Margarita Bars with Salted Ritz Cracker Crust

Name: Margarita Bars With Salted Ritz Cracker Crust
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 17 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 52 ritz crackers ((approx. 2 cups cracker crumbs)); ½ cup unsalted butter (melted, slightly cooled); ¼ cup sugar; ¼ tsp vanilla extract; ¼ tsp sea salt; 2 14-oz. cans sweetened condensed milk; 2 large whole eggs (room temperature); 2 large egg yolks (room temperature); ⅔ cup freshly squeezed lime juice; 2 Tbsp Cointreau (or orange liqueur, orange juice can also be subbed); ¼ cup tequila (use an alcohol removed tequila or more lime juice for alcohol free); 1- 1 ½ Tbsp lime zest; ½ cup sour cream (room temperature)

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These creamy and refreshing margarita bars are a super simple dessert that are a fun twist on a favorite cocktail. A salty ritz cracker crust topped with a silky tequila lime custard-like layer with a hint of orange. About 15 minutes to prep, easily made alcohol-free if preferred, and a great make-ahead treat that will be a major crowd pleaser!

Margarita bar topped with lime zest on white plate with fork.

Why We Love These Margarita Bars
Ingredient Notes
Ways To Vary This Recipe
Step-By-Step Instructions
Recipe Tips
Storage
Common Questions
Other Dessert Bars
Margarita Bars With Salted Ritz Cracker Crust Recipe
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These creamy margarita bars were inspired by my Creamy Lemon Bars with Graham Cracker Crust. If you love a nice margarita with a salted rimmed glass, then these bars bursting with lime flavor will be your new favorite!!

If you love citrus recipes, check out these recipes as well: Key Lime Cookies, No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake Bars, Simple No Churn Lemon Ice Cream and our other Favorite Lemon Recipes!

Why We Love These Margarita Bars

There is nothing that matches a salty, vibrant margarita! We love to enjoy them on occasion, and now we have these tequila spiked lime bars that are a perfect way to enjoy the cocktail in dessert recipe form!

These creamy margarita bars:

are unbelievably simple to prep
can be the perfect addition to any gathering or potluck–if you are in charge of dessert, everyone will be happy if you show up with these!
can easily be made kid-friendly without any alcohol
are silky smooth and tart with a salty crust that rounds it all out

Ingredient Notes

Lime juice, eggs, crackers, sugar and other ingredients to make recipe.

We use blanco tequila and cointreau in these bars. They are our preferred margarita drink ingredients and so it makes the most sense to use them in this recipe. You are welcome to use your favorite brand. You can use any orange liqueur as well.
To make these kid-friendly/alcohol free: swap the tequila for more lime juice and sub orange juice for the liqueur.
Other similar bars tend to be much more like key lime pie by using all egg yolks. My recipe adds sour cream, and uses a balance of egg yolks and whole eggs for a texture that sets it apart. It is sturdy but silky smooth. It has an added creaminess that still sets up well and keeps it from seeming a bit slimy. I know you will love it!
Use fresh lime juice and zest for the very best flavor.

Ways To Vary This Recipe

change the crust base: you can make the crust using graham crackers, pretzels, a gluten-free cracker etc. We like the salted Ritz cracker crust to balance the tart and sweet out in these bars, but by all means, opt for another if preferred.
add a hint of spice: love spicy margaritas? Use a jalapeño tequila to give these a little kick
add orange zest: we love the bright lime flavor, but you can up the orange flavor by adding in some orange zest too

Step-By-Step Instructions

Crushed ritz crackers in food processor with sugar and butter.

Step 1: Add the crackers to a food processor and process until a fine crumb. Add in the melted butter, vanilla, sugar, and salt.

Ritz cracker crust mixture in food processor.

Step 2: Pulse the mixture until fully combined.

Ritz cracker mixture pressed into baking pan.

Step 3: Line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. Press the cracker crust mixture firmly into the bottom of the pan in an even layer. Press VERY WELL to help the crust hold together well.

Step 4: Bake 10-15 minutes until a nice golden brown and set aside to cool slightly.

Lime zest and juice, eggs, sour cream and other ingredients in bowl.

Step 5: While the crust cools, add all the ingredients to a medium bowl.

Lime zest, lime juice, eggs, sweetened condensed milk and other ingredients whisked in bowl.

Step 6: Whisk well to combine until smooth and creamy. It’s important to have room temperature ingredients for the smoothest mixture.

Square baking pan with creamy margarita bar mixture before baking.

Step 7: Pour the mixture over the prepared crust. Bake for about 17-20 minutes or until the edges are set and the middle is just set—it may be a bit jiggly still and that is ok.

Step 8: Allow to cool on a wire rack for about 30 minutes to an hour before transferring to the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours, ideally 4-6 hours to fully set. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and fresh lime zest when slicing. Allow the bars to chill and fully set and then use a sharp knife to slice.

Overhead view of margarita lime bars on parchment paper.

Recipe Tips

You do NOT have to use alcohol in this margarita bar recipe. You can still have great results by just using some extra lime juice and orange juice in place of the orange liqueur. The version with the tequila and cointreau have a bit more of a zing to them, but these are still AMAZING without.

Don’t over mix the tequila lime mixture. For sturdy bars that hold up well, you only want to whisk until smooth. This will keep from adding air bubbles into the filling that will get trapped while baking. You can even make the mixture the day before baking to allow it to sit and for any air bubbles to pop before baking.

Try not to over bake your bars. The lime filling will be slightly firm when baked but still have some jiggle. If you nudge the pan and it still wiggles a bit, that is the goal. This is ideal to keep the texture smooth and creamy. It will set even more as it chills. Over baked bars will have a bit more of a rubbery texture.

Storage

These bars will keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to one week. The crust may become a bit soggy around day 4 or 5, but they are still edible!

To freeze, allow them to cool and set completely. Seal in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. We like to slice them and flash freeze for an hour in a single layer and then transfer to a container with parchment paper to separate layers. Thaw in the refrigerator for best results.

Common Questions

Do the Baked Bars Contain Alcohol?

While some of the alcohol in these bars will bake off or evaporate, the short baking time will not entirely eliminate the alcohol. These are not kid-friendly, but you can easily make them without any alcohol to make them completely alcohol free.