Green Key Lime Pie Bars (Printable View)

Vibrant key lime bars with a buttery graham cracker crust. Tangy, creamy, and perfect for summer entertaining.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Crust

01 - 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
02 - ⅓ cup granulated sugar
03 - 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
04 - Pinch of salt

→ Filling

05 - 4 large egg yolks
06 - 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
07 - ½ cup key lime juice, fresh or bottled
08 - 2 teaspoons key lime zest
09 - 2-3 drops green food coloring, optional
10 - ¼ cup whole milk or half-and-half

→ Garnish

11 - Whipped cream, optional
12 - Additional lime zest or thin lime slices, optional

# Cooking Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang for easy removal.
02 - In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, melted butter, and salt. Mix until texture resembles wet sand.
03 - Press crust mixture firmly and evenly into bottom of prepared pan. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
04 - Whisk egg yolks in a large bowl until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Add sweetened condensed milk and whisk until smooth.
05 - Stir in key lime juice, zest, food coloring if using, and milk. Mix until fully combined and creamy.
06 - Pour filling over cooled crust and spread evenly.
07 - Bake for 14 minutes, or until center is set but still slightly jiggly.
08 - Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours until fully chilled and set.
09 - Lift bars out using parchment overhang. Cut into 16 squares. Garnish with whipped cream and lime zest if desired. Serve chilled.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The graham cracker crust has this magical sweet-salty thing happening that makes your taste buds do a little happy dance with each bite.
  • You can make these a day ahead which means less stress when youre hosting friends for dinner and need a showstopping dessert that looks like it took way more effort than it actually did.
02 -
  • Overmixing the filling after adding the lime juice can cause the mixture to become too thick too quickly, so use gentle folding motions toward the end.
  • Chilling these bars overnight rather than just two hours creates a flavor that's dramatically more complex, as the lime has time to fully infuse into every molecule.
03 -
  • Line your pan with parchment paper in both directions for handles that make removing the entire dessert effortless before cutting, a trick I only learned after years of struggling with broken bars.
  • When measuring sticky condensed milk, spray your measuring cup with cooking spray first so it slides right out without losing a drop of that precious ingredient.

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