Buttery and Tart Lime Shortbread Cookies

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.

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 Cookie Ingredients

• 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

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

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

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

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

Step 5: Add flour all at once.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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Buttery and Tart Lime Shortbread Cookies

3.50 from 2 votes

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Chilling Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 50 minutes minutes

These lime shortbread cookies are buttery, tender and just incredible. The recipe is based on my classic shortbread cookie, but with a ton of bright citrus flavor from the fresh lime zest and lime juice. I love how the tart lime makes your mouth pucker just a little, and the powdered sugar coating adds the perfect touch of sweetness.

Servings: 44 cookies

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Author: Cheryl Norris

Equipment

• ▢
  Electric Handheld Mixer
• ▢
  Mixing Bowls
• ▢
  Microplane Zester
• ▢
  Digital Scale
• ▢
  2-inch Cookie Cutter
• ▢
  Wooden Rolling Pin
• ▢
  Half Baking Sheet
• ▢
  Parchment Paper

Ingredients

• ▢ 12-1/2 ounces (340 grams plus 2 tablespoons) unbleached all-purpose flour
• ▢ 4 ounces (114 grams) granulated sugar
• ▢ 5 teaspoons (10 grams) fresh lime zest
• ▢ 8 ounces (227 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 2 tablespoons (30 ml) fresh lime juice
• ▢ 1 cup (120 grams) powdered sugar sifted

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Instructions

Make the Cookie Dough

• Measure the flour into a medium-sized bowl and set aside.
• Weigh the sugar into a small bowl. Zest the limes directly into the sugar until you have 10 grams or 5 teaspoons of zest. Use your fingers to rub the lime zest into the sugar until the mixture is fragrant and the zest is evenly distributed. Juice the limes until you have 2 tablespoons of juice and set aside.
• Note: It's important to use a small bowl when weighing the zest so the scale registers the weight of the zest.
• Pour the sugar-lime zest mixture into a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and salt. Mix with a hand mixer on medium speed until the mixture is smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the lime juice and mix on medium speed until it is fully incorporated.
• Add all the flour at once. Turn the mixer to low speed and mix for about 30 seconds, then increase the mixer speed to medium and mix until the dough forms large cohesive clumps.
• Turn the cookie dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 2 even pieces.
• One at a time, roll each piece of dough to 1/4-inch thick. Use a 2-inch round cookie cutter to cut out the cookies. Place the cookies on a quarter-sheet pan or board lined with parchment paper. Prick each cookie in the center with a fork. Pricking the cookies will allow the steam from the butter to escape when the cookies bake and ensure the cookies stay flat when baked.
• Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Chilling the dough will help the cookies hold their shape when baking.

Bake the Cookies

• While the cookies are chilling, preheat the oven to 300°F. Line two half-sized baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Place 12 cookies on the baking sheet and bake the cookies for 15-17 minutes. The bottom of the cookies will be lightly golden brown on the bottom.
• Take the cookies out of the oven and allow them to cool for about 2 minutes on the cookie sheet. While the cookies are still warm, gently toss them in the sifted powdered sugar.
• Note: the cookies are delicate at this point, so handle them gently. Place the cookies on a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
• Repeat with the remaining cookies. If you only have one baking sheet, let it cool completely before baking the next batch of cookies
• Before serving, toss the cookies in the powdered sugar one more time for a generous coating.

Storing the Cookies

• Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to one week.

Notes

Weigh the ingredients. For the best results use a kitchen scale to weigh the ingredients. The ratio of flour, butter, and sugar is the key to the cookies keeping their shape. Too much flour will result in a dry, crumbly cookie and too little flour will result in a cookie that spreads.

Oven Temperatures: Every oven bakes a little differently, and many run hotter or cooler than the temperature they're set at. If your cookies still look pale and soft at 15 minutes, keep baking in 1 to 2 minute increments until the bottoms are lightly golden brown. An inexpensive oven thermometer is the best way to know the actual temperature your oven is baking at. The cookies will be soft when they come out of the oven and firm up as they cool.

Make Ahead:. The unbaked cookies can be cutout and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days covered in plastic wrap or in an airtight container.

Freezing Unbaked Cookies: Unbaked shortbread cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze, place cut-out cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until firm (3 hours). Transfer to a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag, separating layers with parchment. Label with the date. Bake straight from frozen, adding about 2-5 minutes to the baking time.

Freezing Baked Cookies: Baked cookies can be frozen for up to 2 months without the powdered sugar. Cool completely before freezing. Freeze the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet until firm (about 2 hours), then transfer to a freezer-safe container or bag with parchment between layers. Label with the date. Thaw at room temperature for 1 hour before serving.

Powdered Sugar: Tossing the cookies in powdered sugar while they're still warm will help the second coating of powdered sugar stick to the cookies.

Lime Zest and Juice: There is a lot of lime in this cookie. The sharp citrus flavor pairs beautifully with the sweetness of the powdered sugar. If you prefer a milder lime flavor, decrease the lime zest to 4 teaspoons and the lime juice to 1 tablespoon.

Nutrition

Calories: 82kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 0.4g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 27mg | Potassium: 7mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 130IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 0.2mg

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