These baked Key Lime Cheesecake Bars are for the person who loves key lime pie but wants something creamier and richer. This recipe skips the sweetened condensed milk and uses a cheesecake-style filling instead, which gives the bars a tangier flavor and a sturdier texture. They make a full 9x13 pan, with enough key lime juice and zest to keep the flavor bright.

A close-up of creamy, frosted key lime cheesecake bars, one topped with a lime wedge and zest.

A woman with medium-length dark brown hair and fair skin smiling with trees behind her.

Note from Erin

I recently brought these key lime pie bars to a get together because I needed something easy that served a lot of people. This has eight ingredients, no water bath, and it bakes while you do other things.

They ended up being exactly what I hoped for. People kept saying they tasted like actual key lime, tart without being sharp.

The cheesecake layer is rich and creamy, and the whipped cream on top keeps each bite from feeling too heavy. It gives you a little break from the sweet-tart filling, which is probably why everyone kept going back for another square.

Helpful Ingredient Tips

The recipe card at the bottom of this post includes the complete list of ingredients, measurements, and instructions.

Ingredients for key lime cheesecake: whipped cream, eggs, cream cheese, key limes, sugar, butter, sour cream, graham crackers.

Lime Zest - Don't skip the zest! Whether you are using fresh juice or bottled, you still want to zest some key limes (or Persian limes). They add a ton of flavor.
Cream Cheese: This recipe uses 3 full-fat bars of cream cheese (I recommend the Philadelphia brand), which is what makes the bars taste like cheesecake instead of condensed-milk key lime pie.
Sour Cream: The addition of sour cream loosens the batter so the filling bakes up silky and the slight tang it adds actually pushes the lime flavor forward. Greek yogurt works if that's what you have, but I like what the sour cream does here.
Whipped Cream - It's perfectly fine to use Cool Whip if you are looking for an easy shortcut. If you're like me and love the flavor of fresh whipped cream, you'll want to stabilize it with powdered sugar and cream of tartar like we do in my famous whipped cream recipe, otherwise it will separate over time.

Fresh vs. Bottled Key Lime Juice Test

I was really curious if using fresh key lime juice was worth the hassle of squeezing all those tiny little limes, so I tested this with fresh-squeezed key lime juice and with bottled, tasting them side by side first.

On their own, the difference was drastic! The fresh juice tasted floral and was more complex, and the bottled juice had a sharp acidity and the overall flavor was flat.

But I was surprised to discover that once the juice was mixed into the filling with the cream cheese and sugar, that gap narrows. A lot! The filling's richness softens the sharpness, and tangy key lime flavor was present in both versions.

So here's my take: if you're a purist and you want the absolute best, zest and juice fresh key limes. If you want something really good that's also easy, use bottled key lime juice (Nellie & Joe's brand) and add fresh lime zest.

Can I Use Regular Lime Juice?

I do not recommend using only regular Persian lime juice in this recipe. To me, once you take out the key lime flavor, it is not really a key lime dessert anymore.

If you cannot find key lime juice, use half lemon juice and half regular lime juice instead. That combination gets you closer to the bright, tart flavor of key lime than regular lime juice on its own, and it still works well with the creamy cheesecake filling.

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Tips to Make the Best Key Lime Pie Bars

Crushed graham crackers in a food processor and pressed into a baking pan on a marble surface.

A Crust that Doesn't Crumble

Press the graham cracker crust in firmly enough that it feels compact, not loose or sandy. A measuring cup works better than your hands because it creates even pressure across the whole pan.
For the full pressing-and-prebaking walkthrough, I have it in my 9x13 graham cracker crust guide.

Four mixing bowls showing stages of cheesecake batter: ingredients, mixing, adding egg, and smooth batter.

Smooth Cream Cheese Filling

Using room temperature ingredients is really important so everything blends smoothly, without lumps.
When you add the eggs, beat them on low speed just until they are combined. If you overmix you'll get air bubbles, which leads to cracks.

Side-by-side of cheesecake batter in a pan before baking (left) and after baking (right) on a light surface.

Baked to Perfection

When the cheesecake is done cooking the center should still wobble slightly, moving together, not a loose ripple.
Let it cool for an hour at room temperature before refrigerating. This helps reduce cracking and keeps condensation from forming on the surface.

Rectangular pan filled with creamy, white dessert topped with grated lime zest on a light surface.

Top with Whipped Cream

If you are using stabilized whipped cream or Cool Whip you can spread it on the cooled cheesecake before refrigerating and it will hold up. Pipe rosettes on each bar if you want to get fancy.
You can also cut the bars first and then spread the whipped cream over the top so it stays pretty while serving.

Two peach-colored sparkle shapes on a light gray background.

Top Tip!

The time in the refrigerator impacts the texture of the cheesecake bars. If you want them fully set and easy to serve, plan ahead and chill them for at least 6 hours.

A creamy, whipped-topped dessert bar being lifted from a pan, garnished with fresh lime zest.

Make Ahead ⏳

These bars are made for planning ahead, which is one of the reasons I love them for parties and holidays. You can bake them a day or two before you need them, cover the pan, and let them chill in the refrigerator until serving.

If you are taking these to an event, keep them in the pan during transport so the edges stay clean.

A final tip from one host to another: Zest your limes for the garnish just before serving. Those fragrant oils fade quickly, and you want them at their most aromatic when the bars reach the table.

Note from Erin

Helpful Ingredient Tips