There’s no oven required for these easy, creamy and zesty no-bake lime cheesecake bars with graham cracker crust!

a slice of lime cheesecake bars on a plate with a fork

Every now and then a new recipe comes out of my kitchen and completely rocks my world. Like these lime cheesecake bars! They instantly jumped right into my top 10, where I’m sure they will remain forever and ever.

If you love cheesecake and if you love key lime pie, then this recipe is just for you! It combines the best of both, with a graham cracker crust and light-as-air, citrusy filling. Plus, it’s all no-bake so these bars are as easy-peasy as homemade gets.

Table of Contents

Ingredients you’ll need

  • Graham cracker crumbs
  • Light or dark brown sugar
  • Butter
  • Salt
  • Full-fat cream cheese
  • Heavy whipping cream
  • Sweetened condensed milk
  • Fresh lime juice and zest

Key limes vs. regular limes

The regular limes you find at the grocery store are actually “Persian limes” and they are larger, juicier and more tart than key limes. Both will work in this recipe, and honestly the flavor will be very similar. However, since you need the zest as well as the juice, it’s best to use fresh limes instead of store-bought key lime or regular lime juice.

How to make no-bake lime cheesecake bars

There’s just 3 steps!

  1. Prepare crust. Combine graham cracker crumbs with brown sugar, salt, and melted butter. Press evenly into the bottom of a 9×13-inch pan and chill while you make the filling.graham cracker crust and fluffy cheesecake filling
  2. Prepare filling. Beat the cream cheese until smooth, then add sweetened condensed milk, lime juice, and lime zest. Beat heavy whipping cream till fluffy, then fold into the cream cheese mixture.spreading filling over graham cracker crust
  3. Chill. Spread the cheesecake filling over the crust and chill for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight.
  4. Slice & Enjoy! Use the parchment paper to lift the bars out of the pan, then use a sharp knife to slice into bars. Wipe the knife clean in between cuts for the cleanest slices. Top with additional whipped cream and lime wedges, if you want.
sliced lime cheesecake bars

Tips for this recipe

  • Use parchment paper! Line the pan with parchment paper so you can lift the bars and transfer to a cutting board for easy slicing. Aluminum foil will work too. (Though note that the bars aren’t extremely firm and I borrowed an extra set of hands to lift them out of the pan.)
  • How to make graham cracker crumbs: You can use store-bought graham cracker crumbs, or use a food processor to pulverize. A ziplock bag and a rolling pin will do the job too.
  • Start with room temperature cream cheese. For the smoothest filling (no lumps), let the cream cheese come to room temperature for 60-90 minutes before mixing.
  • Add green food coloring, if you want. I like the natural color of the filling, but you can tint it with 1/4-1/2 tsp. of green food coloring for more color.
  • How to add a nice garnish on top of the bars. These bars don’t need anything extra, but a simple dollop of whipped cream and lime slices make them look fancy.
  • How far ahead should you make these bars? To make sure these cheesecake bars have enough time to set up for clean slices, I typically make these the day before I plan to serve them. I recommend a minimum 4-6 hours chill time. I don’t recommend using the freezer to set these bars more quickly, the fridge is best.
  • How long do they keep? The bars will keep for several days in the fridge right in the pan, and up to a week inside of an airtight container.
lime cheesecake bar with a bite taken out of it

More cheesecake treats to love

Get the recipe

a slice of lime cheesecake bars on a plate with a fork
4.80 from 5 reviews

No-Bake Lime Cheesecake Bars

Servings: 12 bars
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Chill Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 20 minutes
These easy and delicious lime cheesecake bars don’t require an oven!

Ingredients
 

For the crust:

  • 2 cups (285 grams) graham cracker crumbs
  • Pinch of salt
  • ¼ cup (50 grams) packed light or dark brown sugar
  • 6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter , melted

For the filling:

  • 8 ounces (225 grams) cream cheese , at room temperature
  • 14 oz can (400 grams) sweetened condensed milk
  • ½ cup (125 ml) freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon lime zest
  • 1 cup (250 ml) heavy whipping cream
  • Sweetened whipped cream , for topping
  • Lime slices , for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Combine the graham cracker crumbs, salt, brown sugar and melted butter.
  • Press into a 9×13-inch baking dish. Chill in the fridge while you prepare the filling.
  • In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth with a hand-held mixer (you can also use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment). Add the sweetened condensed milk, lime juice, and lime zest and mix until smooth.
  • In a separate bowl, beat the heavy whipping cream to stiff peaks. Gently fold into the cream cheese mixture in 2 additions, mixing until just combined. Spread evenly on top of the graham cracker crust.
  • Chill in the fridge for 4 hours, or you can make it ahead and chill overnight.
  • Top with sweetened whipped cream and lime slices. Slice and serve.

Video

Notes

NOTES

  • To make graham cracker crumbs, crush graham crackers in a large ziplock bag with a rolling pin, or pulse in a food processor.
  • For clean slices, run a sharp knife under hot water and dry between each slice.
Calories: 369kcal, Carbohydrates: 35g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 74mg, Sodium: 205mg, Potassium: 208mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 26g, Vitamin A: 814IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 143mg, Iron: 1mg
Cuisine: American
Course: Dessert
Author: Annalise
Have you tried this recipe?I’d love to hear about it! Leave a rating and review below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram @completelydelicious with #completelydelicious.

This recipe was originally published April 2016.