These delicious Key Lime Pie Bars take less than 15 minutes of work, only 9 simple ingredients, and are the absolute best you're ever going to have. They are lusciously silky, with the key limes shining through with a bright tangy flavor. And the hardest part of this recipe is juicing the key limes, which should give you an idea for how easy it is!
Read the full blog post below for detailed notes, tips, tricks, photos and videos.
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WHAT ARE KEY LIME PIE BARS?
Key lime pie is a classic American dessert that originated in the Florida Keys made with key limes, which are smaller and more aromatic than regular limes. The pie is known for its tangy and creamy filling made from key lime juice, sweetened condensed milk, and egg yolks. The filling is poured into a graham cracker crust before being baked, and the pie is typically topped with either whipped cream or a meringue. It is a very refreshing, summery dessert.
Key Lime Pie Bars are simply a version of Key Lime Pie made in the shape of bars by baking in a square or rectangular pan instead of a round pie dish. In my opinion, bars are easier to make and serve than a pie!
WHAT MAKES THESE THE BEST KEY LIME PIE BARS?
These Key Lime Pie Bars have all the hallmarks of a perfect key lime pie:
- A silky smooth texture. To me, this is the most important thing to get right! The key lime filling is supposed to be very creamy, almost like a no bake dessert - not eggy or dry - and these bars hit it out of the park in the texture department. They are so smooth and silky that they feel like a luxurious caress in your mouth
- A sharp key lime flavor. Key lime pies aren't supposed to have a subtle flavor, they're supposed to let the key lime flavor shine and pop. These bars do just that, with a sharp, tangy and bright flavor that tastes like summer
- Perfectly balanced layers. These bars have the perfect ratio of crust to key lime filling to whipped cream. The result is sublime: just enough crunch vs silk vs cream, and the right amount of sweetness to balance the tartness without overpowering it
- They are ridiculously easy to make. A good recipe certainly loses points if it is overly fussy, and these bars certainly are not. They take 9 simple ingredients (including vanilla) and less than 15 minutes of work. They're so simple that it feels almost unfair that they look and taste so good!
CAN I USE REGULAR LIMES INSTEAD OF KEY LIMES?
Of course, you will get the best results when using key limes. But if you can't find them where you live, don't worry, you can use regular limes (not lemon). Regular limes are larger and more sour than key limes, so I do recommend starting with a lower quantity of the juice and tasting to adjust the filling to your liking. And be sure to use fresh limes, not bottled juice!
CAN I BAKE KEY LIME PIE USING THIS RECIPE?
Yes! If you want a regular pie instead of bars, you can make this recipe in a 9" round pie pan instead of a 9" square pan. In that case, you will push the crust up the edges as well, not just pack it on the bottom. The baking time may be slightly longer, but not more than 2-3 minutes.
VIDEO TUTORIAL
Here is a short video tutorial for the best key lime pie bars:
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PROCESS WITH PHOTOS
The detailed recipe is in the recipe box below, but let's go over the steps with photos to help you visualize everything!
First, grind the graham crackers and mix them with melted butter:
Press down tightly in the bottom of a 9x9" square baking pan and bake:
For the crust, start by juicing the key limes and zesting 2:
Add sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and sour cream (or yogurt) and whisk to combine:
Taste to adjust, then whisk in the egg yolks:
Pour onto the baked crust, and bake until set:
When the bars are set, whip heavy cream with sugar to stiff peaks:
Slather the cream onto the bars:
Slice, serve, and enjoy!
OTHER FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
You can replace the 2 egg yolks with 2 tablespoon additional yogurt or sour cream. However, the filling may not feel quite as set.
Yes! You can taste the filling before the addition of the egg yolks. Start with 1.5 cans of sweetened condensed milk and then add more according to your taste. Just know the sweetened condensed milk is important for the texture too, not just flavor.
When you gently shake the pan, the edges should be slightly set but the center should still jiggle. Don't worry, the bars will set in the fridge. Avoid overbaking as the bars will become dry or eggy.
Firstly, trim off the edges from the pie using a large sharp knife. When cutting the bars, make sure your knife is sharp, and wipe it clean between every cut. When removing the knife after making a cut, swipe it horizontally instead of pulling it upwards, so the layers remain unmixed as much as possible.
Keep these bars in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Yes! You can make the bars in advance and keep them covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. I recommend adding the whipped cream layer when you are ready to serve.
RELATED RECIPES
Here are some more delicious summery recipes you will love:
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BEST KEY LIME PIE BARS RECIPE
- Total Time: 30 min + cooling
- Yield: 10-12 servings
Description
These delicious Key Lime Pie Bars take less than 15 minutes of work, only 9 simple ingredients, and are the absolute best you're ever going to have
Ingredients
Crust:
- 230g graham crackers (~16 full sheets)
- ½ cup melted butter (113g)
Key Lime Filling:
- 2 cans sweetened condensed milk (28oz)
- ¾ cup key lime juice (180g)
- 1 tbsp key lime zest (2-3 limes)
- 2 tsp vanilla
- ⅔ cup sour cream or yogurt (160g)
- 2 egg yolks
Topping:
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream, chilled (360g)
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350F (conventional) and prepare a 9x9" square baking pan by lining it with 2 perpendicular sheets of parchment paper. Make sure the parchment paper is rising to the top of the pan as that will allow you to remove the bars from the pan once they have set
- Grind the graham crackers into a find crumb in your food processor. Mix with the melted butter
- Transfer the crumbs to the prepared pan and press down tightly to form a crust on the bottom, using the back of a spoon and / or measuring cup
- Bake the crust for ~8-10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 325F
- In the meanwhile, zest and juice the key limes
- Mix the zest, key lime juice, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla and sour cream (or yogurt) with a hand whisk until combined. I recommend starting with ½ cup lime juice and 1 ½ cans of sweetened condensed milk, tasting and adjusting from there
- Add the egg yolks and whisk to combine
- Transfer the filling to the pan on top of the baked crust. Shake and tap the pan on the counter to get rid of any air bubbles
- Bake for ~17-18 minutes at 325F until the filling looks somewhat set around the edges but gently jiggles in the middle when the pan is shaken. It will not be fully set, as it will set further as it chills
- Refrigerate overnight, or at least for 4 hours
- When the bars are set, prepare the whipped cream topping by whisking the heavy cream with sugar until it reaches stiff peaks. Do not overmix
- Slather the whipped cream on top of the filling inside the pan
- Carefully remove the bars from the pan by lifting the parchment papers and transfer to your serving board
- Cut into squares with a sharp knife, serve and enjoy!
Video Tutorial:
Notes
Be sure to read the blog post and FAQs above for answers to common questions!
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 15 min
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Sara K says
I made this for a gathering I had with family and friends and it was a major hit! I would totally make it again
Zoha says
YAYYY!!!!
Summer says
Can these be frozen and served later?
Zoha says
I haven't tried doing that so I can't recommend it!
Zoha says
YAY!
Fatema says
I made it today… n it turned out exactly the way u have made it …. Taste was perfect …. Thank u so much 🫶🏻
Zoha says
AWW thank you so much!!
Summer says
These were amazing!! But why does the crust leave some grease? Sooo yum tho!
Grace Burke says
These were amazing!! I used gluten free graham crackers and it was perfect. I did find the longer they sat in the fridge the better they were!! Thanks for the amazing recipe.
Sarah says
I made these for a family party and they absolutely loved them!! I make a lot of desserts and they ranked this their top favorite of all time! I will definitely be making this again, thank you!
I followed the recipe as is and it came out perfectly. The only change I did was I used Mexican limes (limón criollo) instead of key limes and they worked great!
Anisha Sheril Baxla says
do the ingredients need to be room tempertaure?
Mercedes says
These are *incredible!* I had my picky 8 year old son try them and he said “tangy, check! Sweet, check! Yum!” Haha. Made for our Easter pot luck tonight and they are sure to be gone! Writing this down and putting in my recipe box. Thank you!
Zoha says
AWW THANK YOU!
Betty says
Can I refrigerate 2 nights? Made it a little early for company dinner.
Zoha says
Yes should be ok!
Dana says
These were the absolute best! Perfectly tart, not overly sweet, and the best crust. Other recipes I’ve used would leave a crumbly crust that inevitably fell apart when cutting. These stayed together perfectly! I want to experiment with other types of citrus using this recipe.
Zoha says
I am so glad to hear this, Dana! I also want to make these with lemons
Komal Salvi says
can u pls share substitute of eggs for this recipe
Abby says
Absolutely amazing! Super easy & always a crowd pleaser!
Zoha says
Aren't they!? Thanks 🙂
Kelly says
Could this recipe be doubled or tripled and made in a larger pan?
Kelly says
Made this recipe for work in a 12x18 sheet pan. I tripled the recipe and baked it until the filling was 145F, ~30 min. It turned out great!
Zoha says
Thanks so much for sharing your experience!
Zoha says
Yes, of course! You can do 1.5x the quantities and use a 9x13" pan
Lucy says
I made it yesterday. It came out perfect. Delicious!!! The whipped cream not too sweet balances the sweetness of the key lime. It was a hit!!! Thank you.
Zoha says
So glad you loved them - thank you!
Theresa says
Extremely easy to make! A huge hit, everyone absolutely loved them! I was feeding a crowd so I, 1.5x the quantities and used a 9x13" pan.