Description
These Key Lime Pie Cookies are a delightful Crumbl copycat dessert featuring dense cookies coated in graham cracker crumbs with a luscious creamy lime filling. Perfectly tart and sweet, they offer a refreshing twist on traditional cookies with a smooth, citrus-flavored filling crowned with whipped cream and lime zest.
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup canola or vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2½ cups graham cracker crumbs, divided (1½ cups and 1 cup)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Key Lime Filling
- 1½ cups heavy whipping cream
- 28 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 10 ounces lime juice (freshly squeezed)
- ½ cup sour cream
Garnishes
- Whipped cream
- Graham cracker crumbs
- Lime wedges (from 2-3 limes)
- Lime zest (from 2-3 limes)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Tins: Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C). Arrange 4” tart tins on a baking sheet to prepare for shaping the cookies.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the softened butter, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium to high speed for 3 to 4 minutes until the mixture is light, fluffy, and well combined.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Add the all-purpose flour, 1½ cups of graham cracker crumbs, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt into the wet mixture. Beat on medium speed until the dough comes together completely.
- Prepare Graham Cracker Coating: Pour the remaining 1 cup of graham cracker crumbs into a separate bowl or plate for rolling the dough balls.
- Form and Coat Cookies: Scoop ¼ cup sized portions of dough and roll each into a ball. Then roll each ball thoroughly in the graham cracker crumbs to coat. Place each coated ball into a 4” tart tin. Using the flat bottom of a cup or measuring cup dipped lightly in graham cracker crumbs (to prevent sticking), press down firmly to flatten the dough and create a deep cavity for the filling.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden on the edges. Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool completely in their tins.
- Whip Heavy Cream: While the cookies cool, whip the heavy whipping cream in a clean stand mixer bowl until stiff peaks form. Transfer the whipped cream to a separate bowl and set aside.
- Make Key Lime Filling: In the stand mixer bowl, beat the softened cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy. Slowly stream in the sweetened condensed milk while mixing continues, followed by the sour cream. Beat together until the mixture is uniform.
- Add Lime Juice: Pour in the fresh lime juice and beat on medium-high speed for several minutes until the filling becomes smooth, creamy, and slightly thickened.
- Fold in Whipped Cream: Gently fold the whipped cream into the key lime filling using a spatula until fully incorporated without deflating the mixture.
- Fill Cookies: Once the cookies have cooled, spoon or pipe the key lime filling into the cavities of each cookie. The filling should be mounded slightly on top.
- Garnish and Serve: Garnish each cookie with a small star of whipped cream, sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs, add a wedge of lime and a sprinkle of lime zest on top. Chill the filled cookies before serving.
Notes
- If you don’t have 4” tart tins, you can shape the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roll dough balls, coat in graham cracker crumbs, and press a deep well in the center with a measuring cup before baking.
- Store leftover cookies in a single layer in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days to maintain freshness; beyond that they become too soft.
- You can prepare the cookies and filling separately ahead of time. Keep cookies and filling refrigerated separately, then pipe filling into cookies just before serving.
- The yield of 18 cookies is based on using 4” tart tins; changing the size or method will affect the number of cookies produced.
- For best Crumbl-like presentation, use 4” tart tins to replicate the shape and depth of the famous cookies.
