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Chewy Coconut Lime Sugar Cookies Recipe

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Soft and chewy sugar cookies packed with shredded coconut, lime juice, and lime zest for a tropical spin on the traditional sugar cookie. During the summer, you can’t beat a good lime-flavored treat.

Whether it be Key Lime Pie or Margarita Cupcakes, adding limes to a recipe just screams summer. These cookies are phenomenal! Leave it to the geniuses at Cook’s Illustrated out to create the perfect chewy texture for a sugar cookie.

Their promise of a cookie with a soft, chewy center and a crackly-crisp top delivered.

I was a little surprised to see that cream cheese and vegetable oil are used in this sugar cookie recipe and wondered how they would turn out. If you are a chewy cookie lover, then this one’s for you! 😉

Scroll to bottom for printable recipe card.

Chewy Coconut Lime Sugar Cookies Recipe

stack of lime cookies ready to eat

Forget all your troubles and relax with some tropical lime cookies, and you’ll feel like you are on vacation!

I am drawn to cookies with citrus flavors because they are so much different than traditional chocolate chip or something like that. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE traditional cookies, but these are so tangy and chewy it’s hard to stop eating them.

You should really taste them for yourself and see what you think because I have a feeling you are going to be hooked just like I was when I tried them.

I haven’t been this excited to share a recipe in a while, but it’s because they are just too amazing not to share! 

Coconut Lime Cookies Ingredients

You only need 12 ingredients to throw together a batch of these coconut sugar cookies, and they are so easy. Just a little warning that you might want to make two batches when you start because the first one will disappear quickly!

  • All-purpose flour
  • Baking soda
  • Baking powder
  • Salt
  • Sugar
  • Cream cheese
  • Sweetened shredded coconut
  • Lime zest
  • Unsalted butter
  • Vegetable oil
  • Egg
  • Milk
  • Lime juice

How To Make Lime Sugar Cookies

These lime sugar cookies are practically no-fail unless you accidentally bake them too long! They are that simple and make a considerable impact the second you taste them. Let’s get started so you can munch on these chewy coconut cookies soon. 

First Step: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and adjust your oven racks. They need to be on the upper and lower positions for baking these coconut cookies. Prepare two baking sheets by adding some parchment paper to them. 

Second Step: Place the flour, coconut, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and mix together with a whisk. 

Third Step: Put 1 1/2 cups of the white sugar, lime zest, and cream cheese together in a large bowl. Then pour in the melted and warm butter over the cream cheese. Then use a whisk to combine. Add in the oil, egg, milk, and lime juice while whisking. Continue to stir until it’s smooth and creamy. Slowly fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients using a rubber spatula. When it’s done, it will be a soft dough. 

Fourth Step: Put 1/3 cup of sugar into a small and shallow bowl. Roll two tablespoons of dough into a ball using your palms. Then roll the ball into the sugar and set it on the baking sheet. Leave at least 2 inches between cookies and put 12 cookies on each sheet. Use a drinking glass and butter the bottom of it. Dip the bottom of the glass in the remaining sugar, then flatten the dough balls with the glass. The cookies should be around 2 inches in diameter. Add any sugar that’s left to the tops of the cookies until it’s all gone. 

Fifth Step: Bake the cookies for 11-13 minutes or until the edges have started to brown, and the centers are set. They will be golden brown, have puffy tops, and will be slightly cracked when they are done. Place the baking sheet on a wire rack and let the cookies cool for 5 minutes. Then remove them from the cookie sheet and place them directly on the wire rack to finish cooling all the way. 

Enjoy!

Can I Use Lemon Instead Of Lime For These Coconut Sugar Cookies?

No, you don’t have to use lime and could easily swap it with lemons. Follow the same directions, just substitute lemons for limes. They will have a sweet and summery flavor that is still very delicious. You could also substitute oranges or even grapefruits to change up the flavor if you want to. Try them all until you find your favorite. 

How Do You Store Chewy Coconut Cookies?

Always let the chewy coconut cookies cool all the way before storing them. Then after they are cool, you can put them in a storage bag or container that has a sealed lid for 3-5 days. You can keep them on the counter or place them in the fridge, depending on your preferences. 

If you notice the tropical cookies seem dried out, overly wet or soggy, mold or they just don’t seem right; then they have started to go bad and should be discarded. They will not taste very good once they start going bad either. 

Can You Freeze Lime Sugar Cookies?

Yes, absolutely, you can freeze lime sugar cookies! The best way to freeze the cookies is to place them on a baking sheet and do a flash freeze for 2 hours. Once they are frozen, you can put them into a container of your choice that’s freezer safe. This way, they won’t stick to each other, and you can quickly grab a couple here and there as needed. 

They just take a few minutes to thaw out. Place them on the counter or in the fridge until they are soft and chewy again and devour them!

cookie with bites out of it

If you’re anything like me, you are addicted to all sorts of cookies! They are just too amazing, and it’s so hard to turn them down. Here are some of my favorite cookie recipes for you. 

  • Ultimate Turtle Cookies – If you’ve been craving chocolate, these are a must-try! They are perfectly fudgy, have pecans and caramel. Win all around!
  • Chewy Lemon Cookies – Can’t get enough summer and springtime cookies? These lemon cookies are so chewy and have tons of flavor. 
  • Soft Homemade Lemon Sugar Cookies – If you love these lime cookies, I know you will be a fan of the lemon sugar cookies too! They are incredible!
  • Soft Lofthouse Cookies With Frosting – You can make amazing soft Lofthouse cookies right in your own kitchen instead of buying them already made! They are terrific!

Now, remember to save this recipe on Pinterest for later 🙂

Chewy Coconut Lime Sugar Cookies Recipe - PIN IMAGEme, and the perfect amount of sweetness in these coconut lime cookies. #cookies #coconut #lime #tropical #summer #dessert #easy #chewy #sweetpeaskitchen

 

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Chewy Coconut Lime Sugar Cookies Recipe

Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies
Soft and chewy coconut lime sugar cookies packed with shredded coconut, lime juice, and lime zest for a tropical spin on the traditional sugar cookie.
5 from 1 vote

Ingredients 

  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar, plus 1/3 cup for rolling dough
  • 2 oz cream cheese, cut into 8 pieces
  • 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut, chopped fine
  • 1 teaspoon lime zest
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and still warm
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice

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Instructions

  • Adjust the oven racks to the upper- and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, coconut, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
  • In a large bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups of sugar, lime zest, and cream cheese in a large bowl. Pour the warm butter over the cream cheese mixture and whisk to combine. Whisk in the oil, egg, milk and lime juice until smooth. Use a rubber spatula to fold the dry ingredients into the wet, until a soft dough comes together.
  • Place the remaining ⅓ cup sugar for rolling in a shallow bowl. Roll two heaping tablespoons of dough into ball between your palms, roll the ball in the sugar, and then place it on the prepared baking sheet spacing the balls about 2 inches apart (you should be able to fit 12 cookies on each sheet). Butter the bottom of a drinking glass and then dip the bottom of the glass in the remaining sugar. Flatten the dough balls with the bottom of the glass until they are about 2 inches in diameter, dipping the glass in sugar as necessary to prevent sticking (after every 2 or 3 cookies). Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with the remaining sugar, using about 2 teaspoons per sheet of cookies.
  • Bake until the cookies one sheet at a time until golden brown around the edges and their center are just set and very lightly colored, 11 to 13 minutes. The tops will be puffy and slightly cracked. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let the cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes then using a wide metal spatula, transfer the cookies to the rack to cool completely.

Notes

Source: Tracey’s Culinary Adventures, originally from Cook’s Illustrated November/December 2010
Author: Laura

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