Key Lime Pie
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I love the mix of tart and sweet key lime filling, crumbly graham cracker crust and whipped cream topping. I am going to be honest. Not all sweets and desserts are created equal. Cakes, pies and cookies just aren’t usually my thing, that’s not to say I won’t eat them; I just much prefer pastries layered with chocolate and creams, custards or tarts. Key lime pie is a different story. I think I could eat a whole pie by myself. For Thanksgiving I always insist my mom make a key lime pie to go along with the pumpkin, apple and pecan pies because it is the superior pie in my book. This key lime pie is made using sweetened condensed milk and fresh key limes and comes together easily with a velvety texture.
What’s the Difference? Key Limes vs. Limes
Key limes are also known as Mexican limes or West Indies limes. They’re most commonly grown in Florida between June and September and in Mexico year round. One of the most obvious differences between limes and key limes is size. Key limes are much smaller than regular limes. The flavor of the tart key limes is perfectly paired with the sweetened condensed milk in the filling.
Key Ingredients in This Recipe
- Key limes – While key limes can often be found in grocery stores between June and September, key lime juice can be found in most stores year round. It’s found in the juice section or with cocktail mixers. Look for the pure juice with no additional additives if using bottled key lime juice.
- Condensed milk – Sweetened, condensed milk is made when all the water has been removed from cow’s milk and mixed with sugar. This sweet, creamy ingredient pairs perfectly with the tart limes.
- Graham crackers – Graham crackers are ground in the food processor and mixed with melted butter to create the crumbly, flavorful crust to this pie.
- Lime zest – The lime zest is the grated outer skin from the citrus to add a concentrated flavor. Use a zester or microplane to remove the zest. If you don’t have a zester use a paring knife or vegetable peeler to remove the rind and finely chop it. If you are using key lime juice rather than fresh key limes, substitute zest from regular limes.
- Eggs – While some recipes use only egg yolks, I beat whole eggs in to the mixture.
- Sour cream – Sour cream is added to the whipped cream to both thicken it and add a tangy flavor.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How to Make Key Lime Pie
- Blend the crust. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190ºC). Butter a 10-inch aluminum pie pan. In a food processor combine the graham crackers, sugar, cinnamon and melted butter, pulsing until the graham cracker crumbs are moist.
- Par bake the crust. Pour into the pie pan and press the crumbs evenly along the bottom of the pan and up the sides. Bake the pie crust for 15 minutes or until the crust is lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool.
- Whisk together the filling. While the pie crust bakes, whisk the key lime zest, lime juice, key lime juice, condensed milk, and eggs together in a large bowl.
- Bake the pie. Pour the filling into the cooled, prepared pie crust and return to the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, until the filling is set but still jiggles in the middle. Remove the pie from the oven and let cool completely. When the pan is cooled, move to the refrigerator until chilled, about 6 hours.
- Make the whipped cream. When ready to serve, prepare the whipped cream. In a stand-mixer or using a handheld mixer, whisk the heavy cream, sour cream and sugar together until the whipped cream forms stiff peaks.
- Add to a pastry bag. Spoon the whipped cream into a pastry bag fitted with a large star shape tip.
- Serve. Hold the pastry bag 1/2” over the pie then decorate the outer edges of the pie with the whipped cream. Sprinkle the pie with the remaining key lime zest and key lime slices for garnish. Serve cold.
Tips and Tricks for This Recipe
- Use key lime juice if you can’t find fresh key limes for this recipe.
- While graham cracker crusts are extremely easy to make, it can be substituted for a store-bought graham cracker crust.
- Be sure to chill the pie entirely before serving.
Other Recipes to Try
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Made this dish? Be sure to rate the recipe and drop a comment below! Your feedback means everything (and helps others find it too)!
Key Lime Pie
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Ingredients:
For the crust:
- 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing the pan
For the filling:
- 1 teaspoon key lime zest, plus additional for garnish
- 1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed key lime juice
- 2 (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
- 2 eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
For the whipped cream:
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- Key lime slices, for garnish
Instructions:
For the crust:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190ºC). Butter a 10-inch aluminum pie pan. In a food processor combine the graham crackers, sugar, cinnamon and melted butter, pulsing until the graham cracker crumbs are moist.
- Pour into the pie pan and press the crumbs evenly along the bottom of the pan and up the sides. Bake the pie crust for 15 minutes or until the crust is lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool.
For the filling:
- While the pie crust bakes, whisk the key lime zest, lime juice, key lime juice, condensed milk, and eggs together in a large bowl.
- Pour the filling into the cooled, prepared pie crust and return to the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, until the filling is set but still jiggles in the middle. Remove the pie from the oven and let cool completely. When the pan is cooled, move to the refrigerator until chilled, about 6 hours.
For the whipped cream:
- When ready to serve, prepare the whipped cream. In a stand-mixer or using a handheld mixer, whisk the heavy cream, sour cream and sugar together until the whipped cream forms stiff peaks.
- Spoon the whipped cream into a pastry bag fitted with a large star shape tip.
- Hold the pastry bag 1/2” over the pie then decorate the outer edges of the pie with the whipped cream. Sprinkle the pie with the remaining key lime zest and key lime slices for garnish. Serve cold.
Nutrition:
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My cousin and I went down to Key West last month and while we were there we decided to find the best key lime pie on the island. They were all pretty good but I thought I could do better so I tried your recipe. I think I found the winner! Yours was the best by far! I can’t wait to make it for my cousin and see what she thinks.