Key Lime Pie Bars
Now that spring is here, I’m craving lighter and fresher tasting desserts. If there’s one thing I love, especially in the spring, it’s citrus. Don’t get me wrong – I’m not giving up chocolate anytime soon. It’s just that when the weather is as beautiful as it has been lately, it’s hard not to crave that sweet-tart flavor that comes only from citrus. Limes just scream warm weather to me, and since I won’t be drinking margaritas anytime soon, I needed a good replacement. Enter these key lime pie bars. They’ve got all that punchy citrus flavor I’ve been searching for without requiring me to find an alternative source of food for Clara.
I have a new fondness for bar desserts. They’re easy to make and easy to eat. I’ve been looking for a recipe to match the lemon blueberry bars I made last year, and this is it. The typical graham cracker crust is elevated by sweetened coconut. It gets slightly toasted when the crust bakes and adds a chewy texture and extra layer of flavor to the bars. I was concerned that the filling might be too sweet, but it had the perfect balance of sweet and tart. These bars are fresh and bright, everything I want in a springtime dessert. When topped with whipped cream and toasted coconut, these turn into a portable version of key lime pie, no fork needed.
- YIELD: 12-16 bars
1½ cups graham cracker crumbs (about ⅔ a sleeve)
2 tablespoons sugar
½ cup sweetened flaked coconut
⅓ cup butter, melted
3 cups sweetened condensed milk (from 3 14-ounce cans)
½ cup sour cream
¾ cup key lime juice
1 tablespoon grated lime zest
Whipped cream and toasted coconut for serving, optional
- 1
Heat oven to 350º. Line an 8×8-inch pan with parchment, leaving a few inches overhang on two sides. Butter the parchment and set pan aside.
- 2
Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and coconut in a medium bowl. Pour melted butter over and stir to combine. Press mixture into prepared pan and bake for 8-9 minutes. Set on a wire rack to cool.
- 3
While crust is cooling, make filling by whisking together the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl. Pour filling into cooled pie crust and return to oven.
Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the filling feels just firm to the touch. Do not brown. Cool at room temperature, then chill thoroughly. Cut into bars and top with whipped cream and toasted coconut, if desired.
These look absolutely scrumptious!
Yum! I love key lime pie. I like the idea of bars. Putting them on my to-bake-list.
Such a fabulous idea! Yum!
Absolutely perfect!! Love the photos!
These look delicious! I love the idea of turning key lime pie into a bar! I went to 2 stores today looking for key lime juice. These bars will be my motivation to keep on looking! 😀
Kim, I usually see it in the baking aisle, near the condensed milk and pie fillings. Good luck!
I’m on my way down to Florida as we speak for Easter weekend with my family and given the weather and location, I think this might just be my contribution to dinner tomorrow!
Oh goodness, these look so delicious!! I absolutely love lime bars, and key lime pie ones sound even more amazing!
That piece of “pie” is cut so perfectly! I love the idea of serving these as bars and key lime is one of my favorite warm weather tastes! Gotta give it a try! 🙂
I love key lime, and these sound divine! I will have to try them soon. Also, I awarded you the Versatile Blogger Award, which you can check out here: http://evabakes.blogspot.com/2012/04/hersheys-chocolate-mint-dessert-aka.html
Courtney, these look so wonderful. I crave citrus in the spring and summer, too. Key lime pie is my favorite citrus dessert and these are a much easier version of it!
I love key lime pie so much, and I can’t believe how delicious these look! I love the idea of making them as bars, to make it easier to feed a crowd. I’m into those citrus fruits too!
I’ve given you an award on my blog! Check it out 🙂
http://steaknpotatoeskindagurl.blogspot.com/2012/04/versatile-blogger-award.html
Oh my, these look delightful! Yum!
For those looking for key lime juice; if it’s not in the baking aisle it may be in the aisle where the bar mix stuff is. I went to over 4 stores looking for key lime juice then accidentally found it when I was getting paper plates. The particular store had its bar mix stuff next to picnicking.
confused by “3 cups sweetened condensed milk (from 3 14 ounce cans)”… 2 14-oz cans = 28 oz= 3 1/2 cups… is this a mistake?
Robert, the 14 ounces is by weight. If you were to transfer a 14 ounce can of condensed milk to a measuring cup, you’d only get about 1 1/4 cups by volume. So with only two cans, you’d be 1/2 cup short for the recipe.