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Home » Recipes » Easy Key Lime Pie Bars

Easy Key Lime Pie Bars

Published: Mar 18, 2022 · Modified: May 13, 2022 by Tara Smithson

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These Easy Key Lime Pie Bars are tart and delicious. The buttery graham cracker crust adds just the right amount of sweetness and crunch, which makes these the perfect dessert!

key lime pie bar on gray plate with a fork holding a bite of the dessert with cake plate in background holding more pie bars this recipe
The Ultimate Key Lime Pie Bars

The key lime bars are a fantastic dessert for Spring and Summer. They are fruity, tart, and light. They are also extremely simple to make! I'll tell you the truth, I like them better than lemon bars with a shortbread crust. That's right, I said it.

I can't even describe how good these delicious mini desserts are! I took them to my mom's last night for a family get together and they were gone in an instant. Thankfully, I ate three before anyone else could get their little hands on them. Win!

Why You'll Love This Recipe:

  • It's so easy to make with minimal ingredients
  • The recipe is so yummy and combines tart filling with a graham cracker crust
  • These bars are so much more fun to eat than a slice of traditional pie

If you love making easy desserts, be sure to check out these recipes:

Apple Crisp

No Churn Ice Cream

Watermelon Popsicles

Blueberry Galette with Puff Pastry

Frequently Asked Questions for the Recipe:

How to know when the lime bars are cooked correctly?

After baking, when you pull the lime bars out of the oven and you wiggle the pan back and forth gently, the center should look almost like jello and jiggle a bit. If it looks too much like liquid, it needs to go back into the oven.

Do lemon or lime bars have to be refrigerated before slicing?

Yes, these must stay in the fridge for at least 2 hours to make sure they are completely set before you slice them.

What is the best way to cut lemon or lime bars?

I prefer to cook them with parchment paper and then slice with a sharp chef's knife, wiping off the knife each slice. If you are using a good pan, be careful when you're cutting as it can scratch the bottom. Sometimes the first bar comes out a little ugly, but after that, you will be good to go.

What can you make with too many limes?

These easy key lime pie bars have about 10 limes in them and make the perfect dessert choice for those extra limes!

Ingredients:

ingredients for easy key lime pie bars
Simple Ingredients for Key Lime Pie Bars

Lime Juice: Freshly squeezed for the best tartness we can get

Lime Zest: For additional tart flavor and color

Graham Cracker Crumbs, Butter, and Granulated Sugar: Come together for the buttery base layer and create the ideal crunch

Sweetened Condensed Milk: A rich, thick sweetener

Sour Cream: To add creaminess and tart flavor to the bars

Egg Yolks: Used to help create a thick custard texture in lemon or lime bars

How to Make Easy Key Lime Pie Bars:

Watch the video for a full demo & be sure to SUBSCRIBE (it's free)

Video for Key Lime Pie Bars
graham cracker crust packed into 8x8 pan
Step One- The Graham Cracker Crust
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8 pan and line with parchment paper. In a bowl, add melted butter, granulated sugar and graham cracker crust and mix well to combine. Pack the crust into the pan and really pack it down with your hands or the bottom of a measuring cup. Bake for 10 minutes.
filling ingredients with whisk in a glass bowl
Step 2: Making the Lime Filling

2. In a large bowl, add in the lime juice, lime zest, sweetened condensed milk, sour cream and egg yolks. Whisk really well until combined.

key lime pie bars after baking in pan
Step 3: Baking the Bars

3. Pour the filling over the graham cracker crust and bake for 15 minutes. When you pull it out, give it a wiggle test to make sure the middle looks solid like jello and not like liquid. If it looks too runny, place back into the oven for a few minutes.

Once it is finished baking, allow the bars to cool for at least 45 minutes on the counter. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably 3 hours.

Using a sharp knife, cut the bars into squares like brownies, wiping the knife clean with each cut. The first bar is the trickiest one to get out, so consider that your treat for baking them.

You can sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving or squirt a little whipped topping on them to balance out the tart flavor.

Enjoy these!

key lime pie bar on gray plate with a fork holding a bite of the dessert
The Perfect Bite!

How to Store Them:

This dessert does the best made the same day as serving. You can store them in the fridge, but after 24 hours the graham cracker crust begins to get soggy.

Print
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key lime pie bar on gray plate with a fork holding a bite of the dessert

Easy Key Lime Pie Bars


★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

  • Author: Tara Smithson
  • Total Time: 4 hours, 15 minutes
  • Yield: 16 servings 1x
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Description

These Easy Key Lime Pie Bars are tart and delicious. The buttery graham cracker crust adds just the right amount of sweetness and crunch, which makes these the perfect dessert!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 and ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
  • ⅓ cup granulated sugar
  • 8 tablespoons salted butter, melted
  • 2 (14 ounce) cans of sweetened condensed milk
  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • ¾ cup fresh lime juice -about 10 limes
  • 2 tablespoons lime zest
  • 2 egg yolks
  • Optional: Powdered sugar for topping and/or whip cream
  • You will also need an 8x8 pan and 1 teaspoon vegetable oil or spray to coat pan & piece of parchment paper

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8 pan and line with parchment paper. In a bowl, add melted butter, granulated sugar and graham cracker crust and mix well to combine. Pack the crust into the pan and really pack it down with your hands or the bottom of a measuring cup. Bake for 10 minutes.
  2. In a large bowl, add in the lime juice, lime zest, sweetened condensed milk, sour cream and egg yolks. Whisk really well until combined.
  3. Pour the filling over the graham cracker crust and bake for 15 minutes. When you pull it out, give it a wiggle test to make sure the middle looks solid like jello and not like liquid. If it looks too runny, place back into the oven for a few minutes. Once it is finished baking, allow the bars to cool for at least 45 minutes on the countertop. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably 3 hours.

Using a sharp knife, cut the bars into squares like brownies, wiping the knife clean with each cut. The first bar is the trickiest one to get out, so consider that your treat for baking them. Enjoy!

Equipment

parchment paper

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8X8 pan

8x8 pan

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lemon juicer

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Notes

You can sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving or squirt a little whipped topping on them to balance out the tart flavor.

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cooling Time: 3 hours, 45 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Category: desserts
  • Method: bake
  • Cuisine: american

Keywords: key lime pie bars, lime bars, easy dessert

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About Tara Smithson

Hi! I'm Tara with Simply Made Eats. Total foodie turned food blogger. I have been cooking simple, delicious meals for my family & friends for the last decade. I love creating real recipes with fresh ingredients & sharing my recipes for others to create in their own kitchens.

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Comments

  1. Holly

    March 21, 2022 at 2:20 pm

    My new favorite dessert!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

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Hello & Nice to Meet You, I'm Tara! A total foodie turned food blogger & content creator. Welcome to Simply Made Eats, where I share delicious, simple & real ingredient recipes from my little kitchen. Thank you so much for being here with me!

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My Favorite Spring Recipes

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Hi! I'm Tara with Simply Made Eats. Total foodie turned food blogger. I have been cooking simple, delicious meals for my family & friends for the last decade. I love creating real recipes with fresh ingredients & sharing my recipes for others to create in their own kitchens.

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