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Key Lime Cheesecake Bars

Name: Key Lime Cheesecake Bars
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Yield: 10
Ingredients: 2 cups graham crackers or digestive biscuits, crushed; 1 stick (113g) butter, melted; 1 stick (113g) butter, softened; 1 cup granulated sugar; 2 large eggs; 2 large egg yolks; ⅓ cup + 4 tbsp fresh lime juice; 2 8oz packs cream cheese, softened; ½ cup granulated sugar; 2 large eggs; 1 large egg white; 2 tbsp plain/all purpose flour; ½ cup sour cream; 1 tsp vanilla extract; green and yellow food colouring (liquid or gel)

Posted by Lisa | Sweet 2 Eat Baking on September 7, 2012

38 Comments // Leave Some Love

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Key Lime Cheesecake Bars – A rich and indulgent cheesecake centre with a tart key lime topping, and a crunchy cracker crust.

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Key Lime Cheesecake Bars Recipe

I refuse to accept that summer is over. How can it be when we’re still technically having summery weather?

Albeit that the mornings are now cold, and we even had frost a couple of mornings ago? I’m going to stomp my feet and throw a tantrum!

I’m not a winter person at all and autumn might as well be winter, in the UK. In fact, I’m one of those people that finds myself a bit ‘chilly’ even when it’s 25°C/77°F and wearing a light jacket when everyone else is wearing summer tanks. 😆

So, I’m so not ready to bid farewell to all the summer berries and ice creams I’ve been perving at the last few months.

Therefore today I’m rebelling with Key Lime Cheesecake Bars.

Not that cheesecake bars are all *that* rebellious! 😆

The modern world brings us imported limes, even during the winter months, but hey, it’s the thought that counts!

It’s your choice.

I’ve adapted this recipe to make it easier and less time consuming to make thanks to ready-made lime curd. But the recipe for lime curd is included below if you fancy making this recipe completely from scratch.

I did make the lime curd to go with this cheesecake but my thermometer decided to die on me just before the part where I needed it. It was working up until that point… then BAM!

So I had to guess but I’ll be using that lime curd for something else. 😉

Dudes and dudettes, you have to make some of these bad boys.

They’re the yummiest cheesecake bars or cheesecake I have ever tasted.

I could not stop eating the raw batter whilst making these key lime cheesecake bars. I’m surprised there was even enough filling to go into them!

The giant man-baby made the following official statement too… “You’re good at making cheesecakes now, aren’t you?”

I’m not quite sure whether to take that as a compliment or an offending statement. What do you think? A ban on him eating any future goodies? Muahahaha!

Yield: 10 inch cheesecake

Key Lime Cheesecake Bars

Deliciously awesome Key Lime Cheesecake Bars recipe using fresh homemade lime curd or store bought lime curd.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

Crust

2 cups graham crackers or digestive biscuits, crushed
1 stick (113g) butter, melted

Lime Curd

1 stick (113g) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
⅓ cup + 4 tbsp fresh lime juice

Cheesecake Filling

2 8oz packs cream cheese, softened
½ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 large egg white
2 tbsp plain/all purpose flour
½ cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
green and yellow food colouring (liquid or gel)

Instructions

To make the Lime Curd – Beat butter and sugar into a large bowl. Slowly add the eggs and the yolks one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Pour in the lime juice and mix again. Expect the mixture to look curdled, this is normal.
Cook the mixture over medium heat in a medium-sized saucepan until it looks smooth and no longer curdled. Increase the heat slightly and cook, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens. Using a thermometer, cook until the mixture reaches 170°F/77°C.
Remove the curd from the heat and transfer into a bowl. Press plastic wrap in the surface of the lime curd to keep a skin from forming. Chill the lime curd in a refrigerator, the curd will thicken more as it cools. It will keep in the fridge for approx. 2 weeks.
To make the crust – Preheat the oven to 325°F/175°C, line a 10×10 inch square pan with parchment that overhangs the edges.
Mix the butter and graham crackers (digestive biscuits) together and press into the bottom of the pan evenly.
Bake the crust for 5 minutes and allow to cool completely.
To make the filling – Tint ¾ of a cup of the premade lime curd with the green and yellow food colouring until a lime-rind green and set aside.
Beat cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl with mixer on medium-high speed until smooth. Beat in eggs on low speed until blended then beat in the sour cream, vanilla and plain/all purpose flour until just blended. Remove 1 cup of batter and reserve.
Pour the remaining batter over the crust.
Mix a ½ cup of the tinted lime curd with 1 cup of the reserved batter. Place spoonfuls or dollops of this mixture, in no particular fashion, on top of the plain cheesecake batter. Repeat with the remaining ¼ cup lime curd onto the previous mixture. Using a skewer or toothpick, swirl the mixture together to create a marbled effect.
Bake for 35 minutes at 325°F/170°C. Allow to cool completely in the pan then refrigerate.
Once chilled, lift the cheesecake out of the pan with the parchment overhang and cut the bars before serving. I cut my bars into 8 large bars. The calorie values provided (below) are for 8x 5x2.5-inch bars. You can always chop yours bigger or smaller. Smaller bars, smaller calories.

Notes

Don't have time to make the lime curd from scratch? Use my quick microwave lemon curd recipe and substitute the lemons for key limes or regular limes. Or you can purchase store-bought, if necessary.
After I pressed the graham crackers/digestive biscuits into the bottom of the pan and allowed them to cool, I put the pan in the refrigerator to cool and harden further as it seemed a little too brittle not to do this.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 553Total Fat: 30gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 252mgSodium: 348mgCarbohydrates: 62gFiber: 1gSugar: 47gProtein: 11g

Did you make your cheesecake bars from scratch, or did you use store-bought curd?

cheesecake cheesecake bars digestive biscuits graham crackers juice key lime lime marbled recipe swirl

Posted by Lisa | Sweet 2 Eat Baking on September 7, 2012

38 Comments // Leave Some Love

38 Comments on “Key Lime Cheesecake Bars”

Hayley @ The Domestic Rebel — September 7, 2012 @4:23 pm Reply

Lisa, these bars are seriously gorgeous. And while I disagree with you (I LOVE winter and hate summer!) I think we can both agree these bars are totally perfect.
1. Lisa {Sweet 2 Eat Baking} — September 7, 2012 @6:55 pm Reply
  
  Don't you live in Cali, Hayley? I've not visited Cali (or the US.. yet) but I'm sure that Cali has seriously hawt unbearable summers ad mild winters? If I were a Cali resident, I'd probably be the same too.
Jessica@AKitchenAddiction — September 7, 2012 @5:06 pm Reply

These bars look fantastic!
1. Lisa {Sweet 2 Eat Baking} — September 7, 2012 @6:53 pm Reply
  
  Thanks Jessica.
Ala — September 7, 2012 @6:22 pm Reply

I'm totally the same way--pop me into a climate where the average temp is less than 80 degrees F and I will bust out the gloves and thermal socks. I love your defiance of autumn's arrival, although I am a bit wary about bringing green dessert to my circle of friends! The last time I did that, my they asked me if I was trying to feed them moldy dessert. Um. No. And these look gorgeous imo (so if they don't want to eat them, I sure will).
1. Lisa {Sweet 2 Eat Baking} — September 7, 2012 @6:52 pm Reply
  
  Haha below 80℉? That's 26℃ here and anything above 18℃/64℉ the weirdos in this country bust out the strappy tank tops and shorts, but not me! I'm so with you on that. You ought to have seen me 2 yrs back when I came back from 35℃/95℉ weather in Greece back to our 'English' summer weather, I had the heating on almost full blast with sweatshirts on!! The green colour is from the food colouring. I used gel as I didn't want to water down the curd with liquid food colouring (even if it is a few drops). I only put 1 drop in but as we know, gel is uber concentrated. Perhaps leave out the food colouring and/or mix the lime curd into the batter so it won't be green but still has the same taste? That would work and no 'mouldy' desserts (the cheek!) If anyone such a comment to me, I'd be like 'ah well more for me then!' :)
Choc Chip Uru — September 7, 2012 @9:16 pm Reply

Yay finally some key lime bars which are actually green :D They look scrumptious! And spring is well on its way here so I cannot say much :) Cheers Choc Chip Uru
1. Lisa {Sweet 2 Eat Baking} — September 7, 2012 @10:09 pm Reply
  
  They're perfect for the southern hemisphere then. Thanks Uru.
The Partiologist — September 7, 2012 @9:44 pm Reply

Oh do these ever look yummy - I'm key lime green with envy that they are not on my counter! :)
1. Lisa {Sweet 2 Eat Baking} — September 7, 2012 @10:11 pm Reply
  
  Aww, I would have sent you some if only they'd make it there and not be green with actual mould LOL! Oh and the fact they've already been devoured.
Torie Jayne — September 8, 2012 @3:26 am Reply

They look so wonderful and yummy! I found the spring loaded bunny cutter I used for my fondant bunnies you wanted, sold here: http://www.thecakedecoratingcompany.co.uk/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=5248
1. Lisa {Sweet 2 Eat Baking} — September 10, 2012 @11:40 pm Reply
  
  Thanks so much Torie. Hope you got my email reply?
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust — September 8, 2012 @3:38 am Reply

Oh gosh Lisa, I love these. Now summer? I'm done. However, if I lived where you did I'd stomp my feet too. (And I've been known to wear gloves when it's 77F.)
1. Lisa {Sweet 2 Eat Baking} — September 10, 2012 @11:41 pm Reply
  
  We haven't seen much of a summer this year so I'm so not ready for it to be over yet. We're having a bit of a heatwave at the moment. Heatwave being 25C, which is glove weather to you. haha.
Anna @ Crunchy Creamy Sweet — September 9, 2012 @12:31 am Reply

Oh my! The color is mesmerizing, Lisa! I need to make these, ASAP!!
1. Lisa {Sweet 2 Eat Baking} — September 10, 2012 @11:43 pm Reply
  
  Glad you like them Anna. If you make them, let me know how much you love them. They only lasted about half a day in our household!!
Crystal {@phatbakes} — September 10, 2012 @12:00 am Reply

These look delicious!! I seriously want to try one, making me salivate.
1. Lisa {Sweet 2 Eat Baking} — September 10, 2012 @11:44 pm Reply
  
  They seriously are delicious. Duuude, you so have to try them. You'll salivate even more when you take a bite and can't stop eating them.
Stephanie @ Eat. Drink. Love. — September 10, 2012 @6:01 am Reply

I love these bars, Lisa! The color is so fantastic!
1. Lisa {Sweet 2 Eat Baking} — September 10, 2012 @11:44 pm Reply
  
  Thanks Stephanie.
Winnie — September 10, 2012 @3:35 pm Reply

I'm actually a winter-girl, but looking at these gorgeous bars I'm willing to change it..... :) It's quite difficult to get lime here and I'm sure gonna try!:)
1. Lisa {Sweet 2 Eat Baking} — September 10, 2012 @11:48 pm Reply
  
  Each to their own lol. There are a few things I like about winter, when it's below freezing and walking the kids to school in the snow definitely wakes me up. But then again, I'm not that fond of the cold. English summers tend to be mild (understatement of the century!) so quite comfortable. I just hate all that rain inbetween.
sally @ sallys baking addiction — September 10, 2012 @6:49 pm Reply

Key lime bars... a perfect way to hold on tight to summertime! And they are so gorgeous too!
1. Lisa {Sweet 2 Eat Baking} — September 10, 2012 @11:49 pm Reply
  
  Absolu-freaking-lutely, I clinging to summer and won't let go. That is until the leaves start changing then I might change my mind. Glad you like the key lime cheesecake bars. :)
Karen @ BakingInATornado — September 11, 2012 @1:33 am Reply

Saw this pic on Marvelous Monday and HAD to click on it. I LOVE key lime and I LOVE cheesecake. Can't wait to try this recipe, thanks for sharing.
Emily — September 11, 2012 @1:43 am Reply

Your photos are so beautiful! Thanks for stopping by and following along at It Bakes Me Happy :)
Julie — September 11, 2012 @2:50 am Reply

These look fabulous, Lisa. I LOVE key lime pie. Yum. I've pinned this for future reference. Thanks so much for sharing on Marvelous Mondays! Julie
Joanna @ Chic & Gorgeous Treats — September 11, 2012 @10:32 am Reply

The description is enough to make me want a slice! And I know that no one can resists this goodness!! They look fluffy and tangy. Just the way I like it. Cheerios~
Pamela @ Brooklyn Farm Girl — July 24, 2013 @2:00 pm Reply

These bars look AMAZING! And the color, they are absolutely beautiful!
Donna — May 18, 2020 @5:44 pm Reply

Been looking for a cheesecake recipe for my birthday on the 27th of this month. I always make a cheesecake for my birthday. I love anything lime, lemon or both. This would be REALLY good with a shortbread crust. I saved it to my home screen and I will let you know how it goes when I make it. I signed up for recipes and notifications. Thanks for the recipe Lisa!
Susan — October 10, 2020 @4:18 am Reply

Hi! These look amazing. Do you use salted or unsalted butter?
1. Lisa | Sweet 2 Eat Baking — October 10, 2020 @2:46 pm Reply
  
  Hi Susan! I always use unsalted butter for desserts. Sorry this wasn’t specified in the recipe - I’ll update the recipe. Use can use salted butter for any recipe that doesn’t have salt added as a separate ingredient, but the added salt cuts down on the overall sweetness. So, if you have a sweet tooth as I do, use unsalted, or salted if you prefer desserts to be less sweet. Hope that helps? Have a wonderful weekend.
Yolaine — March 27, 2022 @12:14 am Reply

Today, thought of baking this recipe of lime cheesecake so I challenged it. First, I made the curd and followed recipe. Except I should’ve left it longer in refrigerator, I did everything! However, I am still pleased and happy for my first time doing a key-lime cheesecake. I got pictures of my baking, looks ok and tasty too me! Maybe next time, I leave the curd in longer into refrigerator! So yummy! Thanks for your recipe, love it...

Key Lime Cheesecake Bars

Key Lime Cheesecake Bars Recipe