Introducing the most amazing and refreshing key lime pie bars, with a twist! Take your classic key lime pie, throw it in bar form, and replace the graham cracker crust with a buttery and salty pretzel crust and you have a drool-worthy dessert.

I absolutely love the spring/summer season. Fruit is in abundance, everything is fresh and bright and baking is all the more fun! If you are into bars and summer desserts, these s’mores bars are also for you.

Lime is one of my favorite things to bake/cook with, it just brings an extra little pizazz to a recipe. These key lime pie bars are packed with lime zest and lime juice.

What are key limes?

There are a few key differences between key limes and regular limes. See what I did there? Hehe. Key limes are more yellow in color rather than green, contain more seeds, and they tend to be more tart and acidic than regular limes. Now, do you need key limes to make a key lime pie? Technically, no! This recipe was made from regular limes. I chose to do that because key limes are not as easy to come by in supermarkets as regular limes. If you can find key limes though, by all means use them!

Why do these bars have a pretzel crust?

Traditionally, key lime pie is made with a graham cracker crust. But why not go wild and do something outside the norm?! Finely crushed up pretzels are the same texture as finely crushed up graham cracker crumbs, they obviously just add a bit more salt to the recipe. Which when paired with the sweet filling and whipped cream, it is quite delightful!

What ingredients do you need?

For the key lime pie bar crust, you will need:

  • Unsalted butter, melted
  • Granulated sugar
  • Pretzel crumbs

For the key lime pie bar filling, you will need:

  • Lime zest
  • Lime juice
  • Greek yogurt
  • Sweetened condensed milk (this is my favorite brand to use!)

For the key lime pie bar whipped cream, you will need:

  • Heavy whipping cream
  • Powdered sugar

The absolute best part of this recipe is how quickly and easily it comes together! There are no stand mixers needed, the ingredients are all very simple, and the bake time is only about 20 minutes TOTAL. It’s crazy, I know.

How can I zest a lime?

Haven’t ever zested a lime before? No problems there!! Make sure to wash your lime and then, well, zest! If you don’t have a zester, you can use a fine cheese grater or a microplane. Scrape the lime against your zester of choice until you see the white part of the lime. Rotate the lime while repeating this until you have gone all the way around and then BOOM you have lime zest!

Can I bake this in a pie pan instead of a square pan?

Of course! I suggest using a 9×9 inch pie pan.

I hope you love love love this recipe! Drop a comment below if you give it a try! Happy baking xoxo

5 from 1 rating
Yield: 1 9×9 inch pan

Key Lime Pie Bars

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Author: Jess Italiano
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Ingredients
 

Crust

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 3 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups pretzel crumbs, very fine

Filling

  • 2 tbsp lime zest, about 4 limes
  • 1/2 cup lime juice, about 8 limes
  • 1/2 cup greek yogurt
  • 2 14 oz cans sweetened condensed milk

Whipped Cream

  • 1 cup whipping cream
  • 2 tbsp powdered sugar

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 9×9-inch pan with parchment paper.
  • First, prepare your crust. Pulse whole pretzels in a food processor/blender until they are a very fine crumb. You need about 1 1/2 cups. In a small bowl, mix together the pretzel crumbs, melted butter and granulated sugar until combined. The mixture will be sandy. Firmly press the mixture into the bottom of your pan. Pre-bake the crust for 10 minutes.
  • While the crust is baking, prepare the filling. Combine the lime zest, lime juice, greek yogurt and sweetened condensed milk and whisk until you have a smooth and creamy mixture. Pour the filling on top of the crust and bake for 10 minutes, turning the pan half way through. The bars will be done when there is a slight jiggle in the center.
  • Remove the bars from the oven and let cool at room temperature for five minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator to cool completely. Once your bars are cool, prepare the whipped cream. In a small bowl, beat together the heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Use a rubber spatula to make a smooth layer on top of the pie bars. Decorate with more lime zest if desired. Cut into bars and enjoy!!Remove the bars from the oven and let cool at room temperature for five minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator to cool completely. Once your bars are cool, prepare the whipped cream. In a small bowl, beat together the heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Use a rubber spatula to make a smooth layer on top of the pie bars. Decorate with more lime zest if desired. Cut into bars and enjoy!!
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