This is my favourite recipe for Key Lime Pie! This classic pie is so easy to make and it’s smooth, creamy and bursting with lime flavour! The perfect dessert to end Summer!
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Post Updated: 09/26/19
Simply Amazing Key Lime Pie
Today is National Key Lime Pie Day, which is great because I’ve never made, let alone tasted Key Lime Pie before, so this was the perfect time to do both!
This Key Lime Pie is creamy, tart, sweet and incredibly delicious! Most importantly, it’s so easy to make!
Even though this is a KEY LIME Pie recipe, no key limes were used in the making of this pie. I still bought a bag, but that was strictly for photography purposes. I just had to use regular limes, because I couldn’t be bothered with juicing a million key limes.
On top of being extremely annoying to juice, you need a ton of key limes just to get enough juice for 1 pie. On top of that, they’re expensive and a bit hard to find. No thanks. Regular limes are easier to juice, you only need a few, and they’re more affordable. Win-Win-Win!
How to Make the Best Key Lime Pie
Ok let’s get right into it. If you’re anything like I was before I originally made this pie, you probably think key lime pie is a super complicated and intimidating dessert. At least, that’s what I thought. But it is so easy it’s practically fool proof — kids could make this thing!
There are only 2 main components in this recipe:
- The Graham Cracker Crust
- The Key Lime Pie Filling
Top finish the pie off, we’ll decorate it with some whipped cream, lemon zest, graham cracker crumbs and lime twists!
Graham Cracker Crust
The graham cracker crust only requires a few simple ingredients: graham crackers, sugar, lime zest, and butter. You could leave out the lime zest if you want, but it adds so much flavour to the crust!
2 and ¼ cup of crumbs is a good amount to cover the bottom and sides of your dish. Speaking of the pan, I used a 10-inch ceramic pie dish, but this recipe will work fine for a 9-inch pie dish which is what I used when originally making this pie.
Pre-bake the crust for a few minutes to set it up, then set it aside while you prepare the filling.
Lime Filling
I used to think key lime pie filling was some type of advanced custard (these are 15-16 year old Dedra’s thoughts) but it’s actually one of the easiest pie fillings you’ll ever make!
Four, or should I say, three simple ingredients are used in the filling — egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk, lime juice and lime zest.
Now get out your hand mixer, or your whisk and strong arm, and let’s begin! Start by beating the egg yolks until they’re pale. Then pour in the sweetened condensed milk to thicken it up. My original recipe only used 1 can of sweetened milk, but I updated it to use 2 cans instead to make the filling thicker.
Next we mix in the lime juice and zest, and that’s it! Pour the filling into the crust then bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the edges look set but the centre still jiggles slightly, just like a cheesecake! Easy peasy!
The hardest part about this recipe is having to wait a few hours for the pie to chill. It’s extremely painful, especially for beginners like myself. The longer I had to wait the more paranoid I became, thinking that I failed and would have to throw the entire pie away. In the end, it was totally worth it! This pie was a SUCCESS!
Time to Decorate!
To decorate the pie, I garnished the top with graham cracker crumbs and lime zest. Then I piped some whipped cream around the edges and middle of the pie and topped each swirl with twists of lime.
To create the lime twists, cut the limes into thin slices, then cut each slice ALMOST in half. So not completely in half, leave at least ¼ inch intact. Then hold both ends of the lime slice and twist! Such a simple yet beautiful decoration! Enjoy!
Did you make this Key Lime Pie? Let me know how they turned out in the comments below! And don’t forget to leave a rating!
>>PIN THIS FOR LATER<<
Craving More Key Lime Pie Desserts? Check these out:
Key Lime Pie Pancakes
Key Lime Pie Pudding
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Let's get baking!
Yield: 8-10 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 26 minutes
Total Time: 41 minutes
This is my favourite recipe for Key Lime Pie! This classic pie is so easy to make and it’s smooth, creamy and bursting with lime flavour! The perfect dessert to end Summer!
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust:
- 2 and ¼ cups graham cracker crumbs
- 3 and ½ tablespoon Granulated Sugar
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 10 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
Filling:
- 4 large egg yolks
- 2 (14-oz) cans sweetened condensed milk
- ¾ cup freshly squeezed key lime juice (juice of about 4-6 regular limes or about 18 key limes)
- 2 teaspoons lime zest
Topping:
- 1 cup heavy cream, chilled
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Lime zest (optional)
- Lime slices
- Graham cracker crumbs (optional)
Instructions
For the Crust:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9-inch or 10-inch pie dish with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the cookie crumbs, sugar and lime zest.
- Mix in melted butter and using a fork, combine the ingredients until it begins to resemble wet sand.
- Transfer mixture to the pie dish and, using the flat bottom of a glass or measuring cup, press into the bottom and up the sides of the dish.
- Bake the crust until its slightly darkened, 6-8 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.
For the Filling:
- In a large mixing bowl, using a handheld mixer or a whisk, beat the egg yolks until they are very pale, about 5 minutes.
- Slowly pour in the sweetened condensed milk while mixing on low speed and beat until mixture is combined and thick. Pour in the lime juice and zest and mix until combined.
- Pour mixture into the cooled pie crust and place back into preheated oven. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until edges are set and the center jiggles slightly.
- Allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
For the Topping:
- Remove pie from refrigerator and garnish the top with graham cracker crumbs and lime zest, if desired. Set aside.
- In a medium stainless steal bowl, using a handheld mixer, whip the chilled cream, powdered sugar and vanilla until it reaches stiff peaks, about 3-5 minutes.
- Transfer whipped cream to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe swirls around the edges and centre of the pie.
- Top each swirl with a lime twist. Slice and serve!
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 201Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 115mgSodium: 170mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 1gSugar: 8gProtein: 5g
BON APPÉTIT!
Love, Dedra
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