Easy to Make Blackberry Lime Bars

These blackberry lime bars are creamy, bright, and super delicious. A little lime juice, a handful of blackberries, a simple graham cracker crust, a few easy steps, and you have sweet, tangy bars that everyone will enjoy.

I learned long ago that women love chocolate and men love berry desserts… supposedly. Things like, Berries and Cream Cheesecake Bars, Razzleberry Pie, or Deep Fried Strawberry Cheesecakes. But that is so not the case with my husband and I.

I definitely prefer all things berry and he is all about the chocolate. Well, unless it’s his favorite Lime Pie Brazil. Which is where this recipe came from. His lime pie recipe that he learned while living in Brazil is made with a cracker crumb crust, sweetened condensed milk, media crema, eggs and lime juice of course.

One day we were trying to decide on dessert and he voted for his pie, but I was in the mood for blackberries. The juicy blackberries were making the filling too soupy when baked, so we took the crema out and it turned out perfect. It totally reminds me of our lemon raspberry bars.

There’s just something about a fresh fruit dessert that makes me feel so light and wonderful. I mean, really. Even if it’s a long and nasty winter I’ll bust out these blackberry lime bars and suddenly winter doesn’t seem so bad.

Oregon Berries

Last summer we had the chance to go to Portland to visit Oregon Berries and it was incredible! The taste of those fresh ripe berries were unlike anything you can buy at the store here. When we buy local we ensure quality and secure the livelihoods of families who are making our country a place of variety and success. Cade and I committed right there to check where our berries are coming from and only buy local.

The blackberries we tasted there made me think of these blackberry lime bars and I just knew I had to reshoot this recipe. So here you go!

Ingredients for Blackberry Lime B

Creamy Strawberry Cheesecake Bars

Creamy strawberry cheesecake bars start with the most delicious flaky crust topped with a sweet but tangy cream cheese layer all topped with gorgeous juicy strawberries! Life will never be the same!

I’m closing down the blog and walking away. I’m living my life out as a middle-aged Momma who wants nothing more than to LIVE and PLAY and EAT. These bars are one of the best recipes we will ever share on Oh Sweet Basil.

I mean, I’m not really shutting down the blog. I couldn’t ever be as fulfilled without a creative outlet, but these strawberry bars are one of the best desserts I’ve ever brought to the site. If it’s the only spring dessert recipe you make, you will be forever happy. Once again, we have Megan to thank, so let’s all give her a little praise for continuously sending amazing recipes to us! If you haven’t tried the mixed berries version of this recipe, do that asap!

The crust is a flaky, perfectly made crust but the best part is, in my opinion, making the dessert a day ahead so that it softens a stitch. Oh my goodness, my mouth just started salivating! WHAT IS MY DEAL?! I’m obsessed! 

The filling is the most delicate cream cheese, almost cheesecake filling, while the topping is a burst of vibrant strawberries, reminiscent of a strawberry pie! It’s honestly like a creamy strawberry shortcake, which happens to be my most favorite dessert ever.

Ingredients for Strawberry Cheesecake Bars

I’m going to divide up the list of ingredients by layer so it’s easy to see what is needed for each step. Here is what you will need…

Crust Layer

• Flour: regular all purpose flour
• Salt: enhances all the flavors
• Sugar: adds a little sweetness to the crust
• Vegetable Oil: the fat needed to create the flaky but strong base for the bars
• Milk: helps bind all the ingredients together

Cheesecake Layer

• Cream Cheese: you can use full fat or 1/3 fat but I do feel like the full fat sets up better, make sure it is room temperature so the cream layer isn’t lumpy
• Powdered Sugar: adds sweetness to the filling
• Heavy Cream: helps thin out the filling a little
• Vanilla: adds flavor

Strawberry Layer

• Strawberries: fresh bright red ripe berries
• Sugar: adds sweetness to the topping
• Ultra Gel: my preferred way for thickening the strawberry topping, see recipe card for using cornstarch the thicken
• Lemon Zest and Juice: balances the sweetness of the berries
• Water: thins everything out to create

Orange Cranberry Bliss Bars

Christmas Magic Cookie Bars

Christmas magic cookie bars have a buttery graham cracker crust that is topped with a layer of sweetened condensed milk, then oats followed by a combination of different baking chips and m&m’s. You’re going to LOVE them!

A few years ago a friend asked why I never have a magic bars recipe on the blog and I told her, because I have never found one our family loves and I’m not posting unless I think it’s totally delicious!

Fast forward a few years and many recipes and the kids are here to tell you that this Christmas magic bars recipe is literally the only magic bars recipe you need . I love the simplicity of chocolates and grahams but you could always throw in salted peanuts or other nuts, different chips like butterscotch, dark chocolate, peanut butter m&m’s, the possibilities are endless! 

What is it about recipes and 7 layers? Have you ever noticed that? Why aren’t there 8 layers? Or 6? We even have our own collection 7 layer recipes…haha! Our 7 layer pea salad is so dreamy! And of course there is always a 7 layer Mexican dip, which contributed to the 7 layer dip taquitos. But anyway, 7 layers! Most magic cookie bars out there are called 7 layer magic cookie bars.

I don’t know how many layers you would say that these bars have. If you go straight from the ingredients list, then these are 7 layers too. You have the graham cracker crust, then the sweetened condensed milk, the oats and all the baking chips and m&m’s. But I’m not going to call them 7 layer magic bars because I want you to be able to add or omit “layers” to make your own magic.

What Do I Need to Make Magic Cookie Bars?

Believe it or not, you are only 9 ingredients away from magic! Here is what you will need:

• Graham Crackers – you can buy graham cracker crumbs or make your own in the food processor
• Sugar – just regular white granulated sugar
• Butter – helps bind the gc crumbs and sugar to make a crunchy crust, use unsalted, and melt it in the microwave for about 60 seconds
• Sweetened Condensed Milk – we always go with Eagle Brand, this layer binds everything together
• Quick Oats – I love the texture of the quick oats in this recipe but you could use old fashioned if you prefer
• Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips – feel free to swap these for milk chocolate or dark chocolate depending on what you like
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chips – swap with butterscotch chips if you want
• White Chocolate Chips – adds sweetness and creaminess
• Holiday m&m’s – you can use any m&m’s you want for any holiday or just for a normal day

The measurements for all the ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post. 

More Options for Toppings

Part of what makes these cookie bars magic is layering it up in just the way you want it. If the toppings

Gooey Biscoff Crumb Bars

These Biscoff crumb bars are crazy rich but I can’t resist them! A thick and chewy cookie base topped with a layer of melty Biscoff spread, then roasted marshmallows and a crunchy crumb topping with a Biscoff drizzle…holy heaven!

We’ve been loving making campfire banana boats this summer and on a whim I made the most delicious Biscoff version. Immediately we all obsessed that it was the best banana boat ever but it didn’t stop there. By the next morning I’d barely slept as I kept dreaming of turning them into a dessert bar.

I debated sooooo much on every aspect of these bars but nothing as much as the base. Finally I decided on a snickerdoodle cookie base and I’m telling you, I am trying so hard to be humble but they are amazing. Even my family agrees, best dessert ever.

That slightly salty crumb topping is essential to balance this overly sweet bar and the marshmallow amount is totally up to you. I like a little less while my kids want more goo!

What is Biscoff?

Biscoff is a spread, similar in texture and consistency to peanut butter, made of ground up Biscoff cookies mixed with fat, flour and sugar.

What Flavor is Biscoff?

Biscoff spread and cookies have a warm caramel-y flavor with hints of brown sugar and cinnamon.

Where to Buy Biscoff?

You can find Biscoff at most grocery stores. I’ve seen it at Kroger stores, Walmart, Target, Trader Joe’s, Harmon’s, etc. You’ll find it either by the peanut butter and other nut butters or on the cookie aisle.

When you find it, grab a jar for this recipe and then grab another one and make our Biscoff stuff snickerdoodle cookies. You’ll thank me later!

Ingredients for Biscoff Crumb Bars

Now that we have all those logistics out of the way and you know what you are looking for and where to look for it, here are the other ingredients you will need…

• Butter: should be unsalted and softened so that is whips together with the sugars to be light and fluffy
• Sugar: just regular white granulated sugar
• Brown Sugar: adds richness and flavor
• Vanilla: adds flavor
• Eggs: one egg and an extra yolk will provide a perfect structure for the base of these dessert bars
• Flour: just all-purpose flour
• Salt: enhances all the flavors
• Baking Powder: acts as a leavening agent and gives the bars their rise and fluffiness
• Baking Soda: same purpose as the baking powder
• Cream of Tartar: adds a little tang to the bars that is a snickerdoodle signature
• Cornstarch: keeps the bars chewy but also fluffy
• Biscoff: adds flavor, warmth, and the most delici