Lime Bars

Lime Bars are exactly like lemon bars, but made with limes instead. A shortbread crust is topped with a tangy lime custard. Easy and delicious!

Prep time: PT10M

Cook time: PT40M

Total time: PT170M

Rating

4.36 stars (313 reviews)

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour ((stir, spoon & level))
¼ cup powdered sugar
¼ tsp salt
½ cup butter (cold (cut into 8 pieces))
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour ((stir, spoon & level))
4 large eggs
2 tsp lime zest
⅔ cup fresh lime juice
drop of green (+ yellow) food coloring (optional)

Steps

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Very lightly grease or line an 11x7-inch baking dish with parchment paper that overhangs 2-inches on both sides.
To make the crust: Combine the flour, powdered sugar, salt and butter in a food processor. Pulse until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Spread evenly, then press into prepared pan and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Meanwhile make the filling: Whisk together the sugar and flour in a bowl. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Add the zest, lime juice, and a drop of green (+ yellow) food coloring, if desired. Mix until everything is smooth and combined.
Pour filling over hot crust and return to oven to bake for an additional 18 to 20 minutes or until set. When done, the filling will no longer jiggle.
Let cool completely in the pan, about 1 hour. Then refrigerate for 1-2 hours and serve cold. Lift bars out of pan with parchment paper for easy cutting and serving. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Nutitrion

Serving Size: 1 bar
Calories: 232 kcal
Carbohydrates: 34 g
Protein: 4 g
Fat: 9 g
Saturated Fat: 5 g
Cholesterol: 82 mg
Sodium: 134 mg
Sugar: 23 g
Unsaturated Fat: 3 g

Reviews

Bee on 2026-05-22 (4 stars):
I don't know what happened here but something went wrong with my crust even though I'm confident I used the right measurements. the dough was EXTREMELY wet and there was not nearly enough of it to cover an 11x7, I switched to an 8x8 and even that was a stretch. however, it did bake up okay, although I underbaked it so it kind of fell apart but that's totally on me. the filling was DELICIOUS. it did get kind of weird and bubbly on top? so it turned out pretty ugly but boy do they taste good.
Elaine on 2026-04-27 (3 stars):
Shortbread crust is a winner. Lime curd/filling a little tedious, and did not taste sweet enough. After refrigeration, the bars looked "soggy."
RP on 2026-04-20 (5 stars):
We made this exactly as written (except we did not have food coloring) and the bars turned out delicious. Everyone loved them. We were surprised that there were some reviewers that said they were very sour... We actually thought they were very sweet! We would make again without any modifications. Well, I may want to try the food color because the photos look very pretty.
Lexi on 2025-09-06 (5 stars):
Oh my GOODNESS this has just become one of my new FAVORITE DESSERTS! The shortbread crust is sublime (I'm planning to substitute my previous lackluster shortbread recipe for this one to make cookies - so yummy!), there's just the right blend of tangy and sweet from the filling, and it all came together without much fuss! I did omit the food dye and I used a 9" pie plate instead of the 11X7 dish. I ended up cooking on the longer side (22 or 23 min as opposed to the 18-20 min recommended) and wouldn't change a THING about this recipe! With a lower temperature too, this recipe is going into my summer must-have's collection immediately. Thanks so much for taking the time to write this recipe out (especially with the grams included! So helpful!), and I'm praising your name over here!
Ash W on 2025-07-27 (5 stars):
We made these and the lemon raspberry for our Summer party. We used key lime juice and zest from regular limes and they turned out amazing!! Everyone loved them! I will definitely make it again.