Are you looking to make some delicious Key Lime Pie Bars? Look no further, my friends! These delicious key lime pie bars are absolutely fantastic!
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⚠️ Wait! Are these bars just like Key Lime Pie?
Yes! These bars are basically Key Lime Pie in bar form. They have the same creamy, tangy, and sweet key lime filling but are baked into easy-to-cut squares with a buttery graham cracker crust. If you love traditional Key Lime Pie, you will adore these bars!
They are sweet enough to satisfy your dessert cravings while still maintaining that signature tart flavor. Plus, they are super easy to make and perfect for any occasion, whether it’s a party, potluck, or just because you need a treat!
Baked in a square pan, these bars are convenient for portioning, so you can enjoy a slice (or two) without feeling like you’ve overindulged.
When life gives you fresh key limes, skip the lemonade and make Key Lime Pie Bars instead!
Besides these bars there are also: lemon cake, lemon cookies, lemon curd, lemon pie, lemon chicken, and lemon bread. The possibilities are endless and all delicious.
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- Easy Apple Pie Bars
- Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies
- Apricot Oat Bars Recipe
- Cream Cheese Banana Bread
- Christmas Cookies & Bars From Around The World
- Seven Layers Bars (Hello Dolly Bars)
- Recipes of Cookies
📝 Ingredients
- Graham Crackers: use vanilla wafers or Biscoff cookies instead of the graham crust or digestive biscuits if you live outside the U.S.
- Unsalted Butter: Unsalted butter is the standard in baking.
- Egg Yolks
- Lemons: The lemons can be swapped for limes, key limes, oranges, or any other citric you might like.
- Condensed milk
- Heavy Cream: For the upper layer.
- Granulated sugar: To sweeten the whipped cream.
👩🍳 How To Make Key Lime Pie Bars
The secret to the best key lime pie bars is balancing the tart flavor of the fresh key limes with the sweetness of sweetened condensed milk, all on a buttery graham cracker crust.
The Crust:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- In a food processor, pulse graham crackers and melted butter until you have fine crumbs. No food processor? No problem! Place the crackers in a zip-top bag and crush them with a rolling pin until finely ground, then mix them with the butter.
- Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of a 9-inch pan.
- Bake for about 10 minutes to create a baked crust, then let it cool while you prepare the filling.
Make the Filling:
This filling is the key (pun intended) to the whole dessert! It’s a creamy blend of egg yolks, fresh key lime juice, and sweetened condensed milk that thickens naturally when mixed together.
- Separate the egg yolks and place them in a large mixing bowl.
- Using a hand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat egg yolks and fresh lime zest on medium speed until thick and creamy (about 5 minutes).
- Slowly pour in the sweetened condensed milk while mixing continuously at high speed.
- Add fresh key lime juice (or bottled lemon juice) and mix until combined.
- Pour the filling evenly over the baked crust.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes of baking time or until the filling is just set.
- Let the bars cool completely on a wire rack, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours to allow the filling to firm up.
The Topping:
Before serving, whip heavy cream with sugar until stiff peaks form. Spread over the chilled bars and decorate with fresh lime zest or thin lime slices.
🥄 Tips for the Best Key Lime Pie Bars
- Use fresh key limes for authenticity: If you can’t find them, regular limes or lemons work just fine.
- Bake just until set: The filling will continue to firm up as it cools.
- Chill before slicing: Refrigerating for at least 4 hours helps the bars hold their shape.
- Store leftovers properly: Wrap them in plastic wrap and store them refrigerated in an airtight container.
- Make ahead! These bars are even better the next day once the flavors meld.
🍋 Traditional vs. Modern Key Lime Pie
The classic key lime pie recipe from the Florida Keys does not contain cream cheese. A traditional key lime pie is made with a simple combination of egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk, and fresh key lime juice, which naturally thickens the filling. Some modern versions include sour cream for a creamier texture, but if you’re looking for an authentic key lime pie recipe, the original method is the way to go, just like in these key lime squares!
Meringue or Whipped Cream?
Originally, the key lime pie was often topped with meringue, made from the leftover egg whites whipped with sugar until fluffy and toasted. This was a practical way to use up the egg whites left over from the filling. Today, most key lime desserts are served with whipped cream, which provides a smooth, rich contrast to the tart filling. Either way, you can't go wrong!
Try This Next!
If you love these key lime desserts, check out this classic European Chocolate Ganache Meringue Torte to use up those extra egg whites!
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- Coconut-Almond Lemon Bars Recipe
- Super Easy Lemon Bars
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- Cheesecake squares with crunchy pecans
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📖 Recipe
Easy Key Lime Bars
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup finely ground graham crackers or digestive biscuits
- 4 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 6 large egg yolks
- 3 teaspoons finely grated lemon/lime zest
- 1 ⅓ cups fresh lime/lemon juice about 5- 6 big limes, key limes or regular lemons
- 28 ounces condensed milk (2 cans/14oz)
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2-3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Instructions
Crust:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C).
- In a food processor, pulse together the graham crackers and butter until you obtain a wet sandy mixture.
- Press the mixture of crumbs onto the bottom of a 9x13 inches size baking pan.
- Bake the crust for about 10 minutes until golden brown. Let cool and leave the oven on.
Filling:
- Mix egg yolks and lemon zest with an electric mixer until VERY thick, about 5 minutes.
- Add condensed milk in a slow, steady stream, mixing constantly. Add lemon juice and mix until combined.
- Spread filling evenly over crust and bake until filling is just set for about 12- 15 minutes. Let cool completely, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
- Beat the cold heavy cream with a little sugar (2-3 tablespoons or less) and spread evenly over the lemon bars.
- Decorate with lemon zest, slices of lemon, etc.
Notes
- Key Lime Substitute: If you can't find fresh key limes, regular limes (Persian limes) work just fine. You can also use lemon juice for convenience.
- Crust Variation: Swap graham crackers for vanilla wafers or Biscoff cookies for a unique twist.
- Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Freeze for longer storage, up to 3 months.
- Make-Ahead Tip: These bars taste even better the next day as the flavors meld together!
- Topping Options: Traditionally, key lime pie was topped with meringue, but whipped cream is a modern favorite.
bea says
made this recipe today. the only changes i made were that i used some lavender condensed milk that i had leftover. i had 9.25 oz of it so i scaled the recipe down to 33% and baked it in little mini cheesecake molds, but it came out perfectly. The lemon flavor comes through beautifully, and overall it's wonderfully sweet & tart. And it all came together so quickly! thanks for the recipe ♥♥
Shannon Hajek says
This turned out disgusting. Not the right temperature baking or something?? After baking for twice as long, turned out soggy and not cooked through. Don’t waste your money or time. Whoever put this recipe out here needs to make it themselves.
Gabriela says
I’m sorry to hear that the recipe didn’t turn out as you expected. These lemon bars are a version of the key lime pie, which is more custard-like and creamy, not the firmer texture you might expect from traditional lemon bars. The filling should be soft but set, and it will firm up further in the fridge after baking. Overbaking will not help, as it will never turn these bars into regular lemon bars. They are completely different.
I always test my recipes multiple times before sharing them, and I’m confident this one turns out well if you follow the recipe. If you prefer a traditional lemon bar, there are other recipes that might suit your taste better.