If you love lemon bars, then you’ll love these lime bars. Made with a shortbread crust and topped with a delicious lime custard with the perfect balance between sweet and tart!
I am a huge fan of lemon bars! So when my husband bought a large bag of limes from Costco, I knew just how to use them. So over the next few days, I put together a delicious lime bar recipe.
I decided to add lime zest to both the shortbread and the custard to really capture the delicious flavor of the limes. I enjoy my lemon and lime bars to be a little tangy and not too sweet. And these bars balance the two perfectly.
The shortbread is a sweet, buttery base for these delicious bars and sturdy enough to hold the extra thick custard layer. And don’t forget to top these delicious bars off with a dusting of powdered sugar.
How to Make Lime Bars:
Lime bars are quite easy to make, with a few simple steps.
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Preheat the oven to 325°F.
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Prepare the 9×13-inch pan by lining it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to make it easier to remove the bars after they have cooled.
Crust:
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Combine the melted butter, sugar, vanilla, lime zest, and salt in a medium bowl. Then add the flour and stir until completely incorporated.
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Using your hands, press the crust firmly into the pan in an even layer.
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Bake for 20-22 minutes or until the edges just begin to brown slightly. Remove from the oven. Poke the crust lightly with a fork, piercing the top but not going all the way to the bottom. This step helps the filling hold better to the crust.
Filling:
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Sift the sugar and the flour together in a large bowl. This step helps to create a smooth, creamy custard. Next, whisk in the eggs, lime juice, and lime zest. Whisk until thoroughly combined.
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Pour carefully over the warm crust and return to the oven. Bake the bars for 22-25 minutes or until the center is set and no longer jiggly. Test by tapping the side of the pan.
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Remove the bars from the oven and allow them to cool completely at room temperature (about 2 hours). Once cooled to room temperature, place the bars in the refrigerator to chill for another 2 hours.
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When you are ready to cut the bars, pull up on the parchment paper and place the bars on a cutting board. Using a knife, cut the bars, wiping the knife off with a damp paper towel after each slice. Return to the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Don’t forget to dust your bars with powdered sugar before serving them.
The Problem with Powdered Sugar (confectioners’ sugar)
If you use powdered sugar very often, you know just how finicky it can be. Within minutes a perfectly dusted dessert can go from stunning to sloppy, and all of the powdered sugar can disappear right before your eyes. This is especially true if your dessert is moist, like these bars.
If your dessert presentation is important or it needs to be pretty for any length of time (more than five minutes), you can purchase non-melting powdered sugar that will literally never melt. It’s almost completely unaffected by moisture, meaning it can sit on top of a moist dessert for several hours without dissolving. This is a baker’s dream come true!! Well, it is for me at least…
This type of powdered sugar tastes just like the regular kind you get at the grocery store, but it’s less prone to dissolving. The ingredient list includes several added ingredients like palm oil and cornstarch. Non-melting powdered sugar can be rather pricey, so I only use it for desserts that need to look pretty. I use regular powdered sugar if I’m mixing it into a dessert or making a glaze or frosting. When buying non-melting powdered sugar, make sure it says “non-melting” on the outside of the container. It can also easily be purchased online.
Lime Bars
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
Lime Filling
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 6 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons lime zest
- 1 cup fresh lime juice
- optional: confectioners' sugar for dusting finished bars
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Prepare the 9x13-inch pan by lining it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to make it easier to remove the bars after they have cooled.
Crust:
- In a medium bowl, combine the melted butter, sugar, vanilla, lime zest, and salt. Then add the flour and stir until completely incorporated.
- Using your hands, press the crust firmly into the pan in an even layer.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes or until the edges begin to lightly brown. Remove from the oven. Poke the crust lightly with a fork, piercing the top but not going all the way to the bottom. This helps the filling hold better to the crust.
Filling:
- Sift the sugar and the flour together in a large bowl. Whisk in the eggs, lime juice, and lime zest. Whisk until completely combined.
- Pour carefully over the warm crust and return to the oven. Bake the bars for 22-25 minutes or until the center is set and no longer jiggly. Test by tapping the side of the pan.
- Remove the bars from the oven and allow them to cool completely at room temperature (about 2 hours). Once cooled to room temperature, place the bars in the refrigerator to chill for another 2 hours.
- When you are ready to cut the bars, pull up on the parchment paper and place the bars on a cutting board. Using a knife, cut the bars, wiping the knife off with a damp paper towel after each slice. Return to the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Optional - Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving (See notes)
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.