Tangy Lime Bars are cooling, refreshing, and not too sweet, — if you love easy lime desserts then you’re going to flip for these, they’re the perfect little capper for a warm day.
These are classic lime bars made with a graham cracker crust and condensed milk.
Citrus has to be one of the great flavors on earth, and lime is one of my personal favorites, (have you tried my Coconut Lime Squares?) Today I’m celebrating this under-appreciated citrus flavor with a simple lime dessert where the essence of lime takes center stage. That wonderful ‘tang’ comes through loud and clear.
how to make easy lime bars
You can count on me to pare desserts down to their bare essentials, I think frills and extras just get in the way and make things necessarily complicated. These come together in no time, and I promise you, you will be so happy to see these pretty green lime bars peering out at you from the fridge at the end of a hot day.
- Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter together until well combined. Press into pan.
- Whisk egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk, and lime juice together.
- Pour over crust and bake until set.
- Chill.
serve chilled…or frozen!
I highly recommend stashing a few of these tangy lime bars in the freezer, they are wonderful that way. They keep their silky texture and they’re super refreshing — love!!
a word about color in lime bars
I did add a drop or two of green food coloring to my lime bars. You certainly don’t have to, but without the coloring they will be a pale yellow. For me the little boost is worth it, especially if I’m going to serve these to guests. When things are beautifully colored the eyes anticipate the flavor and send a message to the brain that actually enhances our experience of that flavor. In other words, you want your brain to anticipate that tangy lime flavor even before you bite into one of these bars. Most of the time I accomplish that through the natural beauty of the food I make, but every once in a while I feel it needs a little help. I just used regular food coloring, but you can also buy all natural food colorings that are made without chemicals or anything artificial, here.
more citrus bars to try
- Whole Meyer Lemon Bars
- Blood Orange Crumble Bars
- One Bowl Pink Grapefruit Bars
- Meyer Lemon Macadamia Crumble Squares
These are AMAZING!!! Definitely a recipe to keep 🙂
~ Jen
Tangy Lime Bars
Ingredients
crust
- 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs, 1 sleeve or about 9 full graham crackers, crushed
- 2 Tbsp packed brown sugar
- 6 Tbsp butter, melted
filling
- 4 large egg yolks
- 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
- drop or two of green food coloring, optional
Instructions
- Set oven to 350F
- Toss the crumbs with the sugar and melted butter, making sure to get all the crumbs evenly saturated.
- Press the crumbs evenly into the bottom of a 9×9 inch square baking pan.
- Whisk the egg yolks and condensed milk together in a bowl. Add the lime juice and mix well.
- Pour into the crust and bake for about 15-20 minutes, until just set.
- Let cool, then refrigerate for a few hours before serving.
- Serve cold with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream.
Notes
- If you like you can make your lime bars with a shortbread crust like the one I used for my Hibiscus Lemon Bars.
- You can make these with virtually any citrus fruit. Remember fresh squeezed juice is best.
- These are unbelievable good frozen, I think that’s my favorite way to enjoy them.
This is my go-to dessert this summer. I have made it for 3 Events and there’s never any left over.
Thanks Kerry!
I’m so glad ~ I’ve been dreaming of tangy lime desserts these days, I need to make this again!
These are AMAZING!!! Definitely a recipe to keep 🙂
These bars are looking so delicious and so pretty! I saw them on FG and was wondering about the color! 🙂 I think you hit the shade perfectly, it immediately says “lime” and still looks completely natural. Thanks for sharing, Sue!
You’re so welcome Nicole!
Had to pop right over and get this recipe! Your lime bars look incredibly good… I can almost taste the tartness from here!
Thanks Michele ~ I think that tiny bit of food coloring does make a difference in how appealing a lime bar looks, hope you try them!
If you don’t like graham crackers, what would be a good substitute?
Ann you can crush almost any cookie or cracker you can think of. Try Nilla Wafers, or any plain shortbread type cookie.
My Lemon Crunch Bars use gingersnaps and they’re fabulous: https://theviewfromgreatisland.com/lemon-crunch-bars/
I love the beautiful green color, even if it was aided by a few drops of food color! They look so creamy and refreshing.
I can only imagine how bright and tangy these bars must taste. Simply divine!