Key lime bars are silky, sharp-sweet squares of lime curd set over a buttery almond crust. Fresh lime zest and juice give them their signature pucker while coconut milk makes the filling impossibly smooth. Sixteen bars, chilled until firm, that taste like a Florida holiday in dessert form.
SERVES 16
Ingredients
Crust
2½ cups almond flour
4 tablespoons (60 ml) coconut oil, melted
3 tablespoons (45 ml) palm sugar
1 pinch salt
Filling
2 ounces coconut milk
2 teaspoons (10 ml) tapioca flour
1 tablespoon (15 ml) grated lime zest, plus ½ cup lime juice (4 limes)
1 pinch salt
7 ounces coconut milk
7 ounces honey
1 large egg white
Coconut oil for greasing foil
Preparation
1.В В Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 325°F (165°C). Make a foil sling for an eight-inch square baking pan by folding two long sheets of aluminum foil so each is eight inches wide. Lay sheets of foil in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over edges of pan. Push foil into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing foil flush to pan. Grease with coconut oil.
2.В В Process almond flour in a food processor to fine, even crumbs (about 30 seconds). Add melted coconut oil, palm sugar, and salt and pulse to incorporate (about 5 pulses). Transfer mixture to prepared pan and press firmly into an even layer using a wide metal spatula. Bake until crust is fragrant and beginning to brown (12 to 16 minutes), rotating pan halfway through baking. Let cool on wire rack for at least 15 minutes.
3.В В Combine coconut milk, tapioca flour, lime zest, and salt in medium bowl. Whisk in 7 ounces of coconut milk and honey until smooth, then whisk in the egg white, followed by the lime juice. Pour filling over baked crust and smooth the top. Bake until the center is firm and edges begin to pull away slightly from sides (15 to 20 minutes).
4.В В Let bars cool completely in pan on wire rack for about one hour. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled (2 to 3 hours). Remove from pan using foil sling and cut into sixteen squares. Serve.
Pro Tips
- Use fresh limes — four of them, as written. Bottled lime juice is flat and slightly bitter once baked into a delicate custard like this.
- Bake the filling until the edges just pull away from the pan sides. Overbaked key lime bars go grainy rather than silky.
- Chill the bars at least two to three hours before cutting. The filling sets properly only when it's completely cold — warm cutting gives ragged squares.
- Cut with a warm, dry knife and wipe it between slices. Lime curd is unforgiving about clean edges and this one step fixes everything.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use regular limes instead of key limes?
Absolutely — regular Persian limes are what most people use. Key limes are just slightly more floral and tart.
How do I store key lime bars?
Refrigerated in a covered container for up to five days. They actually taste better on day two, once the flavours have settled.
Why does the filling use an egg white?
It sets the curd gently without making it heavy — whole eggs would give a denser, more lemon-curd texture than the light, creamy finish you want here.
Can I freeze these bars?
Yes — freeze the cut squares on a tray, then layer them with parchment in a container. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- 1. В В Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 325°F. Make a foil sling for an eight-inch square baking pan by folding two long sheets of aluminum foil so each is eight inches wide. Lay sheets of foil in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over edges of pan. Push foil into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing foil flush to pan.
- Grease with coconut oil. 2. В В Process almond flour in a food processor to fine, even crumbs (about 30 seconds).
- Add melted coconut oil, palm sugar, and salt and pulse to incorporate (about 5 pulses).
- Transfer mixture to prepared pan and press firmly into an even layer using a wide metal spatula.
- Bake until crust is fragrant and beginning to brown (12 to 16 minutes), rotating pan halfway through baking.
- Let cool on wire rack for at least 15 minutes. 3. В В Combine coconut milk, tapioca flour, lime zest, and salt in medium bowl.
- Whisk in 7 ounces of coconut milk and honey until smooth, then whisk in the egg white, followed by the lime juice.
- Pour filling over baked crust and smooth the top.
- Bake until the center is firm and edges begin to pull away slightly from sides (15 to 20 minutes). 4. В В Let bars cool completely in pan on wire rack for about one hour.
- Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled (2 to 3 hours).
- Remove from pan using foil sling and cut into sixteen squares.
- Serve.
