Recipes

Key Lime Pie Bars

by Well Health Lifestyle Team
May 26, 2024

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Key lime pie bars are classic key lime pie flavors baked into delightful little bars. They have a buttery graham cracker crust and a creamy lime filling. The sweet and zingy lime flavors make for an irresistible treat!

I love making pie bars to serve to a crowd because they’re so easy to make and serve! Bring these cherry pie bars, my peaches and cream bars, or pecan pie bars to your next party.

Reasons to LOVE These Bars

Perfect Summer Dessert: Key lime just says Summer! These bars are a light and tasty dessert option.
Crowd Favorite: Double these bars to feed a crowd. Key lime pie bars are always the first to go at a party or gathering!
Easy to Make and Serve: With just a few layers and steps, these bars come together easily. You choose the serving size by cutting the squares into any size you desire!

Key Lime Pie Bars

I LOVE key lime pie…it’s my favorite pie of all time! The sweet and tart filling gets me every time! These key lime pie bars are simply the bar version of the classic dessert and are just as delicious. The sweet graham cracker crust is baked to perfection and then topped with a layer of smooth key lime pie filling. The filling is my favorite because it’s creamy, tangy, and loaded with zesty lime flavor. And any dessert recipe that uses sweetened condensed milk is a win in my book!

If you love key lime anything like I do, then I have some incredible recipes for you to try! This no-bake key lime pie is an easy summer dessert to make. I also love this cheesecake and my kids always request this key lime poke cake.

Ingredients Needed

Each layer of these key lime pie bars uses minimal ingredients making this a surprisingly easy recipe! Follow the recipe card below for exact ingredients and measurements.

Crust

Graham Cracker Crumbs: I used about 8 full crackers.
Granulated Sugar: To sweeten the crust.
Salted Butter: Melted to moisten the crust and add a buttery flavor.

Key Lime Filling

Egg Yolks: Adds richness to the filling.
Key Lime Zest: Fresh zest is a must to enhance and brighten the lime flavor.
Key Lime Juice: Key limes are very small limes that are often sold in bags at the grocery store. Use fresh key limes or bottled key lime juice. Regular limes can be substituted.
Sweetened Condensed Milk:
Granulated Sugar:

Whipped Cream

Heavy Cream: Chilled heavy cream gives the best results.
Powdered Sugar: Sweetens the cream to perfection!
Lime Zest: Extra lime zest to garnish and for more lime flavor.

Ingredients labeled to make key lime pie bars crust.

Ingredients labeled to make key lime bars filling.

Ingredients labeled to make key lime bars whipped topping.

Key Lime Pie Bars Recipe

I love how easy these bars are to make and take to a party! This recipe makes about 9 bars or 12 smaller bars. You can also double the recipe if you need to feed more people. I walk you through every step, so let’s get baking!

Crust

Preheat Oven/ Prepare Pan: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line an 8×8-inch pan with parchment paper then coat with non-stick cooking spray.
Make the Crust: Place the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter in a bowl and mix until well combined.
Press the Crust Into the Pan: Firmly press the graham cracker mixture into the bottom of the pan in an even layer.
Bake: Bake the crust for 10 minutes while you prepare the filling.

Key Lime Filling

Beat the Yolks and Mix in the Condensed Milk: Beat the egg yolks with an electric hand mixer until smooth and creamy, 2-3 minutes. Mix in the sweetened condensed milk.
Add the Key Lime Juice, Zest, and Sugar: Add the key lime juice, zest, and sugar. Beat until completely smooth.
Bake: Pour the filling over the crust then bake for 15 minutes or until the filling is just set.
Cool and Chill the Bars: Cool the bars completely then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 3 days.

Whipped Cream

Beat the Heavy Cream and Powdered Sugar: Place the heavy cream and powdered sugar into a bowl then beat until stiff peaks form.
Spread the Whipped Cream on the Chilled Bars: Before serving, spread the whipped cream on top of the chilled bars.
Cut, Garnish, and Serve: Cut the bars into 9 equal squares and garnish with lime zest and wedges.

First photo of the crust ingredients mixed. — Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar,
and melted butter.

Second photo of the crust being pressed into a pan. — Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar,
and melted butter.

Key Lime Pie Bars Tips and Variations

Here are some tips to help you make these incredible bars! These key lime pie bars are easily adaptable to other diets. Follow my gluten-free and dairy-free substitutions below!

Key Limes: Key limes are essential for key lime desserts, but they aren’t always in season. You can substitute the juice and zest of key limes for the juice and zest of Persian limes. You can also use bottled key lime juice. Nellie & Joe’s bottled key lime juice is a great option and it’s easy to find!
Whipped Topping: You may use thawed whipped topping instead of whipped cream if you’d like.
Dairy-Free: I haven’t tried the non-dairy sweetened condensed milk with this recipe, but I believe coconut or oat milk sweetened condensed milk would still work if you want to make this a dairy-free recipe. You can omit the whipped cream or use your favorite dairy-free whipped cream.
Butter Substitutions: Replace the butter with 4 tablespoons of clarified butter, ghee, or margarine in the crust.
Gluten-Free: You can easily make this a gluten-free recipe by using gluten-free graham crackers to make the crust. Depending on the brand, it might be more or less than 8 crackers to make 1 cup of crumbs.

Close view of key lime pie bars cut and garnished with lime slices and zest.

Storing Key Lime Pie Bars

These delicious key lime pie bars are great to make in advance for parties! Follow my tips below for storing these yummy little bars then you can enjoy them later.

In the Refrigerator: Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
In the Freezer: Place the cooled bars on a parchment-lined baking sheet then place it in the freezer for a few hours. Once frozen solid, transfer them to an airtight container or a freezer bag. Freeze them for up to 3 months.
To Thaw: Set the frozen bars on a plate covered with plastic wrap then place them in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours until thawed. Top with whipped cream before serving.
Make in Advance: These bars can be prepared 2-3 days in advance, however, I recommend waiting until you serve it to top it with whipped cream.