Our Favorite Key Lime Pie Recipe
Key Lime Pie is a dessert that encompasses the perfect balance of tangy key lime juice and sweetened condensed milk, all nestled in a buttery graham cracker crust. Originating in the Florida Keys, this pie has become a favorite for summer gatherings in our family. Whether you're a seasoned baker or a novice in the kitchen, our favorite Key Lime Pie recipe is guaranteed to impress and refresh with every bite!
What is Key Lime Pie?
Key lime pie is a classic American dessert made from key lime juice, sweetened condensed milk, and egg yolks, typically served in a graham cracker crust. It is known for its tangy, sweet, and creamy filling and often topped with homemade whipped cream {one of our favorite parts}.
Why We Love Key Lime Pie
There are so many reasons why we love Key Lime Pie, including these:
- It’s the perfect warm weather dessert because of it’s refreshing, cold nature.
- It’s a Florida staple – and we love the nod to our home state.
- It’s fairly simple to whip up for a weekend gathering {or any night of the week}
A Few Key Ingredients in Key Lime Pie
- Key Lime juice: These tiny limes provide the signature tart and citrusy flavor of the pie.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk: This thick and creamy milk adds sweetness and a creamy texture to the filling.
- Graham Cracker Crust: You can never go wrong with a classic, a crunchy base that complements the smooth filling of the pie.
Tips for Preparing Key Lime Pie
Follow these tips for preparing Key Lime Pie:
- If you can’t get ahold of fresh Key Limes, swap them out for Persian limes.
- Try firmly rolling the limes on the counter before juicing them; doing so can help make squeezing them easier.
- Bake the pie until the filling is just set and still slightly jiggly in the center -- over-baking can cause the filling to crack!
- Let the pie cool at room temperature before chilling it in the refrigerator. This helps prevent condensation on the surface.
- If you don’t want to home make the whipped cream, store-bought is just fine.
- Zest the limes (make sure to save the zest in a small bowl for garnishing later on) before juicing them.
Key Lime Pie
Serves 10-12, Yields 1 pie
Ingredients:
FOR THE GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST:
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs (if using an 8-inch pie dish) or 2 cups graham cracker crumbs (if using a 9-inch pie dish)
- ¼ cup sugar
- 6 Tablespoons butter, melted
FOR THE KEY LIME FILLING:
- 2 cans sweetened condensed milk (14-ounce cans, I love Organic)
- ½ cup sour cream (I use full fat, may use Greek yogurt too)
- 2-3 Key limes, zested (Persian limes may be used)
- ¾ cup Key lime juice* (about 30 Key limes and about 9 Persian limes if using)
- 2 large egg yolks
FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM:
- 8 oz heavy whipping cream
- 1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2-4 tablespoons powdered sugar
Instructions:
GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Melt butter and set aside.
- Finely crush graham crackers in food processor, blender or freezer baggie with rolling pin until all the same size.
- Add in sugar and pulse a few times until blended, pour in butter and stir with fork or pulse a couple times until mixed.
- Reserve ¼ cup crumb mixture for topping, if desired.
- Pour crust mixture into 9" deep dish pie dish and using hands, press into bottom and up sides, evenly.
- Bake for 6-8 minutes, just golden, not browned.
- Remove from oven and cool completely on wire rack.
KEY LIME FILLING
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Wash, dry and zest limes, set zest aside until ready to use.
- Squeeze ¾ cup of lime juice.
- Pour lime juice, sweetened condensed milk, sour cream, egg yolks (if using) and zest into the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on low until combined, then increase to medium-high for 2-3 minutes. Whip until batter is thickened. Pro Tip: Don’t skip the medium-high whipping step.
- Pour Key Lime filling into cooled graham cracker crust.
- Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes until center is set, but still jiggles slightly when shaken. Pro Tip: Do not allow to brown.
- Remove from oven to cooling rack and cool for 30 minutes.
- Place in fridge for at least 3 hours.
WHIPPED CREAM AND GARNISH
- While your pie is cooling, make whipped cream.
- Pour cold whipping cream into cool bowl and whip until stiff peaks form.
- Add vanilla and powdered sugar, mixing on low until combined, then increase to speed to medium-high and whip until thick, almost to a light butter stage.
- Scoop out and into piping bag with star tip.
TO GARNISH: Garnish with whipping cream stars, a little lime zest, graham cracker crumbs and a slice of lime.
Recipe Courtesy of: The Fresh Cooky blog.
Watch How To Make Our Favorite Key Lime Pie Recipe
How To Store Key Lime Pie
Key Lime Pie must be kept in the refrigerator {that is, if there are any leftovers!} Cover the pie dish with plastic wrap or foil and pop it in the refrigerator to chill it.
Favorite Things to Serve with Key Lime Pie
While Key Lime Pie is the star of the show, we love to serve these things alongside {or on top of} a generous slice:
- Fresh Berries: Strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries complement the tartness of the pie with their natural sweetness. We love to pick up locally grown berries at the farmer’s market!
- Mint Leaves: A sprig of fresh mint adds a pop of color and a refreshing contrast.
- Coffee or Tea: A cup of coffee or a light, floral tea can balance the richness of the pie.
Prepare It In:
We like to assemble our ingredients before we begin preparing our Key Lime Pies. We will typically place sliced butter or limes in small bowls like our Signature White Ruffle Flare Small Bowl, Iris Blue Pip Ruffle Appetizer Bowl, or Iris Blue Drop Small Bowl for extra organization.
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Serve It Up:
Depending on how many people we plan to serve, we’ll use an 8 or 9-inch pie pan when we make Key Lime Pie. Our Signature White Ruffle Salad Plates are the perfect size for serving!
8-inch pie dishes:
9-inch pie dishes:
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