These delicious Key Lime Bars feature a buttery and crumbly shortbread crust, topped with a creamy and zesty key lime filling for a great way to serve a bunch of people with a twist on this classic pie.
This Key Lime Bars recipe results in a caramelized top and creamy center offset by the crushed biscuit base. Do you enjoy lime desserts? Let me know your favorite in the comments below!
Why you'll love this
Crunchy base
The crunchy base compliments the filling for a well rounded dish!
Zesty lime filling
The lime filling is both tart, but balanced thanks to the creaminess.
Brulee topping
The crunch on our Key Lime Bars helps balance out the zesty flavors in our filling and takes this dessert up a notch.
Ingredients and substitutions for Key Lime Bars
- Graham crackers or digestive biscuits: These will need to be finely crushed for the base.
- Butter: It needs to be melted and I prefer using unsalted, especially with those crackers adding salt, but salted won't make too much difference here.
- Sweetened condensed milk: This creates a sweetness alongside the lime juice and is an essential to any key lime dessert.
- Egg yolks: The egg yolks alongside the condensed milk creates a custard texture to this filling.
- Lime juice: The very core of this recipe is the lime juice which adds a bright and zesty flavor to the custard filling.
- Heavy cream: The heavy cream balances out the sweetness in the condensed milk and tartness in the lime juice and gives our bars a texture similar to a light cheesecake.
- Sugar: Superfine or caster sugar is best for the brulee topping as it will caramelize nice and evenly thanks to it's fine texture.
See recipe card for quantities.
Equipment needed to make this
Juicer: If you're using fresh lime juice you'll want to squeeze every drop out of your limes.
Microwave: To melt that butter for your base you'll want a microwave or small saucepan also does the trick.
Mixing bowls: A medium mixing bowl is needed to combine the crushed base and a second for the filling.
Hand or stand mixer: To whip the filling, though this can be done by hand.
FAQ's for the best Key Lime Pie
Can I substitute regular limes for key limes?
Absolutely! Key limes can be difficult to obtain so you can substitute regular fresh or bottled lime juice in equal measure here.
Do I have to bake the base before adding the filling?
Yes, baking helps set the crushed base and means liquid of the filling doesn't soak through that crushed biscuit base meaning it's nice and firm and can't become soggy.
Why do we bake the filling?
Due to the amount of lime juice in this pie, baking the filling ensures the custard sets which can't always be guaranteed when it's not baked.
Do I have to bake the filling?
If you use 80 milliliters or less than ? of a cup of lime juice, you shouldn't have to, though this will lessen the strength of that lime flavor without using any other setting agents.
Can I make Key Lime Bars in advance?
It is best to make this up to 1 day before serving, but this is best served within 2 hours of caramelizing the sugar on top of the bars as this will soften the longer they are left out.
More lime recipes you'll love
Limonada Suíça - Brazilian Limeade
How to make Key Lime Bars:
Preheat the oven to 190°C/375F and line a square tin with greaseproof paper.
For the crust, place the crushed biscuits and melted butter and stir until no dry portions remain in the bowl and the mixture resembles a rough breadcrumb.
Spoon into your tin and press down firmly.
Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes until lightly golden.
For the filling, place the egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk and heavy cream in a bowl and beat on low to break the egg yolks and get the mixture smooth, approximately 2 minutes.
Add in the lime juice and beat on medium until thick and pale, approximately 2 minutes.
Pour the into the cooled crust, cover and place in the oven until only jiggly in the center, approximately for 20 minutes.
Remove and allow to cool completely before refrigerating for a minimum of 3 hours or overnight.
Just before serving, slice into your bars and sprinkle over the 2 tablespoons sugar evenly on top.
Blowtorch to caramelize or place under the broiler until bubbling and golden.
Serve up!
Key Lime Bars
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: Makes 12 bars
- Category: Bars
- Cuisine: American
Description
The recipe for these Key Lime Bars requires quick prep and is sweet and zesty with it’s caramelized top adding a twist to this classic dish.
Ingredients
Base
150 grams / 5.3 ounces graham crackers, crushed
50 grams / 1.75 ounces butter, melted
Filling
4 egg yolks
414 mililiters / 1 can sweetened condensed milk
120 milliliters / ½ cup heavy cream
100 milliliters / ⅓ cup key lime juice
28 grams / 2 tablespoons superfine/caster sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190°C/375F and line a square tin with greaseproof paper.
Base
- Place the crushed biscuits and melted butter and stir until no dry portions remain in the bowl and the mixture resembles a rough breadcrumb.
- Spoon into your tin and press down firmly.
- Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes until lightly golden.
Filling
- For the filling, place the egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk and heavy cream in a bowl and beat on low to break the egg yolks and get the mixture smooth, approximately 2 minutes.
- Add in the lime juice and beat on medium until thick and pale, approximately 2 minutes.
- Pour the into the cooled crust, cover and place in the oven until only jiggly in the center, approximately for 20 minutes.
- Remove and allow to cool completely before refrigerating for a minimum of 3 hours or overnight.
Caramelized topping
- Just before serving, slice into your bars and sprinkle over the 2 tablespoons sugar evenly on top.
- Blowtorch to caramelize or place under the broiler until bubbling and golden.
- Serve up!
Notes
Recipe by Roamingtaste
Nutrition
- Calories: 258 calories per serve
Keywords: bars, spring, citrus
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