Key Lime Cheesecake Bars

First, let’s clarify something. You have to use key lime juice. You can’t use regular limes. You can’t (heaven forbid) use bottled regular lime juice. But you can use bottled key lime juice. Or fresh. But it has to be key lime or else we can’t be friends. Now that we’ve passed that hurdle, the rest is pure joy. Creamy cheesecake filling with just enough lime flavor. It’s easy to pick up and eat at a party, and is extra beautiful topped with some whipped cream.

What sets these apart is the toasted coconut in the crust and the tartness of the filling. This is NOT an overly sweet, tasteless bar. You’re going to absolutely love these.

what You’ll Need

You really do need an electric mixer for this, but a hand mixer is perfectly fine and what I usually use! The food processor is handy for crushing the graham crackers, but you can also put them in a plastic bag and give them a good whack with a rolling pin.

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs (about 12 full sheets) Cinnamon graham crackers also work well here if you prefer a warmer flavor.
• ¾ cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted. Stir in a dry skillet over medium heat until golden.
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (if using salted butter, omit the additional salt listed below.
• ⅛ teaspoon salt

Filling

• 24 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature Use full-fat block cream cheese; “whipped” or tub varieties are too airy and won’t set properly.
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour This helps stabilize the filling so it cuts into clean bars.
• 3 large eggs + 1 egg yolk
• ½ cup sour cream
• ½ cup lime juice A quality bottled Key Lime juice (like Nellie & Joe’s) is perfect. Save the rest for my meringue-topped key lime pie.
• 1 tablespoon lime zest
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

Prep

Before we get started, get your oven heating to 350°F.

Next, prep your 9×13 pan. Don’t just grease it! We need to create a “parchment sling.” Line the pan with parchment paper, leaving about 2 inches hanging over the long sides.

Once these bars are chilled, you cannot get a spatula underneath them without ruining the first few slices. The parchment overhang allows you to lift the entire slab out of the pan at once to cut perfectly clean squares on a cutting board.

Make the Crust

Toss your graham crackers, toasted coconut, sugar, and salt into the food processor. Pulse it until everything is fine crumbs. Pour in the melted butter and pulse a few more times.

When is it ready, it should look like wet sand. If you grab a handful and squeeze it in your fist, it should hold together in a clump.

Dump that sandy mixture into your prepared pan.

Use the flat bottom of a measuring cup or a drinking glass to firmly press the crumbs into an even, compact layer. The harder you press now, the less crumbly it will be later. I actually like a slightly crumbly crust but it’s harder to hold. Your choice.

Bake the crust for 8–10 minutes just until it has lightly browned edges. Set it on a wire rack to cool down while we make the filling.

The Creamy Filling Base

First, turn your oven down to 325°F. Cheesecakes prefer a gentler heat, which helps prevent them from puffing up too quickly and cracking.

Now for the most important rule of cheesecake making: Your cream cheese must be completely at room temperature. If it is even slightly cold in the center of the block, you will have tiny lumps in your batter that will never mix out, no matter how long you beat it.

In a small bowl, whisk together your sugar and flour and set it aside. (We’re doing this because if you dump flour directly into wet cream cheese, it likes to clump up. By mixing the flour with the sugar first, the sugar granules separate the flour particles and they’ll dissolve smoothly! Yay!)

Throw that soft cream cheese into your mixer with the paddle attachment. Beat it on medium-high for a good 1–2 minutes until it looks creamy and smooth like frosting. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl and the paddle extremely well.

With the mixer running, slowly stream in the sugar/flour mixture. Beat until combined, then stop and scrape down the bowl again.

Now we add the eggs. Add them one at a time, mixing on medium speed just until they disappear into the batter.

Finally, dump in all the flavor: the sour cream, lime juice, lime zest, and vanilla. Mix on low speed just until everything is blended and beautiful. Lovely.

Pour that silky batter right over your slightly cooled crust. Smooth the top with a spatula.

Bake and Chill

Bake for 30–35 minutes.

Knowing when a cheesecake is done is tricky because it will look underbaked. Do not wait for the center to become firm in the oven, or it will be dry and overly dense once cooled.

You want the edges of the bars to look puffy and set, but the center 3-4 inches should still wobble like Jell-O if you gently shake the pan.

Place the pan on a wire rack and let it cool completely at room temperature for at least an hour. Then, move the pan to the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours (overnight is even better). It needs this cold time to firm up enough to slice.

Garnish and Serve

Once firmly chilled, grab those parchment paper overhangs and lift the whole slab onto a cutting board.

To get chef-quality clean cuts, dip a large knife in hot water and wipe it dry before each slice.

Garnish with lime slices and dollops of whipped cream. And serve!

Storage Instructions

These bars are a dream for planning ahead because they actually taste better after chilling overnight.

• Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
• Make Ahead: You can bake these 1–2 days in advance. Keep them covered in the pan and slice right before serving.
• Tip: Wait to add garnishes (like whipped cream or lime slices) until you serve, or they will get soggy in the fridge.

How to Freeze

You can freeze the whole slab or individual slices for up to 3 months.

To Thaw: Move them to the refrigerator the night before serving to thaw slowly. Never microwave them to thaw, or the texture will melt.

To Freeze: Wrap the cooled bars tightly in plastic wrap, followed by a layer of foil to prevent freezer burn.

Serving Ideas

In Case You’re Wondering

Printable Recipe