These cream cheese cookies are chewy, soft, and wonderfully tropical with addition of coconut and key lime flavors! Cream cheese is the ingredient that gives these coconut lime cookies their amazing soft and chewy texture.
Enjoy more coconut key lime flavored treats like key lime pie cheesecake and coconut key lime bread.
Table of Contents
Hello, summer! I plan on celebrating the sunny season with lots of tropical recipes just like this one. Key lime juice (and zest) combine with sweetened shredded coconut to create a flavor so beachy, you’ll feel like you’re lounging out in the sun… even if you’re just hanging out in your living room.
There are so many good things about these cream cheese cookies! For example, the cookie dough is SO easy to make, all you need is a bowl and a whisk. The cookie dough comes together quickly and kids absolutely love rolling the cookies, so it’s a fun family recipe. The best part is that the whole recipe only takes about 25 minutes from start to finish!
These chewy cookies are so easy to make in under 30 minutes with simple ingredients. Don’t you just love homemade recipes that are short and sweet? Your family will love the making these cookies this summer!
Ingredient Notes
Flour – All purpose flour works great. Make sure you spoon the flour into the measuring cup, rather than dunking the cup into the bag, and then cut it with the back of the knife to level. (When you dunk it, you really pack the flour in there.)
Coconut Flakes – use your favorite brand of sweetened coconut flakes! If you do want to go the extra mile, check out my recipe for coconut banana bread where I show you how you can make your own coconut flakes.
Key Limes – If you want true key lime flavor, it’s important to use real key limes! However, you can use regular limes, if there aren’t any key limes available near you, but use fewer. You will need zest from about 5 key limes but only about 2 regular limes.
Cream Cheese – For the very best soft and chewy texture, be sure to use cream cheese with the full fat content and not low fat. Make sure to let the cream cheese soften on the counter for about 30-45 minutes before baking.
Egg – It’ll need to warm up to room temperature prior to using. Let it sit on the kitchen counter for about 30-45 minutes.
Baking Powder and Baking Soda – It’s important to make sure both of these aren’t expired! In order for them to be potent and work properly, they must be used within 6 months of opening.
See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and instructions.
How to Make Cream Cheese Cookies
Start making the cookie dough. Place sugar, cream cheese, and lime zest in a large bowl (1).
Whisk it. Pour warm butter (2) over sugar and cream cheese and whisk until all combined (3). Add egg, milk, and lime juice, whisk well (4).
Make the cookie dough. Add flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and coconut. Mix with rubber spatula until completely combined (5).
Form the cookies. Use a cookie scoop to get even cookies (6). (I use either #50 or #40 cookie scoop.) Gently roll the dough into a ball and drop it into the bowl with powdered sugar (7). Lightly coat them in powder sugar (8).
Prepare for baking. Place the cookies on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart (9).
Bake. Bake at 350°F for 11 to 12 minutes.
Tips for the Best Coconut Cookies
- Make sure to whisk the ingredients very well before adding the flour. After you add the flour, switch to a rubber spatula and only mix until combined. Don’t over-mix at the end!
- Use a cookie scoop to get even amounts of cookie dough. That way, your cookies will all bake evenly. I recommend using #50 or #40 cookie scoop.
- Quickly but gently roll the dough into a ball. Don’t take too long and don’t handle the dough too much.
- If you want to have more key lime flavor, add zest from a couple more key limes. Do NOT add more lime juice! Only use zest to increase the flavor of key lime.
Recipe FAQs
You can store these cream cheese cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days. You don’t need to refrigerate them unless you plan on storing them for longer than 3 days.
If you don’t normally use cream cheese on bagels and toast, you can incorporate your leftovers into other recipes! Some of my favorite ways to use up leftover cream cheese is to make stuffed French toast. Mix some cream cheese when making homemade mac and cheese or any other cheesy sauce.
You can also mix cream cheese into queso dip or nacho cheese to make it creamier. Likewise, you can stir it into other pasta sauces or soups to make them creamier.
Sure thing! You can definitely use lemon zest instead of lime in these cookies. Just note that key limes are MUCH smaller than lemons, so you will not need 4-5 of them. Start with 1 lemon and decide if that’s enough lemon flavor for you. If not, use zest from another 1/2-1 lemon.
How to Store Cream Cheese Cookies
Always make sure you’re storing cooled cookies! Let them cool to room temperature before storing them in an airtight container.
If you’re going to eat them quickly, you can store them on the counter in an airtight container. You can use a cookie jar for storing if the jar has a well fitting lid. Make sure to keep the container away from direct sunlight or by a hot oven/stove top.
At room temperature, these cookies can last about 2 days when stored properly. Any longer, and you should refrigerate or freeze them.
How to Freeze Cookies
To freeze coconut cookies, lay them in a single layer on a wire rack and let them fully cool to room temperature. Once cooled, place the wire rack in the freezer and let cookies freeze for 2 hours. Set the timer so you remember to grab them!
Once frozen, transfer the key lime cookies into a large zip-lock freezer bag. You can either store all of the cookies at once or portion them into smaller bags.
Make sure to label, seal, and place back into the freezer. Frozen crinkle cookies will keep for up to 6 months.
Frozen cookies thaw very quickly. You can simply leave a few on a wire rack and they’ll be ready to eat in about 30 minutes. If you have an immediate craving for a cookie, heat it in a microwave for 10-15 seconds.
More Soft Cookie Recipes To Try
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? PLEASE leave a 🌟 star rating! Let me know how you liked it by leaving the 📝 comment below or share and tag me on social media @willcookforsmiles. DON’T FORGET to subscribe to my newsletter!
Coconut Key Lime Cream Cheese Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut flakes
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 3 oz. cream cheese room temperature, cut into small pieces
- 5-6 key limes – zest only more if needed stronger flavor
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted and still warm
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 Tbsp. whole milk
- 1 Tbsp. lime juice
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar for rolling cookies
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ and line the cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Place sugar, cream cheese, and key lime zest in a large bowl.
- Pour warm butter over sugar and cream cheese and whisk until all combined.
- Add egg, milk, and lime juice, whisk well.
- Add flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and coconut flakes. Mix with rubber spatula until completely combined.
- Use a cookie scoop to get even cookies. (I use either #50 or #40 cookie scoop.) Gently roll the dough into a ball and drop it into the bowl with powdered sugar.
- Roll the ball in sugar and place it on the prepared baking sheet.
- Place the cookies on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 11 to 12 minutes.
Video
Notes
- Make sure to whisk the ingredients very well before adding the flour. After you add the flour, switch to a rubber spatula and only mix until combined. Don’t over-mix at the end!
- Use a cookie scoop to get even amounts of cookie dough. That way, your cookies will all bake evenly. I recommend using #50 or #40 cookie scoop.
- Quickly but gently roll the dough into a ball. Don’t take too long and don’t handle the dough too much.
- If you want to have more key lime flavor, add zest from a couple more key limes. Do NOT add more lime juice! Only use zest to increase the flavor of key lime.
Nutrition
Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles in August, 2013.
Debi says
I love your recipes! My Mom was Polish and so many of the Russian ones you include remind me of her! Thank you SO much for bringing her back through your delicious recipes!
lyuba says
Aww, of course, Debi! Thank you 🙂
Courtney says
Loved the concept of these cookies! It wasn’t tangy enough with regular limes (key limes were a task to find in NJ) so I created a glaze to seep into the cookies after they were done baking. Juice from 1 lime + 1 tbsp lemonade mix + dash of water. It turned out delicious. Hopefully my boyfriend will enjoy them for Valentine’s Day. Thank you!
lyuba says
What a great fix! I hate it that key limes are not in season right now, I miss them 🙂
It would like a great fix and quick thinking! I’m sure he will love the cookies!
Jen says
These cookies were a bit underwhelming. In reading back through the recipe, I realized that I had left out the salt. It was listed in the ingredient list but not in the instructions. Maybe those should be updated so no one makes a similar mistake.
lyuba says
Thank you for letting me know, Jen!
Julie says
I made the cookies but did not use salt. See my substitutions below from Julie.
Sue says
These are delicious. I rolled then in granulated augar instead of powdered sugar so they would stand up a little better for packing. Great recipe! Thank you.
lyuba says
Thank you so much, Sue! LOVE reading these kinds of comments!!
Christine says
Hi,
I just made these and they are delicious!!! I did substitute coconut cream for the whole milk and it worked out fine. To all your lemon lovin’ friends… I have a similar recipe for lemon cookies so yes, you could substitute, and they too are delicious!
Hope you and your family had a happy birthday celebration!!!
lyuba says
Thank you, Christine! I am so glad you loved the cookies! I love receiving comments like yours 🙂
Diane Balch says
I am featuring this recipe on foodie friday today and will be pinning and tweeting it too.
lyuba says
Thank you so much, Diane!! So sweet 🙂
Dina says
they look yummy!
lyuba says
Thank you, Dina!
Kristen Duke says
Chewy cookies are my FAVORITE!! The combo of lime and coconut sounds so yummy! I will be trying these out soon 🙂
lyuba says
Hope you do, Kristen! Thank you 🙂
valarie says
love these cookies and wanted to make them for my glutin free friends,, can you help?
lyuba says
Thank you so much, Valerie!
Try gluten free flour may be? I’m sorry, I don’t know anything about gluten-free because no one in my family has gluten sensitivity.
Diane Balch says
I thought I pinned these cookies when I first looked a this recipe. Need to do that now… great flavor. Thanks for sharing them with us on foodie friday.
lyuba says
Awww, thank you!
Melissa@No. 2 Pencil says
These are perfection! Have a great time with your little guy!!!
lyuba says
Thank you so much, Melissa!
kristi@ishouldbemoppingthefloor says
Key Lime is my husband’s favorite thing ever!! These will be on our list for sure.
lyuba says
They are a must have!! Thank you, Kristi! Hope you all enjoy them 🙂