5 Most Popular Key Lime Desserts to Try this Summer

What's better than having something refreshing and zesty during the summer months? Lime is bright and citrusy, an ingredient you might want to include in all your desserts this summer. 

If you're looking to give lime a try, whether it be a key lime cake, on a pie, or something that incorporates this vibrant zesty fruit, you've come to the right place. Here are the 5 most popular citrusy desserts this season.

Key Lime Pie

Key lime pie is a classic. Typically, it will be made of a graham cracker crust for the base. The other components might vary depending on the recipe used, but generally, it'll include egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk, lime juice, and lime zest.

When it just comes out of the fridge, nice and cold, it can be an incredibly refreshing dessert. The tartness with a hint of sweetness combined with a buttery crust is definitely a match-made in heaven.

Key Lime Blondie Bars

Pretty much everyone has heard of brownies at some point (and probably tried at least one) – but blondies are the cousin of the brownie, and just as tasty! Few people know the true depth of flavour that can be found in these little treats, though.

A lot of recipes will be quite similar to what we’re already familiar with, as you can see here: https://www.plainchicken.com/key-lime-brownies/. They include staples like graham cracker crumbs to mimic the crust, butter, brown sugar, lime zest, flour, cream cheese, and eggs.

They’re a fun spin on a dessert that most of us love, and plenty of bakeries offer them as well, so they’re a good option for anyone looking to mix things up a little.

Key Lime Cakes

Another classic that you can find in most bakeries! The idea is to balance out the sweetness of the frosting and the cake itself with the zest and sourness of the fruit.

Remember, too, that with cakes, they can come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Some prime examples include bundt cakes or sheet cakes. Each bakery tends to put its own unique spin on the key lime cake, so it can be fun to try a bunch of different ones!

What should we look for if we’re going to a bakery (or an online retailer) for a key lime cake, then? Well, one of the key things to watch for is the ingredients. Try to find bakers who use top-quality ingredients, down to the specific lime juice and the flour they use! Most of the time they’ll list this information on their website if they have one, so it might be helpful to do a little bit of research.

Key Lime Cheesecake

There are few things better on a hot summer day than a slice of cheesecake and a nice cocktail —and don’t worry, you can actually have a fun tropical spin on both of those things! Sites like this one can give you an idea of what to expect out of one, if you’re planning on baking it yourself.

Obviously, it should include the ingredients like cream cheese and a graham cracker crust. In fact, it’s the cream cheese that's what makes these distinct from a typical type of pie. Additional ingredients might include vanilla extract, key lime extract, lime zest, and brown sugar.

Key Lime Butter Cookies

Cookies are great snacks for the summer, particularly a popular choice among people who go on road trips and picnics. Butter cookies are delicious on their own. But have you try lemon butter cookies? The secret is in how much butter we use, and sometimes we can even elevate the dish by adding brown butter.

Of course, the key lime variant puts a spin on the classic. The ingredients will depend on the recipe, or on what bakery you’re visiting.

In general, no matter what bakery you’re visiting or buying from, or which dessert you’re going for, remember that you can find ingredient lists if you need them. For anyone with allergy concerns, most bakeries are more than happy to work with you on that as well.

All in all, key lime is a great way to cool things down no matter which option you go for, and you could even serve a cocktail with these desserts!