Key Lime Pie
Taste all of the light sweet flavors of citrus when you bite into a slice of Key Lime Pie. This easy dessert is sweet-tart perfection!
Key Lime Pie is an easy dessert, and the refreshingly tart, sweet lime flavor will drive your friends and family wild! This pie is a total citrus dream, made with a buttery graham cracker crust, a lime custard filling, and topped with homemade whipped cream.
A Sweet Tangy Treat
Key Lime Pie is one of those magical desserts where you’re hooked at first bite. The creamy combination of tart limes and sugar makes this pie so light and yet so completely satisfying that you want to just eat it forever! Of course, I always remember my love of chocolate, but I come back to key lime pie all through the spring and summer. Using a premade pie crust is a time saver but since this pie is so quick to make I sometimes make a homemade crust and either way, we dive into this dessert with wild abandon because it’s just that good.
The sweet and sour flavor of limes is so easy to enjoy in drinks like Key Lime Whipped Lemonade or other sweets like Lime Sugar Cookies!
Other Recipes to Serve with Key Lime Pie
- Treat the fam to a savory dinner before dessert, featuring bright, tangy citrus flavors when you make Citrus Chicken Breast Marinade!
- Give everyone a taste of what’s to come during happy hour with deliciously homemade Key Lime Pie Cocktails!
Ingredients
Pantry Items: You will need a graham cracker crust and a can of sweetened condensed milk. Make sure you don’t pick up evaporated milk instead – it doesn’t have the necessary sugar for this recipe.
Limes: A good number of key limes are needed to make the filling, so pick up a bag that has 16-20 limes in it. You can also use key lime juice, usually found in the juice aisle, but regular bottled lime juice is not recommended. You will need to zest a few limes before juicing them.
Eggs: A couple of egg yolks are needed for the custard filling.
Topping: You will need both heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar.
Garnish: To garnish the pie, you can use a thinly sliced lime and more lime zest.
How to Make Key Lime Pie
STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Using a mixer, beat together the egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk. Add the lime juice and lime zest and beat for a few more minutes.
STEP TWO: Place the pie crust on a cookie sheet and pour the filling into the pie crust. Bake the pie for 20 minutes, and then remove the pie from the oven to cool completely.
STEP THREE: Place the pie in the fridge to chill for at least three hours.
STEP FOUR: Using a mixer, beat the heavy whipping cream until peaks form, and then add the sugar. Mix until combined. Pipe the whipped cream onto the pie or spread it over the top and garnish as you like.
Tips for Success
- Using a prepared pie crust makes easy work of this pie, but you can make your homemade crust instead! Pull out your favorite recipe or use this Graham Cracker Crust recipe.
- Wait to mix and top the pie with whipped cream until you are ready to serve it. This will keep the whipped cream fresh and fluffy. This citric acid in the pie filling can start to break down the whipped cream if it’s put on too early.
- Don’t have time to make homemade whipped cream? No problem, pick up a tub of Cool Whip or grab a can of Redi-Whip instead.
What is Key Lime Pie filling made of?
The filling for a key lime pie is pretty standard and calls for key lime juice, lime zest, eggs, and sweetened condensed milk. The pie bakes for such a short time because the eggs and sweetened condensed milk work quickly, once heated, to create a firm, almost custard-like texture. Chilling the pie for a good length of time lets the filling finish coming together and firm up, which is how you can make those beautiful slices when you’re ready to serve.
Can you use regular limes in place of key limes?
If you want to use fresh fruit in this pie and can’t find key limes, the regular ones found at the store will also work. These are Persian limes and the most commonly found variety. These limes are larger, making them easier to juice, and you will need less for this recipe.
Key limes are preferred and the most famous for use for key lime pie because they contain a more concentrated lime flavor with floral notes not found in Persian limes. Regardless of which limes you choose for this pie, regular bottled lime juice is not recommended for this pie. If needed, you can get away with equal parts lemon and lime juice instead of key lime juice.
Enjoy limes for every meal!
Key Lime Pie
Equipment
- Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer and Bowls
Ingredients
Pie
- 10 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 2 large egg yolks
- ½ cup key lime juice (see note)
- 1 tablespoon lime zest
- Graham cracker pie crust prepared
Topping
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 lime thinly sliced, for garnish
- Lime zest for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk until combined. Add in the key lime juice and zest and continue to beat for another 3 minutes.
- Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust. Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
- Let the pie cool to room temperature, and then chill for 3 hours or overnight in the fridge.
- When you're ready to serve, beat the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Then add in the powdered sugar and beat to combine.
- Spread the whipped cream over the pie in an even layer. Sprinkle with lime zest and garnish with lime slices if desired. Cut into 8 slices and enjoy.
Sounds amazing….will try this on week-end.