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Pie de Limón Cookie Bars are based on my favorite Peruvian dessert, Pie de Limón! A thick cookie crust is topped with a tart and slightly sweet lemon and lime custard filling and a homemade meringue topping. They are quick and easy to make with 8 ingredients. I like to serve them with a hot cup of coffee or with Pollo a la Brasa for dessert!
I love desserts that can be make ahead, are easy to transport(for holidays and parties) and are stress-free to prepare! Everything from these Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Bars, Papaya Bars and this impressive Basque Cheesecake are all perfect for the holidays (or really any time of year!) when you are craving a sweet treat!
Ingredients You’ll Need for Pie de Limón Cookie Bars
- Eggs – Egg yolks are used to the make the limón custard filling and 1 of the whites are used for the meringue topping.
- Sweetened condensed milk – It’s basically sweetened milk, it’s thicker than regular milk and gives these cookie bars a sweet creaminess! Make sure it’s sweetened because we aren’t adding any additional sugar to the filling. Also don’t use evaporated milk because your bars won’t have the same consistency!
- Citrus juice – Lemon and lime juice gives a bright citrus flavor to these bars.
- Cookie crust – Made with softened butter, sugar, and all purpose flour. It’s super simple to make in a stand mixer in about 5 minutes.
For the rest of the ingredients, please refer to the recipe index card below!
How to Make Pie de Limón Cookie Bars
These Pie de Limón Cookie Bars are super easy to throw together.
- For the cookie crust: Line a square baking dish with parchment. Use a stand mixer or a hand mixer to combine butter and sugar until fluffy then add in the flour and salt. It will have a crumbly texture. Next press it into the bottom of the prepared baking dish then bake for 12 minutes.
- For the filling: In a stand mixer(or medium sized bowl with a hand mixer) combine egg yolks, flour, lemon and lime juice, sweetened condensed milk and salt until smooth.
- Bake: Pour the limón filling over the baked cookie crust and bake it for an additional 15 minutes. It will be a bit jiggly in the middle. Allow to cool then chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours then slice.
- Meringue topping(optional). Whisk your egg white until foamy and a stiff peak forms. Either pipe the meringue topping or just spoon it on top of your bars. Use a torch to brown the tops of the meringue.
Tips and Tricks
Use parchment. This pie is pretty sticky so it’s best to line your baking dish with parchment paper so that it’s easier to lift out of the pan and it makes for easy cleanup!
Limes. Use regular limes for this pie, not key limes. You really want that tart citrus flavor to come through in this dessert!
A mixer makes life easier. You can use either a stand mixer or a bowl with an electric hand mixer to make these bars. The mixer will make the prep work quicker and easier! You can make them by hand, but it’s best to use a mixer if you plan on making the meringue topping.
Recipe FAQs
Sweetened condensed milk is milk which has water removed and replaced with sugar. Basically it’s milk and sugar but it is thicker and very creamy!
Pie de Limón is a Peruvian dessert. It’s a tart lemon custard pie topped with meringue. For this recipe I turned it into cookie bars!
More Dessert Recipes
Desserts
Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Desserts
Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies
Desserts
Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Bars
Desserts
Corn Cake with Guava Frosting
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Pie de Limón Cookie Bars Recipe
Equipment
- 1 8-inch square baking dish
- Stand mixer fitted with paddle and whisk attachments or an electric hand mixer with 1 medium and 1 small bowl
- Frosting bag with star piping tip
Ingredients
Cookie Crust:Â
- 2/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperatureÂ
- 1/4 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- Pinch kosher salt
Limón Filling:Â
- 4 large eggs, separated (we’ll be using the egg yolks and egg whites so be sure to save them both)Â
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Juice from 2 lemons
- Juice from 1 lime, combination of citrus juice should equal 1/2 cupÂ
- 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Meringue Topping
- 1 large egg white
- 1/4 cup white granulated sugar
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
To make the cookie crust:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 8-inch square baking dish with parchment on both sides. This pie is kinda sticky so I really think parchment is the way to go.Â
- In the bowl of a stand-up mixer, with the paddle attachment (OR a medium bowl and an electric hand mixer), combine the butter and sugar. Beat until smooth and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the flour and and salt; mix until just combined. It will be crumbly.Â
- Transfer to the prepared baking dish and press into the bottom until it’s an even layer. Place the baking dish in the oven to bake for about 12 minutes.Â
To make the limón filling:
- In the bowl of a stand-up mixer, with the paddle attachment (OR in a clean medium bowl and an electric hand mixer), add the egg yolks, flour, lemon juice, lime juice, sweetened condensed milk and salt. Beat until smooth.Â
- Pour the limón filling into the baking dish on top of the par-baked crust. Transfer to the oven to bake for an additional 15 minutes, until the top is just a little bit jiggly. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 1 hour. Transfer to the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours before serving.Â
To make the meringue topping:Â
- To the bowl of a stand-up mixer, with the whisk attachment (OR in a clean small bowl and an electric hand mixer), add the egg white. Beat until foamy, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and salt; and beat until stiff peaks form, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a piping tip with the desired tip (I used a star tip).
- Right before serving, slice up the cookie bars. Feel free to cut them up however you like. I got about 8 out of mine, but definitely get more if you like.
- Pipe little stars/blobs of meringue onto top. If you like, you can use a torch to brown the meringue.Â
Notes
Tips and Tricks
- Use parchment. This pie is pretty sticky so it’s best to line your baking dish with parchment so that it’s easier to lift out of the pan and it makes for easy cleanup!
- Limes. Use regular limes for this pie, not key limes. You really want that tart citrus flavor to come through in this dessert!
- A mixer makes life easier. You can use either a stand mixer or a bowl with an electric hand mixer to make these bars. The mixer will make the prep work quicker and easier! You can make them by hand, but it’s best to use a mixer if you plan on making the meringue topping.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I am planning to make your lemon pie bars and I have a question. Your meringue looks far creamier and substantial than any meringue I have ever made. Have you considered a big spoon of marshmallow crème when the meringue holds its shape? I have not done so either but well, if the meringue doesn’t hold firm enough, then I plan to try the addition of marshmallow crème. I may cut up your lemon bars and add to my cookie tray. And the white on lemon looks so cool. Cranberry bars with your star meringue would be lovely also. Thanks for all the recipes.
These were so perfect! I’ve had issues with lemon bars in the past, but the top of these were creamy and so tart. Thanks!
Love this!
Do you not use the 4 egg whites from the limon filling? Or are those used in the meringue topping?
These look delicious – BUT I can’t find Eagle Brand for some reason. What is the can size/measurement for the condensed milk, so I can substitute another brand?
yes, you’ll need a 14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk! 🙂
This recipe is amazing. You are a goddess. Another website almost ruined it. It was called “max something”, but you saved us. Bless up.
I made this yesterday and it is SUPER DELICIOUS! I tweaked it a bit.
I used almond flour instead of all purpose flour
Used only limes since that’s what I had
Used Celtic sea salt
And I didn’t make the topping cz it tasted AAAMAZING by itself!!