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These key lime pie bars are amazing and they pack a powerful lime punch! They are everything you love about a slice of key lime pie.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
These key lime pie bars are packed with citrus flavor. The first word out of your mouth when you eat them will be “WOW!”.
The base has pecans which give a great flavor and texture to the bar and balance out the lime flavor and sweetness from the frosting. The filling and frosting both have key lime zest and juice to give it an extra punch of flavor. If you love lime, you will love these bars.
The recipe is easy to make and doesn’t use a lot of ingredients.
Ingredients Needed
- Key Limes, zest and juice. I often use the bottled Nellie & Joe’s key lime juice you can find in the juice aisle at the grocery store.
- All Purpose Flour
- Sugar, granulated and powdered sugar
- Butter, softened
- Eggs
- Pecans, chopped
- Baking Powder
How to Make Key Lime Pie Bars
The bars are made in 3 layers. The crust, the filling, and the icing.
Crust
- Combine the crust ingredients except for the pecans into a bowl
- Beat at low speed with an electric mixer until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. You can also use a food processor.
- Add in the pecans
- Press mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 9 x 13 pan
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until edges are slightly browned, don’t overcook.
Key Lime Filling
- Combine all the filling ingredients into a medium bowl.
- Stir at low speed until well mixed
- Pour filling over hot, partially baked crust
- Bake for 18 more minutes or until set.
Frosting
Cool bars completely on a wire rack.
- Mix together powdered sugar, butter and more key lime juice.
- Spread frosting in an even layer over cooled bars.
- Garnish with fresh lime zest.
Tips from leigh Anne
- It can be hard to get a lot of juice from key limes because of their size. You can add bottled key lime juice to what you squeeze from the zested limes if needed. I prefer Nellie & Joe’s Key Lime Juice. It tastes just like fresh key limes.
- Use a microplanner to zest your key limes. Sprinkle some addition lime peel over the top before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a regular lime instead of a key lime?
You can use a regular lime or a Persian lime that is the one found commonly in the grocery store. Persian limes are a bit more acidic and have a thicker skin than Key Limes.
Can I use lemons instead of limes?
You can use lemons instead or your favorite citrus fruit.
What is the best way to store leftover key lime pie bars?
Store them in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. You can store them at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Check out more delicious key lime recipes:
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Key Lime Pie Bars
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1¾ cups all purpose flour
- ¾ cup butter salted, softened
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
Filling:
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 4 eggs
- 4 Tbsp all purpose flour
- 5 Tbsp key lime juice
- ½ tsp baking powder
Frosting:
- 2¼ cups powdered sugar
- 1½ Tbsp butter softened
- 2-3 Tbsp key lime juice
- Freshly grated lime peel
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F degrees
- Combine the crust ingredients except for the pecans into a medium size bowl
- Beat at low speed until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Can also use a food processor.
- Add in the pecans
- Press mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 9 x 13 inch pan
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until edges are slightly browned. Don't overbake
- Meanwhile, combine all filling ingredients into a medium size bowl and mix until well combined.
- Pour filling over hot, partially baked crust
- Continue baking for 18-20 minutes or until filling is set. Cool completely
- Combine all the frosting ingredients except lime peel in a bowl and spread over cooled bars
- Garnish with grated lime peel
Tips & Notes:
- It can be hard to get a lot of juice from key limes because of their size. You can add bottled key lime juice to what you squeeze from the zested limes if needed. I prefer Nellie & Joe’s Key Lime Juice. It tastes just like fresh key limes.
- Use a microplanner to zest your key limes. Sprinkle some addition lime peel over the top before serving.
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Nutrition Facts:
Rachel says
My family loves key lime pie. I tried these for my Xmas cookie trays. A hit! The crust is just as good as the cool key lime filling. Easy recipe to follow. Turned out just like the picture. I added to my Pinterest favorite cookie recipes. 5 stars.