Key Lime Pie

This key lime pie is super simple to make with just a few ingredients, perfectly tart and creamy, and with a buttery graham cracker crust. You can use fresh key limes, or bottled key lime juice so this comes together easily! Top with whipped cream for a dessert I know everyone will love.

 

Ok, friend. Meet my favorite dessert. The key lime pie. I wish I had known my love for this dessert earlier in life. I have to admit I didn’t have my first slice of this tart creamy citrus pie until I was in my 20’s.

I actually brought this homemade key lime pie to a get together recently very unsure of how it would be received. In fact I brought a back up dessert (yes I’m that crazy person). I brought this Irish apple cake with custard sauce just in case. I mean would everyone be a fan of key lime pie like I was?! Turns out the 2nd dessert wasn’t needed (still devoured mind you, but not needed) because everyone was SO EXCITED about this key lime pie. 

Turns out I’m not alone. Key lime pie rocks. Like my Key Lime Cheesecake Recipe. It’s amazing. ‘Nuff said. Let’s make some.

History Of Key Lime Pie

Fun fact time! Did you know the key lime pie originates from (you may have guessed!) Key West Florida and dates back to the 1800’s!? Whoa that’s one old pie. And since back then modern refrigeration wasn’t a thing yet, canned milk was used in the pie instead of fresh milk. Basically this easy key lime pie recipe was born out of necessity!

Do you need to bake a key lime pie?

It used to be a no bake pie, because the acid in the key limes would cause a chemical reaction to happen with the condensed milk and egg yolks so it would set up on its own. But due to recent concerns over raw eggs, this pie is now baked. And personally I think a baked version is better anyway because it creates a smooth, set filling that is just to die for. 

Why You Will Love This Recipe

• Just 6 Ingredients – Yup that’s it. Only six ingredients is all you need. 
• Prep Time Is Minimal – In just about 20 minutes you can throw this pie together. Ok sure it’s got set it up and bake still but 20 minutes of actual hands on time is all this takes!
• Simple To Make. The hardest part is sometimes figuring out how to get that food processor lid to attach so I can turn it on. Tell me I’m not alone here! But seriously, that’s the hardest part. Otherwise these couldn’t be simpler.

Key Lime Pie Ingredients

All of the ingredients are shown below and a few ingredient notes worth mentioning:

• Graham Crackers – I turn these into crumbs using my food processor but you could also throw them in a plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin. 
• Butter – I recommend using unsalted butter vs. salted butter so I can control the amount of salt.
• Sweetened Condensed Milk –  Make sure you grab the right can, and not evaporated milk! They are not the same thing. You need two cans.
• Key Lime Juice – You can squeeze a bunch of tiny key limes but I prefer to use this awesome bottled juice instead making this one of the fastest pies every to throw together. You can also use regular lime juice if you can’t find either.
• Lime Zest – Ok now I used regular limes but you can add key lime zest if you can find key limes.
• Egg yolks – For help on separate your eggs cleanly, read how to separate eggs (6 ways!).
• Sugar – I used granulated sugar, but brown sugar in the crust would be a great swap!

How To Make Key Lime Pie

1. Prep your oven. Preheat the oven to 350oF and place a rack in the center of the oven. 
2. Make the crust. In a food processor, grind the graham crackers, sugar and salt into fine crumbs. Pour the crumbs into a large bowl and stir in the melted butter until the crust comes together. Press the crust evenly over the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. I do this with the bottom of a dry measuring cup. Bake for 15 minutes to 18 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and baked through.  Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack. 

3.  Make the filling. In a large bowl, whisk together the condensed milk, key lime juice, egg yolks, lime zest, and the salt until smooth. Pour into the partially baked crust. 

4. Bake the pie. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the pie is set but still a little wobbly in the middle when you shake it. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days (although I’ve had it last longer!).

5.  Make the whipped cream: Place your mixing bowl in your freezer for about 10 minutes. You can make this in your stand mixer, electric hand mixer, or with a whisk.  In the chilled bowl  combine the cream, confectioners sugar, and vanilla and whip until the cream holds stiff peaks.  When you take the beaters or whisk out of the bowl the peaks should stand on their own and the whipped cream should be billowy and fluffy. I store my whipped cream in an airtight container and it holds up well for up to 3 days.  Right before serving, you can pipe or spread a generous layer of whipped cream on top of the pie before serving. 

For more step by step photos check out my full Whipped Cream recipe!

Recipe Tips

• Use The Bottom Of The Measuring Cup. To press down the crumbs into the pan. It really does make fast work of it.
• Don’t Overbake. You may want to bake this pie past the time suggested because it still looks a little wobbly in the middle but don’t worry it will continue to set up after you take it out of the oven. I look for the edges to be set but the middle to be still wobbly.
• Chill The Pie. This pie needs to chill and set up before serving. I refrigerate mine and let it set up for 2-3 hours before serving.
• Use bottled juice to make this pie happen faster. I used Nellie and Joe’s Famous Key Lime juice and got ion Amazon. But I have seen it in my grocery store so you might want to try there first. Ok yes I’m sure fresh is better but I’ve yet to find key limes in my grocery store. And what I’ve heard is that these limes, being much smaller than their bigger cousins, can be a pain because you need to squeeze a whole bunch (like up to 20!)

Topping This Pie

I topped this key lime pie with my easy homemade Whipped Cream. My whipped cream will hold up for 2 days (although I’ve pushed it to 3 days no problem) in the fridge. So you can make it ahead of time and have it ready to serve on top of your pie. I would not top the pie with the whipped cream though until ready to serve so it holds up well. 

Recipe FAQ’s

More Pie Recipes

• No Bake Turtle Pie
• Deep Dish Apple Pie
• Nectarine Pie
• Strawberry Pie
• Cherry Crumb Pie