Key Lime Cheesecake Bars
Deliciously awesome Key Lime Cheesecake Bars recipe using fresh homemade lime curd or store bought lime curd. A rich and indulgent cheesecake center with a tart key lime topping, and a crunchy cracker crust.Recipe Courtesy of Susan Aten https://www.sweet2eatbaking.com/key-lime-cheesecake-bars/
Servings 1 10-inch cheesecake
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 8 oz 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 coloring liquid or gel
Instructions
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. (Or make it easy and purchase Lime Curd in your local grocery store.)
- 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.
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.
Filling
- Tint ¾ of a cup of the premade lime curd with the green and yellow food coloring 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 spoonful’s 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.
- 1Bake 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 into bars before serving.
Notes
1. 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.
2. After I pressed the graham crackers/digestive biscuits into the bottom of the pan and allowed 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.
2. After I pressed the graham crackers/digestive biscuits into the bottom of the pan and allowed 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.