These Tequila Lime Squares are a tangy /sweet contrast. So simple to make they are a really satisfying finish to a casual meal.
You can make this year round because the ingredients are readily available but in the winter the limes we get in Canada are not as juicy as they are in the summer. To get the most juice out of your limes let them come to room temperature and then roll them around with a heavy hand on your counter. This will break them down inside a bit and give you more juice. In winter I used 6 good size limes when I made this and I still had to top the amount up with a bit of store bought lime juice. In the summer about 3-4 good size limes should do it. They are still delicious but the more fresh lime juice you can use the better.
I cut them into 1 ½ - 2 " squares and top each serving with a dollop of sour cream or whipped cream. The sour cream heightens the salty/sweet tanginess I find. Whipped cream makes them more traditionally sweet. It is so easy with that handy real cream that comes in a can with a nozzle to make cute little swirls!
These are a cinch to make. 3 ingredients for the Graham cracker crust get pressed into your baking pan. You can use a fork or get a handy dandy mini-roller like mine below. You don't even have to pre-bake the crust for this recipe making it even simpler!
Then you mix up your filling and pour it over the crust. Pop it in the oven for about 35- 40 minutes.
Let them cool for a few hours before cutting them. If you use whipping cream with cream of tartar you can spread or pipe the whipped cream in advance. If you are using sour cream or the real whipped cream from a can then I would top them just a few hours before serving.
I really like them with a final sprinkle of lime zest because it give just a tiny hit of tang. Optional - but hey- you just used all those limes for the juice so put the zest to work as well!
Storage
StorageYou can make these a couple of days ahead if you don't put the cream topping on. Whipped cream with cream of tartar you could do up to 24 hours in advance. And... they freeze well without the topping or with the whipped cream and cream of tartar. Bonus! Make ahead!
Related Recipe
Want an idea to use up the leftover egg whites (besides the obvious omelette..). You can make this Frozen Walnut Torte. It is a great summer time dessert and is meant to be frozen so you can make it now and serve it for your next gathering! It is absolutely delicious as is but if you want to summer-ize it replace the walnut topping with fresh seasonal fruit. Add the fruit just before serving though.
Recipe updated June 9, 2018.
Tequila Lime Squares
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 ¾ cups graham cracker crumbs
- 3 Tbsps sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
Filling
- 2 300ml cans sweetened condensed milk (about 2 ⅓ cups)
- 5 egg yolks (reserve 3 whites as per below)
- ½ cup fresh lime juice zest 2-3 limes before juicing
- ¼ cup Tequila
- 3 egg whites
- 1 ½ Tbsps white sugar
Topping
- 1 cup 35% whipping cream See Recipe Note 1 if using sour cream or canned whipped cream
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- lime zest
Instructions
Crust
- Melt butter and mix in to crumb/sugar mix. Dampen all crumbs and press into a 9 X 13" oven proof pan.
Filling
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Wash and zest 2-3 limes before extracting their juice. Reserve zest.
- Mix condensed milk, egg yolks, lime juice and tequila in a bowl. Stir well to incorporate evenly.
- In a large bowl, beat egg whites and sugar until soft peaks form.
- With a spatula, gently fold in about 1 ½ cups of the milk mixture. Then fold in the remaining milk mixture gently, just until incorporated.
- Pour filling into the crust and bake 35- 40 minutes until center is fairly firm. A tester should come out with a bit of moist filling attached.
- Cool pan and then chill at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.
- 1. Whip the 35% cream with cream of tartar until it holds stiff peaks. Spread or pipe whipped cream on top of the squares. Sprinkle lime zest evenly over the whipped cream. or 2. If using sour cream see Recipe note 2.
- When ready to serve cut into 1 ½ - 2 " squares.
Deb
In step 4 you mention beating the egg whites with sugar. What sugar and how much, please? I only saw measurements for sugar given for the crust. And also egg white is not mentioned in the filling section as being one of the components. It might just be me, but I find this part confusing. I would appreciate your input. Thank you so much!
thewineloverskitchen
I am so sorry Deb ... I corrected the recipe to show 3 egg whites and 1 1/2 Tbsps of sugar that you beat up in step 4. Thanks for asking and I hope I didn't mess you up too badly.