Crumbl Inspired Key Lime Pie Cookies

Graham cracker cookie topped with key lime pie filling with a bite removed.

5 from 1 vote

Crumbl Inspired Key Lime Pie Cookies

Inspired by Crumbl's delicious Key Lime Pie Cookie, these giant Key Lime Pie Cookies start with a graham cracker cookie base and are topped with a luscious lime filling that is fluffy and full of flavor. You'll love the browned butter graham cracker cookies, smooth tangy filling, and the homemade whipped cream swirled on top.

Prep Time40

Cook Time15

Chill Time4

Total Time4 55

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: crumbl copycat recipe, crumbl key lime pie cookies, key lime pie cookie recipe, key lime pie cookies

Servings: cookies

Calories: 465kcal

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Cookies

8 tablespoons unsalted butter 4 ounces
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed 3.5 ounces
1/3 cup granulated sugar 2.3 ounces
5 sheets graham crackers, divided (full sheets)
1 large egg (straight from the fridge)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 6.65 ounces
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt

Key Lime Pie Filling

2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons instant vanilla pudding mix (optional, see notes)
7 ounces sweetened condensed milk (half a can)
1/4 cup bottled lime juice (add to taste)
zest of 1-2 limes (add to taste; I zest Persian limes)
lime slices (optional) for garnish

Instructions

Graham Cracker Cookies: Brown the Butter

Melt a stick of butter slowly on medium low heat in a saucepan or skillet. Once melted, turn the heat up a bit and watch the butter closely and stir frequently using a wooden spoon.
The butter will be bubbling and popping as the water is evaporating out. Once this slows down you need to keep a close eye as the next step is the browning of the milk solids.
Once the milk solids are beginning to toast, you'll start to notice tiny bits of brown forming in the pan. Swirl the spoon around the pan a few times more and remove it from the heat. The butter should have swirls of browned bits in the bottom of the pan and is now ready to use.
Note: Butter can go from toasted to burnt quickly, so watch closely.
Pour the browned butter (every bit including the browned pieces in the bottom of the pan) into a large bowl and allow to cool for ten minutes.

Graham Cracker Cookies: Mix Dough

Meanwhile: Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set oven to 350°F.
Place 4 graham crackers (reserve the fifth cracker) in a zip top bag and crush with a rolling pin until they are finely ground.
Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar to the slightly cooled brown butter mixture and use a wooden spoon to stir well until fully combined (1 minute).
Mix in the egg and vanilla extract until combined.
Add the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda, and salt to the butter mixture and mix well until combined. Dough will be thick and a bit crumbly.

Graham Cracker Cookies: Bake Cookies

Crush the last graham cracker and place crumbs in a shallow bowl.
Use a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop out about 10 cookies (about 2 ounces per cookie). Roll each cookie scoop in the graham cracker crumbs and arrange evenly 3 inches apart on the baking sheets.
Flatten each cookie while making a divot for the filling using a flat-bottom glass or measuring cup to press down the centers of the cookies. Be sure the cookies are not so flat that the centers become too thin to handle the key lime filling.
Bake one sheet at a time at 350°F for 10 minutes or until cookies look set on the edges and just a bit golden brown. After removing cookies from oven, immediately press again with a clean glass/measuring cup to make the center for the filling. Allow cookies to cool completely.

Key Lime Pie Filling

Use a hand mixer with the whisk attachment to whip the heavy whipping cream and the 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
In a large bowl with a hand mixer and the beater attachments, beat cream cheese until soft. Add the pudding mix and mix until pudding mix is dissolved/smooth. Add the sweetened condensed milk and mix until smooth. Slowly add lime juice, mixing after each addition. Mix until smooth.
Note: add the lime juice to taste. If you are using fresh limes or a different brand of bottled juice you may need less juice overall.
Use a spatula to fold in the lime zest (again, add to taste). Fold in about 3/4 cup of the whipped cream (reserve the rest for topping the cookies) until smooth. Chill filling for about 4-6 hours or until it has thickened and is scoop-able. Filling should not be runny.

Decorating the Cookies

Fill each cookie with a generous amount of the Key Lime filling--using a cookie scoop, a spoon, or even a piping bag fitted with a round tip.
Top with a piped swirl of whipped cream (Crumbl is very frugal with theirs--I prefer a big dollop!), a lime slice, and a little lime zest.

Notes

Storing and Freezing Leftovers: All the components can be stored separately. The filling and the whipped cream go in the fridge, the undecorated cookies can be stored in a sealed container at room temperature.

If you need to store decorated cookies, they can be placed into airtight containers (single layer only) and refrigerated for 3-5 days. They can also be frozen (minus the lime slice) for 1-2 months. I flash freeze them--placing them on a cookie sheet until frozen and then wrapping with plastic wrap and storing in a freezer bag.

The cookies will begin to soften after being topped with the filling, but they are still perfectly delicious that way!

Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix: Instant pudding mix is a winner for an easy way to stabilize any type of whipped cream/cheesecake style filling. Because we're adding pie filling to the top of cookies, it's nice if it's a little more stable. You can make the filling without the pudding mix, but it won't be as firm (note that the photos were taken of a test run that was made without the pudding mix).

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