Atlantic beach pie bars are the perfect summer treat! A salty cracker crust is topped with fresh citrus curd, fresh whipped cream and a sprinkle of sea salt. Tangy, light, refreshing and delicious.
I’ve found our 2024 summer dessert!!
These atlantic beach pie bars are my new favorite treat. A salty sweet crust made of saltine crackers, topped with a baked citrus curd and piled high with fresh whipped cream and flaked sea salt.
Oh my gosh.
Give me more!
Lacy has been telling me that I need to make atlantic beach pie for YEARS. It always sounded delicious, but I have to be over-the-top crazy about something to make it and that was how I suddenly became over this pie.
CRAZY. Like I needed to make it and serve it and eat it.
I couldn’t stop thinking about it!
This pie was created by Bill Smith, a chef in North Carolina who was inspired by the lemon desserts he’d eat at Atlantic Beach. The best way I can describe it is marriage between key lime pie and lemon bars, with a crunchy, saltier crust.
It is my new hyperfixation and I need you to try it so it can be yours too!
Pie still isn’t my BFF, so I knew I wanted to adapt this recipe into bar form. I wanted to be able to make a big pan of pie bars that I could take to summer gatherings and wow, this is the ticket. It’s the ideal dessert for summer: tangy, light but rich at the same time, sweet and salty and filled with citrus.
The best part is that the filling is a mix of lemon and lime juice. It can be a 50/50 mix or a different ratio depending on what you have. Because of that, the filling might taste slightly different based on who is making it. I prefer to use the 50/50 mix of lemon and lime juice and I love it that way.
To make the saltine crust, you just crush them! They don’t need to be put in a food processor. You don’t want them to turn into dust – the more texture the better. Then, they get mixed with some butter and sugar to create the ideal crust.
The filling is embarrassingly easy. Sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks and the aforementioned citrus juice. Pour it over the crust and bake for a few minutes.
It’s important to fully chill the bars before slicing. They taste amazing cold!
While the bars chill, I make some whipped cream. I like to keep this unsweetened so it cuts the tangy sweetness of the bars.
When it’s time to serve, slice the bars. The crust will be very crumbly, and that’s okay! If there are lots of crumbles, you can even sprinkle them on top.
Add a dollop of whipped cream to the bar. Top with lime zest.
And my favorite part: flaky sea salt!
Serve these and your summer is MADE.
Atlantic Beach Pie Bars
Atlantic Beach Pie Bars
Atlantic beach pie bars are the perfect summer treat! A salty cracker crust is topped with fresh citrus curd, fresh whipped cream and a sprinkle of sea salt. Tangy, light, refreshing and delicious.
- 2 sleeves saltine crackers
- 12 tablespoons salted butter
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 8 egg yolks
- 2 14 ounce cans sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon and lime juice, a mix of it
- fresh whipped cream, for topping
- lime zest, for topping
- flaked sea salt, for topping
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Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
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Crush the saltines until crumbs remain. In a large bowl, combine the crushed saltines with the softened butter and sugar. Mix until combined – almost until a dough forms. You can use your hands to bring it together.
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Press the mixture into the baking dish. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
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After chilling, bake the crust for 18 to 20 minutes. Remove and let cool slightly.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk and egg yolks. Make sure they are fully combined. Slowly whisk in the citrus juice, stirring the entire time.
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Pour the mixture over the crust. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until it’s completely set.
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Let the bars cool completely, then chill in the fridge for 2 hours or even overnight. They have to be cold to be sliced!
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Slice the bars into squares. Top each with fresh whipped cream (I prefer unsweetened), a sprinkle of flakey salt and fresh lime zest.
Perfect bite!
