With a perfect crispy crust and a creamy yet thick key lime filling, this is truly the best key lime pie you will ever have. You will only need 3 ingredients for the filling and 4 for the crust.
The first time I tasted Key Lime pie was in Florida at the Breakers Hotel. Since the first bite, I have been in love. The sweet, semi-crunchy graham cracker crust and the soft key lime custard—I couldn’t eat enough.
From Palm Beach to Key West, we made it our mission to have and enjoy as many key lime pies as possible. For a brief moment, we considered moving to Florida so we could enjoy this dessert all the time. A bit dramatic, you may say, but once your fork reaches your lips and the sweet lime custard touches your tongue, you will feel the same.
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To this day, if key lime pie is on the menu, we cannot pass it up. Therefore, it was only natural that I would attempt to make it at home.
In this Article
- Subscribe to Cooking Canva!
- Key Limes
- Why you will love this recipe
- Ingredients needed to make this recipe
- Equipment Needed
- Step by step on how to make this delicious recipe of key lime
- Pro Tips
- How do you tell that your Key Lime Pie is done?
- Variations and Substitutions
- Leftover egg whites
- Storing
- Frequently Asked Questions
- If you enjoy this key lime pie recipe, you may want to try my other recipes.
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- Key Lime Pie Recipe
Before I dive into the recipe, I want to share a few essential things with you.
Key Limes
Key limes are a unique variety of lime originating solely in the Florida Keys, and they are nearly impossible to find if you do not live in the Florida Keys.
Their peak season is from June to August, but they are available all year round from Mexico and Central America.
They are smaller than your standard Persian limes sold at your grocery stores, and they will only get two to three teaspoons of juice per lime.
The juice is not green, as you may expect, but yellowish; however, its fragrance is amazing.
If you have difficulties finding the key limes, the Persian limes will work fine too.
As you prepare this recipe, you will wonder why the custard is not green. The juice of the key lime is not green. Although you zest the lime, it will not give it that green color you may expect or have seen. That bright green color is food coloring, a huge no-no.
Buy more key limes than you think you need, as they are so small that you will need to juice at least 20 to 25 key limes to get one cup of juice.
Why you will love this recipe
Easy – with only 3 ingredients, this dessert takes no time or extra tools to produce a wonderful velvety pie.
No special equipment is needed – a hand-held mixer or immersion blender will help you achieve great success with this pie.
It is not sour – every time we hear lime or lemon, we automatically think sour; it is rather the opposite, creamy with a hint of sweetness.
Can be prepared ahead of time – that is the beautiful part of this dessert. Make it the day before, cover it, and chill it without stealing a slice or two, until the moment to serve it. You will be happy you did.
Ingredients needed to make this recipe
Graham cracker crumbs – I highly recommend using fresh crackers that you crumble with the help of a food processor. The crumbs need to be fresh so they will not affect the flavor of your pie crust.
Unsalted butter – I always use unsalted butter in my cooking or baking to control the amount of sodium. Salted butter not only adds too much salt to your dish, but it changes the flavor.
Granulated sugar
Sweetened condensed milk – gives the richness that it required to make the filling, a 14-ounce can will be sufficient.
Large Egg yolks – make sure your eggs are large
Key limes – you will need the zest as well as the juice. Note of caution: When zesting the limes, ensure you only get the outer green of the peel. The white pit is very bitter and will change the flavor of your pie.
Equipment Needed
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Step by step on how to make this delicious recipe of key lime
Making this key lime pie recipe is very easy, but the resting and cooling are atrocious. As soon as you remove the pie from the oven, you just want to dig in. Unfortunately, you will have to wait and trust me; it is not an easy task.
Start with the crust.
- Make the crust by using the food processor to crumble your graham crackers.
- Cover a butter 10-inch pie plate with the crumbles and with the help of a
- Pre-bake the crust for about 8 minutes before pouring the key lime filling. Pre-baking solidifies the crust for easy slicing once ready to serve.
Now you are ready to prepare the filling
- Whisk together the three filling ingredients. It will be thick a bit.
- Before adding the fresh lime juice to your eggs, pass them through a sieve to remove any small seeds that may have gotten into the liquid.
- Whisk for a couple more minutes to have all the ingredients well integrated.
Assembling your easy key lime pie recipe to be baked
- Pour the filling into the pie pan and bake until the custard is set and just wiggles a bit in the center, around 25 to 30 minutes
- Cool the pie completely on a wire rack.
Pro Tips
- When zesting the limes, ensure you only get the outer green of the peel. The white pit is very bitter and will change the flavor of your pie.
- Not every oven works the same. My directions are for the bake settings of my oven; therefore, I am wary if you use a convection setting or live at a higher altitude. Check with your oven manufacturer. The custard has to have a slight wiggle in the middle.
How do you tell that your Key Lime Pie is done?
One of the most common mistakes is overbaking a key lime pie. The secret to remedying this mistake is to bake the pie until the filling just wiggles a bit in the center, 8 to 10 minutes. The pie should be firm to the touch but not solid. Once it is out of the oven, it will continue to set as it cools off.
Remove and place on a wire rack to allow air to circulate and cool off completely. Then cover and chill for at least one hour before slicing and serving.
Variations and Substitutions
- You can use a store-bought graham cracker crust if time is not on your side.
- If you cannot find key limes, use Persian, regular, or any green limes you can find.
- Serve them along with whipped cream like my Chantilly recipe. Add some thin lime slices to it.
Leftover egg whites
Do not toss them. Instead, make my favorite and most delicious Meringues with Cocoa Powder. You will love the meringue, and since you have the oven going, you can always make them afterward.
Storing
Once your pie is fully cooled off, cover it with saran wrap and refrigerate for up to five days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it called key lime pie?
It is named after the small, tart, and very aromatic key limes that are used to flavor this pie. Also known as West Indian Limes, Mexican limes, or bartender’s limes, these limes are between the size of a golf ball and a ping-pong ball.
What is the difference between a key lime pie and a lime pie?
Key limes, which are smaller in size and more aromatic, give the flavor to key lime pie, which is made with regular limes.
Can I freeze key lime pie?
You can freeze this pie in an airtight freezer container for up to two months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Is key lime pie a Florida thing?
Yes, it is believed to have originated in Key West, Florida, in the late 19th century. The story goes that early settlers in the area lacked access to refrigeration, so they created a no-bake pie using readily available ingredients such as sweetened condensed milk, egg yolk, and key lime juice. The recipe appeared for the first time in a 1931 cookbook by Key West resident Mrs. H. Griner.
If you enjoy this key lime pie recipe, you may want to try my other recipes.
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Key Lime Pie Recipe
Ingredients
GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST
- 2 cups graham crackers, crumbled
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted slightly cooled
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
KEY LIME FILLING
- 14 ounce sweetened condensed milk
- 6 eggs yolks
- 1 lime, Grated zest
- 1 cup freshly squeezed key lime juice
Instructions
- Butter the bottom and side of a 10-inch Pyrex or other oven-proof glass pie: set aside.
- To make the crust: In a large bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar. Using your hands, mix thoroughly until the ingredients come together. Press the graham cracker mixture over the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate.
- Preheat the oven at 350°F.
- Place the piecrust in the oven and bake until lightly browned on the edges and firm, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove to a wire rack and let cool while you make the filling. Please don't turn off the oven.
- To make the filling: In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the sweetened condensed milk with the yolks, salt, and lime zest on medium speed until thick and pale, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the lime juice and beat until blended.
- Pour the filling into the pie shell and bake, until the custard is set and just wiggle a bit in the center, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove to a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes. Refrigerate until well chilled.
Notes
PRO TIPS
When zesting the limes, ensure you only get the outer green of the peel. The white pit is very bitter and will change the flavor of your pie.Nutrition
Cooking Canva provides nutritional information, but these figures should be considered estimates, as a registered dietician does not calculate them.
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