Key Lime Pie Bars
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You need less than 10 ingredients to make my Key Lime Pie Bars. These squares are zesty, filled with lime juice, and are the perfect springtime dessert!
Something about spring time just makes me CRAVE desserts that are citrusy and tangy. These key lime pie squares are always the first desserts I crave come spring time. Here is proof. Around the same time last year, I made these ‘not key lime squares’, and if you’re looking for an explanation as to what in H-E-Double hockey sticks that means, well, let me explain. Basically it’s key lime with regular limes.
So this is the part where you ask me if I’m repeating recipes on you and I’m going to say um.. yeee-as, kinda. I highly urge you to give these lime bars a try — disappointed, you won’t be. <– We’ve been watching ALL the Star Wars movies with some friends and that’s my inner Yoda coming out. (side note: I didn’t really think i’d like Star Wars at all, but it’s not soo bad. I may even say, I kinda like it. But not like you’ll see me at a sci-fi convention anytime soon or anything like that.)
Have you ever had a food craving that lasted you a week? That’s what it’s been like for me. Just torturing me. At one point I even purchased some key lime pie flavored white chocolate. Which btw, was totally gross. Chocolate should taste like chocolate and not key lime pie. Or frozen yogurt. I tried this greek frozen yogurt that was key lime pie flavored. Oh. Ew! Yuck. This was a craving that would only go away with the real deal.
The first time I made these bars last March, I took one bite and told Anees that these absolutely, hands down, had to be the BEST thing i’ve ever baked. And though Anees had a hard time believing that something that didn’t contain chocolate could be the ‘best’ anything, upon taking a bite, he was nodding along that these would definitely make the list of top 5.
What really makes these key lime pie bars outstanding is the crust:
Raise your hand if that’s your favorite part! Okay, well don’t. Because your boss may walk by and give you a peculiar look as to why you’ve got your hand up in the air. The crust on these key lime pie bars is a few simple ingredients. We’re using graham crackers, sugar, butter, and here’s the shocker — cinnamon and ground pecans.
Okay, so before you hit the little X at the top window, let me say that cinnamon and ground pecans are going to take these bars to the next level. The Cheesecake Factory uses nuts in their classic cheesecake crust to make the flavor so unique, along with a pinch of cinnamon. The cinnamon flavor isn’t noticeable if you’re worried about that. Just a quarter teaspoon makes the crust so delicious but keeps the eater guessing what it is that makes these key lime pie bars so addicting.
These key lime pie bars are quick and easy to make.
They’re the perfect spring/summer dessert to serve at any gathering. Nobody wants to slave in the kitchen when the heat hits, these bars are your answer to a quick dessert. They require a quick 30 minutes of hands on time, just 9 simple ingredients, and they taste like a million bucks. No, really, they do.
Creamy, cool, smooth, and so much flavor. After baking the bars, they need a couple of hours to chill in the refrigerator. This had to be the hardest part of the whole process. I couldn’t wait to dig in to these key lime pie bars. That first bite, it makes it alllllll worth it.
Happy Friday, y’all!
P.S. If you like this recipe, you might also want to check out my creamy lemon squares – equally delicious with a lemony twist!
Key Lime Pie Bars
You need less than 10 ingredients to make my Key Lime Pie Bars. These squares are zesty, filled with lime juice and are the perfect spring time dessert!
Ingredients
- 12 large graham cracker rectangles
- 2 tablespoons ground pecans
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted
- 3 egg yolks, room temperature
- 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
- 4 teaspoons lime zest (about 3 limes)
- 1/2 cup key lime juice (regular limes are fine too)
Instructions
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray an 8x8 square baking pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper, set aside.
- In a small bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs, ground pecans, sugar, and cinnamon. Add the melted butter and stir to combine. Make sure all the crumbs are moistened. Press the crumbs into the bottom of the baking pan and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, leave oven on.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the yolks for 2 minutes. Add the condensed milk and continue to whisk for another 2 minutes. Stop the mixer, scrape down the sides, add the lime zest. With the mixer on low, drizzle in the lime juice, let mixer run for 2 minutes once added. Pie mixture will be slightly thicker when done. Pour the filling into crust and bake for 15 minutes.
- Cool completely on rack. Filling will set as it cools. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Slice and serve chilled.
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120 Comments on “Key Lime Pie Bars”
Totally amazing!!! Requested as a repeat by the food insecure family I am cooking for during Covid. My heart❤️ So my question is: would it be ok to double the crust part of the recipe? It seemed a bit thin, and is SO delicious! Thank you fir this wonderful recipe – and the presentation with the twirled lime slice is the piece de resistance
Hi Linda! I think it should be fine. You may need to leave it in the oven slightly longer during the blind bake, and I’m not sure how difficult the crust would be to cut when the bars are cooled, but theoretically, it should work! Hope that helps 🙂
Wow! I do not like key lime pie as a rule, but this recipe knocks out the park. Definitely a keeper!!
Does anyone have the calorie intake?
Made these tonight and can’t keep my hands off of them!!! Can I freeze them?
As Graham crackers and key limes aren not widely available in the Netherlands, I used ‘Bastogne’ cookies (and left out the sugar in the crust, as they are sweeter) and 50/50 regular limes and lemon. And because the cookies I used already have a bit of cinnamon in them, I added a bit of cardamom instead. Also used toasted cashews instead of pecans (didn’t have those at home).
Although the crust was a bit too fatty, they were amazingly delicious and I will definitely make them again! Want to try them with the pecans too…
Oh. My. Gosh!
These are soooo good! I baked them one day and had to hide them from my family in the fridge because they would eat it all. I brought it to my friends and they absolutely loved these!
I love this recipe so much, if you haven’t made it, totally do! It’s super easy and delicious
Wonderful recipe, previous ones I have used did not have pecans or the lime zest and that added additional flavor and texture! Thank you.
Just wondering if the gram cracker crumbs are fine crumbs.
Thank you!
Hi Pat! You want pulse them to the point where they’re between the texture of panko and regular breadcrumbs. You don’t want them to be so fine that it turns into a powder! Hope that clarifies it a bit better:)
Yes! Thank you so much for getting back so soon, now I am going to make them!
Thank you for all of your delicious recipes, really appreciate all your hard work!
Hi! These look great! For time strategizing reasons I may need to refrigerate overnight, will that affect the flavor/texture? Thanks!
Hi! Not at all, I prefer to refrigerate overnight, I think it actually makes the flavor even better!
How long do you bake if recipe is doubled?
What if I don’t have key lime/lime zest? Will that impact the flavor significantly?
Can you freeze these?
My family absolutely loves this recipe. I was never a key lime pie person until I tried this recipe. Delicious!
Do you have any suggestions if someone is tree nut allergic what we can use to substitute for pecans?
Hi Daisy! I am so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe! If you’re dealing with a nut allergy, you can simply omit the pecans and use an additional 2 tablespoons of graham cracker crumbs in place 🙂
Thank you! ☺️
Do you place the ingredients over the parchment paper & then peel it off after slicing each piece ?
Hi, Lisa! Yes, the crust would be pressed on top of the parchment paper to keep it from sticking to the pan. I use the parchment to lift the bars out of the baking pan and place of a cutting board. You shouldn’t need to ‘peel’ the paper as it doesn’t get stuck to the bars. Hope that helps!
When you say key lime juice, do you mean fresh or from concentrate? Thanks!
Hi Katie! Either would work here so I didn’t specify but if you have the option, fresh is best!
I want to make these but no pecans in house ~ I have everything else though. I have walnuts and also almonds – possible to swap the pecans?
Hi Karen! I’d use walnuts, think that should work out pretty well.
Hi! We dont get key limes or limes where we live. Is it possible to use lemon juice or will that affect the texture?
Hi Aleena, I have a recipe for lemon squares that uses lemon juice if you’d like to give that a try – they’re very similar to these!
Calories?
Love these!!+
Glad to hear it, Patricia!
This is made on a 8X8 pan. I need to use a bigger rectangular pan. Do you have the recipe for a bigger pan?
Hi Adry! You would just need to double or triple the ingredients based on the size of pan you use. Also, keep in mind that baking times could change significantly if it’s a much larger batch. I always suggest to try the recipe at lease once as written before making any changes 🙂
I made these for a small neighborhood get-together & everyone loved them, already printed out the recipe for one! I doubled the cinnamon because I love cinnamon, I was 3 graham crackers short so added 2 Tbs more of pecans. I will definitely make these again!!
I was lucky to get a piece it went so quickly! I made it with gingernuts (With the same butter and sugar amounts) as the base, as we don’t have graham crackers in NZ and it was very successful! Had to forward the recipe to everyone!
Happy to hear that, Michelle! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Great recipe! I have a electric oven so I had to bake the crust a little longer then what is said. Also I made it in a cheesecake spring pan and it worked great. These are very tasty. Best crust I’ve ever had with the pecans in them. Highly recommend for any occasion.
Isn’t the crust so good? Glad to hear you enjoyed it!
These were absolutely delicious. The crust is unbelievable. The pecans in the cinnamon made such a difference. Everyone who had them raved about them.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the addition of cinnamon and pecans – the crust is our favorite part 🙂
These bars were delicious! The crust was perfection. I don’t think I’ll ever make a plain graham cracker crust again. The crust was just right for keeping the bars from falling apart while serving and holding them. My boyfriend and I don’t like super sweet desserts so my only adjustment was that I did 8 oz sweetened condensed milk and 6 oz of evaporated milk that I boiled off until it was condensed, just to lower the sugar content a bit. I think they would have been wonderful with the full amount of sugar too though, still not too sweet. I topped them with a dollop of homemade whipped cream and some fresh lime and lemon zest and they were brilliant. They will definitely be a staple for us!
So happy to hear they were enjoyed, Charlotte! Thanks for sharing your tip on making these a little less sweet!
Perfect! Very easy to make. I used 1 2/3 cups of the graham cracker crumbs. Adding this to my roster of favourites!! The lime flavour was amazing and everyone in the family loved them. Thank you!!
So glad to hear it was enjoyed by all! Appreciate you taking the time to come back and comment!
These bars are perfect! I love keylime pie bars and my family destroyed these within minutes. Can’t wait to make more, they brought us happiness during a crazy time. Thank you for the recipe!
These are delicious!! And the crust! Worth making the crust vs premade because it’s easy and so delicious. I like the bars vs pie slices because they cut nicely and smaller for pie baby shower. Can you freeze these?
Glad to hear you enjoyed them! I think another reader mentioned that these bars freeze well 🙂
Made many times they are always a hit! Ever experimented with other juices? Lemon, grapefruit, or orange? I even wonder if mango would be good.
So happy to hear that! I think it could work as written if you wanted to swap the key lime juice for lemon or grapefruit. You may need to play around with the amount of condensed milk if you were to use mango juice though, I’m just worried the bars would be super sweet.
Sorry to hijack your question, Jessica but I didn’t see where else to ask this… Did I miss something? I don’t see how many egg yolks this recipe calls for. Thanks for the reply! 🙂
You’ll need 3 egg yolks for these key lime pie bars, they are listed on the recipe under the ‘ingredients’ section 🙂
I would love to make these, but due to recent medical issue I need to know the sugar content per serving. If unavailable, I’ll probably still make them but just won’t be able to eat any, ?
Thank you for your help
Hi Mary, I don’t have the nutritional information offhand but if you’d like to obtain it, you can simply copy the URL of this page and paste it into MyfitnessPal (there’s also an app) and it with calculate it for you. This way, you can put in the exact brands you’ve used and ensure more accurate nutritional content 🙂
I didn’t have an 8×8 pan, but really wanted to give these a try, so I did use a 9×13 and double the recipe. I cooked the crust 3 minutes longer and cooked the flan portion an additional 5 minutes. I have not yet cut them, but the concoction does look set, so my fingers are crossed! I’ll keep you posted!
Do you know if these bars would stack well? I would like to make these for a party, but I would need to be able to stack them in tupperware to get them there. Thanks!
I would use wax or even parchment paper between the layers (wax part touching the key lime layer.) They do stick if you place them directly on top of each other.
I made these for a July 4th party along with lemon bars from a different website. Hands down, these were the favorite!! I did have to omit the pecans as my son is allergic. When he goes back to college in the fall, I’ll make them again with the pecans for just my husband and me. Both of my kids asked if I could make them for our beach trip in August! Thank you for the amazing recipe!! Will check out your lemon bars as well 🙂
Excellant recipe…I’ve tried several key lime recipes and this is by far the best one! Thanks for sharing.
LOVE this recipe! It is really easy and makes the best key lime bars ever. I’ve made them three times already, and they are a huge hit every time. Also- you can still make these without parchment. I didn’t have parchment, so I just buttered my baking pan and made them right in there… as long as you remove them carefully, they will come out of the pan fine 🙂
What does 12 Graham crackers equate to in terms of measurements? I have ground up Graham crackers that come in a box
For those who asked about making this recipe in muffin tins…it works great! I doubled the recipe and it filled about 28 standard sized muffin liners. I didn’t spray the paper liners, but they came out clean. I used a cookie scoop to measure about 1 1/2 tbsp of crust mixture into each muffin cup. Flattened the mixture w a spoon and baked at 350 degrees for 5 min. I then filled the cups to the top with the filling and baked for 8 min longer, and followed the recipe as normal, leaving them in the muffin tins while setting/chilling to hold shape. A crowd pleaser for sure, this is going in my tried and true recipe book!
This is my favorite! I’m needing to cook for crowd. I’m going to figure pan size but square inches, How long can these be frozen?
Has anyone tried these as cupcakes? Wondering how many they yield and how long to cook. Thanks!
I love this idea. I’m going to try this when I make them tomorrow and will report back. 🙂
For cupcakes, I doubled the recipe and used standard size paper liners and measured about 1 1/2 tbsp of crust mixture into each cup ( I used a cookie scoop), pressed down w spoon and baked 4-5 min at 350 degrees. Then filled cups to top and baked about 8 min more. I left the pies in the muffin tins while cooling on rack and chilling in refrigerator. This way I could remove them in one piece. They turned out fantastic and worked well for bringing to a party!
I just finished making they are now cooling, I could not wait to taste “they are yummy” love citrus can’t wait to serve for St. Patrick’s Day!
The thing that really make these outstanding, on top of the crust, would be using key limes instead of regular limes. Regular limes work, but they don’t taste like key limes, just like limes don’t have the same taste as lemons. Key limes are kind of a mixture of the two. If you can get key lime juice, even bottled, use that. Luckily I have a key lime tree in my back yard that is ready to drop about 30 limes. This is on my list to make! Thanks for sharing.
Cool completely on rack? Do you leave in the oven or take out?
You would remove it from the oven and then allow it to cool completely on a wire rack.
How would the crust taste without the cinnamon? These look amazing!
You can omit the cinnamon if you’d like, it won’t impact the flavor significantly!
Amazing!! Doubled the batch for a potluck but made it in 2 8×8 pans. These squares are to die for! Besides everyone at the party loving them, all the leftovers were taken home by party guests! Glad I left a couple at home because they wouldn’t fit on the plate! See my pics on Instagram @joannstu. Definitely will be making these again. Super easy too ❤️
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I would like to make these for my husband’s retirement party. He loves key lime pie. Can I double the receipt and make in a 13X9X2 glass baking dish?
Glad to hear you’d like to give this recipe a try! Unfortunately, a 9×13 or similar pan would make the crust and key lime mixture thicker and that will then change the baking times. I really can’t say how much longer it’ll take without further recipe testing and I’m not sure if the final product will yield the same results as a single batch would.
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These are delicious! The crust is to die for
Will definitely make again
I made these bars this past weekend and they were a HUGE hit! Perfect dessert for the start of summer 🙂
So delicious!! They were a big hit and I’m definitely making them again. I might make them in a 9×9 pan next time, the crust was a bit thick to cut but ultimately it was fine. I followed the recipe exactly.
These are fantastic! I was skeptical that the base would be greasy, but no, it was crunch and caramelized. Just the right combination of sweet and tart. I may try gingersnaps and almonds in the next batch.
I accidentally used almonds for the crust, yummy accident. Also, I topped them with whipped cream.
Absolutely THE best! Easy to make refreshing dessert (35 year Florida resident and we KNOW great key lime!)
Love this dessert (and I am a dessert hater usually) have made this a few times last time didn’t have lime but the husbeast wanted them so I used lemon instead of lime they were WICKED good!!
These are AMAZING! I’ve made them 5 times now, and they are delicious every time! The crust is a show stopper! My family said they would eat the crust alone if I made it, lol! I always use a hand mixer and it works perfectly. I have tried to make a little extra thicker crust by adding some more graham rectangles and it was still delish just a little crumbly (I don’t think I increased the butter enough) I’ve cut back on the lime juice and zest for a friend who is on the fence about key lime and she loved it! When I used the already crushed graham crackers it did come out more crumbly so I always use the rectangles now. I really can’t stress enough how good this crust is! This is by far the most requested dessert I make! Thank you for sharing!
Easy to make and delicious. What more needs to be said?
Hi Marzia. Our readers will love this. I have included your wonderful recipe in our Crafty Like Granny weekly Craft roundup 🙂 https://craftylikegranny.com/creativity-never-goes-out-of-style/ Cheers Emily
Hi! I would love to make these. I only have graham crackers already crushed. Do you know how many cups it is in place of the squares? 🙂
It’s in the ballpark of 1 2/3 cup but please know that you may need more/less butter to get the crust to form properly as this will change the recipe a bit. It’s difficult to give an exact measurement of the crushed crumbs so I’ve always gone by rectangles instead.
I made this recipe but I substitute the graham cracker for a oatmeal cookie crust, and also added cream cheese to the filling. I line a cupcake pan w/ parchment paper added the crust and filling, came out very good.
These bars are amazing! Tart and luscious! The first time I made these, I followed the recipe exactly as written; the bars were delicious but I didn’t crunch up the crackers small enough (using a rolling pin) and the crust/bars didn’t hold when when cutting and removing from the pan. Since then, I made a tweak to my process and have had consistently excellent results. I now use cinnamon graham crackers and reduce the amount of ground cinnamon to 1/8 tsp. I use my food processor and chop the pecans first (I usually only have whole pecans on hand). Then I add the sugar, cinnamon graham cracker sheets and 1/8 tsp cinnamon into the nuts and process till it’s fine. I melt the butter in a large bowl and then add the graham cracker mixture. I use the 8 x 8 disposable foil pans that are non stick; no spray, no parchment and I’ve never had an issue with the bars sticking. I also make sure to really pack the crust well, so it helps stay together when cutting. Aside from that first tweak of compiling the crust, I follow the rest of the recipe to a T. These freeze well, too. Thanks for a great recipe!
Glad to hear you enjoyed them Jen! Thank you for taking the time to comment 🙂
I made these bars last weekend and my only complaint was the crust falling apart. I read your comment and did what you said with the food processor and it worked like a charm! Thank you, Jen!
Can this be frozen ahead of time and thaw for wedding?
Hi Kathy! I haven’t tried freezing them before so i’m unsure. But coincidently, the commenter above you (Jen) mentioned she’s frozen them before successfully.
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These look AMAZING!!! My family and I are brand new LOVERS of anything key lime!!! ? And, I know they’ll really enjoy these!!
But, I do have a question? I noticed you posted a copyright disclaimedisclaimer below the recipe for little Spice Jar. It says we would have to rewrite the recipe in our own words. My question is…if I pin this recipe to one of my dessert boards, to make at a later date, will I get a notice from Pinterest’s Administrators that the recipe was removed because of your copyright? I’d hate to pin it, then go to make them and not have the recipe! So, if I’ve misunderstood, then please forgive me. But, can you please clarify this for me? It’s 3:00 am in the morning and no pen in sight. Thank you! ?
Thank you! Nope, you won’t be flagged by Pinterest Brenda! This only applies to other bloggers/websites that choose to share the recipe on their own site! Feel free to pin all the content that you like and I hope you enjoy the Key Lime Pie bars!:)
Could you make these ahead, bake them and then freeze them? I would love to make the. A week ahead for an event coming up.
I made a batch of these and froze them. Amaaaaazing. They take 10-15 mins max to defrost and are as delicious as when first made. I have a constant supply in the freezer now…
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Has anyone tried coconut cream instead of condensed milk?
I accidentally used walnuts instead of pecans buuuut they still taste amazing. I used ground graham crackers and measured 1.25c out and also creamed my butter instead of melting it since i don’t own a microwave. I only grated 2 limes for the zest because thats all i had and it was still great. Also i had to use a 9 inch pie pan, my graham cracker crust layer was a bit thinner and i sliced in wedges. I noticed my bars had green flecks and a noticible tint to them more than your pictures, overall they were perfect though, i will definitley make them again! I have a picture but it doesnt look like i can attach it.
Can you use the already ground up graham crackers that come in the boxes? And if so what measurement would it be? Thank you.
Already ground graham crackers should be fine. I’m unsure about the measurements because I always use sheets. Perhaps the box has a conversion chart from graham cracker sheets to cups?
How far in advance can you make these?? I’m making Jambalaya for book club (The Promise by Ann Weisgarber – historical fiction about Galveston – fabulous) and thought these would be a refreshing dessert.
I’ve made them up to 2 days in advance and they were just as delicious (actually, even more) than the day I made them! Hope you guys love them!:)
Hello! I’m excited to try this as a birthday treat for my husband who loves key lime pie. I have a question though. I’m confused about the parchment paper part. Do you place the paper in the bottom of the pan and put the graham cracker crust on top of it? Sorry, I obviously don’t bake a lot lol. Thanks!
Yup, that’s absolutely right! So just spray the pan with a little cooking spray, then place the 8×8 cut out of parchment paper inside the bottom of the pan. The cooking spray helps the parchment stay put and the parchment prevents the crust from sticking to the pan. Hope your hubby loves the key lime pie bars 🙂
My daughter is allergic to nuts, would it still be good without the pecans ? Would I omit the cinnamon too?
It’s totally your call on the cinnamon, Debbie. You can add it or omit it, either is okay. Personally, I’d add it in as the cinnamon really makes the crust so much tastier! 🙂
These were amazing!! We were celebrating 4th of July (except we are in australia) and looking for something american but not the usual apple pie. This was great! Anyone in oz wanting to make them- we used just normal limes and digestive biscuits in the base. Yummmm!
Will it turn out fine if I use a hand mixer? I don’t own an electric mixer with whisk.
Absolutely! You may need to beat it just a bit longer for it to thicken up but it’ll definitely work just fine! 🙂
Can this recipe be easily doubled? What size pan would you use? Thank you. Feeding a crowd!
Yup, you can double the recipe easily but I do suggest still baking it in 8×8 pans. Perhaps the disposable ones if you don’t have two? A 9×13 or similar won’t work as the crust and key lime mixture will both end up being thicker and that will then change the baking time.
I will follow your inner Yoda and give these little beauties a try. The photos look good enough to eat too.
I made these and they were fantastic. However, I used an 8×8 pan and the amount of graham crackers the recipe called for and the bars didn’t come out looking even like they do in your pics. Do you have any tips for getting bars like this to come out looking nice and not completely destroyed when you try to cut them and lift them out of the pan? TIA!
I allow the bars to cool completely in the refrigerator (usually longer than 2 hours) also I use an extremely sharp knife and I wipe my knife on a paper towel between every cut. Hope that helps 🙂
I have found that if you dip your knife in very HOT water, then wipe it off, you get a very clean slice of anything that can be sticky either from sugar or egg. This method provides smooth sides to your slices.
These look wonderful! As soon as the sun comes out here I dream of citrus desserts and all things fresh and zingy – I need to try these bars!