limes and key lime juice (can substitute regular limes if needed)
- all-purpose flour
- salt
Step by step
- Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add lime juice and key lime zest and stir to mix.
- In a separate bowl whisk together flour and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture a little at a time, stirring in between to combine.
- Chill the cookie dough for one hour.
- Preheat oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll dough into 1 1/2 inch balls and place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. (Using a cookie scoop can help keep cookies uniform in size.) Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges are just beginning to brown.
- Cool cookies on a wire rack.
- When cookies are cool combine powdered sugar, key lime juice, and lime zest in a small bowl. Spoon the glaze over the tops of the cookies. Allow the glaze to set for a few minutes before serving.
Note: If you don’t have time to chill the dough you can bake the cookies immediately. Chilling the dough makes the cookie have a slightly little more fluffy and light texture but they are delicious either way.
Storage
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
If you try this recipe please comment and rate it below, I love hearing from you!
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Key Lime Shortbread Bites
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 30
Description
Get a burst of sweet and citrus with these delicious Key Lime Shortbread Cookies topped with a Key Lime Glaze!
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Beat in lime juice and peel.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour and salt and add gradually to creamed mixture.
- Chill dough one hour before preparing to bake.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Roll dough into 1 – 1 1/2 inch balls and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet or baking stone.
- Bake until the bottoms are lightly browned – about 8-10 minutes.
- Allow cookies to cool on wire racks while you make the key lime glaze.
- For the glaze, stir together ingredients and drizzle over your cookies.
- Allow the glaze to set (if you can wait that long) and store in an air tight container.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: dessert
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 100
- Sugar: 7.5 g
- Sodium: 78.5 mg
- Fat: 4.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 13.8 g
- Protein: 1.3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
I have several limes sat in the fridge at home just waiting to be made into these cookies! Keep the citrus-themed recipes coming – I love them.
They look wonderful. I love lime!
I love shortbread. These look so yummy. I am definitely pinning this one.
they sound great, and like a nice twist on an old favorite.
I freaking love lime. Like, seriously, probably more than I should. And lemon. And shortcake… so you can see why this most just looks AMAZING! Someday soon I’ll work up the energy to actually bake something- great job! Oh, and I’d be honored if you had the time to stop by my debut episode of Sweet Sharing Monday (weekly party w features!) – http://saynotsweetanne.com/2012/sweet-sharing-monday/
Don’t those look amazing!! Love lime. Found you on Creative Princess. 🙂
Love key lime! I would love to make these for my daughter’s birthday party in June. Great idea!
oh my – bring on the calories – they look awesome!
Those sound AMAZING!!! YUM! Thanks so much for sharing at Thursday’s Temptation.
Jill
These look delicious! I’m pinning this recipe!
These cookies sound great, I have good luck with taste of home recipes!
Ok… I am sold. I am making these this week!!!! I have to! yummmy! Thanks for sharing and I will let you know how I them- which I am sure that I will! 🙂
I love shortbread and these sound perfect for summer! Found you through Bubbly Nature Creations!! 🙂
Heather
www.cupcakeloveaffair.blogspot.com
Wow, just the title sounds delicious!
I love it “Vacation in a cookie” how perfect and the cookies sound yummy!
I’d really like to taste these cookies!
It’s a bit hard to get lime here and I’m so curious about these cookies
I love the idea of using limes, still, tangy but with that tiny twist. Will have to give these a try.
Oh my goodness… this looks so amazing! I love anything shortbread, key lime, with glaze, so this is the bomb! Thanks so much for sharing!
Take care,
Trish
ps. I just read your little blurb about leaving comments… too funny! I am so glad that I am awesome, and pretty, and smell good! I have to say that the other moms at school drop-off in the morning might disagree! 🙂
Oooo yum! I love key lime anything… Thanks for sharing at oopsey daisy!
These cookies look so yummy! We are so happy to have you link up to our “Strut Your Stuff Saturday.” We hope you’ll be back!! -The Sisters
Yum, these sound so delicious. Would you consider linking it up to my Pinworthy Projects Linky Party over at Just Us Four?
So glad you stopped by Sweet & Simple Sunday, just wanted to let you know you are one of my features this week!!
Oh MY YUM…. I wish I had this RIGHT NOW
Yummy, just making these now for a morning tea tomorrow 🙂 I tried a bit of the glaze as I was making it and can definitely confirm that they are a vacation in a cookie! Thanks for a great recipe!
ive made these twice now! Everyone loves them! i added more juice and zest to the actual cookies this time. It just tastes a little better (besides i had extra). thanks SO much!(:
YAY!! Thanks for letting me know that you made and loved a shaken together recipe!! Totally just made my day 🙂
I’m a type 1 diabetic and I do all of the cooking in my house, but I took pity on my family for having to follow my diet and made these just as you directed. Though I didn’t try them myself, I can tell you everyone absolutely loved them and the whole batch lasted about half an hour. Thank you!
You just made my day! I’m so glad your family enjoyed these!!
Made a second batch with splenda. Found my new treat!
R: Using Splenda – was this the baking formula or from the pkt?
I’m diabetic, myself, and have some key lime juice & zest to use up, so this is most helpful – will make a double batch, so I can have some on hand to bake off, during the holidays, thank you!
Absolutely delicious! Thank you for this recipe =)
Does using whole wheat flour vs. regular flour change the texture or taste of these cookies?
Hi Jess – I haven’t baked these cookies with whole wheat flour, so I can’t say for sure. If you try it, I would love to hear how they came out!
Hmm. I just made these (they’re in the oven now) and I didn’t get anywhere near 2-2 1/2 dozen. I only got sixteen. I wonder if my cookies are too big?
Hello readers! Has anyone out there actually MADE these cookies? If so, please comment on the actual results. Looking forward to those reviews! 🙂
Ah-HA! There they are…. tried and true. Now I’m anxious to bake a batch…TODAY!! 🙂
These are amazing!! Can you bake ahead and freeze??
These cookies taste delicious. The icing is a must because the cookies alone need a little something. The powdered sugar makes them VERY delicate and difficult to pick up without breaking. I tried cooking a little more, raising and lowering the temp and time a bit, and they were still quite prone to breaking. Next time I will use granulated sugar to see if that helps give them a little strength. All in all, still a delightful cookie.