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Key lime pie bars are a favorite, bright and refreshing summer dessert! They’re everything we love about traditional Key Lime Pie, with a delicious twist!
You get a little of the creamy texture and the tanginess of cheesecake with the bright flavor of lime! Oh my goodness, they are absolutely divine. We could eat these ALL summer long!
These bars are super easy to make and only require 10 ingredients. Aside from the chilling, they take about 30 minutes to make from start to finish. Not too bad, right?!
This delicious key lime bar recipe needs to go on your must-make dessert list! It is a huge hit with our family, we know it’ll get rave reviews from yours too!
Why we think you’ll love it:
- For lime lovers. If you love key lime pie, you will love this bar version.
- Chill for later. These bars are are perfect for making ahead of time – even several days!
- Simple steps. The graham cracker crust and filling come together easily with minimal effort – about 30 minutes of work!
Key Lime Pie Bars Ingredients and Substitutions
Crust
- 15 sheets graham crackers, (or 30 squares) – about 1¾ cups of graham cracker crumbs. Classic graham crackers can be substituted for gluten-free ones or try making vanilla wafers or Shortbread Cookie crust.
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- pinch salt – omit if using salted butter
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted – or use salted butter
Filling
- 6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk – do not use evaporated milk
- 4 egg yolks – How to Separate Egg Whites from yolks
- 1 tablespoon lime zest – How to Zest a Lemon or lime
- ½ cup key lime juice – Make key lime juice by combining 3 tablespoons of lime juice with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- optional garnish – a slice of lime, sprinkle with lime zest, add a dollop of Whipped Cream, or top with toasted coconut
How to Make Key Lime Pie Bars
- PREP. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper, and set aside.
- CRUST. In a food processor or in a large Ziploc bag with a rolling pin, crush 15 sheets graham crackers until fine crumbs form.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the crumbs, sugar, a pinch of salt, and melted butter, and mix to combine. Press the crumbs evenly into the bottom of the lined baking dish. Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
- FILLING. In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer (or the bowl of a stand mixer), beat the cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add sweetened condensed milk and mix until combined.
- Add egg yolks one at a time to the mixture, mixing well after each addition, followed by lime zest, key lime juice, and vanilla extract. Mix until combined.
- BAKE. Pour the key lime filling over the hot, baked crust. Return to the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes or until set. The top should not be brown.
- CHILL. Remove from the oven and chill in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours before serving.
Key Lime Pie Bars
Ingredients
Crust
- 15 sheets graham crackers, (or 30 squares)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- pinch salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Filling
- 6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon lime zest
- ½ cup key lime juice, or regular lime juice
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9-inch pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper, and set aside.
- In a food processor or in a large Ziploc bag with a rolling pin, crush the graham crackers until fine crumbs form.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the crumbs, sugar, salt, and butter. Mix to combine. Press the crumbs evenly into the bottom of the lined pan. Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add the condensed milk and mix until combined.
- Then, add the egg yolks one at a time, mixing well after each addition followed by the lime zest, juice, and vanilla extract. Mix until combined.
- Pour the filling over the hot, baked crust. Return to the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes or until set. The top should not be brown. Remove from the oven and chill in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours before serving.
- Cut and serve, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Keep the key lime squares in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Place bars on a baking sheet and put them in the freezer to flash-freeze. After a few hours, wrap each bar with plastic wrap and place them in an airtight container or Ziploc bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
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This recipe was originally published May 2017.
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YUMMY!?i’ve Looked at A lot of key liMe pie/bar recipes Then landed on this one & decided to give it a try…and i’m loving it! Love the crust & the filling was on target-i used reg. Limes and added (1) Lemon to offset Some of the sharp-tartness (keyliMes are milder) and i’m thrilled to say they turned out awesome! My husband complimented them (me) several times while eating/enjoying his first piece-can’t wait to share with family/friends! DEFINITELY will make again? Thanks for sHaring This “deliciousness” with so many! *i used a glass 7-in.x 11-in. Baking dish & bars were perfect thickness
You are so welcome! Thank you so much for letting me know 🙂 Glad it was a hit!
I made this Today. Excellent recipe! Everyone loved it!
So, glad! Thank you for letting me know!
I’ve made this several times and it is amazing. It would be helpful, however, if you would list SWEETENED condensed milk in the ingredients list. You have confirmed in the comments that this is the ingredient required but you have listed it as condensed milk in the recipe. I WOULD BET THAT SOME PEOPLE HAVE MADE IT INCORRECTLY BECAUSE OF THIS AND THIS IS THE REASON THAT SOME COMMENTERS DOUBT THAT IT WILL BE SWEET ENOUGH. CONDENSED MILK HAS NO SUGAR OR SWEETNESS ADDED.
I have changed it. Thank you! I am glad you like these!
There is no sugar in the filling recipe. How is it sweet enough to set tart lime juice?
It really is sweet without it, with the condensed milk & vanilla. I hope you will try them!
Love this recipe
I am glad you do 🙂 Thank you for letting me know!
These are dElicious. they took longer than 5 minutes prep but they were worth it
Glad you think so 🙂 Thank you so much for letting me know that!
Do you roughly know how much crushed graham crackers comes out to? i want to use the precrushed stuff instead of crushing them myself.
Oh, man..I wish I knew for sure. This recipe is from a contributor, but I would think maybe a couple of cups?
I can’t wait to make these! I am making for a larger crowd. Do you think I could double the recipe and bake this in a 9×13 pan? Any idea what the cook time would be like?
I personally haven’t tried, but I am sure you could 🙂 Usually, when recipes are in a larger pan, the time is lessened, but since it is doubled, it may take longer. I would just check it at the normal time, then you can always add a couple min at a time.
Do you know if these bars would stack well? I would like to make these for a party, but I would need to be able to stack them in tupperware to get them there. Thanks!
I haven’t tried stacking them, but they are soft on the top. The crumb bottom, might stick to the top.
I have been searching for the perfect key lime bar recipe and this is it!! ThE search is finally over ?. This tastes just like the key liMe pie from California Pizza Kitchen!
Yay!! I am glad it does 🙂 Thank you for trying it!