Margarita Bars
Margarita bars are a fun dessert that tastes like your favorite drink! Creamy, tart lime filling, on a salty pretzel shortbread crust, and dusted with powdered sugar to balance it all out. The pretzel pieces add texture and salt like the rim of a margarita glass. Perfect for Cinco de Mayo, Taco Tuesday parties, or when you want a dessert that tastes like your favorite cocktail. Ready in 1 hour, they make 24 bars and cost under $15 using simple ingredients.
I’ve been dreaming about these margarita bars since January!
They’re a delicious twist on classic lemon bars but way more fun. Swap lemon for lime, add tequila to the filling, and make the shortbread crust with salty pretzel pieces. All together, they taste like a margarita!
Don’t worry if you need to make ones that are perfect for kids of all ages, just swap out the spirit for water and you are good to go. Same with this margarita dip!
These are perfect for Cinco de Mayo, along with this lime crush, but honestly I make them year-round because they’re in my top 5 favorite desserts. Right next to this creme brulee and actual margaritas.
More Margarita Recipes
- Limeade Margarita – Classic simple tequila cocktail
- Blueberry Margarita – Fruity purple twist
- Blood Orange Margarita – Spicy citrus winter variation
- Mango Margarita – Tropical sweet and tangy
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See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and their quantities.
Ingredient Notes
- Limes – You need 2 limes for zest and juice (roughly ½-⅔ cup juice). Zest them first, then juice. It’s much easier.
- Tequila – Use ⅓-½ cup. The total liquid (lime juice + tequila) should equal 1 cup. Skip the tequila and use all lime juice if you prefer a non-alcoholic version.
- Pretzels – Crush them but leave some small pieces for texture and those salty bits you get on a margarita rim.
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How To Make Margarita Bars
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix butter, sugar, flour, and crushed pretzels. Press into the bottom of a 9×13 inch pan, bringing it slightly up the sides.
- Bake for 15 minutes until light golden brown. Let cool slightly while making the filling. Leave oven on.
- Zest and juice the limes. Whisk eggs, sugar, lime zest, lime juice, tequila, and flour until smooth.
- Pour over the slightly cooled crust.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until the center doesn’t jiggle when gently shaken. Cool completely before slicing.
- Dust with powdered sugar and lime zest. Slice into 24 bars.
For the full recipe and detailed instructions, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Storage & Serving
Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days, if they last that long!
Freezer: Wrap individual bars tightly and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before serving.
Serve Cold: These taste best chilled. The filling sets up nicely and slices cleaner when cold.
Make-Ahead: Bake 1-2 days ahead and refrigerate. Dust with powdered sugar right before serving.
Variations
- Lemon Version: Use lemon juice and zest instead of lime for classic lemon bars with a pretzel crust.
- Orange Margarita: Use orange juice and triple sec instead of lime juice and tequila.
- Virgin Version: Skip the tequila and use 1 cup total lime juice or substitute with water.
- Extra Salty: Sprinkle flaky sea salt on top with the powdered sugar for more margarita vibes.
- Graham Cracker Crust: Swap pretzels for graham crackers if you prefer traditional sweet crust.
- Key Lime Version: Use key lime juice for more intense lime flavor. This one you can use the bottled key lime juice and save your arm muscles.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Use 1 cup total lime juice instead of the lime juice + tequila combination. They’ll still taste great, just not boozy.
Use ⅓-½ cup tequila. The total liquid (lime juice + tequila) should equal 1 cup. Measure your lime juice first, then add enough tequila to make 1 cup total.
The pretzels add salty crunch that mimics the salted rim on a margarita glass. They’re what make these special instead of just regular lime bars.
Gently shake the pan. The center should be set and not jiggle. The top will look slightly golden and crispy.
Yes! Bake 1-2 days ahead and refrigerate. Dust with powdered sugar right before serving so it doesn’t dissolve.
The sugar in the filling caramelizes on top during baking, making a thin crispy crust like crème brûlée. It’s the best part!
Fresh lime juice tastes so much better. Bottled lime juice has a flat, artificial flavor. Use fresh limes if you can.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Leave pretzel pieces slightly chunky for texture and salty bits throughout the crust. If you smash them into powder, the crust will be a little soft.
- Zest limes before juicing them. It’s nearly impossible to zest after cutting.
- Measure lime juice first, then add tequila to equal 1 cup total liquid.
- Press the crust slightly up the sides to hold the filling in.
- Dust hands with flour if they get sticky from the butter when pressing the crust.
- Don’t overbake. The center should be set but not browned.
- Cool completely before slicing for clean cuts. I refrigerate mine after 15 minutes.
- Dust with powdered sugar right before serving, not ahead of time.
- Serve cold for the best texture and flavor.
This margarita bars recipe is perfect for your Cinco de Mayo celebration or any time you want dessert that tastes like your favorite cocktail!
If you love this recipe as much as I do, please leave us a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ five-star review in the comment section below. Thanks!
Margarita Bars Recipe
Ingredients
Margarita Filling
- 6 extra large eggs room temperature
- 3 cups sugar
- 2 tablespoons lime zest roughly 2 limes
- ½ cup lime juice Juice of 2 limes, roughly 1/2-2/3 cup
- ½ cup blanco tequila *see notes below
- 1 cup all purpose flour
For the Pretzel Shortbread Crust
- 2 sticks butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup all purpose Flour
- 1 cup pretzels crushed, leave some small pieces
- powdered sugar and lime zest for garnish
Instructions
Pretzel Crust
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Mix the ingredients for the crust and spread in the bottom of a 9×13 baking pan (glass or metal).
- Make sure you get an even layer and bring up a little on the sides to hold the filling in.
- If your hands get sticky from the butter, dust them in flour and then press down on the crust.
- Bake the crust at 350F for 15 minutes or until it is a light golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and let cool a bit while you make the filling. Leave the oven on.
Margarita Bars
- For the filling, zest, and juice your limes.
- In a large bowl combine the eggs, sugar, lime zest, lime juice, tequila*, and flour.
- Stir with a whisk to combine completely.
- Pour onto the slightly cooled crust.
- Put the pan back in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the center doesn’t jiggle when you give it a gentle shake.
- Remove from oven and let cool completely.
- I let my margarita bars cool for about 15 minutes and then put them in the refrigerator to cool them quicker. I couldn’t wait.
- Garnish with a dusting of powdered sugar and lime zest!
- Slice into 24 bars or triangles.
- Enjoy with a margarita on Cinco de Mayo!
Notes
Nutrition
{Originally posted 03/28/17 – recipe notes and photos updated 04/10/26}
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i would like to make these for a party, it would be easier to make the day before as i am also making churros. after reading the comments i am not sure if i should make it on the day or not. the party starts at 3. maybe i am giving myself too much todo haha
I would make them the day before and store them in the fridge. Less stress is always better!
Have you tried making these in advance and freezing them?
Unfortunately no I have not. I would think you can refrigerate for a few days but worried that freezing them will break down the custard layer.
I’m not a baker. At all. But I love margaritas and had to try this recipe. I did it! And they are SO good. The only thing I question is: I put them in the fridge overnight, cut them in the morning and after sitting out for just a short while they started to soften making them hard to pick up to eat. I used 7 large eggs vs 6 extra large. Did that impact the result? Did I not bake them long enough? They were not “jiggling” when pulled from oven. I put them back in fridge and will serve immediately after pulling out again. Will definitely make again!
They should stay once out of the fridge. You definitely need to cook them until they are not jiggling but also they weather can mess with them. If it’s extra humid or warmer than usual, mine will soften but not that much. I have only used the extra large eggs so it’s possible that they extra egg made them a little loose. I will do some more testing with regular sized eggs vs the extra large ones. Thanks for the update. I am so glad that you liked them. They are a favorite in our house but I love tequila 😉
In your recipe it says to use 2 sticks of butter. Would that equal 1 cup?
Yes it does:) I hope you like them!
Made these for a friend’s birthday and they were a hit!! The pretzel crust is a perfect pair to the lime flavor. Tastes just like a good margarita! I used 1800 tequila and put small mounds of whipped cream and slices of lime on top. Sooo good!
YUM!
We love these but they are way too sweet for us. Is there a way to cut down on the sugar and eggs?
Unfortunately not for this recipe or it won’t set up right. They are an indulgence for sure.
Do these need to stay refrigerated once they’re made? TIA!! 🙂
I would recommend keeping them in the refrigerator, especially if you keep your house warm. Enjoy!
hi can i use lemon instead of lime?
Absolutely!
I made these for a work potluck. Very easy to put together, I used my food processor for everything and let me tell you, the filling smells just like a margarita!!g! I baked for 35 minutes and while no longer jiggly in the middle, they could have used a few more minutes in the oven – the middle is not quite as set as I would like. I went on the light side of the tequila, and used 1/3 cup but I think 1/2 cup would have given a more prominent tequila taste. That said, these are really delicious and I will make again. Strawberry margaritas anyone?!
Do you use the butter cold in the shortbread or do you bring to room temperature?
I use it slightly chilled. It is going to melt in the oven of course but too soft and it sticks to everything and doesn’t all go into the crust, too cold and it won’t mix evenly with the crushed pretzels. I hope that helps:)
I want to make these so bad but how many eggs do you use!
So sorry. There was a glitch in the transfer. It is 6 extra large eggs.
The pretzel crust on here was outstanding! Paired so well and satisfied my salty sweet craving! They were delicious and I’ll be making them again!
You have outdone yourself on this one!! These are so dreamy!! Making them this year for our Cinco de Mayo party!
That baby Patron bottle is too adorable, and I’m with ya on the quality of tequila! After trail and lots of error (hehe) I always look for 100% agave like Patron. These Margarita bars are putting me in the entertaining mood. They look amazing. Bring on the Cinco de Mayo Party!!
Thank you for sharing this recipe…it’s in the rotation. Choosing good limes and quality tequila definitely yields good results. The margarita flavor bloomed overnight – made the night before and they were perfect. These bars were the hit of my 5 de Mayo celebration.
Thank you so much! I am glad to hear it!!
Thank you for sharing this recipe…it’s in the rotation. Choosing good limes and quality tequila definitely yields good results. The margarita flavor bloomed overnight – made the night before and they were perfect. These bars were the hit of my 5 de Mayo celebration.
Thank you for sharing this recipe…it’s in the rotation. Choosing good limes and quality tequila definitely yields good results. The margarita flavor bloomed overnight – made the night before and they were perfect. These bars were the hit of my 5 de Mayo celebration.
You have outdone yourself on this one!! These are so dreamy!! Making them this year for our Cinco de Mayo party!
Everything about these bars sounds so fantastic! I love the idea!
Everything about these bars sounds so fantastic! I love the idea!
Everything about these bars sounds so fantastic! I love the idea!
The pretzel crust on here was outstanding! Paired so well and satisfied my salty sweet craving! They were delicious and I’ll be making them again!
That baby Patron bottle is too adorable, and I’m with ya on the quality of tequila! After trail and lots of error (hehe) I always look for 100% agave like Patron. These Margarita bars are putting me in the entertaining mood. They look amazing. Bring on the Cinco de Mayo Party!!
Seriously, there is nothing better than booze and dessert all in one! Planning to make these for my next girls’ night!
Seriously, there is nothing better than booze and dessert all in one! Planning to make these for my next girls’ night!
Hi
These look so DELICIOUS.
I meant to say WHICH BRAND OF TEQUILA NOT WHICH MEANS .
Patron always!
Have you had good luck with making these a day before your event? Or does the crust get soggy? Thanks!
They are great for about 2 days before they start to get soggy. I hope you like them!
Does the alcohol bake off? I am looking at serving these at a party and need to know if under age participants will be able to eat them?
Yes, it does. If you don’t really want the tequila flavor either you can substitute it for more lime juice. Thanks for reading! Let me know how they turn out.
Oh what a fun way to enjoy alcohol. 😀 Thank you for sharing it over at Food Friday! Excited about what you’ll be sharing next. 😀
They sound amazing – I’ll be making them for my Mexican neighbour next week, she’ll be surely impressed 🙂
Thanks for bringing this post along to Fiesta Friday, I hope you find the time to check out some of the other posts, it’s such an eclectic mixture this week.
Ginger x
Wow these sound amazing, made my mouth water reading about them. Pinned to share!
Thanks for sharing on Oh My Heartsie Girls WW this week!
Have a great week!
Karren
oh my oh my oh my!! (And I love Patron) – thanks for sharing on the What’s for Dinner link up!
My husband would love thisWat a Idea