Can I Use Regular Lime Juice Instead of Key Lime Juice?

Key limes can be difficult to track down out of season, which is the majority of the year. They're smaller, more yellow, and a little sweeter than standard limes. You can substitute regular limes for key limes in this recipe, or use half lime juice and half lemon juice.

Can I Use Bottled Key Lime Juice?

Yes, absolutely. The brand I typically buy is called Nellie & Joe's Key West Lime Juice, and it's sold in most major grocery stores next to the bottled lemon juice. Not only does this make it possible for year-round key lime pie squares, but it's also a lot easier than juicing all those tiny key limes by hand!

Easy Key Lime Pie Bars - Easy Recipe - Sally's Baking Addiction

Description

You need just 7 ingredients to make these simple key lime pie bars, a handheld version of my key lime pie recipe. Today’s bars are creamy and tangy with a simple graham cracker crust. Be sure to cool and chill the bars before cutting into squares.

Ingredients

Crust

12 full-sheet graham crackers (to yield 1 and 1/2 cups (180g) graham cracker crumbs)
6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar

Filling

4 ounces (113g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
4 large egg yolks
14-ounce (397g) can of sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup (120ml) key lime juice
2 teaspoons lime zest (about 1 lime or 2 key limes)
optional for garnish: whipped cream and lime slices

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 9-inch square baking pan (I love this one and this one) with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to easily lift the bars out of the pan. Set aside.
Make the crust: If you’re starting out with full graham crackers, use a food processor or blender to grind them into fine crumbs. You can also place them in a zip-top bag and crush them into fine crumbs with a little arm muscle and a rolling pin. Stir the graham cracker crumbs and granulated sugar together in a medium bowl, and then stir in the melted butter. The mixture will be thick, coarse, and sandy. Try to smash/break up any large chunks. Press into the bottom of the lined pan.
Prebake crust: Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Cool for a few minutes as you prepare the filling in the next step.
Make the filling: Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Beat in the egg yolks. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the sweetened condensed milk, key lime juice, and lime zest until combined. After mixing the filling with your mixer, give it a final whisk by hand to make sure there are no cream cheese lumps at the bottom of the bowl. Pour/spoon filling evenly onto the warm crust.
Bake for about 18-20 minutes, or until the edges of the bars appear set and the center is only *slightly* jiggly.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes at room temperature on a wire rack and then chill in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours.
Lift the parchment paper out of the pan and cut into squares. Feel free to garnish with whipped cream, lime slices, and/or extra lime zest. I used Wilton 1M piping tip on the pictured bars.
The bars stay fresh in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Notes

Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can freeze the bars for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Special Tools (affiliate links): Food Processor | 9-Inch Square Baking Pan or this 9-Inch Square Baking Pan | Glass Mixing Bowl | Citrus Zester | Citrus Juicer | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Cooling Rack | Piping Bag (Reusable or Disposable) | Wilton 1M Piping Tip
Non-US Readers: Don’t have graham crackers where you live? Use 200g ground digestive biscuit crumbs instead (about 13–14 biscuits), the same amount of butter, and add a bit more sugar (about 1/3 cup, or 67g). You may need to add a few extra minutes to the pre-baking time, as digestive biscuits are not quite as crispy-crunchy as graham crackers. And from what I understand, spreadable cream cheese sold in a tub in countries outside of the US is a little different from the spreadable cream cheese in the US. It’s thicker, sturdier, and more solid and should be OK to make cheesecake. I have no experience with it, but this is what I’ve heard from other non-US readers.
Gingersnap Crust: The original recipe used to call for a gingersnap crust. To make this version, combine 2 cups (240g) finely crushed crunchy gingersnap cookies with 3 Tablespoons melted salted butter. Pre-baking and baking instructions remain the same.
Can I Bake This in a 9×13-inch Pan? You can, but I have had better results baking a smaller batch, as written, in the 9-inch pan. If you want to make a larger batch, double each ingredient and bake in a 9×13-inch pan. Prebake the crust for 10 minutes, pour in the filling, and bake for about 35 minutes.
Leftover Egg Whites: Here are all my recipes that call for egg whites.