Key Lime Pie Bars

Buttery shortbread crust, tangy and creamy key lime filling, and a homemade coconut whipped cream and toasted coconut flakes. This post is sponsored by Lorann Oils, but as always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Buuck Farms Bakery possible.

You guys! These bars are truly something special. So bright and tangy and packed with citrusy lime flavor. And then that coconuts whipped cream and toasted coconut flakes on top! Ten outta ten! Also, they’re surprisingly easy to make. It’s easy to get intimidated by desserts with multiple layers or components, but I promise, these are a breeze.

And let’s talk about Lorann Oils for a minute. When they reached out to do a collaboration my jaw literally dropped. I am such a huge fan. I use their products daily in my baking. The Buttery Sweet Dough Emulsion is one of my secret weapons in my sugar cookie baking, I go through that stuff SO FAST. And all the flavors and extracts are so delicious, spot on in their flavors, and you only need a teenie tiny bit, so they last a long time! We decided on a coconut lime situation and man, did they turn out perfect! Let’s make them!

How to Make Key Lime Pie Bars

Make the Buttery Shortbread Crust

Preheat the oven to 350 and line an 8X8 baking dish with parchment paper. I like to leave a little parchment overhang so that the bars can be easily lifted out of the pan for slicing and serving. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Stir in the melted butter until combined.

Press the shortbread into the prepared baking pan into an even layer. Use a 1/4 C measuring cup to press it down flat, then switch to an offset spatula to get the corners and edges nice and even. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes, then let cool completely. the shortbread will still look a little wet in the middle, and should not brown at all. That’s perfect, it will set up and finish baking with the filling.

Make the Key Lime Filling

Preheat the oven to 350. Beat the cream cheese by itself in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment for 5 minutes, scraping down the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed. It’s important that you scrape the bowl to get perfectly smooth cream cheese with no clumps, so don’t skip it!

Once the cream cheese is smooth, add the sweetened condensed milk, and mix to combine. Add the lime juice, water, lime zest, and Lorann Key Lime Flavor. Mix to combine. Pour mixture over the cooled shortbread crust, then bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Allow to cool on the countertop for 30 minutes, then transfer to the fridge to continue cooling for at least 2-3 hours, up to overnight. *If you put the bars straight into the fridge without cooling first on the counter, you risk creating cracks in the filling!

Make the Coconut Whipped Cream

When ready to serve, make the whipped cream and toasted coconut. In a cold bowl, add the heavy cream, granulated sugar, and Lorann Coconut Emulsion. Whip by hand with a whisk until soft peaks form. This should take about 5 minutes, and is definitely an arm work out. You can also do this in your mixer with the whisk attachment, but make sure to watch it because it’s easy to over whip cream in the mixer! Doing it by hand creates the softest, fluffiest, dreamiest whipped cream.

For the toasted coconut, simply place the coconut flakes in a dry nonstick pan over medium heat. Stir the coconut around until it’s golden brown, then immediately remove from the heat.

Serving the Key Lime Pie Bars

When the bars are completely chilled, remove from the refrigerator. Use a thin sharp knife and run it along the edges to release any of the filling that’s touching the pan. Then, use the parchment overhang to carefully lift the bars out of the pan. Slice into 16 squares. For perfect slices, make sure to wipe off your knife between each cut.

Dollop some of the coconut whipped cream on each slice. Then, sprinkle with toasted coconut and extra lime zest. These Key Lime Pie Bars will keep up to a week in the fridge!

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If you loved these Key Lime Pie Bars, be sure to check out my Cara Cara Orange Macarons!