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Key Lime Pie Bars: A heavenly citrus treat made to feed a crowd! Each bite tastes like Key lime pie but without all the work!

Key Lime Pie Bars on a square white plate with a lime, raspberry and whipped cream garnish

Key Lime Pie Bars

The hubby loves his lemon desserts, but gives lime the cold shoulder. Really??? I love, love Key lime pie. The tart and creamy filling in a sweet graham cracker crust is a delightful pairing.

But I cannot make a whole pie for myself, can I???? Nope. But I hosted book club last month and made these delectable Key Lime Pie Bars. Citrusy squares topped with sweetened whipped cream and a slice of lime. SO good!!!

Key Lime Pie Bars on square white plates on a red and white checked napkin with a bowl of limes

Tips for Making Key Lime Bars

  • First you have to track down some of those small Key limes that come from Florida, California, Mexico or the Caribbean. PRO-Tip: But if you can’t locate any Key limes, regular Persian limes work well. They’re a bit more acidic, but much tastier and fresher tasting than the bottled Key lime juice.
  • You will use both lime juice and zest in this Key Lime Pie Bars recipe. Don’t bother trying to zest your mini Key limes, as it’s much easier to use a standard lime and you’ll never know the difference.
  • The crust is like your basic graham cracker crust. Either buy graham cracker crumbs or make your own by processing full sized graham crackers in a food processor. Those will be mixed with melted butter and a bit of sugar. This mixture is pressed onto the bottom of your prepared panpan, then baked.
  • The Key lime filling is like the typical pie filling, made with juice, zest, egg yolks and a can of sweetened condensed milk.  Mix and spread evenly with an offset spatula over the crust, then bake.
  • For company, you may garnish each slice with a dollop of whipped cream and a thin slice of lime. A berry adds a nice contrast but isn’t necessary!
  • This recipe can be doubled if you’d like to make a 9×13 Key Lime Pie Bars version.

More Citrus Recipes You’ll Love:

Key Lime Pie Bars | Citrus heaven in every bite!
The Recipe:

Key Lime Pie Bars

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Yield 16 bars

Citrus heaven in every bite. Inspired by Martha Stewart.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest
  • 1/2 cup Key lime juice (may use standard lime juice)
  • 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
  • Whipped cream, Key lime slices, berries to garnish, optional

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350º. Line 8 inch square baking pan with non-stick foil, if desired. Set aside.
  2. Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter in small bowl. Press evenly onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 10 minutes, then cool completely.
  3. Beat together egg yolks and zest on high speed till very thick, about 5 minutes. Add sweetened condensed milk and mix on low speed till combined, then increase speed and mix till thick, about 3 minutes. Add lime juice and mix on low till combined.
  4. Spread filling over crust and bake till filling is set, about 10 minutes.
  5. Cool completely before cutting and garnishing with whipped cream, lime slices, and/or berries.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1 bar
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 238Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 138mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 1gSugar: 26gProtein: 4g

HOW MUCH DID YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE?

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© Liz Berg
Cuisine: American, Southern / Category: Bar Cookies

 

Skinny Tip

I’m starting a new series of Skinny Tips. How I keep slim is one of my most frequent inquiries. I’ll feature tips on some of my upcoming blog posts.

Tip #1: Drink LOTS of water. Your hair and complexion will thank you plus it will help relieve your hunger pangs. I drink a ton of hot tea (ALL year round) and consider it part of my “water” intake.