In my opinion, there’s nothing like a sweet and tangy key lime pie in the spring! Want to know what’s even better?! Key Lime Pie BARS!!! Key lime pie is typically made with a graham cracker crust, but I decided to go with a buttery shortbread crust and it’s a total game changer!! These bars are the perfect combination of salty & sweet. The secret to the delicious creamy filling is Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk — and I cannot even begin to describe how easy it is to make! 🤗
I absolutely LOVE a good dessert recipe that I can always count on to be a crowd-pleaser. With spring & Easter just around the corner, these Key Lime Pie Bars need to be at the top of your to-do list!
Want to know another great thing about this dessert? You can make it in advance, which is always a HUGE win in my book! In fact, I think it’s better if you have the time to make it the night before. It gives the filling plenty of time to fully set. Just hold off on making the whipped cream until just before serving!
I seriously cannot wait for y’all to try this recipe. I promise your family & friends will be SUPER impressed, and this will be a recipe that you come back to time & time again. It’s literally FOOLPROOF! Enjoy!
Many thanks to Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk for sponsoring this post and for making this a delicious dessert!
Key Lime Pie Bars
YIELDS 12-16 SERVINGS
PREP TIME: 15-20 MINUTES
COOK TIME: 40 MINUTES
Ingredients
Crust:
1 box yellow cake mix
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 egg, room temperature
Filling:
3 cups Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk, about 2.5 (14 ounce) cans
3 eggs yolks, room temperature
⅔ cup freshly squeezed lime juice, about 6-8 limes
¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
Whipped Cream Topping:
1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch of coarse kosher salt
Lime zest (garnish)
Lime wedges (garnish)
Instructions
Crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Place the yellow cake mix and melted butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed just until combined.
- Add the egg with the mixer on low for 1-2 minutes.
- Lightly pat the dough evenly on the bottom of a 9×13-inch pan lined with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides. *The parchment paper will allow you to lift the bars out of the pan seamlessly. I use clips to hold it in place and remove them before baking.
- Bake the crust for exactly 10 minutes. Start on the filling while the crust is baking.
Filling:
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, freshly squeezed lime juice, and salt on medium speed for 4 minutes.
- Once the crust is done baking, remove from the oven and VERY slowly pour the key lime filling over the hot crust. Try to pour it as evenly as possible. The crust will be soft since it has only baked for 10 minutes. If you need to even out the filling, use a small offset spatula to gently do so.
- Bake for 30 minutes and cool completely in the pan for about 1-2 hours.
- Refrigerate until the filling is firm, at least 2 hours.
- Using the parchment paper overhang, lift the bars out of the pan onto a cutting board. With a very sharp knife, cut into 12-16 squares.
Whipped Cream Topping:
*Wait to make the whipped cream topping until just before serving.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the cold heavy cream, sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of coarse kosher salt.
- Whisk together on medium speed for 30 seconds.
- Turn the mixer up to high and whisk until stiff peaks form when you lift the whisk attachment out of the bowl.
- Add a dollop of whipped cream on top of each bar.
- Garnish with thinly sliced limes & freshly grated lime zest.
Notes
I highly recommend making these bars the day or night before serving, so that they have plenty of time to cool & fully set. Wait to make the whipped cream topping until just before serving. Bars can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an air-tight container.
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