Margarita Bars Recipe

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A “margarita” in dessert form! This margarita bars recipe is creamy, tart and boozy with a gingersnap crust. Reminiscent of key lime pie, this margarita bar recipe will surely be added to your summer dessert rotation.

Margarita bars with powdered sugar on top and sliced limes.

It’s May, so that means cinco de mayo and warmer weather is here! I’m not that big of a drinker so these margarita bars are perfect to indulge without getting tipsy.

If you like this recipe, check out my Lemon Fruit Dip.

Ingredients for this recipe

  • Gingersnap cookies
  • Brown sugar
  • Butter
  • Flour
  • Egg yolks
  • Sweetened condensed milk
  • cream cheese
  • Lime juice
  • Lime zest
  • Tequila

How to make margarita bars?

First you must make the delicious gingersnap crust. The crust compliments the tangy lime bars with the sweetness and spices from the cookies.

To make the gingersnap crust you must first crumble the gingersnap cookies. I like to do this in a food processor for ease. However, if you don’t have a food processor, no problem! Just take the cookies, put them in a ziplock and crush them with a meat tenderizer or rolling pin.

In a bowl you’ll want to mix the cookie crumbles with flour, butter and brown sugar to make the perfect crust. Add to a baking dish, making sure to pack it in tight and evenly. Then bake.

For the filling just mix together the cream cheese, egg yolks, condensed milk, lime juice and tequila until nice and smooth (a little lumps are ok!). Pour this over the crust and bake for a bit then refrigerate until set.

Once set, cut into squares and dust with powdered sugar. Eat and enjoy!

The full recipe with measurements is below on the recipe card.

How long are margarita bars good for?

The bars should last for 3-5 days in the refrigerator. Store in an air tight container. You can also freeze the bars and they will last up to 3 months. The amount of alcohol is very minimal so it will freeze.

Can I leave out the tequila in this recipe?

Absolutely you can leave out the tequila for the margarita bars. They will just be key lime pie bars.

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Margarita bars with powdered sugar and limes on top.

Margarita Bars Recipe

By August DeWindt
A margarita in dessert form! These margarita bars are creamy, tart and boozy with a gingersnap crust.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
cooling time: 2 hours
Servings: 12 bars

Ingredients 

Gingersnap crust:

  • 2 cups gingersnap cookies, finely crushed
  • ½ c butter , melted
  • ¼ c brown sugar
  • 6 tbsp flour

Filling:

  • 4 egg yolks, large
  • 14 oz sweetened condensed milk, can
  • 4 oz cream cheese
  • ½ c lime juice, use key limes if you can
  • 2 tsp lime zest
  • 1/4 cup tequila

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Line a 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper, some hanging off the sides.
  • Start making the crust. I like to either place the cookies in a ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin or meat mallet, or place them in a food processor to finely grind them. In a bowl add the crushed cookies, sugar and flour. Mix together and gradually add in the melted butter. Break up any large chunks and place into the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Press down firmly into an even layer with the back of a spatula.
  • Bake the crust for 10 minutes in the preheated oven.
  • In a mixing bowl beat the cream cheese until smooth then beat in the egg yolks. Then add in the condensed milk, lime juice, zest and tequila. Mix until smooth.
  • Pour the filling onto the crust and bake for 15 minutes in the oven. Let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes then refrigerate for at least 2 hours so it can set.
  • Once ready to serve, lift from the pan using the parchment paper. Cut into even squares and serve as is or with powdered sugar sprinkled on top.

Video

Notes

Leave out the tequila for simply key lime pie bars. 
Bump up the tequila to 1/2 cup if you really want to taste it. 
For the gingersnaps, I used a 10oz box of cookies and that was enough. 

Nutrition

Calories: 348kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 106mg | Sodium: 242mg | Potassium: 228mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 544IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 139mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Author: August DeWindt
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
cooling time: 2 hours
Course: Desserts
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 12 bars
Calories: 348
Keyword: cinco de mayo, holiday, summertime
Like this recipe? Leave a comment below!

About August DeWindt

Welcome to There’s Food at Home! I’m so glad you are here on my little corner of the internet. Here you will find easy to follow, mainly small batch recipes with accessible ingredients.


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