Our Key Lime Pie Bars have a graham cracker crust under a creamy key lime filling and topped with whipped cream. They're easy to make and perfect for parties, potlucks, or anytime!
Want more pie recipes? Try Lemon Cream Pie, Coconut Cream Pie, Banana Cream Pie, or No-Bake Cheesecake!
Key Lime Pie Bars mean working smarter, not harder.
Key Lime Pie Bars mean working smarter, not harder.There are a few reasons I transformed my favorite Key Lime Pie , into bars. Mainly, they are really easy to cut and serve this way, as a simple finger food–no fork (or even plate) needed. They're also easier transport in a baking dish with a lid, to stack in the fridge, etc. You can also double the recipe in a 9×13” pan to feed more guests, very easily. And the best part is they're just as delicious as “pie” with a creamy, tart lime filling.
How to make Key Lime Pie Bars:
Make Graham Cracker Crust: Mix sugar, melted butter, and graham crackers together then press into an 8″ square baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes at 350°F then let cool.
Make Filling: Beat cream cheese in a mixing bowl until smooth, then add sweetened condensed milk, lime juice, and lime zest, mixing until smooth. Pour over graham cracker crust and bake for 10 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes then refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving with a dollop of whipped cream, if desired.
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead: The bars can be made up to 3 days ahead of time, stored in the fridge. The graham cracker pie crust could be made several days ahead, stored at room temperature or in the fridge.
To Freeze: Cover pan tightly with plastic wrap and aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
More Bar Recipes:
- Lemon Bars
- Pecan Pie Bars
- Scotcheroos
- Magic Bars
- S'mores Bars
- Sugar Cookie Bars
- Homemade Twix Bars
- Chocolate Brownies
- Peppermint Brownies
- Butterscotch Blondies
- Peanut Butter Bars
- Butterfinger Bars
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Recipe
Key Lime Pie Bars
Equipment
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust:
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 12 full sheets, crushed)
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 6 Tablespoons butter , melted
Key lime filling:
- 2 14 ounce cans sweetened condensed milk
- 4 ounces cream cheese , softened
- 3/4 cup key lime juice*
- zest of 2 regular limes , or 4 key limes
- fresh whipped cream , for topping, optional
Instructions
- Make Crust: For the crust, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter and press into an 8'' square baking pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. Allow to cool before adding filling.
- Filling: Add cream cheese to a mixing bowl then beat well with electric beaters until smooth. Add both cans of sweetened condensed milk, lime juice, and lime zest then mix again until smooth.
- Bake: Pour over prepared graham cracker crust and bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Allow to cool for about 30 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours, before serving.
- Serve: Top with a dollop of fresh whipped cream, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
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I originally shared this recipe June 2015. Updated November 2020 and November 2024.
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I know it sounds liked a no brainier question, but did y’all pre-heat the oven before doing the crust?
These were delicious! I made them in an 8 inch square glass pan and the crust was a bit too thick for our liking, but we weren’t shy about eating them, Lol! Next time I’m going to use my 10 inch baking dish to get a thinner crust and thinner dessert overall. Thank you for sharing this wonderful dessert!
Loved this recipe. I swapped out one can of condensed milk and used 8 oz of cream cheese instead. Less sweet but just as delicious. Took a while to set, finished them off in the freezer.
Hello Lauren,
Love this recipe. It’s spectacular! Now I want to swap out the key lime juice for lemon juice to create lemon bars. Comments?
Has anyone ever made lemon pie bars? If so, how did the recipe turn out?
Please Reply
I’ve done a mixture of lemon and lime and they turned out amazing!
These are just like a key lime pie!
Way to sweet to me
These are so great and I’ve managed to make them in an 8×8 pan and in mini cupcake sizes without adjusting the bake times. The recipe is the perfect texture (imo) if you double the cream cheese. Easy, delish, and a big hit at every potluck
We made it yesterday with limes from our key lime tree. Ours was very dark – beige in color, looked less firm and more “wobbly” even though we refridged overnight. I was wondering if it was 2 cream cheese blocks and one can of condensed milk instead.
While the flavor of the key lime filling was delicious, overall these bars were a disappointment as they would not come our of the pan intact. In looking now at other recipes, the directions state to spray the bottom with cooking spray. Unfortunately, I am left with a graham cracker crust stuck to the bottom of the pay.
I just took these out of the oven but used Reynold’s non stick foil on the bottom of the pan with enough of a tail that I should be able to pull it all out of the pan. Other commenters for Key Lime Bars, on other sites, have said they have better luck freezing the bars before cutting them. I figure it’s worth trying.
Wow! These are amazing! I am making again to freeze for my girlfriend bash!!
I discovered last time I made them that they are actually deliscious frozen! They dont freeze super hard & are great frozen the the Texas Heat!!!
I doubled the recipe today, Do I need to bake longer?
They are in a 9×13 pan.
Thanks for supplying such a delightful treat! My previous guests were sneaking them out of the freezer before bed time💚
I was looking for an answer to this too, but I’m not seeing one about bake time, even though it’s mentioned you can double it, would be a great place to put the information!