Description
This recipe reimagines the legendary flavors of a traditional tropical custard pie and transforms them into an accessible, crowd-pleasing dessert square. Instead of dealing with the stress of rolling out a fragile, flaky pie dough, you press a simple, rich dough into a rectangular baking pan. Once that base is baked to a beautiful golden perfection, you pour a luxurious filling over the top and bake it a second time until it sets into a dreamy, creamy layer.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Shortbread Crust
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Key Lime Filling
- 2 (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
- 4 large egg yolks
- ¾ cup key lime juice (fresh or bottled)
- 1 tablespoon key lime zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Optional Toppings
- Whipped cream
- Extra lime zest
- Thin lime slices for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, powdered sugar, and salt.
- Cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, then stir in the vanilla.
- Press the mixture evenly into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 18–20 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.
- While the crust bakes, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, key lime juice, lime zest, vanilla, and salt until smooth.
- Pour the filling over the warm crust and spread evenly.
- Return the pan to the oven and bake for 15–18 minutes, just until the filling is set but still slightly jiggly in the center.
- Cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- Lift the bars from the pan using the parchment paper and cut into squares.
- Top with whipped cream, lime zest, or lime slices before serving, if desired.
Notes
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 310 kcal
Keywords: Key Lime Bars with Shortbread Crust, Easy Key Lime Pie Bars, Homemade Citrus Dessert Squares