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Super Easy Key Lime Pie Bars

March 29, 2021 by thedomesticrebel | 20 Comments

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a trio stack of key lime pie bars

These Key Lime Pie Bars are super easy and SO tasty – way easier than making an entire key lime pie and they taste super authentic, too! You’ll love these sweet and tangy bars!

I cannot believe Easter is this weekend! Where has the time gone?!

I swear, time moves at an accelerated pace when you’re an adult. I could have sworn it was in slow mo when I was a kid, but as an adult, I am wondering who has the fast forward button? There’s barely enough time in the day for me to accomplish my tasks before I look at the clock and it’s 5pm and I need to start winding down!

Or maybe I am slowing down. I did just turn 30 and my back is chronically hurting. Getting older sucks.

Either way, I’ll bet you’re still anchoring your Easter menu down and if so, do I have the dessert for you! These pie bars are absolutely heavenly!

Truthfully, key lime pie (the traditional round one) isn’t difficult to make, so therefore, these bars aren’t either. But sometimes you just want a cute little square that can be stretched a little further than a standard 9″ pie. And sometimes squares can be cuter than triangles. Hey, I don’t make the rules on cute desserts. These things just happen.

key lime pie bar with whipped cream and lime zest on top

The Crust

The crust is your standard graham cracker pie crust that every self-respecting key lime pie requires. Just like peanut butter and jelly, you can’t have key lime pie without a graham cracker crust! You’ll need graham cracker crumbs as the base, melted butter to moisten it, and some granulated sugar to help sweeten the deal. We’ll partially bake the crust to help it set some before we add the filling.

key lime pie bar with lime zest on top

The Key Lime Filling

The key lime filling is essential and what really sends these bars over the top! There’s only a few simple ingredients in it: cream cheese to help bulk it up and thicken it, key lime juice for authentic key lime flavor, lime zest for additional flavor, and sweetened condensed milk which thickens and adds sweetness. Told you, super simple!

key lime pie bar with a fork in it

Additionally, I loved enjoying these with freshly whipped cream, a little sprinkle of toasted coconut and fresh lime zest to really drive home the flavor. Not only are they seriously GORGEOUS but the flavor is out of this world!

Bright, tart, tangy and sweet, you’re going to love these gooey Key Lime Pie Bars!

closeup of a key lime pie bar with whipped cream

*adapted from Tastes Better from Scratch’s recipe

a stack of three key lime pie bars
Print Recipe
5 from 9 votes

Super Easy Key Lime Pie Bars

These Key Lime Pie Bars could not be easier to whip up and taste AMAZING and authentic! Tart, tangy, sweet and gooey with bright and zesty key lime flavor!
Prep Time4 hrs 30 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time4 hrs 50 mins
Course: Bars, Dessert, Pie
Cuisine: American, Dessert

Ingredients

For the Graham Cracker Crust:

  • 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 1/3 cup granulated white sugar
  • 1/3 cup melted unsalted butter

For the Key Lime Filling:

  • 4 oz full-fat cream cheese, softened
  • 28 oz (Two 14-oz cans) sweetened condensed milk
  • 3/4 cup key lime juice I like Nellie and Joe's
  • Zest of 2 limes
  • Fresh whipped cream, for garnish optional but recommended

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350° degrees F. Line an 8x8 square light metal baking pan with foil or parchment, extending the sides of the foil over the edges of the pan. Spray the foil with cooking spray and set aside.
  • For the crust: In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and granulated sugar until moistened and combined. Pour the moistened crumbs into the prepared pan and press into an even layer with a flat bottomed measuring cup or your hands. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven but keep oven on. Allow crust to cool briefly, about 10 minutes.
  • For the filling: Beat the cream cheese in a medium bowl with a handheld electric mixer until smooth. Add in the sweetened condensed milk and mix well, followed by the key lime juice and zest and mix on low speed until fully incorporated. Pour the filling evenly over the partially cooled crust and smooth carefully into an even layer.
  • Bake for an additional 10 minutes, then allow the bars to cool for about 30 minutes. Refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours, or overnight, before cutting into bars to serve. Before serving, I like to top with freshly whipped cream and toasted coconut or fresh lime zest.

Notes

This recipe was tested with Nellie and Joe's key lime juice which you can find at most grocery stores across America in the juice aisle. It is by far the easiest way to get authentic key lime flavor without juicing a ton of teeny tiny fresh key limes. 

closeup of key lime pie bar with bite missingThese cool and creamy, tart and tangy bars are going to be a real winner at your spring event!

super easy key lime pie bars photo collage

Have a super sweet day!

xo, Hayley

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Comments

  1. Cheryl says

    March 29, 2021 at 6:03 pm

    I can’t wait to make these! Thank you for making it look so simple with the video and how to’s! And I promise i’m going to not ask for substitutions! HAHA! (After your last few posts and some comments in Instagram I had to laugh!) 😀

    I love the way you think and bake.

    Reply
  2. Dorsie Hathaway says

    April 2, 2021 at 8:05 pm

    5 stars
    Baked these yesterday! Fabulous dessert and brunch treats! I used glutenfree crumbs and lactose free condensed milk.

    Reply
  3. Lily says

    April 4, 2021 at 2:19 pm

    5 stars
    I made these for easter dessert for the fam and my brother is a hardcore key lime enthusiasm. We’re lucky he didn’t eat the whole thing himself. The recipe: easy peasy. The crust: buttery. The filling: limey and creamy. Gawd dayum these are perfect.

    Reply
    • thedomesticrebel says

      April 4, 2021 at 7:02 pm

      Lily, so glad everyone enjoyed and you were able to snag a piece!

      Reply
  4. Nicole says

    April 13, 2021 at 4:40 pm

    5 stars
    Holy yummy-ness these are amazing!!!!!

    Reply
  5. Kyle says

    April 19, 2021 at 7:19 am

    5 stars
    These things were great! Super easy to make and delicious. I’m a super tart person, so I’ll probably up the lime juice next time to a full cup, but that’s just me (and to be honest, making it tarter might keep me from eating the whole pan in one sitting!) Can’t wait to make these again. A great base recipe to start from and have fun with. Maybe I’ll do a meringue top next time? Candied citrus zests? So many fun possibilities. Thanks and keep it up!

    Reply
  6. Al says

    May 8, 2021 at 6:02 pm

    Can I use regular limes?

    Reply
    • thedomesticrebel says

      May 10, 2021 at 7:09 pm

      Sure!

      Reply
  7. Nicole says

    May 11, 2021 at 5:24 pm

    5 stars
    These were so creamy yet tart and delicious! Made for my mom for Mother’s Day. Will definitely make again!

    Reply
  8. mcKenna says

    May 27, 2021 at 3:13 am

    5 stars
    These were great the first time. I made them exactly as the recipe says both times and the second time tasted more like sweetened condensed milk even after extra lime juice. Maybe I missed something, idk but its not gonna stop me from making these. They are DELICIOUS

    Reply
  9. Sierra B says

    July 11, 2021 at 6:24 pm

    These were so delicious and easy to make! Thank you for such a great recipe and your witty IG captions.

    Reply
  10. Brianna says

    August 4, 2021 at 2:12 pm

    5 stars
    These turned out incredible! My 8 and 5 year old helped make them and the recipe was easy and a breeze to follow. We did add a bit of extra lime juice because we love tart/sour flavors and we added coconut to the base (ground it up with the graham crackers in the food processor). We topped then with whipped cream, toasted coconut and bit of extra lime zest to serve. Make these now!! Delicious

    Reply
  11. Suzanne says

    September 3, 2021 at 11:15 am

    5 stars
    These bars are FANTASTIC!!! Thank you for this great recipe!

    Reply
  12. Julia says

    September 10, 2021 at 9:36 am

    5 stars
    I’ve made these 3 times in the last 6 months! I make them in individual ramekins. Everyone loves them! Thank you so much for sharing. Best taste joand such an easy recipe.

    Reply
  13. Keiyana says

    September 19, 2021 at 1:41 am

    Can I add a few eggs to make it firmer

    Reply
    • thedomesticrebel says

      September 20, 2021 at 7:56 pm

      Hi Keiyana, no, adding more eggs will alter the consistency.

      Reply
  14. carol says

    February 23, 2022 at 8:48 am

    can I double this recipe?

    Reply
    • thedomesticrebel says

      February 26, 2022 at 7:47 pm

      Hi Carol, yes you can!

      Reply
  15. Judy says

    July 16, 2022 at 12:32 pm

    Just a few questions…
    I see that you state this recipe can be doubled. Is it advisable to use two 8×8″ pans or is it fine to just use a 13×9″ pan? Do I need to lengthen the bake time with either scenario?
    And lastly, most of my baking dishes are tempered glass, not metal. Does using tempered glass required a different baking temperature or length of bake time?

    Reply
    • thedomesticrebel says

      July 31, 2022 at 6:07 pm

      Hi Judy, I apologize for the delay in getting back to you. I would advise either baking two separate batches or one big batch – it doesn’t matter. If you bake one big batch, however (doubled and put into a 13×9″ pan) I would adjust the baking time as opposed to two batches among 2 8×8 pans. I don’t know how long a doubled batch in a 13×9 would take, though. Just be aware with your tempered glass pans that glass tends to bake a little less consistently than light metal, so your bars may take longer to set up in the oven than my recipe states.

      Reply

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About me

Welcome to The Domestic Rebel! My name is Hayley and I am the 31-year old writer, photographer, recipe developer, taste-tester and creator of this blog. I’m so glad you’ve stopped by my little slice of sprinkly, butter-laden heaven on the interwebs. If it wasn’t apparent, I like to bake… a lot. Read More…

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