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These lime shortbread cookies are buttery, tender, and packed with plenty of lime flavor from fresh lime zest and juice. The cookies are coated in powdered sugar, which adds the right amount of sweetness to balance the tartness of the lime. The result is a melt-in-your-mouth cookie that’s simple to make and full of big citrus flavor.

Two small stacks of lime shortbread cookies on two small plates with a teacup and small limes in the background.

The Perfect Lime Version of My Shortbread Cookie

This cookie was inspired by two things: my love of shortbread and citrus. I already have classic shortbread and lemon shortbread recipes on the blog, so a lime version felt like a natural next step.

Then I visited a sweets shop in Savannah and tried a cookie called a Key Lime Cooler. It was sweet, but the lime flavor was sharp and puckery in the best way. That bite stayed with me and I knew I wanted to recreate something similar.

To get that bold lime flavor, I used both zest and juice. Most recipes just call for zest, and usually just from 2 limes. That amount can vary a lot. I include the zest by weight (10 grams) so readers can get the same punchy flavor every time.

I also had to tweak the dough. Adding lime juice made it too soft at first, so I increased the flour from my usual recipe and that solved the texture without muting the lime.

What Makes These Cookies So Good

These aren’t just any lime cookies, they're built on a classic shortbread base that I've tested and trusted many time. Here’s what makes these cookies so amazing:

Bold citrus flavor: I did not hold back on the lime zest and juice. I tested the recipe many times, just to see how much limeI could get into this cookie because I wanted that sharp lime flavor. It works really well since the cookie is coated with powdered sugar. To help ensure you get the same flavor at time, I've provided the weight of the lime zest.
Perfect cookie texture: The dough rolls out easily and bakes into tender, buttery cookies that don’t spread. Because of the amount of liquid in this recipe the cookie is really soft.
Powdered sugar finish: Tossing the cookies in powdered sugar while still warm helps the sugar stick and balances the tart lime flavor with just the right sweetness. I decided to go with the powdered sugar coating because I wanted to recreate a cookie that I had while visiting Savannah called a key lime cooler cookie.

If you like shortbread cookies try a couple of my other favorites including cranberry orange cookies and these lemon sandwich cookies.

How to Get the Most Flavor From Lime Zest

To get the most flavor from the lime zest my favorite technique is to zest the lime (or any citrus) directly into the sugar. The flavor is in the oils in the peel and as you zest the citrus that oil lands in the sugar along with the zest.

Weighing the Lime Zest: The best way to measure the zest is to weigh it. Place the sugar in a small bowl on a scale. Then zest the limes into the sugar. It's important to use a small bowl, so the weight of the zest is registered by the scale. If you use a large mixing bowl, the load cells of the scale are greatly compressed and therefore the light weight of the zest won't register.

Lime shortbread cookies ingredients on a green surface - granulated sugar, kosher salt, powdered sugar, unsalted butter, fresh limes, all-purpose flour

Fresh Lime Zest and Lime Juice: The zest and the juice are the stars of the show in these cookies. Make sure you get fresh limes with shiny skins. That's an indication that there is plenty of oil in the skin. Also don't use limes that have a lot of brown spots. It's usually an indication that the inside of the lime is starting to go bad.
Powdered Sugar: A lot of shortbread cookies are made with powdered sugar, but for this recipe the powdered sugar is the coating on the outside of the cookie. The first coating of powdered sugar is added while the cookies are still warm because it turns slightly sticky as it melts and makes the second coating stick better to the cookie.

Full ingredients, measurements, and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

How to Make Lime Shortbread Cookies from Scratch

A small glass bowl filled with sugar and lots of lime zest

Step 1: Measure the sugar and zest the limes into the sugar.

The lime sugar mixture in a ceramic mixing bowl. The sugar looks green

Step 2: Rub the zest into the sugar until your kitchen smells like lime and the sugar is green.

The lime sugar mixture and butter in an off white ceramic mixing bowl

Step: 3: Add the butter to the sugar and lime mixture

The lime-sugar mixture and butter creamed together in a large ceramic mixing bowl.

Step 4: Cream the butter and together. Then add the lime juice.

Lime shortbread cookie dough in a large bowl with the flour poured on top

Step 5: Add flour all at once.

Lime shortbread cookie dough in a large ceramic mixing bowl

Step 6: Mix the flour in until the dough forms into a large ball of dough.

Lime shortbread cookie dough on a wooden work surface shaped into a disc

Step 7: Knead the dough into a smooth ball of dough.

Lime shortbread cookie dough rolled on a wooden work surface

Step 8: Roll the dough out to 1/4-inch thickness

Lime shortbread cookie dough on a wooden work surface with 2-inch circles cut out of the cookie

Step 9: Cut out the cookies a 2-inch round cookie cutter.

The unbaked cookies arranged in rows on a parchment lined baking tray

Step 10: Place the cookies on a parchment lined board and chill.

Twelve unbaked lime shortbread cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet

Step 11: Place 12 cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Twelve baked cookies on a parchment lined half baking sheet

Step 12: Bake the cookies for 15 minutes and then remove from the oven.

Lime shortbread cookies covered with powdered sugar on a wire cooling rack. There is a small bowl with powdered sugar and a couple of cookies next to the wire rack.

Step 13: While the cookies are still warm toss them in powedered sugar and place. them on a wire rack to finish cooling.

Several lime shortbread cookies with powdered sugar arranged on a long rectangular platter with fresh limes near the platter

Tips for Success with Lime Shortbread Cookies

This recipe is simple, but a few key techniques make a big difference in the final cookie. Here’s what to keep in mind:

Weigh your ingredients. I'm a big advocate of weighing your ingredients and when I can I list the volume and weight measurements. Since the base recipe is based on the ratio of the ingredient weights, you'll need a kitchen scale. Accurate measurements are critical to getting the right texture.
Use a small bowl to weigh the lime zest. If you’re using a kitchen scale, avoid placing your mixing bowl directly on the scale when weighing zest. Use a small bowl so the scale can register accurately.
Chill the cut cookies before baking. At least 30 minutes. This helps the cookies hold their shape and prevents spreading.
Prick the dough with a fork. It’s not just decorative. As the butter melts, it creates steams. The holes allow the steam to escape and keeps the tops flat as they bake.

Two small plates with 2 lime shortbread cookies on each plate

If you make these delicious citrus shortbread cookies please leave a rating and a comment below.

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