key lime cookie bar with white chocolate

Looking for a light and summery type of cookie? These key lime cookies are IT! Studded with white chocolate chips, lots of lime juice and zest, they have all the flavour of a key lime pie, but in a cookie bar form. Cookie bars may just be one of my new favourite things to bake. I love how easy they are to make and that classic cookie taste but without the stress of trying to form cookies and wondering if they’re going to bake up how I want them. If you don’t love white chocolate, you can omit it and use nuts like macadamia or pecans.

Meet your new summer cookie recipe! Of course, cookies of all shapes, sizes and flavours are more than acceptable year-round, but these are light, summery and bright. Thanks to tons of lime flavour from both the juice and the zest, these are light and perfect for a sweet midday snack. When I first thought of the idea for key lime cookies, I thought of a traditional cookie of course, but after a few failed attempts, I just couldn’t get them right. I really wanted to use coconut butter in the recipe, but for some reason, they just wouldn’t work. Rather than give up, I changed the idea to a cookie bar instead. And I’m very happy with them!

Why You’ll Love these Lime Cookie Bars

• Extra soft and chewy (even days later!)
• Super easy to prepare: no scooping or cooling of the dough required.
• Studded with white chocolate chips
• Minimal ingredients here.
• Tastes just like a cookie, but these are simpler to make.
• Gluten-free for all those that need them to be (without anybody being able to tell).

Ingredients

Along with an egg, baking soda and salt, you’ll also need the following ingredients.

All Purpose Gluten-Free Flour: my personal go-to all purpose gluten-free flour blend is this one from Bob’s Red Mill. You can use regular all purpose flour if you want.

Coconut oil: rather than butter, I’m using coconut oil. This adds more coconut flavour to the cookies as well.

Coconut sugar: for sweetness

Lime juice and zest: you’ll need fresh lime juice and the zest from one lime.

White chocolate chips: to add some sweetness and flavour. See substitutions for other options.  

Coconut butter: to drizzle all over the key lime cookie bars afterwards.

How to Make

Similar to my mini egg cookie bars (also AMAZING!), these are so simple to make. All you need is a stand mixer, your ingredients and about 10 minutes. If you don’t have a stand mixer, feel free to use a handheld one instead.

Prepare your pan and preheat your oven

Grease an 8×8 pan with oil and then line with parchment paper. This helps the parchment paper to stick. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Mix your dry ingredients

In a medium sized bowl, pour in the flour, baking soda and salt and whisk to combine.

Break out the stand mixer

In the bowl of the stand mixer, pour in the coconut oil, coconut sugar and turn the mixer on low to combine. With the machine running, add the lime juice and the egg.

Add in the flour mix

Once that is combined, carefully pour in the flour mixture and beat over medium until combined.

Turn off the stand mixer and remove the bowl. Stir in the lime zest and add the chocolate chips.

Bake in the oven

Place in your prepared baking pan and smooth the top with your hands.

Place in the preheated oven and bake for 20 to 24 minutes until cooked through and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool in the baking dish for 25 to 30 minutes before removing to a cooling rack. Let it cool for an additional 20 minutes.

While the cookie bars are cooling, melt the coconut butter.

Drizzle all over the cookie bars and top with a few more chocolate chips and lime zest.

Cut into squares and enjoy.

Tips

How to make these the best ever key lime cookie bars:

• Allow the cookie bars to rest. Once you remove them from the oven, let them cool for at least 30 minutes before removing and placing on a wire rack to finish cooling. This will allow them to finish baking and the centre to firm up. Cookies are always better when you remove them while they’re still slightly under baked.
• To cut your cookie bars into squares, let them cool completely first. Once they’ve cooled on a cooling rack, use a sharp knife to cut into 16 even squares. It’s best to wet your knife by running it under water and then shaking off excess water before cutting.

Substitutions

No white chocolate chips: use chopped pecans, macadamia nuts or walnuts.

Gluten-free flour: use regular all-purpose flour instead.

Coconut sugar: use light brown sugar instead, or regular brown sugar.

Coconut oil: use regular butter, the same amount (1/2 cup).

No egg: Use a flax egg as a replacement. To do, combine 1 tbsp ground flax seed to 3 tbsp water, mix and let it gel while you prepare everything else. Then add it into the dough the same as you would an egg.

How to store

After letting them cool and cutting them into squares, you can let them sit out in a sealed container at room temperature for a day or so. After that, (or even before) move them to the fridge. I personally enjoy them from the fridge, but I’m like that with most desserts!

Freezing them is also an option of course, just be sure to layer them in between sheets of parchment paper and then keep them stored in an airtight container. The parchment will ensure that the tops stay intact. Let them come to room temperature before enjoying.

More cookie recipes you’ll love

• Mini Egg Cookie Bars
• Healthy Cookie Dough Balls
• Hot Chocolate Cookies with Marshmallows
• Pumpkin Cookies with Chocolate
• Miso Cookies
• No Bake Birthday Cake Cookies
• No Bake Cookie Dough Bars
• Double Chocolate Brownie Cookies

If you make these key lime cookie bars, I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to tag me on Instagram, and/or leave a comment, rating or review below.

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