Key Lime Pie Cheesecake Bars

Why choose between key lime pie and cheesecake when you can make silky smooth key lime pie cheesecake bars. The tartness of the key limes perfectly complements the sweetness of the cheesecake and the cream cheese adds just the right amount of tang.

Key Lime Pie Cheesecake Bars

Why choose between key lime pie and cheesecake when you can make silky smooth key lime pie cheesecake bars. The tartness of the key limes perfectly complements the sweetness of the cheesecake and the cream cheese adds just the right amount of tang. These bars come together super easily and if you top them with a dollop of whipped cream and a bb key lime slice they look like you got them from a bakery.

Ingredients for key lime pie cheesecake bars

These key lime pie cheesecake bars are basically the dreamiest, silky smooth cheesecake bar recipe with key lime zest and key lime juice add to give them a tangy key lime flavor! Key lime pie filling is traditionally made with sweetened condensed milk, key lime juice, and egg yolks, but in these cheesecake bars the cream cheese and sour cream act as the base instead of sweetened condensed milk. The result is a perfectly balanced, sweet, tangy, and smooth cheesecake bar. Put that atop a buttery graham cracker crust, and I promise everyone will be asking you for the recipe.

The beautiful thing about cheesecake bars (other than being way easier to make than cheesecake despite being practically the same thing) is that they call for minimal ingredients that are pretty easy to get your hands on. Here’s your grocery list:

• Cream Cheese: Of course you can’t make cheesecake bars without cream cheese. We prefer baking with Philadelphia Cream Cheese because it consistently bakes up into a perfect cheesecake, but if you’t get your hands on Philly, any full fat cream cheese will do the trick!
• Key Limes: You’ll find key limes in the grocery store near the normal limes. They’re tiny little guys so it requires a little more juicing, but they’re sweeter and less tart than regular limes so they’re perfect for baking with!
• Granulated Sugar: Sugar will offset the tang of the cream cheese and the key lime juice to give you a just sweet enough key lime cheesecake layer. You’ll also use granulated sugar in the graham cracker crust!
• Vanilla Extract: Pure vanilla extract deepens the flavor of your key lime cheesecake bars and complements that tartness of the key limes.
• Sour Cream: We like to use a combination of cream cheese and sour cream for cheesecake because it lightens up your cheesecake and makes it super smooth. Make sure you’re using a full fat sour cream–reduced fat sour cream tends to seize up!
• Eggs: Eggs will give your cheesecake structure and help bind everything together. Be sure your eggs are at room temperature so they incorporate seamlessly into your cheesecake batter.
• Graham Crackers: Graham cracker crust is the best part about cheesecake in my opinion. You could also swap out the graham crackers for a different packaged cookie if you want to get funky! This would be delicious with biscoff cookies, shortbread cookies, or a comparable cookie!
• Butter: You’ll need a little melted butter to bind the graham cracker crust together so your cheesecake bars have a beautiful crust to lay atop.

Tips for getting silky smooth key lime pie cheesecake bars

If you’re used to eating cheesecake but not making it, you might think it’s a fancy, complicated dessert to bake, but it’s actually surprisingly easy! There are a few moving parts with the crust and cheesecake layer, but as long as you follow these tricks it comes together in a pinch into a creamy, dreamy key lime pie cheesecake!

• Make sure your cream cheese and eggs are at true room temperature: This is the most *important* thing when it comes to cheesecake baking. If your cream cheese is not a super soft room temperature you’ll end up with a whole bunch of clumps and a dense texture. We like to leave the cream cheese on the counter for at least 4 hours, but if it’s still not warm, you can always pop it in the microwave on low for 10 seconds to warm it up!
• Don’t over mix the batter: The other key to preventing cracks in your cheesecake bars is not over mixing the batter (particularly after you’ve added the eggs). When you beat the batter too much you incorporate air in which leads to air bubbles which pop and lead to cracks!
• Let the cheesecake cool completely in the oven before transferring to the fridge: Big changes in temperature = cracks. After the cheesecake is done baking, turn off the oven and open the door. Leave the cheesecake in the oven for an hour to come to room temperature slowly

How to store key lime pie cheesecake bars

These key lime pie cheesecake bars never last long in our house, but should you have leftovers (or choose to prep them ahead), we recommend storing them tightly covered in the fridge. I like to store them in the pan they’re baked in for ease and just tightly cover the pan with plastic wrap or tin foil. Try to avoid stacking the cheesecake bars because they’ll stick to each other and get messy!

Happy baking my friends!

XXX

• Author: Sofi | Broma Bakery
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 2 hour and 30 minutes
• Yield: 16 servings
• Category: dessert
• Method: oven
• Cuisine: american

Key Lime Pie Cheesecake Bars

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Why choose between key lime pie and cheesecake when you can make silky smooth key lime pie cheesecake bars. The tartness of the key limes perfectly complements the sweetness of the cheesecake and the cream cheese adds just the right amount of tang.

• Author: Sofi | Broma Bakery
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 2 hour and 30 minutes
• Yield: 16 servings
• Category: dessert
• Method: oven
• Cuisine: american

Units: USM

Ingredients

For the graham cracker crust

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 12 full sheets)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 5 tablespoons granulated sugar
• Pinch salt

For the cheesecake

• 2 8 ounce packages of full fat cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons key lime zest
• 1/4 cup key lime juice
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F and line a 9 x 9-inch square pan with parchment paper on all sides. Set aside.
2. In a food processor or large mixing bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar and salt, stirring together until combined. The mixture will be dry and sandy. Press the crust into the prepared pan, pressing it firmly into an even layer. Set aside.
3. In a stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment, whip the softened cream cheese, lime zest and granulated sugar together for 2 minutes until smooth and creamy.
4. Add the key lime juice, vanilla extract and sour cream and mix until just combined. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until just combined.
5. Pour the cheesecake batter over the prepared crust. Drop the pan on the counter a few times to get rid of any air bubbles.
6. Carefully place in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the bars halfway. Do not over bake! The cheesecake bars will still be wobbly in the center, but this is correct!
7. Once the bars are done cooking, turn off the oven and open the door to the oven slightly. Leave the cheesecake in the turned off oven for a half hour to allow the cheesecake to cool down gradually.
8. After a half hour, take the bars out of the oven, and set on a cooling rack for 1 hour to come to room temperature, before placing in the fridge until ready to serve.
9. When ready to serve, pull the cheesecake bars out of the pan and use a sharp knife to slice into 16 squares. If desired, top with whipped cream and key lime zest for garnish. Enjoy!