If these key lime pie bars don’t scream summer I don’t know what else does. We start with a soft, graham cracker bar topped with a lime whipped cream, finished off with a thin slice of lime and crushed graham crackers. Dreamy and and summery, right? Plus we are only using real lime so these bars taste so fresh!
These bars are part of my series called “turning desserts into brownies and bars.” Some of my favorites from this series are my banana pudding blondies and my biscoff bars. But! These key lime pie bars are right there at the top! They are so fresh tasting and the graham cracker in the bar really does it for me.
ingredients needed for key lime pie bars
- butter
- brown sugar
- eggs
- vanilla
- flour
- graham crackers
- salt
- heavy cream
- limes
That’s it! These bars are very simple and really take minimal work, especially for how beautiful they look.
how much lime do you want your bars?
All of the lime flavor in these bars comes from the whipped cream. You may not think that is enough, but I promise it is a great balance! If you are a big lime fan and want a stronger lime flavor, you can not only add the zest from lime to your whipped cream, but also the juice from one lime. I would suggest adding a little bit at a time, trying as you go, so you don’t get too strong of a lime flavor.
how to store these key lime pie bars
Since these bars are topped with whipped cream, they need to be kept in the fridge. If you were making these ahead of time, I would make the bars and the whipped cream, but don’t top the whipped cream on yet. Keep the bars and whipped cream in the fridge, then top the bars when its closer to your event! This will keep the bars a little more fresh.
other recipes from this series you will love
- german chocolate brownies
- banana pudding blondies
- creme brulee brownies
- carrot cake bars
- peach pie bars
- cookie dough brownies
- biscoff bars
key lime pie bars
ingredients
graham cracker bars
- 1 cup butter, softened (i use salted, but either is fine)
- 2 cups brown sugar (light or dark is fine)
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup flour (130 grams)
- 1 1/2 cups graham crackers crushed
- 1/2 tsp salt
topping
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 limes
- 1/4 cup graham crackers crushed
instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 (F). In a large bowl combine softened butter and brown sugar. Stir until well combined. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until just combined.
- Add flour, crushed graham crackers, and salt. Mix just until no more flour streaks appear. It should be a fairly thick batter.
- Prep an 8×8" pan by either greasing it or lining it with parchment paper. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and use a spatula to even it out throughout the pan.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until there is just a slight jiggle in the middle, or until a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs.
- Let the bars cool completely (you can put the bars in the fridge if you are in a hurry).
- While the bars cool, make the topping. Add the heavy cream and the zest of one lime to a large bowl. Whip until stiff peaks form, about 3-5 minutes. If you want a stronger lime taste, you can add some juice from the lime.
- Cut the bars into 9 pieces (or smaller if you'd like). Using a piping bag or cookie scoop, dollop the whipped cream onto each bar then top with a thin slice of lime and crushed graham crackers. Enjoy!
If keeping in the fridge, do you wait to put the whipped cream on top, or is there a way to thicken or stabilize it?
if you’re keeping them in the fridge for a long time before serving, i would wait to top with the whipped cream closer to the time you’ll serve!
Did you use softened butter or melted butter? The recipe calls for softened butter, but on a video you use melted butter. Thank you!
hi! either will work totally fine for these bars!