Is there anything that says spring or summer more than the combination of coconut and lime? These Coconut Key Lime Bars are the perfect low carb, keto friendly warm weather treat! Buttery almond and coconut shortbread crust topped with a tart, sweet and bright key lime curd, these key lime bars easy and quick to make and so good even the carb eaters will love them!
This gorgeous weather we’re having is changing my mood about food. You know what I mean….cold weather, in my mind, means warm comfort food and when the weather warms up, I’m all about lighter, cooler dishes and of course, outdoor cooking!
I’m wanting cool smoothies, quick dinners, cool salads and veggies and light and refreshing desserts! Maddie is feeling the warm weather too and the other day came to me wanting something sweet but not chocolaty or berry-ish so my mind I went straight for citrus! Key Lime Bars? Yes, please!
One of my favorite treats growing up were lemon bars with that buttery, shortbread crust and tart lemon filling…you know the ones I’m talking about…topped with powdered sugar?? Well, these days I’m more of a lime fan so while Maddie ran to town with the Cowboy, got to work on a key lime bar that she would love…and I have to say…they were a home run!
In my mind coconut and lime is a match made in heaven and a flavor combination that is perfect through the spring right into the summer! I added unsweetened shredded coconut to the crust of these keto key lime bars for some added texture and a hint of coconut flavor.
The lime curd for these keto key lime bars is made on the stove in just a few minutes and comes together beautifully! Cook the curd over medium-low heat just until it thickens up but do not boil it or it’ll break and you’ll have a scrambled key lime mess.
You can find fresh key limes in most grocery stores in the produce section by the citrus and they are typically packaged in bags. If you don’t want to mess with squeezing all those limes for these bars, you can buy key lime juice, typically found in the fruit juice isle. Key lime juice or key limes are great to have around. We add the juice or limes to water and even make a limeade version of “ketorade” to get our electrolytes!
These key lime bars are quick and easy to make and bake for just a few minutes in the oven the set the filling. They’re perfect poolside keto treat and ideal for any cookout, BBQ, or summer holiday. This is one of those sweet treats that even the carb lovers will enjoy….and not even know they’re low carb or keto!
Looking for other warm weather treats, check these out!
- Low Carb/ Keto Muddy Buddies
- Triple Berry Cheesecake Smoothie
- Sour Cream Chocolate Cake
- Chocolate Pecan Keto Shake
Coconut Key Lime Bars
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 2 cups almond flour
- ½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 1/3 cup Lakanto Golden Monkfruit Sweetener or your 1:1 Sweetener of Choice
- 2 tsp. lime zest
- 7 Tbsp. salted butter melted
For the filling:
- ¼ cup key lime juice
- 1/3 cup + 2Tbsp. Lakanto Golden Monkfruit Sweetener or your 1:1 Sweetener of Choice
- 2 whole eggs
- 5 egg yolks
- 5 Tbsp. butter cut into small pieces
- 1 Tbsp. coconut oil
- 1 Tbsp. powdered gelatin
- ½ tsp. vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp. coconut extract optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray and line a 9×9 square pan with parchment. If you make the strip of parchment 9 inches wide long enough to go up two of the side you will be able to lift the bars out of the pan to cut them.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients for the crust and mix well to combine. Add the melted butter and mix to create a crumbly texture. Press this mixture evenly into the bottom of the lined pan. Make sure to get the corners and edges well. Bake the crust at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until it starts to turn light golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside.
- In a sauce pan combine, the key lime juice, sweetener, eggs and yolks and whisk well to combine. Add the butter and the coconut oil to the pan. Turn the heat on low-medium (a setting of 3-4) and begin to heat the mixture, stirring constantly. As the mixture heats, the butter will begin to melt, keep stirring. After about 5 minutes all the butter will be melted and the filling will then begin to thicken….keep stirring but do not boil. Once the filling has thickened to the consistently of a loose pudding, remove from the heat. Immediate, sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the top of the filling and whisk to combine. Stir in the extracts.
- Pour the lime filling evenly over the top of the crust and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until set. Cool completely before cutting. Once cool, use the overhanging parchment to lift the bars from the pan. Make 4 even cuts vertically and horizontally to end up with 16 bars.
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are approximate and will vary depending on the ingredients used. Carbs from sugar alcohols have been excluded since they have shown to have no impact on blood sugar.
Very easy, much easier than anticipated. I may not have baked the crust long enough the first bake. The curd was easy and amazing. My first curd it started to break but I salvage it in time. Used fresh key lines from a tree. Any tips for the crust? I did not want to overbake it the first time
So glad to hear you enjoyed them and they were easy! The crust should be golden around the edges and starting to slightly brown in the center. Good luck!