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Sweet, tart, and tangy, Lemon Key Lime Pie Bars …with a vanilla butter crust and lime salt on top. These bars are much like key lime pie but made with a few upgrades. They’re super easy, creamy, and made with an extra amount of tang. The filling is made with just a few simple ingredients. There are, of course, plenty of fresh limes. There’s also a secret ingredient…a touch of lemon juice. The crust is rich, buttery, and full of vanilla flavor, with the perfect touch of saltiness. Put everything together and you have the most mouthwatering key lime pie bars Just sweet enough, incredibly luscious, super creamy, and perfectly tangy. Finish with lightly whipped cream and lime salt for an amazingly salty-sweet key lime pie bar.
Surprise! Key lime pie bars! I feel like these are maybe a bit unexpected from me? I haven’t done many key lime pie recipes, so these feel very new and exciting to me. They’re also perfect for the spring and summer days ahead.
As a kid, the only person I knew who loved key lime pie was my grandpa. He’s always been very into key lime pie, and well, any fruit pie for that matter. But key lime and apple are two of his favorites.
I never understood either of his pie choices. I was raised to love a good, classic chocolate chip cookie pie, or a chocolate bourbon pecan pie. Yummm, right? Chocolate over key lime any day!
(key limes)
But times have changed. Over the last few years, I ventured into key lime pie territory. And while I still can’t say I’d choose key lime over chocolate, I will say that it certainly has its time and place. It’s actually pretty darn delicious when done right.
So, I’ve made the pie, but these bars are even more special, and for a few reasons.
The inspiration
Two things…fresh key limes at the grocery store, which I couldn’t believe I was able to come across.
And the desperate desire to be in Key West…as the snow currently falls outside my window.
(bars after baking)
Onto the details…
The amazing thing about these bars? They are EASY. So easy they’re hard to mess up.
You make the crust, bake, mix up a quick filling, and bake again. Then let the bars chill and top them with cream. So SIMPLE.
For the crust, I switched things up a bit and created a buttery, heavy on the vanilla, Ritz cracker crust. To me, this is better than a graham cracker crust any day. Simply mix the cracker crumbs with salted butter and a good splash of vanilla and bake everything up in a square baking dish. All done, super easy. That touch of vanilla and the use of salted butter are key.
But the real secret to this crust? A touch of brown sugar, which adds to that salty-sweet flavor, it’s delicious.
While the crust is baking, make the key lime filling. I always go extra tangy with my key lime filling. And for sweetness…I try to go just sweet enough. This means heavy on the lime with one very secret but key ingredient, a splash of lemon juice. Preferably pink lemon juice but any lemon juice will do. It’s an unexpected twist that makes for an even tarter key lime pie. Trust me on this. I know it’s not traditional, but I promise it really does make for a better key lime pie.
Once that’s mixed, bake the filling in the crust, and in fifteen minutes you’ll have key lime pie bars. So easy right?
Simple is the name of the game these days.
Also, a little note, while key limes are ideal, you can really use any ole’ lime to make these bars!
Now finish it up…
To serve, I like to spread a delicious honey whipped cream over top with a sprinkle of fresh lime salt. Nothing fancy, but it seals the deal on these key lime pie bars.
Once chilled, the bars come out almost perfect. They have a rich, salty-sweet, and buttery brown sugar crust with the creamiest most luscious smooth key lime filling that melts in your mouth. Beyond delicious.
So good that we overnighted a batch to my grandpa because I just knew he’d LOVE these more than anyone.
If you want to step up your presentation game, sprinkle over some edible flowers. Either way the bars are sure to be enjoyed by all…
And they’re pretty fun too!
Looking for other sweet bars recipes? Here are some of my favorites:
Swirled Carrot Cake Cheesecake Bars
Cinnamon Sugar Blueberry Crumb Bars
Lunchroom Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
Lastly, if you make these Lemon Key Lime Pie Bars, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Lemon Key Lime Pie Bars
Servings: 16 bars
Calories Per Serving: 232 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 sleeves Ritz crackers
- 2 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) salted butter, melted
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 5 large egg yolks
- 1 3/4 cups sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tablespoon lime zest, plus 2/3 cup lime juice
- 3 tablespoons lemon or pink lemon juice (or additional lime juice)
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1-2 tablespoons honey
Lime Salt
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a 9-inch square pan with parchment paper. 2. In a food processor, pulse the crackers and brown sugar into crumbs. Add the butter and 2 teaspoons vanilla, pulse to combine. Press the mix into the prepared pan. Bake until golden, about 18 minutes.3. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl until smooth. Add the sweetened condensed milk, lime zest, lime juice, lemon juice, and salt. Whisk to combine. Carefully pour the mix into the baked crust.4. Bake for 15 minutes, until just set on top. Let cool slightly, then cover and chill in the fridge until set, at least 1-2 hours. 5. Before serving, using an electric mixer to whip the cream until soft peaks form. Add the honey and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Whip to combine. Swirl the cream onto the bars. In a bowl, mix the lime zest and a pinch of flaky salt. Sprinkle over the bars. Slice and enjoy! The bars will keep chilled in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Hi! Do you use a glass or metal pan for these?
Hey Annie,
I like to use metal:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Made a double batch of this to take to the 4th of July celebrations. It is REALLY REALLY good! No key limes or pink lemons but it worked great with regular ole limes and lemons. The extra steps of honey whipped cream and salty lime zest are key. Doubled the batch and used a 9X13 but it was very tight.
My only request is to start providing ingredient weights. As so many comments call out, there are many variations of Ritz cracker sleeve sizes and lengths! It would be a game-changer!
Hi Kate,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks for sharing your review and making this recipe, I am so glad it was a winner! xxTieghan
Tried these and came out amazing! Wondering if possible to make individual ones in cupcake tin?
Hey Claudia,
Happy Friday!! Thanks so much for trying this recipe out and sharing your feedback! I love to hear that it was a hit! Sure, I don’t see why that wouldn’t work for you!☀️
How many cups of graham cracker crumbs would I use in place of the Ritz crackers?
Hi Linda,
I would say about 2 cups. I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Hello, the Ritz crackers I got are in smaller/non-traditional size sleeves to I’m not sure how to measure. How many crackers would you suggest to use?
Hey Ariel,
I would use 4 of the small sleeves. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love the recipe! xx
I LOVE these bars! I’ve made them many times and everyone loves them. If I wanted to make these in a 9×13 pan, would you recommend just doubling the recipe?
Hi Ali,
Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for trying it out! Yes, that would be great to do! xTieghan
I made it in a 9″ springform, doubled the zest in the filling to 2 tablespoons and it was perfect. Don’t skip the zest/salt topping or the edible flowers – beautiful and delicious!
Hi Marcia,
Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for trying it out! xTieghan
Came out perfect! Such a wonderful zest of bright, spring flavors. Thanks, Tieghan! Sending leftovers to family around town this weekend to spread the love.
Hey Susan,
Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a go! xx
Amazing alternative to baking a lemon meringue pie. Deserves 10 stars!
Hey Megan,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed! xx
I have made this many times and it’s absolutely delicious! Making it for Mother’s Day this Sunday.
Hey Karen,
So glad to hear you have been enjoying this recipe, thanks so much for making it! xT
This was a go-to dessert for us last summer. It is so fresh, and the perfect balance of sweet, tart, and salty! Do you have a gluten free suggestion to replace the Ritz?
Hey Kari,
Happy Friday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! I would use a gluten free buttery cracker, something like this would work well:
https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=l&ai=DChcSEwj5lYjFwoT3AhVTGH0KHUs9C_YYABAJGgJwdg&sig=AOD64_3wCBuBywF46KpnZ5fJvJC4nFmnHg&adurl&ctype=5&ved=2ahUKEwikgPjEwoT3AhUNGs0KHXymAI4Qvhd6BAgBEFw
xx
I was going to ask the same – approximately how many cups of crackers would be needed? Thx!
Hi Cate,
I would say 2-3 cups of crackers. I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
Can I make the bars the day before, chill overnight and then finish the topping the next day?
Hey Kaitlin,
Totally, that will work well for you! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Can you use this filling for a pie?
Hi Elly,
Sure, I don’t see why that wouldn’t work for you! Let me know how it turns out! xx
Would Graham crackers for the crust base change anything with baking time?
Hi Kristin,
Nope, you can follow the recipe as is! Please let me know if you give it a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Delicious and easy to make!
Hey Amanda,
I love to hear that this recipe worked out for you, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xTieghan
Delicious! I loved this recipe
Hey Vivian,
Fantastic! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed!❄️ xTieghan
Hi Tieghan, this recipe looks delicious! I was wondering if you have to adjust the oven time if you make it in a smaller tin? As I am using a 26 cm x 19 cm tin.
Hey Eva,
You will probably need to increase your time if you are using the full recipe since the bars will be thicker. I hope you enjoy the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan