Key Lime Pie Bars
These key lime pie bars are creamy, tangy, and perfectly refreshing — everything you love about key lime pie, but in easy-to-slice bar form. With a buttery graham cracker crust and a smooth citrus filling, they’re the ultimate no-fuss dessert for summer gatherings, potlucks, or just keeping in the fridge for a midday treat.
The Best Key Lime Bars Recipe
This recipe delivers big flavor and sweetness with minimal ingredients. The filling is thick, creamy, and bursting with bright lime flavor thanks to sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, and plenty of fresh lime juice and zest. The bars bake up silky and slice clean after chilling, and the graham cracker crust holds its shape beautifully without overpowering the citrus.
Full ingredients and baking times can be found at the bottom of this post!
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Graham Cracker Crust
Start by pulsing graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter in a food processor until the texture resembles wet sand. Press the mixture firmly into a parchment-lined 8×8 or 9×9-inch square baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes to help it set, then let it cool slightly while you make the filling.
Key Lime Pie Bar Filling
In a large bowl, whisk the sweetened condensed milk and egg yolks together until smooth. Add key lime juice and zest, whisking again until fully combined — the filling will thicken slightly on its own.
Baking & Chilling the Key Lime Pie Bars
Pour the key lime filling over the warm crust and bake until the edges are set but the center is still a little jiggly, about 15–18 minutes. Cool completely, then chill in the refirdgerator for at least 4 hours to set.
Serving Notes
Once chilled, use the parchment overhang to lift the bars from the pan. For clean slices, wipe a sharp knife between cuts. Top with piped whipped cream, fresh lime zest, or thin lime slices for an extra pop of color and flavor for garnish.
Storage
Store the bars in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. Let them sit at room temperature for 20–30 minutes before serving for the best texture.
Tips & Tricks
- For a sharper flavor, use fresh key lime juice if available. Regular limes work too!
- Zest adds depth — don’t skip it if you want full lime flavor.
- A hot knife helps slice bars neatly.
- Chill at least 4 hours, but overnight is best for clean slices.
Variations
- Make a cookie crust with vanilla wafers or digestive biscuits instead of graham crackers.
- Add a dollop of whipped topping for a creamy finish. You can do whipped cream by whipping heavy cream and a little bit of powdered sugar. Or make whipped meringue, by whipping egg whites into stiff peaks with a little bit of sugar!
- Use a 9×13 pan for thinner bars (adjust bake time slightly).
Similar Recipes
Craving more citrus?
These bars are bright, creamy, and impossible to resist — if you make them, tag me on Instagram @piesandtacos so I can see your zesty dessert spreads! 🍈
Key Lime Pie Bars
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs 150g
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter melted (85g)
Key Lime Pie Filling
- 2, 14 oz cans of sweetened condensed milk
- 6 large egg yolks
- ¾ cup key lime juice regular lime juice also works
- 1 tbsp key lime zest optional, but recommended for flavor
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8×8 or 9×9-inch square pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the sides for easy removal.
Graham Cracker Crust
- In a food processor add graham cracker crumbs, sugar, salt, and melted butter. Pulse until the mixture resembles wet sand. Press firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan to form an even layer.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Let it cool while you prepare the filling.
Key Lime Pie Filling
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk and egg yolks until smooth. Add the key lime juice and zest, and whisk again until fully combined. The mixture will thicken slightly on its own.
- Pour the filling over the warm crust and smooth the top. Bake for 15–18 minutes, or until the edges are set and the center looks just slightly jiggly.
- Let the bars cool, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours (preferably overnight) until fully set.
- Use the parchment overhang to lift the bars out of the pan. Slice into squares or rectangles. Wipe your knife clean between cuts for neat edges.
- Top with whipped cream (recipe here), lime zest, and lime slices.
It doesn’t say how much salt…
1/4 tsp. thanks for catching that
How do you manage the double layers shown in the picture? If you assemble the second crust and fling over the first filling, will it cook properly? I love the look of this.