Easy Key Lime Cheesecake Bars
Craving a sweet and summery dessert? These no bake Easy Lime Cheesecake Bars are the answer! Deliciously creamy with a hint of tart lime and a perfect buttery crust, these easy key lime cheesecake bars may become your new favorite dessert!
Servings: 16 Servings
Calories:
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 2 cups graham cracker crush 12 graham crackers in a large ziplock bag with a rolling pin, or pulse in a food processor.
- Pinch of salt
- ¼ cup brown sugar or granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Lime Cheesecake Filling
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 16 oz cream cheese room temperature
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 4-6 tablespoons lime or key lime juice 2-4 limes or key limes squeezed
- 2 teaspoons lime or key lime zest
Toppings for Garnishing
- sweetened whipped cream like Cool Whip (or make it fresh using 1 cup of heavy whipping cream and 2 tablespoons powdered sugar and whip to get stiff peaks, then spoon into a piping bag with a large star tip to pipe on top of each piece of lime cheesecake.)
- Lime slices or key lime slices
- lime zest or key lime zest
- chocolate curls
Instructions
Graham Cracker Crust
- Line an 8x8 (or 9x9) inch square pan with aluminium foil or parchment paper leaving an overhang on each side. Spray lightly with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl stir together the graham crumbs, sugar & melted butter. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan.
Lime Cheesecake Filling
- In a large bowl, beat the heavy cream until peaks form.
- In a separate bowl beat the cream cheese until soft. Then beat in the powdered sugar, vanilla extract & lime juice and zest until smooth.
- Gently fold in the whipped cream using a rubber spatula until the mixture is even and no longer streaky.
- Spoon over top of the prepared crust and smooth the top. Chill in the fridge for 6 hours or overnight.
- To serve, lift the aluminum foil out of the pan and place the bars on a cutting board. Slice into bars.
Toppings for Garnishing
- Top with additional sweetened whipped cream, lime slices, lime zest and chocolate curls if desired.
Notes
Tips & Substitutions
- To make graham cracker crumbs, crush graham crackers in a large ziplock bag with a rolling pin, or pulse in a food processor.
- For an easy whipped cream shortcut, whipping cream can be substituted with 1 ½ cups thawed Cool Whip (whipped topping) when making the cheesecake in step 3.
- Make sure to use full-fat, brick style cream cheese - not light, spreadable or whipped.
- Recipe can be doubled and made in a 9x13 inch pan.
- Easily switch out the lime flavors with lemon!
- You can easily make this recipe in a pie pan if you don't want to do bars.
How to Make Chocolate Curls
- Just melt 1/2 cup of your favorite chocolate or chocolate chips with 1 teaspoon butter or coconut oil and spread a thin layer onto a large baking sheet.
- Transfer the baking sheet to the fridge to firm up the chocolate.
- Once firm, use a metal spatula to push forward on the chocolate to create chocolate curls.
- If the chocolate won’t curl, return it to the fridge until firmer. If the chocolate flakes rather than curls, it needs to sit at room temperature for a few minutes to warm back up slightly.