Atlantic Beach Pie Bars

Atlantic Beach pie is the epitome of a simple pantry dessert. Crushed saltine crackers, sweetened condensed milk, citrus juice, sugar, and eggs are all you need to assemble the sweet treat from chef Bill Smith. What started in 2011 as an ode to lemon pie in his hometown of New Bern, North Carolina, became arguably the most famous dessert to come out of his Chapel Hill restaurant, Crook’s Corner.

“We used the leftover lemon juice from the bar and whipped cream instead of meringue so the pie could hold through service,” says Smith. “I never expected it to go viral.” But lines formed around the restaurant, and the recipe was widely shared across the nation. Smith’s phone hasn’t stopped ringing to this day. 

While I’m a fan of the original, Atlantic Beach pie’s combination of sweet and tangy filling, cracker crust, and whipped topping needn’t be limited to a pie format. For a handheld riff on the now-classic dessert, I created these citrusy lemon-lime bars, which have a few more small adjustments that take them into over-the-top territory. Tequila, lemon and lime zest, and a bit of ground ginger give a fun, boozy boost to the filling. And because I can’t stand the thought of wasting the egg whites (only the yolks go in the filling), I topped the bars with torched meringue. Can you use sweetened whipped cream instead? Of course. But no matter what you do, be sure to thank Bill Smith for the inspiration.

How do you make a successful meringue?

There are three key steps to making sure your meringue comes together successfully. First, you want to use eggs at room temperature. Cold egg whites don’t whip as easily as room temperature eggs so you’ll have a lower volume. You also want to make sure the bottom of the bowl in the saucepan stays above the water. If the boiling water touches the bowl, the bowl will get too hot. Also, stop beating the egg whites as soon as they are glossy and form medium-stiff peaks. Overbeating the egg whites will cause them to break.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

To test if your sugar has dissolved in your meringue mixture, dip your thumb and pointer finger in and rub them together. If you don’t feel any sugar granules, the egg whites are ready to be beaten.

Make ahead

Untopped bars can be refrigerated, covered, for up to one day.