Key Lime White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies

Ummm hello? What’s this? A brand NEW cookie recipe for you because we all need a little treat to kick off summer. As you might be able to tell from these recent Coconut Key Lime Pie Energy Bites I’m on a bit of a lime-infused kick and I’m not mad about it.

These gorgeous key lime cookies are based on my amazing White Chocolate Macadamia Snickerdoodles, but we’re skipping the sugar coating and instead infusing them with fresh lime zest and mixing in chopped-up graham crackers because I like to get a lil’ wild.

One bite of these key lime pie cookies and I was HOOKED. They’re golden and crispy on the outside, perfectly chewy in the middle, and have gooey white chocolate and buttery macadamia nuts in every bite. Did I mention they’re also made with brown butter? You know how I do.

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Ingredients in these key lime pie cookies

Whether you use actual key limes or a regular lime, the flavor will seriously taste just like a slice of your fav key lime pie. They’re sweet, they’re a lil’ tart, and they’re extra delicious with graham crackers mixed right in. Here’s what you’ll need to make them:

• Flour: we’re using good old all-purpose flour in these cookies.
• Butter: you already know we’re browning that butter for extra nutty, indulgent flavor.
• Sugar: you’ll need both dark brown sugar and white granulated sugar to sweeten the cookies. Learn how to make brown sugar here!
• Lime: we’re adding a full tablespoon of lime zest for that true lime flavor. Feel free to use key limes or a regular lime!
• Eggs: you’ll need 1 egg and 1 egg yolk to give the cookies the perfect texture.
• Baking staples: don’t forget the baking soda, salt, and vanilla extract. Learn how to make your own vanilla here!
• For the mix-ins: here’s where it gets fun. We’re mixing in a chopped-up white chocolate bar, chopped roasted macadamia nuts, and if you wanna get wild, chopped up graham crackers. YES PLEASE.

What are key limes?

Key limes are smaller, rounder, and light yellow compared to regular green limes. Their juice is tarter and there’s much less of it compared to the juice of regular limes. There is a slight difference in flavor between the two, but you can pretty much use them interchangeably in recipes. We’re just using the zest in these lime cookies, so feel free to use key limes or regular limes!

Let’s talk brown butter

Mixing brown butter into these key lime cookies really takes the flavor to the next level. Learn exactly how to brown butter with our tutorial here, and check out more recipes using it!

Can I make them gluten free?

Unfortunately, I cannot recommend a good gluten-free flour substitute that will give you the same wonderful key lime pie cookies. Feel free to try out any of my gluten free cookies here.

How to make the best key lime cookies

1. Brown your butter. Start by browning your butter until it’s fragrant and a deep golden brown. Set it aside until it’s cool enough to touch before adding it to your dough.
2. Mix the wet ingredients. Add the cooled brown butter with your sugars and lime zest to an electric mixer and mix for 1-2 minutes until smooth. Then mix in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla.
3. Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.
4. Make the dough. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the bowl of the electric mixer and beat the dough on medium-low speed until just combined.
5. Add the mix-ins. Fold in the white chocolate chunks, chopped macadamia nuts, and graham cracker chunks (if using) on low speed.
6. Shape and chill. Use a cookie scoop to grab about 2 tablespoons of dough and roll it into balls, Place the dough balls on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour (or up to overnight) or freeze for 15-20 minutes.
7. Bake ’em up. Let the dough balls sit at room temp for 15-20 minutes while your oven preheats to 350 degrees F. Then place them on a baking sheet and bake until the edges begin to turn golden brown. Do not overbake!
8. Cool & devour. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, the completely on a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining dough and enjoy!

Don’t forget these cookie-baking tips

With these simple tips and tricks you’ll have perfect key lime cookies every time:

• Do not use substitutes. Unless I provide swaps, do not substitute other ingredients as the cookies will not turn out the same.
• Use room temp ingredients. After browning your butter, make sure it’s cool enough to touch before adding it to your dough. I usually set it aside to cool for 10-15 minutes before making the recipe. Also, be sure to scrape every bit of brown butter from your pan. You’ll want to make sure your eggs are at room temp, too, so they don’t coagulate with the butter. Simply run the eggs under warm water for about a minute or place them in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes.
• Measure your flour correctly. Do you know the best way to measure flour without a scale? Get my tips & tricks in this video!
• Chill the dough. Yes, this recipe requires you to chill the dough, but I promise it’s worth it. Chilling cookie dough allows the cookies to create the best flavor and gives the cookies those golden edges, a chewy interior, and crackly tops. This happens because the fat in the recipe (butter) is solid and the sugar also absorbs some of it. Trust me, it’s a game-changer.

Two ways to freeze key lime cookies

These easy key lime cookies are perfect for baking up a big batch and freezing the dough OR the baked cookies for later. Check out our full post here to see exactly how to freeze them two different ways.

More cookie recipes you’ll love

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I hope you love these amazing key lime white chocolate cookies. If you make them be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked them! Enjoy, xo.