Did you guys see the elote pizza I made earlier this week for Cinco de Mayo? These lime margarita bars are the perfect dessert for any Cinco de Mayo celebrations you may be having. Plus, who doesn’t love an (optional) booze-y dessert? Serve it up with actual margaritas for a double dose of lime flavor.
I love me some lime flavor, even more than lemon, which is saying something. These lime margarita bars are super easy to make and full of lime juice and zest for a real lime kick in the pants.
The lime margarita layer sits on a nice, thick bed of graham cracker crust. Feel free to sub in whatever kind of crust you prefer: maybe ginger snap or even a cereal crust!
Anything you can crush, you can turn into a crust. Cookies, crackers, pretzels, cereal, whateva. Let your imagination go wild, or stick with the tried-and-true graham cracker crust like I did.
If you’re not down with the tequila in these bad boys, that’s totally cool. Just omit it and replace with another tablespoon of orange or lime juice. It won’t be quite as margarita-like, but it’ll still totally match your Mexican food-themed feast that I totally know you’re planning. 😉
Need more dessert ideas? I’ve got more bars, cookies, pies, and cakes. I guess I like dessert!
Are you making anything Mexican food-themed this week?
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Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 7 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 2 1/4 cup granulated sugar or sugar substitute, divided
- 4 eggs
- 1/3 cup fresh lime juice (from about 5-7 limes)
- 1 tsp lime zest
- 1 Tbsp fresh orange juice
- 1 Tbsp tequila, optional (if you omit, us an extra tablespoon of orange juice instead)
- Powdered sugar or sugar substitute, for dusting (I used Swerve)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Line a 9x9 square pan with parchment and spray with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar, and melted butter with a fork. Press firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 12 minutes.
- While the crust is baking, prepare the filling in another bowl. Whisk the eggs with remaining 2 cups of sugar.
- Whisk in juices, zest, and tequila (or another tablespoon of juice instead), then whisk in flour until smooth.
- Pour mixture slowly and carefully over hot crust. Continue baking for about 23-25 minutes until the top starts to turn golden and is no longer translucent. Cool bars completely before cutting.
- Dust the top with powdered sugar and cut carefully into squares. Store in refrigerator for up to 3 days and enjoy!
If you make this recipe, share a photo and hashtag it #BIJOUXANDBITS. I’d love to see what you’re cooking!
Catherine Clark is a Chicago native sharing noteworthy things she sees and attempts to make in the world. She's a geek, cat lady, designer and editor by day, and noob chef by night.
Hot damn, looknig pretty useful buddy.
Could this be done in cupcake liners if the Graham cracker crust was pressed down firmly as directed?
Definitely. The crust is super flexible. Any shapes you like!
I’m doubling the recipe… Should I still take it out when the top starts to brown, or should I wait until it is completely solidified? Is a wobble okay? Will it solidify as it cools?
I was also wondering as my top is brown but very wobbly. Will see what it does when cooled
Would this do well if I made it the night before?
Yes! These keep well in the fridge.
Has anyone tried adding more than 1 tbsp tequila? If it boozy enough with 1? Also could you sprinkle coarse salt / sugar over them instead of powdered sugar?