Key Lime Bars Recipe

5 from 1 rating

I spent 3 days straight solely focused on developing this key lime bars recipe. The end result? A creamy, bright filling bursting with fresh key lime flavor on top of a buttery, crumbly crust.

Prep Time15

Cook Time25

Chill Time3

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: key lime bars, key lime pie bars

Servings: bars

Author: Beth

Equipment

Ingredients

Crust

1 ½ cups (170g) graham cracker crumbs about 11 crackers
¼ cup (29g) pecans
⅓ cup (71g) light brown sugar
½ cup (113g) unsalted butter 1 stick, melted

Filling

3 egg yolks
14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 Tbsp key lime zest
½ cup (118ml) key lime juice freshly squeezed from key limes

Optional garnish

Whipped cream
Lime zest
Lime wedges or slices

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a 8x8 inch pan with foil or parchment paper if desired.
Break the graham crackers into large pieces and place in a food processor along with the pecans. Process until you have fine crumbs. Alternatively, you can place the crackers and pecans in a zip lock bag and use a rolling pin to gently pound and roll them into crumbs.
1 ½ cups (170g) graham cracker crumbs, ¼ cup (29g) pecans
Place the crumb mixture in a bowl with the brown sugar. Add in the melted butter and combine until the crumbs are well moistened.
⅓ cup (71g) light brown sugar, ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter
Press the crumb mixture into the bottom of the baking pan, making sure it is even and firmly packed.
Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
In a medium bowl, beat the egg yolks until they are lighter in color and thick, 2-3 minutes.
3 egg yolks
Beat in the sweetened condensed milk until combined. Add the zest and the juice and beat again until thoroughly mixed.
14 oz can sweetened condensed milk, 1 Tbsp key lime zest, ½ cup (118ml) key lime juice
Pour the filling on to the baked crust and bake for 15 minutes, until it's just set.
Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator for 3 hours, or overnight.
Cut into squares, and serve with whipped cream and lime zest or lime slices if desired. Store the bars in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Whipped cream, Lime zest, Lime wedges or slices

Nutrition