Prepare to fall in love with this Key Lime Pie recipe. This is by far the best traditional pie we've had and it's so easy to make. Slice into this cream pie and serve for any occasion. You don't want to miss this recipe.
When coming up with the best recipe for you, we tried kermits, and a frozen Edwards pie. We wanted to come up a great restaurant style pie you can make at home. This is a recipe we've use for every Father's Day for several years and everyone loves it.
If you loved these pies you don't want to miss our other cream and custard pies. Try our Lemon Icebox Pie, Caramel Pie, Mango Pie, and Cinnamon Pie. You'll also love our Key West, Florida-inspired Key Lime Cookies.
Jump to:
Ingredients
We try to use the best ingredients when cooking. We also love making food with easy-to-use ingredients. Check out the ingredients list below for tips and tricks.
- Graham Crackers- Crush the graham crackers with a rolling pin, or use a food processor for a finer texture.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk- Don't confuse this with evaporated milk!
- Egg Yolks- Save the egg whites for breakfast the next morning in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.
- Key Limes- Don't use regular limes for this recipe. You will need the juice and the zest for the best results.
- Vanilla-To help tie the filling all together and add a smooth flavor.
See recipe card for quantities.
Learn How To Make Key Lime Pie
Use these step-by-step process photos for the best results. It's important not to beat the batter too much or it won't form properly.
- Crush the graham crackers and combine the butter, graham crackers, and sugar to make a crust.
2. Beat the egg yolks with an electric wire whisk until they become thick and fluffy.
3. Slowly add in the lie zest and vanilla and beat in. Then slowly aadd in the sweetened condensed milk. Then add in the key lime juice mixing until just combined.
4. Pour the preapared filling in the pie crust. Bake for 12-16 minutes. The pie will be a little wobbly in the cent. Cool completely before refrigerating or freezing.
Hint: Top the cooled pie with whipped cream. If you don't like whipped cream, the pie is delicious on it's own.
There isn't enough volume in the mixture to use a stand mixer. Use an electric hand mixer to mix.
Mini
Make this mini tart style. We love how cute they are and they also make a great dessert for baby showers, and parties. Place crust and filling in 8- 3" pie tins, bake crusts for 3.5 minutes. After filling the crust, bake the filling 7-10 minutes until just a little wobble.
Try this fun Key Lime Bars for another fun variation.
Learn From Us
For years I made my crust without sugar and with salted butter. I loved the compliment of the slightly savory crust with the sweet filling in all of my recipes. But without sugar the crust is crumbly and doesn't hold. I tried everything I could think of to get it to stick together, but it seems that sugar is the secret ingredient to a crust that holds together. So now, if I'm making a pie I want to look pretty I always use sugar in the crust, but if I am just making it for family I leave the sugar out for better flavor!
You'll love this as a Thanksgiving Pie.
Storing Key Lime Pie
To store this Key Lime pie cover it with plastic wrap or in an air-tight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also freeze it for another time. It can freeze for up to 2 months. Make sure to cool the pie to room temperature before freezing.
Top tips
While we recommend using fresh limes, if you can't that's ok. Our favorite brands of store-bought juice is Nellie and Joe's.
If you want that true Key Lime taste, do not use regular lime juice. It is not the same. The taste of the pie will turn out different than traditional Key Lime Pie.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Recipe
Key Lime Pie
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust:
- 1 package graham crackers from a 14(ish) oz. box of graham crackers, crushed
- 5 Tablespoons salted butter melted
- 3 Tablespoons sugar see notes
For the Key Lime Filling:
- 4 egg yolks
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ½ teaspoons key lime zest see notes below
- 14 ounce sweetened condensed milk like Eagle brand
- ⅔ cup key lime juice see note below
For the Whipped Cream:
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 1-2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Make the crust:
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Place crushed graham crackers, butter and sugar together in a bowl and mix well with a fork. Press into a 9" pie plate, using the bottom of a small cup or measuring cup to press into the sides and bottom. Bake for 5 minutes then remove from oven and set aside.
Make the Filling:
- Using a hand mixer, beat the egg yolks on high with a wire whisk attachment until lightened in color and thick and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes. See process picture above for reference. Add the lime zest and vanilla and beat to combine. Slowly add in the sweetened condensed milk and keep beating another 3 minutes. Lower the mixer speed to low and add the key lime juice mixing only until just combined.
- Pour the filling into the crust and bake 12-16 minutes until the filling has set. The pie will be a little wobbly in the center when nudged. Allow to cool completely before refrigerating or freezing.
For the Whipped Cream (optional, see notes):
- Beat the cold whipping cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla on high with the wire whisk attachment. Beat until stiff peaks form then place on the pie.
Notes
- Lime zest: it isn't as important that you use key limes. If you use bottled key lime juice you can use regular lime zest and the pie will still turn out. The 1 ½ teaspoons is about how much we got from 1 lime
- We highly recommend using a microplane instead of a zester to get the zest from the limes. It's so much easier to use and does a better job of getting the zest.
- We always recommend using fresh key lime juice and key lime zest. However, this pie will still turn out if you use store bought key lime juice. We recommend Nellie and Joe's.
- Do not use regular limes for this pie. It will NOT taste the same. Key limes have a different flavor than regular limes. We highly recommend that you don't use any regular lime juice, even if you're just a couple tablespoons.
- We don't like adding sugar to our crust- we feel the pie is sweet enough already. However, the crust will not stay together without the addition of sugar. So if you are okay with a crumbly crust that falls apart, we recommend omitting the sugar for flavor purposes.
- W recommend using a hand mixer as there isn't enough volume for a stand mixer to do a good job.
- We know it's a long time to beat the filling, but trust us- it makes all the difference in the texture!
- Whipped Cream- typically key lime pie is served with whipped cream. We absolutely LOVE the flavor of this pie without whipped cream. We love how tart and flavorful it is and find that the whipped cream dulls the tartness and flavor a bit.
- Refrigerate for 2-4 hours or overnight before serving. Some like to freeze it for 10 minutes before serving.
- To freeze: place in freezer after it cools to room temperature. Allow the thaw in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour before serving.
- To store: Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Andrea says
Such a tasty key lime pie. This is by far my favorite recipe. Will be making it again.