Our Family’s Favorite Lime Shortbread Bars Recipe

Stop what you’re doing! These are glorious lime shortbread bars, made with fresh-squeezed lime juice and a buttery shortbread crust. The filling is tangy and vibrant and the crust is sweet and crumbly. You must try them immediately—they will be your family’s favorite too.

I originally published this recipe in 2011 and have since added new photos, a video tutorial, and additional success tips.

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My favorite cocktail? The margarita. Favorite cookie? Coconut Lime.

What do all these things say about me? I am a sucker for the sour splendor of citrus and especially citrus desserts.

I appreciate a lemon bar as much as the next person, but the simultaneously brisk and floral flavor of limes makes for a stupendous creamy confection. These bold bars are so sour, you might break a small sweat if you eat more than one at a time, but the buttery shortbread base and powdered sugar topping balances the lime’s pungency so the pucker factor is in perfect balance.

I also love the simplicity of these bars. Just press the dough in the pan. Bake. Whisk the filling ingredients together. Bake. And your done. That’s it. Not as simple as boiling water, but not far off.

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These Lime Shortbread Bars Are:

• Beautiful grassy green color (you can add green food coloring if you want it even brighter.)
• Wobbly, soft filling
• Rich, decadent shortbread crust
• Packed with bright lime flavor
• Easy to make, even easier to eat
• A gorgeous treat to add to a holiday cookie platter or dessert buffet
• Only 10 simple ingredients
• Just like my mango-lime agua fresca, it’s made with fresh lime zest and fresh-squeezed lime juice from fresh limes

3 Parts to Lime Shortbread Bars

There are 3 parts to today’s lime bar recipe:

1. Soft, rich shortbread crust
2. Jammy lime layer with tons of tart flavor
3. Powdered sugar topping

Let’s quickly walk through each.

Crust: This is the same trusty crust I’ve used for any and all cookie bars, which means 3 things. (1) It’s dependable—I first published this recipe over 13 years ago and it has lasted the test of time (2) It’s a make-ahead recipe, but doesn’t necessarily have to be. You can make these bars up to 5 days in advance and store them in the fridge OR you can completely prepare them that day. Choose which is best for your schedule. And (3) it’s loved. There’s a reason I turn to this crust recipe time and time again. The dough is buttery and soft—it’s by far my family’s favorite.

Here are all of the ingredients you need, including for the lime filling:

Filling: Just like we do for our chili-lime chicken tacos and skinny cherry and lime leaf margaritas we use fresh-squeezed lime juice in the filling instead of bottled. Why? It has more flavor. If you have fresh Mexican key limes to make key lime bars, go ahead and use them. If not, regular limes work wonderfully. You’ll combine the lime juice and fresh lime zest with eggs, sugar, and a little bit of flour and pour it over the partially baked crust.

Topping: We’re going to give the bars a thorough dusting of powdered sugar for the final finish but make sure the bars are completely cool otherwise the sugar will just melt into the bars.

✨Add these Lime Shortbread Bars to your holiday spread along with these 21 other Mexican dessert recipes. ✨

How To Make Lime Shortbread Bars

See recipe card for exact amounts and instructions.

I have a lot of step photos to walk you through the process, as well as a video tutorial included in the recipe below. These bars are very easy to make but I’ve included some tips to ensure success.

Prepare the pan: Line the bottom and sides of a glass baking dish (do not use metal) with parchment paper. We do this when we make our coconut rum raisin Rice Krispie treats as well, leaving an overhang on the sides helps to lift the finished bars out (makes cutting easier too!).

Make the crust: Mix the melted butter with the remaining crust ingredients in a medium bowl then press dough into the baking pan. So easy—you don’t even need an electric mixer!

Par-Bake: Bake the crust in the oven just long enough that the filling is guaranteed to sit on top and create a separate layer. The crust should be lightly golden brown.

Make the filling mixture: Sift the flour and 3/4 cup sugar into a large bowl. Whisk together the fresh lime juice and remaining filling ingredients until smooth. Use room temperature eggs for the best results.

Bake: Let the crust cool 10 minutes or so then pour lime mixture over warm crust and bake until the lime curd is still a bit wobbly in the middle.

Cool: Let the bars cool for an hour then chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour more before topping with powdered sugar.

Serve: Dust with powdered sugar and cut into squares with a sharp knife before serving. For neat squares, wipe the knife clean between each cut.

Store: Cover with plastic wrap or transfer to an airtight container and store the delicious bars in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Success Tips

1. Sifting: More often than not, the all purpose flour doesn’t fully incorporate into the filling unless it’s sifted with the sugar. As directed in the recipe, sift the two together before adding the eggs and lime juice. You don’t need an actual sifter. I use my fine mesh sieve to shake it into the bowl.
2. Air bubbles: The air from the eggs rise to the top while the lime bars bake and this is completely normal. If this happens to your bars, don’t worry, the powdered sugar topping will cover it up.
3. Don’t overbake: Bake the bars at 325°F for 20-25 minutes or until the center is relatively set and no longer jiggles. They will firm up as they cool.
4. Extra color: I like the more natural pale green color the fresh lime zest and juice gives the bars. If you’d like a more vibrant green, add a drop of green food coloring.

These bars are the first to disappear at any holiday or family gathering and are the ultimate treat for citrus lovers like me. Add to your holiday cookie plate this year along with some of our other favorite family cookies like, cocadas, almond polvorosas, and fudgy Kahlúa brownies.