Key lime pie bars are an easy dessert consisting of a simple graham cracker crust with a sweet key lime cream cheese filling.
Key lime pie bars are a delicious alternative to traditional Key lime pie. It takes just 9 ingredients and about 15 minutes of hands-on prep time to make them.
The bars have a simple homemade graham cracker crust and a sweet/tart creamy filling. The bars have a good bit of citrus flavor and just enough tartness to make them a refreshing warm-weather dessert.
I’ve included step-by-step photos, ingredient tips and substitutions, and plenty of other information to help you make this delicious dessert!
How to make key lime pie bars
To make the crust: Add the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and butter to a medium mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
Pour the crumb mixture into the prepared pan. Press the crumbs to form a firm, even layer in the bottom of the pan.
I start by patting the crust down and into place with a rubber or silicone spatula. Once it’s in place, I use the bottom of a measuring cup to pack the crust down.
Bake the crust for about 10 minutes, or until the edges are just beginning to turn light golden brown.
While the crust is baking prepare the filling.
To make the filling: Add the cream cheese to a large bowl. Beat the cream cheese until it’s smooth and well-beaten.
Add the sweetened condensed milk and mix on until well-combined.
Stir in the eggs until well-combined, scraping down the bowl as-needed. Add the lime juice, lime zest, and vanilla extract. Mix in until combined.
When the crust has finished baking, pour the filling over the hot crust. Return to the oven.
Bake for 18-25 minutes, or until the filling is set. You don’t want the filling to brown.
Remove from the oven, and place on a wire cooling rack. Let cool to room temperature.
Once at room temperature, chill for at least 2 hours before serving. Cut into bars to serve.
Ingredient tips and substitutions
- Graham cracker crumbs: Prepared graham cracker crumbs (from a box) work well in this crust. If you’d like to make your own crumbs, you’ll need about 9-10 full sheets of regular graham crackers.
- Brown sugar: Light or dark brown sugar will work. I don’t firmly press the brown sugar, but you can if you want a sweeter crust.
- Butter: I use salted butter. If you use unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the crumb mixture.
- Cream cheese: I use full-fat cream cheese in this recipe.
- Sweetened condensed milk: I’ve only used full-fat sweetened condensed milk in this recipe.
- Key lime juice: Feel free to use fresh or a good-quality bottled Key lime juice. If you use bottled Key lime juice, you will still need a lime for zest. If you can’t find Key limes, Persian limes (usually sold as “limes”) can be used as a substitute. I don’t recommend using bottled lime juice.
Limes vs Key limes
Key limes are smaller, a bit less tart, and are lighter green or yellow in color. They don’t keep well and should be kept at room temperature.
Persian limes (or “limes”) are larger, green in color, and are slightly tarter than Key limes. They keep better than Key limes and should keep for up to 3-4 week in the fridge.
You can! Persian limes, or “limes” as they’re usually known, work well in place of Key limes.
You can! A good-quality Key lime juice makes a stand-in for fresh Key lime juice.
Key limes are slightly less tart than Persian limes, and Key limes also have a slightly floral note to their juice. So foods made with Key limes have a slightly different flavor than foods made with Persian limes.
Serving suggestions
I serve the bars topped with a dollop of homemade whipped cream and a bit of fresh lime zest on top. You could also serve the bars topped with a twist of lime
Make-ahead directions
Key lime bars keep well in the fridge. To make ahead, simply follow the recipe as-written.
Chill until ready to serve. I recommend waiting until ready to serve to top with whipped cream or other desired toppings.
Storage
The bars should be stored, covered, in the fridge. The bars will keep for about 4-5 days when properly stored in the fridge.
More summer pie recipes!
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Key Lime Pie Bars
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 5 tablespoons butter (melted)
Key Lime Pie Filling
- 4 ounces cream cheese (at room temperature)
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon lime zest
- 1/2 cup Key lime juice
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8×8-inch metal baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- To make the crust: Add the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and butter to a medium mixing bowl.
- Stir to combine.
- Pour the crumb mixture into the prepared pan.
- Press the crumbs to form a firm, even layer in the bottom of the pan. See the note below for tips.
- Bake the crust for about 10 minutes, or until the edges are just beginning to turn light golden brown.
- While the crust is baking prepare the filling.
- To make the filling: Add the cream cheese to a large bowl.
- Beat the cream cheese until it’s smooth and well-beaten.
- Add the sweetened condensed milk and mix on until well-combined.
- Stir in the eggs until well-combined, scraping down the bowl as-needed.
- Add the lime juice, lime zest, and vanilla extract. Mix in until combined.
- When the crust has finished baking, pour the filling over the hot crust.
- Return to the oven.
- Bake for 18-25 minutes, or until the filling is set. You don’t want the filling to brown.
- Remove from the oven, and place on a wire cooling rack.
- Let cool to room temperature.
- Once at room temperature, chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
- Cut into bars to serve.
- Store, covered, in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Graham cracker crumbs: Prepared graham cracker crumbs (from a box) work well in this crust. If you’d like to make your own crumbs, you’ll need about 9-10 full sheets of regular graham crackers.
- Brown sugar: Light or dark brown sugar will work. I don’t firmly press the brown sugar, but you can if you want a sweeter crust.
- Butter: I use salted butter. If you use unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the crumb mixture.
- Cream cheese: I use full-fat cream cheese in this recipe.
- Sweetened condensed milk: I’ve only used full-fat sweetened condensed milk in this recipe.
- Key lime juice: Feel free to use fresh or a good-quality bottled Key lime juice. If you use bottled Key lime juice, you will still need a lime for zest. If you can’t find Key limes, Persian limes (usually sold as “limes”) can be used as a substitute. I don’t recommend using bottled lime juice.
- Pressing the crust: I start by patting the crust down and into place with a rubber or silicone spatula. Once it’s in place, I use the bottom of a measuring cup to pack the crust down.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Sarah says
Made these for my hubby. He loves key lime. He said they were the best key lime bars he’s ever had. Winning! LOL
Kate says
Yay! That’s awesome!
Linda says
Love that sweet/tart flavor. Had to use limes as I had no access to key limes, however we couldn’t tell a difference. Great taste!
Kate says
Thanks! I’m glad that the limes worked well for you!