An easy, high altitude recipe for iced lime sugar cookies. These soft and fluffy sugar cookies are flavored with fresh lime zest, then dipped in sweet lime icing. And if lime isn’t your thing, you can replace the lime with lemon!
You might also love these high altitude tested recipes for key lime pie, key lime pie cupcakes, and soft and chewy frosted lemonies.
This site contains affiliate links. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This means that I may make a small commission if you purchase a product using those links. This in no way affects my opinion of those products and services. All opinions expressed on this site are my own.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Easy to Make. These frosted cookies start with a simple cookie dough that’s easy to mix up.
Basic Pantry Ingredients. There’s nothing fancy or hard to find in today’s recipe, just basic staples that you likely have in your pantry already.
Stays Soft for Days. The fluffy, melt in your mouth texture of these cookies is irresistible, and they stay so soft for days on end.
High Altitude Tested. I develop all the recipes on my site for Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet. If you’re at a lower or higher elevation, please see my FAQs for guidance on adjusting recipes for your altitude.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Ingredients
- Sugar. Adds sweetness and moisture. You’ll also be rolling the dough balls in sugar before baking.
- Unsalted Butter. Adds moisture and fat to the cookies for a flavorful, tender texture.
- Egg + Egg Yolk. Eggs give cookies structure and strength, and the extra egg yolk makes these lime sugar cookies softer and chewier.
- Vanilla Extract. Flavor.
- All-Purpose Flour. Gives the cookies structure and strength.
- Corn Starch. Tenderizes the cookie dough for a softer sugar cookie.
- Baking powder. This is the leavening agent that makes the cookies fluffy.
- Salt. Balances the sweetness.
- Powdered Sugar. Sweetens and thickens the icing.
- Meringue Powder. Helps the icing to set quickly and stay set.
- Limes. You’ll be using the zest in the cookie dough, and the lime juice in the icing, plus more zest grated over the top of the icing.
Instructions
Cookies
- In a bowl, combine the sugar (3/4 cup) and lime zest. Use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar until moist and fragrant.
- Add the butter, egg, egg yolk and vanilla, and beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes, until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, corn starch, baking powder and salt. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients by spoonfuls, mixing just until combined.
- Cover the bowl of dough with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Use a medium cookie scoop (about 1 1/2 tablespoons) to scoop the dough into 24 portions. Roll each portion of dough into a smooth ball, then coat the dough balls in the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar. Cover and chill the dough balls for 20 minutes while you preheat the oven.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Line a baking sheet with a piece of nonstick baking paper or parchment paper.
- Place half the dough balls 3 inches apart on the baking sheet (refrigerate the remainder of the dough until needed). Bake for about 11 1/2 – 12 minutes, until the edges are set, and the centers look puffed but slightly underdone.Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before icing. The centers of the cookies will settle and flatten a bit as they cool.
Icing
- In a bowl, combine the powdered sugar and meringue powder. Stir in the lime juice until smooth.
- Holding the cookies by the edges, dip the tops of the cookies in the icing, then set them back onto the cooling rack.
- Before the icing sets, grate some fresh lime zest over the top of the cookies.
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is there corn starch in the cookie dough?
Corn starch lowers the protein content of the flour, for a softer, more tender cookie.
How should I store the cookies?
Once the icing is dry, store the cookies in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Can these lime sugar cookies be frozen?
Yes, you can freeze the baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 3-6 months. I’d recommend freezing them without the icing, which can get sticky after thawing the cookies out. Thaw out the frozen cookies completely, then dip in the icing.
You Might Also Like
Please check out my Amazon Shop for a curated collection of some of my favorite cake pans from trusted brands, baking tools, ingredients, pretty things and fashion finds. I recommend products that I buy and use every day!
Did you love today’s recipe? Please rate the recipe and let me know in the comments what you thought! Also, be sure to follow Curly Girl Kitchen on Instagram, and tag me when you try one of my recipes so I can see all your delicious creations!
High Altitude Iced Lime Sugar Cookies
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- Electric Mixer (Stand or Hand-Held)
Ingredients
Cookies
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp fresh lime zest (from 2 limes)
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk (save the white for another use)
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 â…“ cups all-purpose flour, fluffed, spooned and leveled
- 2 tsp corn starch
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar, for rolling the dough balls
Icing
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp meringue powder
- 4 tbsp fresh or bottled lime juice
- 1 tsp fresh lime zest
Instructions
Cookies
- In a bowl, combine the sugar (3/4 cup) and lime zest. Use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar until moist and fragrant.
- Add the butter, egg, egg yolk and vanilla, and beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes, until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, corn starch, baking powder and salt. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients by spoonfuls, mixing just until combined.
- Cover the bowl of dough with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Use a medium cookie scoop (about 1 1/2 tablespoons) to scoop the dough into 24 portions. Roll each portion of dough into a smooth ball, then coat the dough balls in the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar. Cover and chill the dough balls for 20 minutes while you preheat the oven.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Line a baking sheet with a piece of nonstick baking paper or parchment paper.
- Place half the dough balls 3 inches apart on the baking sheet (refrigerate the remainder of the dough until needed). Bake for about 11 1/2 – 12 minutes, until the edges are set, and the centers look puffed but slightly underdone.Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before icing. The centers of the cookies will settle and flatten a bit as they cool.
Icing
- In a bowl, combine the powdered sugar and meringue powder. Stir in the lime juice until smooth.
- Holding the cookies by the edges, dip the tops of the cookies in the icing, then set them back onto the cooling rack.
- Before the icing sets, grate some fresh lime zest over the top of the cookies.
- Once the icing is dry, store the cookies in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
What a delicious springtime treat! With the white and green glaze, they would also make a perfect St. Patrick’s Day cookie. Next time I will reuse the parchment from baking to catch the glaze drippings under the cooling rack.