💚🍋 Key Lime Pie Bars are an EASY, handheld twist on the classic pie everyone loves. Made with sour cream instead of cream cheese, the filling is tangy with a tart yet sweet, bold lime flavor. This is the perfect make-ahead dessert for potlucks and parties!
Easy Key Lime Pie Bars
Rather than making a classic key lime pie or even key lime meringue pie, I make one-bowl, no-mixer key lime bars! Just like my lemon pie bars, there’s nothing lackluster about how much robust lime flavor is present. The filling is tart and bold without being overpowering. While baking, the butter and brown sugar in the crust caramelize, and it plays perfectly off the lime.
It’s the same buttery graham cracker crust I used in Peanut Butter Swirled Cheesecake Bars, Salted Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars, and Salted Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars. It’s a keeper, even for someone who doesn’t like crust. It’s got just enough crispiness and crunch, yet there’s slight chewiness, and it holds together without crumbling, something that graham cracker crusts don’t always do.
It’s an easy key lime dessert to make a few days before an event and just keep parked in the fridge until you need it.
Ingredients You’ll Need
To make these key lime pie bars, you’ll need a handful of ingredients you can find at your local grocery store:
- Unsalted butter, melted
- Graham cracker crumbs: You can purchase pre-made graham cracker crumbs. Or, you can make your own by pulsing regular graham crackers in a food processor or crushing them into fine crumbs with a rolling pin
- Light brown sugar
- Cornstarch
- Salt
- Sweetened condensed milk: NOT evaporated milk. They’re two totally different milk products, so read the labels closely before purchasing
- Egg: Room temperature
- Fresh key lime juice: If you can’t find Key limes, just use regular limes or Persian limes, or I’m sure bottled lime juice will be just fine. I’m wishing I had gone either of those routes because juicing all of those mini limes wasn’t what I had bargained for
- Sour cream: Room temperature
- Granulated sugar
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Key Lime Pie Bars
These bars come together with a fraction of the work it takes to make the original pie!
- Whisk together the melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cornstarch, and salt for the crust.
- Firmly press the crust mixture into the bottom of a foil-lined or parchment paper-lined square baking pan. Create a parchment sling by allowing the paper to hang over both ends. Bake the crust for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the key lime filling with a whisk, an electric hand mixer, or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
- Once the crust has been in the oven for 10 minutes, pour the filling into the pan, spreading it out in an even layer. Continue baking until the center is set with only some slight jiggle.
- Cool completely on a wire rack for about 2 hours. Then, refrigerate for at least two hours or ideally overnight. Serve cold topped with whipped cream, a little extra lime zest, or even a pinch of cinnamon!
Don’t let the key lime bars get ‘browned’; they should stay fairly pale and light, or they will have a dry, crumbly texture.
Check for doneness
Baking times will vary based on oven and climate variance, the type of sour cream used (lite makes batter runnier, thus taking longer to bake), and if sugar was added (makes batter runnier). The center should be set and not too jiggly. Always watch your bars and not the clock. Bake until set and very lightly golden.
Key Lime Pie Bars
Equipment
- 1 (8×8 inch) Baking Dish
- 1 Large, Microwave-Safe Bowl
- 1 Wire Rack
Ingredients
Crust
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
Filling
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk, (one standard can)
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup lime juice, freshly squeezed Key lime juice is optimal; use regular limes if necessary, or substitute with bottled lime juice only if you must
- ½ cup sour cream, lite is okay
- up to 1/2 cup granulated sugar, optional and if necessary, see directions
- thinly sliced limes for garnishing, optional
Instructions
- Preheat over to 350F. Line an 8×8-inch pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
Make the Crust:
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter, about 1 minute on high power.
- Add all remaining crust ingredients and mix with a fork to combine.
- Turn loose crumbs out into prepared pan and using a spatula, pack mixture firmly into pan in an even, smooth, flat layer.
- Bake for 10 minutes. While crust bakes, prepare the filling.
Make the Filling:
- Combine first 4 ingredients in a large mixing bowl (same one used for crust is fine), and whisk until smooth and combined.
- Taste filling. If it’s bitter or too tart, add sugar as necessary, to taste. I used 1/2 cup sugar because my Key limes were a bit bitter.
- After 10 minutes, remove crust from oven and pour filling over it, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula.
- Return pan to oven and bake for about 45 minutes, or until center is set with only some slight jiggle; some looseness is okay, but there should not be sloshing in the center. You’ll notice the filling near the edges start setting up first; remove pan from oven when center starts to take on the same appearance as the edges. Don’t let the bars get ‘browned’, they should stay fairly pale and light. Bars firm up more as they cool. Bars will be bubbling vigorously so use caution when removing them from the oven.
- Allow bars to cool in pan on a wire rack for about 2 hours.
- Cover pan with foil (to prevent fridge smells), and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight, or until well chilled before slicing and serving.
- Optionally, garnish with thinly sliced limes before serving.
Notes
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Storage: Once set, you can transfer leftover bars to an airtight container, and store them in the fridge for up to 1 week. I don’t recommend storing these bars in the freezer as their taste and texture will change once thawed.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Easy Bar Desserts:
Glazed Lemon Pie Bars — The crust is buttery, soft, and tender while the filling is juicy and luscious with the perfect amount of sweet-yet-tart flavor, and a lemon glaze boosts the lemon flavor even more.
Blueberry Pie Bars— These pie bars are one of my all-time favorite frozen blueberry recipes! They have the flavors you love in a blueberry pie, but you don’t have to mess around with homemade pie crust.
Mississippi Mud Pie Bars – An EASY, almost no-bake dessert with a chocolate chip cookie base, chocolate pudding, sweetened cream cheese, Oreos, and hot fudge! RICH, decadent, indulgent, and a great party dessert that you can MAKE-AHEAD!
Salted Caramel and Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars — The bars are one of my all-time favorites, even if you’re not a huge pecan pie fan. They’re thick, rich, decadent, filling, salty-and-sweet.
Banana Cream Pie Bars – Faster and easier than making a banana cream pie and taste AMAZING! A crunchy crust, tender banana slices, luscious banana pudding, and creamy whipped topping make these layered pie bars WINNERS!
Glazed Cherry Pie Bars — The cherry bars are like cherry pie but easier. There’s a buttery, soft, tender crust topped with cherry pie filling before being baked and glazed.
Salted Caramel Maple Pecan Pie Bars— This pecan pie bars recipe is a fast, one-bowl, no-mixer recipe, but the bars taste like you slaved over them. So much easier than making pecan pie!
Lemon bars are my all time fav but I need to give them a try still. These look gorgeous!
Your hand must have been sore from juicing so many little limes! I would just buy the juice and a few key limes to garnish!
Lime desserts really do take a backburner to all the lemon desserts, I’m glad you posted these. My husband loves key lime pie so I know he will LOVE these bars! The crust looks amazing!
You’re totally right they do, but it’s nice to work in some lime every now and then!
Ooh. Yum. I’m too lazy to hand-squeeze limes, either the big ones or the key limes, but this would be easy-peasy with lime juice. I’d be sneaky enough to buy a lime and slice it on top to make it *look* like I went to the work of squeezing. Deception at its finest.
And I wish I had done just that :)
These are amazing. My daughter is obsessed with lemon bars so she will love these. Pinned!
Thanks for pinning, Liz!
These look great, you did great!
I definitely don’t use lime enough either. These look perfect. Love the idea of bars over pie too. So much simpler than rolling out that dreaded pie crust. Pinning!
Thanks for pinning!
Love! Lime desserts are my favorite! I think this will make its way to our Easter table this year !
I have only had key lime pie a couple of times and have never made it. I haven’t seen any key limes in the grocery store, but I’ve seen the juice and would probably opt to use it. I know those things are tiny and it sounds like the juicing was a lot of work! These are a great recipe for spring–fresh, light, citrus-y. I am in the mood to bake something to go with your salmon tonight! Oh–I am getting my scoby today!! Let the fermenting begin….
Oh that’s awesome with your scoby! I remember when I got my first, it was like getting a new pet :) Just make sure to leave it alone once you put it in, don’t jiggle, jostle, move around your container. It will look like nothing is happening for a few days and then barely some life. And then within about 4-5 days you’ll see things working and then you should be good to go. The first batches are very prone to hostile yeast take-over, or can be, https://www.happyherbalist.com/ is the BEST most informative site I’ve ever read on brewing. He knows everything. And will actually respond to emails (within a week or so).
And that’s great about baking, and the salmon, and yes buying lime juice is wayyyy easier :)
haaa! love it :))
Hi Averie! These look amazing :) Is there any substitute for the condensed milk?
No there’s not.
I must make these bars. Key lime pie is one of my holiday dessert standbys. My son loves it and it’s so easy to make. Although, I must confess, I always use Nellie & Joe’s Key Lime Juice instead of squeezing all those tiny little key limes.
And I totally need to use that N & J’s bottled juice next time :) WAY easier!
Oh my gosh, my mouth is watering. These look delicious!! I will most definitely have to try these out. I just stumbled upon this blog, and I am so very glad that I did. I am now following and I look forward to more scrumptious recipes. Thanks, Averie!
Thanks for finding me, Brittnee!
That crust is seriously fantastic. I am so in the mood for lime, and I’ve never had key lime pie. I need to fix that!
Wait. WHAT.?? There are SO many things you say you’ve never had, tried, etc and I’m like how can this be?! Omg Dorothy! Since you love lemon so much, I can totally see you digging these lime bars! It’s kind of like an edible margarita :)
After reading your first few lines, I just realized I barely have any lime recipes either! I used lime juice in a marinade once, but… I think that’s it. It’s so much easier to bake with lemon when my parents have 4 trees in their backyard that they always ignore! I love the idea of bars instead of a pie, especially with that easy crust. Definitely an amazing dessert Averie — just like always! :)
Oh Im jealous of all those lemon trees! I used to live in a rented house with a 100+ year old tree and it was HUGE!!!! and it had like 100+ lemons on it at all times. Ridic.
That’s incredible!! If only you could move that lemon tree when you moved to a new home… Now that would be awesome! :)
Beautiful bars, love the all the fresh lime juice and graham crust!