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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!
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. They have a silky custard made with key lime juice, sweetened condensed milk and egg yolks, on top of a crispy graham cracker crust, and are served with whipped cream on top. They are tangy, bright and summery – and much easier than a pie!
The perfect 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!
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!
Wanna make pie instead?
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.
Step by step 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 9×9″ 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!
FAQs
You can replace the 2 egg yolks with 2 tbsp 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.
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Ingredients
Crust:
- 230g graham crackers (~16 full sheets)
- 1/2 cup melted butter (113g)
Key Lime Filling:
- 2 cans sweetened condensed milk (28oz)
- 3/4 cup key lime juice (180g)
- 1 tbsp key lime zest (2–3 limes)
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2/3 cup sour cream or yogurt (160g)
- 2 egg yolks
Topping:
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, chilled (360g)
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350F (conventional) and prepare a 9×9″ 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 1/2 cup lime juice and 1 1/2 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!
Comments
Grace Burke
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.
Summer
These were amazing!! But why does the crust leave some grease? Sooo yum tho!
Fatema
I made it today… n it turned out exactly the way u have made it …. Taste was perfect …. Thank u so much 🫶🏻
Zoha
AWW thank you so much!!
Zoha
YAY!
Summer
Can these be frozen and served later?
Vicki A Holcomb
did you try to freeze them –thinking about making the lime part and freezing and then making the whipped top right before i serve
Zoha
I haven’t tried doing that so I can’t recommend it!
Sara K
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
YAYYY!!!!