Easy Key Lime Cookies Recipe
If you love key lime pie, this Easy Key Lime Cookies recipe needs to be on your to-do list. The soft graham cracker cookie is topped with a perfect key lime frosting and whipped topping. They are sure to be everyone’s new favorite cookie!
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Tips & tricks to achieve the most delicious cookies of your life!
The PERFECT Cookie
You will flip over the wonderful lime flavor in this amazing dessert that is made with simple ingredients. Starting with a soft graham cracker cookie and finishing with a beautiful frosting that is essentially cheesecake and full of the flavor of key limes.
Finally a bit of whipped cream brings everything together into an easy key lime cookie recipe that totally rocks. They are amazing during the summer but can be made any time of year.
What goes into this Recipe
- Vanilla Cake Mix- The perfect starting point for these delicious graham cracker cake mix cookies.
- Light Brown Sugar- Adding additional brown sugar to the graham cracker cookie dough gives it a wonderful flavor.
- Graham Crackers- Be sure to either purchase or use your food processor to create very fine crumbs. You can use them for these Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies too!
- Butter- One of my favorite baking ingredients!
- Eggs- A couple are added to help hold the ingredients together and give them a nice soft texture.
- Cream Cheese- Added to the key lime filling for a nice zesty and creamy touch.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk- An ingredient that works perfectly with the tanginess of the key lime juice.
- Key Lime Juice- A good key lime dessert would be lost without this tart flavor. The citrus flavor brings everything together and will transport you to the beaches of Key West.
- Powdered Sugar- For a bit of extra sweetness.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make the BEST Key Lime Cookies
1.Combine the cake mix, brown sugar and graham crackers in a large bowl. Whisk to combine the ingredients.
2. Add the melted butter and eggs. Mix using an electric mixer to combine the ingredients until you have a thick dough.
Use a 1/4 measuring cup to make cookie dough balls. Form them into discs and place 6 onto a silicone {or parchment paper} lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, remove from the oven and place the sheet on a wire rack. Immediately use the bottom of a drinking glass to form an indentation into the middle of all baked cookies.
Once the cookies are cooled, combine the room temperature cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk with a hand held mixer until smooth. Next, add the lime juice and powdered sugar, continue to mix until you have a smooth and creamy key lime cheesecake filling.
Add the mixture to a piping bag and pipe the filling into the indentations {or spoon the filling} of the graham cracker cookie base.
Add whipped topping to a piping bag fitted with a star attachment and pipe a small amount to the tops of the cookies.
Finish with a wedge of lime and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Purchase graham cracker crumbs from the supermarket and save yourself time. They are in the same section as the pie filling and ready made pie crusts.
- Instead of juicing key limes, use key lime juice from a jar. It is available for purchase at most major grocery stores. I use it in this no bake Key Lime Pie too!
- Soften the cream cheese before using. When the cream cheese isn’t softened correctly the filling will not be wonderful and silky smooth.
- Add a teaspoon of regular lime zest to the frosting for a special touch. It gives the cookies a deeper lime flavor and looks gorgeous!
- Don’t over bake the cookies. Over baking is something that can really affect the overall outcome and result in hard cookies instead of chewy cookies.
Storing and Freezing
Store- The best way to store Crumbl Key Lime Pie Cookies is in the refrigerator. They should be in an airtight container, in a single layer and will stay fresh for up to 4 days.
Freeze- You can freeze Key Lime Pie Cookies for up to 3 months. I would suggest freezing the cookies and then filling them with the key lime filling after defrosting for the freshest and best texture.
Recipe FAQs
There are a few differences between key and regular limes. First of all, key limes are much smaller than a regular lime. Secondly, key limes have a different flavor. They are more acidic and have a tangy tart taste while regular limes are not as strong.
Regular lime juice is a great substitute {and the next best thing} for key lime juice if you can’t find it. There is a bit of a difference in taste, as key limes are a bit more tart and have a stronger taste than a regular lime would have.
It is easy to make these large Copycat Crumbl Key Lime Pie Cookies into mini versions. Start by using 2 tablespoons of dough {or use a medium cookie scoop} for each cookie mound, form into a disc and bake for 7-9 minutes.
Make the indentation of a tart shaper or a smaller object and fill as directed. The recipe will make 20-22 mini Lime Pie Cookies.
The best way is to make the indentations after the cookie is baked because otherwise the space will bake flat. Once you pull the cookies from the oven, take the bottom of a drinking glass and press down to create an area where you can fill it with the delicious key lime filling.
Do you love cake mix cookies? Try these awesome recipe…
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Easy Key Lime Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Cookie
- 1 box vanilla cake mix {15.25 ounces}
- ¼ cup light brown sugar {packed}
- 1 ¼ cup graham cracker crumbs
- ½ cup butter {melted}
- 2 eggs
Key Lime Cheesecake Frosting
- 16 ounces cream cheese {softened}
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- ½ cup key lime juice {or lime juice}
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
Topping
- ¼ cup whipped topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
Graham Cracker Cookies
- In a medium bowl combine the vanilla cake mix, brown sugar and graham cracker crumbs. Whisk to combine the dry ingredients.
- Add the melted butter and eggs to the dry ingredients and mix using a hand held or stand mixer until you have a thick dough.
- Use a ¼ measuring cup to measure out dough and form each dough mound into a large disc. Place 6 onto a silicone mat {or parchment} lined baking sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until set. Remove from the oven and use the bottom of a drinking glass to make an indentation into each cookie. Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet. Continue until all of the dough is baked.
Key Lime Cheesecake Frosting
- Once the cookies have cooled, combine the softened cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk in a medium bowl with a hand held mixer until smooth. Add key lime juice and powdered sugar, continue to mix until you have a creamy filling.
- Add the filling to a piping bag or spoon the filling into the indentations of each cookie. Sprinkle the top of the filling with a few additional graham cracker crumbs.
- To finish the cookies, add whipped topping to a piping bag, fitted with the star attachment {or a zipper bag} and pipe a bit of whipped topping in the middle of each cookie. Add a wedge of lime and serve.
Video
Notes
- Purchase graham cracker crumbs from the supermarket and save yourself time. They are in the same section as the pie filling and ready made pie crusts.
- Instead of juicing key limes, use key lime juice from a jar. It is available for purchase at most major grocery stores.
- Add a teaspoon of regular lime zest to the frosting for a special touch.It gives the cookies a deeper lime flavor and looks gorgeous!
