Key Lime Pie

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Nothing compares to the tangy goodness of Key Lime Pie! This classic dessert features a buttery graham cracker crust, whipped cream topping, and a key lime filling that has the perfect balance of sweet + tart.

The Best Key Lime Pie Recipe

If you love key lime pie, you will love this recipe! Made with a traditional graham cracker crust and a lemony, creamy key-lime filling, this pie checks all the boxes. The finished pie is decorated with fluffy swirls of homemade whipped cream, plus thinly sliced lime wedges. It’s a total showstopper of a dessert that tastes like a million bucks.

Why You’ll Love It

• Easy. Both the crust and the filling come together easily. Plus, the pie bakes in only 30 minutes!
• Flavorful. Each slice of this key lime pie has the perfect balance of sweet and tart.
• Velvety smooth. The pie filling is so smooth and creamy that it just melts in your mouth. The texture is to die for!
• Impressive! Even though this key lime pie recipe is incredibly simple, the end result is a gorgeous classic American dessert. If you take this pie to a potluck or gathering everyone will be impressed.

What You’ll Need to Make Key Lime Pie

The crust, filling and topping are all made with simple ingredients! To see the full amounts you’ll need of each item, scroll down to the recipe card.

For the Graham Cracker Crust

• Graham Cracker Crumbs: I like to crush my graham crackers in a food processor.
• Sugar
• Salt
• Unsalted Butter: Melted.

For the Key Lime Pie Filling

• Sweetened Condensed Milk: Make sure you don’t accidentally reach for evaporated milk.
• Key Lime Juice: Fresh-squeezed juice is ideal, but bottled also works great since key limes are often hard to find.
• Fresh Lemon Juice: To balance out the key lime flavor.
• Sugar: Cuts down on some of the tartness of the pie.
• Egg Yolks: You can discard the leftover whites or save them for something else.
• Salt: For flavor.

For the Whipped Cream Topping

• Heavy Whipping Cream: Keep this chilled until you’re about to use it.
• Powdered Sugar: This provides some sweetness – but more importantly, it stabilizes the whipped cream so it doesn’t wilt in the fridge.
• Vanilla Extract
• Lime Slices: Optional, for decorating.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to Make Key Lime Pie From Scratch

Are you ready to make key lime pie? Here’s how to do it:

Make the Crust

1. Heat Oven: Preheat the oven to 325°F.
2. Combine Dry Ingredients: Add the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and salt to a large bowl and stir to combine.
3. Add Butter: Add the melted butter, stirring until the mixture is well combined with a crumbly texture.
4. Transfer Crust to Pan: Pour the mixture into a deep dish 9-inch pie pan and spread the crumbs around so that they’re evenly dispersed. Press the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Bake the crust for 5 minutes, then set aside to cool.

Make the Filling

1. Combine Filling Ingredients: Whisk together all of the filling ingredients just until well combined.
2. Pour Into Crust & Bake: Pour the filling into the pie crust and bake the pie for about 25-30 minutes, or until the edges are set and the center is just set but still jiggly. It may seem like it’s still not terribly firm, but it will firm up as it cools.
3. Let Cool: Cool the pie on a wire rack for 1 hour, then refrigerate it until it’s firm, around 5-6 hours.

Make the Topping

1. Combine Ingredients: Add the cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract to a large mixer bowl and whip the mixture on high speed until stiff peaks form.
2. Pipe Onto Pie: Pipe the whipped cream around the top edge of your pie and add half slices of lime if you’d like. I piped the whipped cream in swirls, but feel free to decorate your pie as desired.

Pro Tips for Perfect Key Lime Pie

While this is an easy key lime pie recipe, it never hurts to have a few tips. Here are some tricks to help you make a perfectly flawless key lime pie:

• The trick to juicing limes: I like to microwave my key limes for 30 seconds before I halve them and go at them with my citrus juicer. This helps them release more juice. If you don’t have a citrus juicer, simply twist a fork into the open end of each lime half.
• Short on time? If you really need to cut down on prep time, go ahead and use a store-bought graham cracker crust instead of making one from scratch. Your key lime pie will still be magnificent!
• Let the pie cool completely: Don’t add your whipped cream to the pie until the filling has fully set. It should cool on a wire rack for 1 hour before chilling in the fridge for at least 5.
• Chill if not serving right away: This pie isn’t meant to be left at room temperature. Unless you’re slicing and serving it as soon as you add the whipped cream, return it to the fridge until you’re ready to enjoy it.

How to Store

This pie should be kept in an airtight container in the fridge. Enjoy it within 4-5 days for the best results. I’m willing to bet it’ll be gone well before then!

Can I Freeze It?

Yes, you can freeze it. I recommend freezing it without the whipped cream. Flash freeze it for about an hour, then wrap it in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months, then thaw in the fridge prior to serving. Top with whipped cream before serving.

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More Classic Pies

Looking for another easy homemade pie for your next celebration? With the recipes below, you literally can’t fail!

• Coconut Cream Pie
• Classic Pumpkin Pie
• Lemon Icebox Pie