I love cookies and I love margaritas, so obviously MARGARITA COOKIES are a very good thing in my book! Sweet and salty, with a buttery texture and lime flavor, this margarita cookie recipe is an absolute favorite of mine! While you can spike the glaze with a sweet and salty tequila glaze, it can also be made with just lime juice for a family-friendly lime cookie treat.
These cookies are a really interesting flavor combo, kind of a buttery shortbread meets lime with a bite of tequila. My husband and I loved them.
These margarita cookies are pretty simple to make, though the dough does need an hour to chill out in the fridge, so make sure to factor that in.
If you aren’t a tequila fan, you can absolutely leave that out of these, and just make a great lime cookie. But if you are a tequila fan, there’s just a hint of tequila flavor that comes through in the glaze. Yum, yum.
You add lime zest to your dough. I somehow do not own a microplane, and started using the grater I always use for zesting. It’s totally the wrong kind and all it does is collect all the zest in it’s grips and not let go. Total fail. Luckily I realized I had this handy little OXO Spice Grater which worked wonderfully.
After making your dough, you roll it into two logs and then let it chill in the fridge for about an hour.
Then when it comes out you roll it in a salt and sugar mixture. Yum yum.
Then it’s slice and bake. I knew I was going to leave the tequila glaze off of some of the cookies, so for those cookies I added some extra sugar and salt mixture to the tops.
After baking you allow them to cool, then make the glaze. As I mentioned you can leave the glaze off, or omit the tequila.
Because the salty part of a margarita is SO important to me, I sprinkled some of the sugar and salt mixture on top of the glaze. It also adds a nice crunch.
Salty. Sweet. Lime. Butter. Good stuff.
If you are looking for an easy and delicious meal to start with prior to these margarita cookies, I highly suggest trying my easy SHEET PAN NACHOS!
MARGARITA COOKIES RECIPE
Margarita Cookies With Salty Sweet Tequila Glaze
Ingredients
Cookies:
- 2 cups flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup butter, softened
- Green Food Coloring optional - I used six drops McCormick Neon Green & 2 Drops McCormick Green
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon finely grated lime peel
- 1 teaspoon McCormick® Pure Orange Extract
- 1/2 cup sanding sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Tequila Glaze:
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon tequila
Instructions
Cookies:
- 1. Mix flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt in medium bowl. Set aside. Beat butter and granulated sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add egg, lime peel, extract and food coloring if using; mix well. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until well mixed. Divide dough in half. Form each half into a log about 9 inches long and 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap in wax paper.
- 2. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.
- 3. Preheat oven 350°F. Mix sanding sugar and kosher salt. Roll each cold dough log in mixture to coat evenly. Cut dough into 1/4-inch thick slices. Place on ungreased baking sheets. If desired sprinkle a bit of additional sugar and salt mixture on tops.
- 4. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned around edges. Cool on baking sheets 1 minute. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.
- 5. Drizzle Glaze over cooled cookies. If desired sprinkle lightly with salt/sugar mixture. Let stand until glaze is set.
Tequila Glaze:
- Mix 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, and 1 tablespoon each water and tequila in small bowl until smooth. (Or omit tequila and use 2 tablespoons water.)
Disclaimer
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Cheers!
Originally published April, 2013.
Janet says
Ohmygosh these cookies are awesome! They looked exactly like your pictures, tasted delicious, and all my friends loved them. Thank you for sharing
Jeanne says
I made the cookies but they totally flattened. What did I do wrong?
Christi says
Hmm, how thick did you cut your slices? Mine don’t really rise all that much, they stay pretty close to the thickness of the slice. Different temperature issues could have an impact, as well as freshness of ingredients (not always easy to really tell with say flour).
Marissa says
Hi! These cookies look amazing! Quick question: How many cookies does this recipe make?
Thanks!
Christi says
Hi Marissa, you should get about two dozen cookies depending on the size you make them.
Cindy Sullivan says
I realize it has been quite a while since you posted your margarita cookies recipe, but I just found it. What about adding some freeze dried strawberries ground in a food processor to make strawberry Margarita cookies? Do you think the original recipe would need any changes?
Thank you
Christi says
I haven’t tried it, but it sounds great!
Katie says
Yum yum yum, these look amazing!!!!!!
Lori says
I live in Okinawa and don’t have access to sanding sugar. I realize that regular sugar will melt in the oven, so it won’t have the same effect. Do you have any suggestions? Should I skip rolling the dough logs in the sugar/salt mixture and just put more sugar/salt on top?
Christi says
Lori, do you have turbinado or raw sugar available? Those are usually larger sugar crystals and would work perfectly. Otherwise I would skip the rolling and just sprinkle some on top like you mentioned, I think that would work great as well.
Connory Ramsey says
I’m assuming self rising flour since they are cookies – is this correct? Thanks!
Christi says
Connory, nope, just all purpose. I pretty much never use self rising flour.
jenn says
Hi, just wondering if you have to put the orange extract to get the margerita taste? Thanks.
Christi says
Jenn, I’m pretty much a pure lime girl when it comes to margaritas, as in I don’t even like the triple sec in my drinks, so in my opinion, they are fine without any orange, but again, those are my tastes, you could certainly add some if you like the flavor!
Olivia says
I made these and they were not the same shortbread-like consistency as shown in the pictures. Still delicious!! but because there was no rising agent, they spread out and looked a lot more like a flat regular cookies. Maybe i did something wrong!! but the flavor was delicious!
Katrina @ In Katrina's Kitchen says
yesssssssssssssssssssss mama needs a cookie!