The zesty taste of lime makes these key lime pie bars so good. They’re wonderfully sweet and tangy. They consist of a buttery graham cracker crust topped with a thick and creamy lime mixture. I love these because they’re fast and easy to make.
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They’re great as they are or you might like to serve them with whipped cream on top. If you’re a fan of key lime pie, then this dessert is going to wow you. One is never enough so you might like to indulge in two, or just cut bigger servings!
Enjoy this citrusy treat as a snack or for dessert. They are portable so include them in box lunches or take them to a picnic, potluck, or gathering. You won’t believe how easy these are to make or how amazing the kitchen will smell while they are baking.
And if you love tangy desserts, then you'll love this easy key lime fudge recipe or my no-bake lemon icebox cake!
Main Ingredients
Of course, key lime juice is the key component in this easy recipe. Let’s take a closer look at what else you will need to make these:
- Key lime juice: to give the bars a zingy tang. If you can’t find key lime juice you can sub regular lime juice. It is a little more tart but the finished result will taste just as good.
- Graham crackers: to make the crust. I haven’t tried the recipe with any other kind of cookies, but I do like to use a good brand of graham crackers, not the generic ones.
- Granulated sugar: for the right amount of sweetness. The amount of granulated sugar, also called white sugar, can be tweaked if you want them to be sweeter or less sweet. You could also use an artificial sweetener.
- Condensed milk: to get the filling perfectly rich. This sweet and creamy mixture blends with the other ingredients to give a wonderful taste and soft, creamy texture. Don’t use evaporated milk because it won’t work in this recipe.
- Eggs: to get the consistency just right and add a rich taste to the bars. Eggs help achieve the curd-like texture of the filling.
Instructions Overview
While the oven is heating up, you can combine the graham crackers with butter, salt and sugar. Once it is well combined, you can press this mixture into the bottom of a baking dish to make a crust.
Now you can bake it for 8 minutes. Let the crust cool down completely. Combine the baking powder, eggs, and lime juice with the condensed milk, and then pour this over the crust.
The last step is to bake them. Easy, right? Enjoy them with whipped cream for a decadent dessert which everyone is going to love.
Common Questions
Yes, you can make this substitution in any recipe calling for key limes. Since regular limes aren’t quite as sweet you might like to add an extra pinch of sugar to compensate. If you can get key lime juice, I’d recommend using that for the best-tasting key lime pie bars.
Try Persian limes if you can find them at the grocery store. Key limes, which are also known as West Indian or Mexican limes, are smaller than the Persian kind, but the flavor is very similar.
Check the juice aisle since it’s usually located near the lemon juice and lemonade. Some grocery stores have it in the baking aisle.
This is a bar mix made with lime juice and sugar. Because it’s sweetened, bar lime isn’t a substitute for lime juice in this recipe.
First of all, make sure they’re completely chilled before attempting to cut them. Still-warm bars won’t cut neatly! Now grab a sharp, sturdy paring knife and score the bars where you want to cut them. You can even use a ruler to ensure they’re all the same size.
Spritz some nonstick cooking spray on the knife then wipe it off with a paper towel so it doesn’t stick. Now you can line up the knife with the score marks and press it down, dragging it towards you to cut the key lime pie bars. Now they should be as neat as the ones you’d find in a bakery!
Keep them covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
They keep well for up to 3 days in an airtight container if you want to make them ahead.
These freeze well so you might like to double or triple the recipe. Cover the bars with plastic wrap and then foil. They should keep for a couple of months. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator.
Key lime pie bars are perfect with whipped cream. You can make your own or use the squirty kind. If you prefer them without the cream, they’re good that way too.
Lemon has a tarter flavor than lime but if you want to try these with lemon, go ahead. They will taste different but still be delicious. Be sure to check out our Meyer lemon bars too!
Chopnotch Tips
- Get them out of the baking dish easily by first lining it with foil and making ‘handles’ so you can lift them out in one piece. Let them cool completely before cutting them up.
- Get the cleanest cuts by slicing straight down and back up with a sharp knife and wipe it clean between cuts.
- You can still make these even if you can’t find key lime juice. Since regular lime juice isn’t as sweet you might want to add an extra pinch of sugar to the recipe.
This dessert is so worth making. Not only are they super-easy, but they taste better than any bars from the bakery. Try them and you’ll be hooked!
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Recipe
How to Make
Key Lime Pie Bars
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups graham crackers, crumbled
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 4 eggs
- 14 ounces condensed milk
- 5 ounces key lime juice
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- whipped cream, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Mix crackers, butter, sugar and salt in a bowl. Prepare a 9-inch baking dish and press the crust firmly into the bottom.
- Bake for 8 minutes and let cool.
- Mix eggs, baking powder, condensed milk and lime juice in a separate bowl, whisk with mixer. Pour the batter over the cooked crust and bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool and refrigerate for about 4 hours.
- Cut the cake into bite sized bars and serve topped with whipped cream.
Notes
- Get them out of the baking dish easily by first lining it with foil and making ‘handles’ so you can lift them out in one piece. Let them cool completely before cutting them up.
- Get the cleanest cuts by slicing straight down and back up with a sharp knife and wipe it clean between cuts.
- You can still make these even if you can’t find key lime juice. Since regular lime juice isn’t as sweet you might want to add an extra pinch of sugar to the recipe.
