Coconut Key Lime Bars

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4.75 from 4 votes

Tangy, tart, creamy and luscious!

Prep Time30

Cook Time1

Total Time1 30

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: bars, coconut, key lime

Servings:

Calories: 318kcal

Author: Tricia

Ingredients

For the crust:

½ cup sweetened shredded coconut, lightly toasted
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup powdered sugar, plus extra for dusting
⅛ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

For the filling:

4 large eggs
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cornstarch
½ cup fresh key lime juice (about 12-14 key limes)

For garnish (optional):

lightly sweetened whipped cream
toasted coconut
key lime wedges
lime zest
powdered sugar

Instructions

To prepare the crust:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray an 8x8-inch baking pan with vegetable cooking spray. Line the pan with parchment paper long enough to create a sling, coming up and over the sides of the pan.
Place the coconut in a small nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Toast the coconut, stirring frequently, until light golden brown. Remove the coconut from the skillet to a medium mixing bowl and set aside.
Add the flour, sugar, salt and butter to the bowl of a food processor. Process just until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Do not over-mix or allow the mixture to come together like dough. Pour the crust mixture into the bowl with the toasted coconut and mix to blend. The mixture will be dry.
Pour the crust mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Press the mixture firmly compressing the crust. Place the unbaked crust in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Remove the crust from the freezer and bake until light golden brown, about 20 - 25 minutes. Set aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F.

To prepare the filling:

While the crust is baking, prepare the filling. In a medium mixing bowl whisk the eggs until blended. Add the sugar, flour and cornstarch and whisk until combined. Add the key lime juice and whisk again until smooth. Pour the filling over the warm baked crust and immediately place in the 300°F oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the center does not jiggle when tapped. Cool completely on a wire rack then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before cutting.
Remove the coconut key lime bars from the pan using the parchment to lift onto a cutting board. Run a very sharp, thin knife under hot running water then carefully dry the blade. This will give you razor sharp cuts for a beautiful presentation. Repeat until the bars are cut.
Garnish with a dusting of powdered sugar and/or a dollop of lightly sweetened cream, toasted coconut and key lime wedges and serve.

Notes

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container.
Makes 9, 12 or 16 bars, depending on how you cut them.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Nutrition