Creamy Margarita Bars Dessert Recipe with Tequila
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Indulge in the zesty delight of Margarita Bars – a sweet and tangy treat that combines the flavors of a classic cocktail with the goodness of dessert!
These bars are a perfect addition to your next summer gathering, adding a refreshing twist to any occasion.
So grab the tequila, margarita mix, and limes, and let’s get baking!
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Margarita Bars
Looking for the perfect dessert that packs a punch?
Get ready to indulge your sweet tooth with a twist of tangy goodness – Margarita Bars!
These adult-friendly dessert bars are a fun twist on everyone’s favorite cocktail, bringing the zesty flavor of lime and the kick of tequila into a delicious treat.
Whether it’s a lively Cinco de Mayo celebration or a taco night with friends, these Margarita Bars will surely be the star of your next fiesta!
Imagine sinking your teeth into layers of blissful lime flavor combined with a hint of tequila in every bite.
These Margarita Bars offer the best of both worlds – the delightful sweetness of a dessert recipe and the zing of a classic cocktail!
Margarita Bars Recipe
The crust of these dessert bars is made from a yellow cake mix, melted butter, an egg, and lime zest. The combination creates a buttery and flavorful base that perfectly complements the vibrant filling.
The filling is a creamy and smooth blend of cream cheese, powdered sugar, eggs, tequila, margarita mix, vanilla extract, and lime zest.
Enhance the presentation of your tequila lime bars with a dash of creativity…
Whip up a simple lime sauce by combining powdered sugar, fresh lime juice, and whole milk. Drizzle this zesty sauce over the cooled bars, adding a burst of citrusy flavor.
Or keep it simple with some whipped cream, lime zest, and a sprinkling of margarita salt.
Margarita cake bars are a perfect summer treat and a delicious dessert for various occasions.
Serve them at summer soirees, backyard barbecues, or pool parties for a unique and festive treat.
They also make a delightful addition to potlucks, picnics, and dinner parties, adding a touch of zing to any dessert spread.
For other adult dessert ideas, try our Orange Margarita Truffles Recipe made with tequila and blood orange juice or Fried Tequila Cake Bites with fresh lime dipping sauce
What Can I Serve With Margarita Cake Bars?
- Mango Lime Frozen Yogurt: The tropical flavors of mango and lime pair perfectly with the zesty cake bars.
- Blueberry Compote: A sweet and fruity compote adds a burst of flavor and color to the dessert.
- Key Lime Pie Cookies: Serve alongside the cake bars for a delightful citrus-themed dessert spread.
Ingredients & Equipment Used In This Recipe
The ingredients and tools in this recipe are conveniently linked to online retailers like Amazon or Amazon Fresh.
Ingredients Needed For Margarita Cake Bars
- Fresh Produce – Limes
- Chilled & Dairy – Unsalted Butter, Egg, Cream Cheese
- Box of Yellow Cake Mix
- Powdered Sugar – also known as Icing Sugar or Confectioners Sugar.
- Tequila – use silver or gold tequila
- Margarita Mix – If you can’t source this, homemade margarita mix is easy to make.
- Combine a half cup sugar with 1 cup water in a saucepan over medium until the sugar dissolves.
- Let cool before stirring in 1 cup lime juice.
- Use as required in cocktails and recipes, and store in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.
- Vanilla Extract – always buy good vanilla, which makes a flavor difference.
- Margarita Salt
The complete list of ingredients with measurements is on the recipe card at the end of this post.
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Equipment Needed For This Recipe
- 9″ x 13″ Baking Dish
- Electric Mixer – either a handheld or standing mixer.
- Sharp Knife
- Chopping/Cutting Board
- Mixing Bowls
- Rubber/Silicone Spatula – or you could use a Wooden Spoon.
- Large Piping Bag with Large Star Tip – such as a Wilton #1M
The Purple Pumpkin Blog uses both cups and weighted measurements in its recipes, making American cups and kitchen food scales valuable tools for trying all the recipes. We provide US customary, imperial, and metric measurements. Still, it’s important to note that while you can combine cup measurements with weighted measures, never mix US customary/imperial (pounds, ounces, pints, etc.) with metric (kilograms, grams, liters, etc.).
Dinner Party Menu Suggestions
You’ve made the dessert, but what about the rest of the courses?
Here are additional recipes to create a menu for a dinner party or special meal:
- Appetizer: Chipotle Lime Shrimp Skewers
- Soup: Chicken Fajita Soup
- Salad: Watermelon Feta Salad with Lime-Cilantro Vinaigrette
- Main Dish: Lime-Marinated Flank Steak with Chimichurri Sauce
- Side Dish: Grilled Corn Salad with Cherry Tomatoes
- Cocktail: Classic Margaritas
How Do I Make Margarita Cake Bars?
The printable recipe card with the ingredients list and instructions can be found at the end of this post.
Number of Servings: 6-8
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 55 minutes
Step 1 – Preheat & Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C/Gas 4. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray. Set it aside.
TIP! You can line the baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhand. This will enable you to lift the cooked and cooled dessert out of the pan.
Step 2 – Make Crust: Use an electric standing or hand mixer to make the crust by combining all of the crust ingredients into the bowl and mixing on medium-high until combined, and a dough forms.
Step 3 – Form Base: Place the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan, and press it down in an even layer to form the base of the margarita bars. Set the dish to the side.
Step 4 – Make Filling: Use an electric handheld or standing mixer to make the filling by placing all of the filling ingredients into the bowl and mixing until combined, smooth, and creamy.
Pour the filling over the crust in the baking dish.
Step 5 – Bake: Bake margarita bars for 40-45 minutes or until the edges turn a light golden brown.
Remove the dish from the oven and set it aside to cool for 1 hour.
Step 6 – Make Lime Sauce: Place the sauce ingredients into a medium bowl and stir to combine.
Step 7 – Whip Cream: Use an electric handheld or standing mixer to combine all of the whipped cream ingredients into the bowl whisking it to stiff peaks.
Transfer to a piping bag fitted with an open star tip and set it aside.
Step 8 – Garnish & Serve: Cut the cooled cake into bars (approximately 6-8, depending on your needs).
Garnish as desired with the lime sauce, whipped cream, lime zest, and lime wedge, or with a little powdered sugar, margarita salt, and lime zest.
More Recipes Using Limes
One of the hero ingredients in this recipe is limes, so here are some more using the same:
Recipe Tips
- Ensure the cream cheese is softened to room temperature for a smooth and creamy filling.
- Add an orange touch to the margarita bars by replacing some of the tequila with an orange liqueur such as triple sec.
- Let the easy lime bars cool for an hour before cutting them into bars to allow them to set.
- Cut into larger bars to serve as dessert after dinner, or cut into smaller 1-inch pieces as a delicious sweet treat to pair with margaritas at a Cinco de Mayo party
- For an appealing presentation, garnish the bars with lime zest, wedges, powdered sugar, flaky sea salt, or a little kosher salt.
Storing Leftovers & Freezing
- Storing Leftovers:
- Store leftover margarita lime bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- The bars can be refrigerated for up to 3-4 days, maintaining their freshness and flavors.
- Freezing Instructions:
- This recipe hasn’t been tested for freezing but should withstand the process.
- Cool completely (do not decorate or garnish) and wrap in a double layer of plastic wrap and a layer of foil (or an airtight, freezer-safe container) to help prevent freezer burn and eliminate unwanted freezer smells.
- Label with the dish’s name, thawing/reheating instructions, and the date to keep track of your food storage.
- Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- To defrost the dessert, unwrap it completely and place it in the fridge to thaw overnight (or at least 12 hours).
- Decorate as desired.
- With all leftovers, ensure the food looks and smells okay before consuming.
- You can always consult the Food Standards Agency in your country for the most up-to-date advice on storing and freezing foods: Food Standards Agency (UK) | Food Safety (USA).
Printable Margarita Cake Bars Recipe Card
Below is the printable recipe card. To save ink, any demonstration photos on the recipe card are not printed out.
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Margarita Bars
Our Margarita Cake Bars are a tantalizing blend of sweet cake and tangy margarita flavors spiked with a hint of tequila for that authentic cocktail touch.
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 1 (15.25oz/432g) box yellow cake mix
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp lime zest
For the Filling
- 1 (8oz/225g) cream cheese, softened
- 2½ cups powdered sugar (icing sugar)
- 2 eggs
- 3oz tequila
- 2oz margarita mix
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp lime zest
For the Lime Sauce
- 1 cup powdered sugar (icing sugar)
- 2 limes zested and juiced
- 3 Tbsp whole milk
For Garnish
- ¼ cup powdered sugar (icing sugar)
- 2 tsp lime zest
- 2 tsp margarita salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C/Gas 4. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Set it aside.
- Use an electric handheld or standing mixer to make the crust by combining all of the crust ingredients into the bowl and mixing on medium-high until combined, and a dough forms.
- Place the dough into the prepared baking dish, and press it down to form the base of the margarita bars. Set the dish to the side.
- Use an electric handheld or standing mixer to make the filling by placing all of the filling ingredients into the bowl and mixing until combined, smooth, and creamy. Pour the filling over the crust in the baking dish.
- Bake the margarita bars for 40-45 minutes or until the edges turn a light golden brown. Remove the dish from the oven and set it aside to cool for 1 hour.
- Place the sauce ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir to combine.
- Use an electric handheld or standing mixer to combine all of the whipped cream ingredients into the bowl whisking it to stiff peaks. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with an open star tip and set it aside.
- Cut the cooled cake into bars (approximately 6-8, depending on your needs). Garnish as desired with the lime sauce, whipped cream, lime zest, and lime wedge or with powdered sugar, margarita salt, and lime zest.
Recommended Products
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 868Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 139mgSodium: 809mgCarbohydrates: 153gFiber: 2gSugar: 116gProtein: 8g
This site uses Nutritionix to provide estimated nutrition. Nutritional information is always approximate and will depend on the quality of ingredients used and serving sizes. If you need exact calories and macros, please do your own calculations.
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