Key Lime Pie Bars

Averie Sunshine
4.46 from 11 votes
Updated: May 31, 2026
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💚🍋 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!

A key lime bar on a white plate with a slice of lime on top.

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. 

A lime-topped dessert bar on a white plate with more bars in the background.
A slice of key lime pie on a white plate with a bitten forkful, accompanied by fresh limes on a rustic table.

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.

Side view of a key lime bar showing the layers of crust and filling.

How to Make Key Lime Pie Bars

These bars come together with a fraction of the work it takes to make the original pie!

  1. Whisk together the melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cornstarch, and salt for the crust.
  2. 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. 
  3. Meanwhile, whisk together the key lime filling with a whisk, an electric hand mixer, or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.

A slice of lime pie on a white plate with a whole lime garnish, with more pie slices and limes in the background.
A fork lifting a bite-sized piece from a square lemon bar garnished with a thin lime slice on top.
A slice of key lime pie with a lime garnish on a white plate.
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4.46 from 11 votes

Key Lime Pie Bars

By Averie Sunshine
💚🍋 There’s plenty of bold lime flavor in these EASY bars that are a twist on the classic pie everyone loves! This is the perfect make-ahead dessert for potlucks and parties! Light and fresh, tart yet sweet, and always a favorite!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Chill Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 9 servings

Equipment

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

  • 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

Serving: 1piece, Calories: 380cal, Carbohydrates: 52g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.4g, Cholesterol: 68mg, Sodium: 264mg, Potassium: 246mg, Fiber: 0.4g, Sugar: 45g, Vitamin A: 546IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 168mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Easy Key Lime Pie Bars Pinterest image with two photos of the bars.

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4.46 from 11 votes (9 ratings without comment)

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Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

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Comments

  1. I’ve been eyeing these little bars up since you first posted them. I agree with Trinity’s comment–I didn’t add any sugar (I did use bottled lime juice due to my inherent laziness) and they ended up having a perfect consistency and sweet/tart flavor. According to my 8-year-old daughter, these are her favorite cookies ever and I WILL be making them again. From the sounds of forks scraping the plates, I think everyone else agreed! Gotta get every last smidge!

    Reply

  2. Made these for a get together and had some guests that prefer “not too sweet” desserts and this was just perfect. I left out the sugar and the tartness was spot on! The consistency was also perfect and I didn’t have to change a thing..with recipes that are creamy or based on pie, I’m always nervous it’ll end up too soupy but these are wonderful!!

    Reply

  3. This looks like the perfect recipe to use all the key limes that I bought! (I plan on trying to propagate the seeds!) One question; how about subbing the sour cream for plain Greek yogurt? Sounds probable…

    Reply

  5. These look mouth-watering!! I think I need to make some of these bars soon. And such gorgeous photos, girl! Pinned! :)

    Reply

  6. These look absolutely amazing! I am total key lime / lemon fan and the crust sounds terrific as well! Great stuff! :)

    Reply

  7. Averie, I simply LOVE key lime pie!! It’s one of my most favorite desserts in the world. I made some key lime bars and pie last year after returning home from St. Lucia. I’m craving key lime all over again as the weather (finally!) starts to warm up. I don’t have many lime recipes on my blog either – what a shame because I love its flavor. Hey, ever have key lime pie paired with dark chocolate? It’s amazing!

    Reply

    1. I remember your Key Lime Bars and your St Lucia trip very well! I am so ready for some limey, tropical desserts (and drinks) :) And lime does not have the crowd appeal lemon seems to (at least so far for me) but I think I maybe prefer lime stuff! I can imagine lime and dark chocolate would be…sublime!

      Reply

  8. Hi Averie,
    I was out of town and just saw this post…cleaning out my mail!! Can I share a little trick, use your garlic press on your key limes to juice them. It works great you get all of the juice and some pulp, scrape the bottom of the press, and no seeds them pop out the lime ( they look like mini berets) So easy!!

    Reply

    1. So I LOATHE garlic, as in, I hate hate hate it and don’t have a garlic press but I can see where that would be so helpful here! Thanks for the tip!

      Reply

  9. I’ve wanted to make Lime pie for a long time, but I just don’t have that courage! You encouraged me to try with these fantastic looking bars! Pinning!

    Reply

  11. Trust you to take my expectation of key lime bars and blow it away! I really like that you didn’t use any cream cheese; a texture surprise for everyone! These look so creamy. I bet they were packed with lime flavor! I think I’ll go the already juiced route; 25 little limes is a lot if juicing!

    Reply

  12. Hi, Averie! I love these, and your photos are so pretty! It’s weird but ever since I made a cake with lime and coconut, I’m seeing lime-flavoured things everywhere. It’s a sign! (for what I’m not sure. Eat more lime-flavoured sweet things? I hope!)

    Reply

    1. That’s great that you see more lime around. I still see so.much.lemon. Not a bad thing, but it’s nice to give lime some…limelight :)

      Reply

  15. These bars scream sunshine to me! The crust looks nice and crisp, just the way I like it.

    Reply

  16. Key Lime. So cute. Reminds me that I’m going to Key West in April I haven’t been since the 80s. Which means I must practically be in my 80s, right? GREG

    Reply

    1. You. Key West. The 80s. Omg what I wouldn’t give for some stories. Don’t suppose you ever made it to Studio 54 either? : )

      Reply