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Desserts | November 25, 2019

Key Lime Pie

Key Lime Pie is the perfect blend of tart and sweet and has been on our Thanksgiving pie menu for years! If you love graham cracker crusts, and creamy fillings, you’ll love this pie.

Key Lime pie with towel and fresh limes

“My My My, My Key Lime Pie”. Don’t you love that Kenny Chesney song? When my kids were little, I used to tell them Kenny Chesney was my old boyfriend, but I blew him off, so I could marry Grant. If you haven’t heard that song, look it up, and get the ingredients together to make this pie!

Key Lime was always a favorite at our annual Pie Night. The first time I ate delicious key lime pie, we were in Florida. I absolutely loved the tart and sweet filling surrounded by graham cracker crust and topped with whipped cream. I knew it was a pie I had to recreate at home ASAP!

Key Lime Pie in Springform Pan

Key Lime Pie Filling is easy to make and can be made and poured into a store bought graham cracker crust, or made at home. I love a good homemade graham cracker crust and it takes just a few minutes to make. You won’t believe the difference between a homemade and a store bought crust! You can make it in a standard pie plate or I love to make mine in a 9″spring form pan. Just press the crumbs into the pan and bake.

What is the difference between a Key lime and a regular lime? Key limes are a bit smaller than the limes most of us buy, have more seeds and are more difficult to juice. They are not readily available in most places in the U.S., but you can find Key Lime Juice at most grocery stores. Key lime juice is usually sold near the lemon juice or fruit juices. Once you open a bottle, keep it in the fridge.

Key Lime Pie with limes and serving utensil

Some like merengue on their Key lime pie, but I prefer mine with a little fresh whipped cream. Beat the whipping cream until it forms stiff peaks. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat again. Mixing up fresh whipped cream is easy as that. Top with whipped cream and lime slices for a cute finishing touch!

Key Lime Pie with limes and serving utensil
4.25 from 4 votes
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Key Lime Pie

This Key Lime Pie is creamy, sweet, tart and surrounded by the perfect homemade graham cracker crust! So refreshing and easy to make.

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword graham cracker crust, key lime, pie
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
cooling time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 40 minutes
Servings 8

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crust

  • 2 cups graham cracker crumbs crushed with a food processor about 1 ½ packages
  • 1/3 cup butter melted
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Key Lime Filling

  • 3 large eggs separated room temperature is bes
  • 1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
  • ½ cup key lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons grated lime peel ** make sure to buy a lime to have lime zest!**
  • 2 tablespoons sugar

Whipped Topping

  • 1-2 cups whipping cream
  • 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

Graham Cracker Crust

  1. Mix together crushed graham crackers, butter, sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl, or the bowl of a food processor.

  2. Press onto bottom and 1” up the sides a 9” lightly greased Springform pan or a 9-10 inch pie plate.

  3. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Cool while making filling.

Key Lime Pie Filling

  1. Whisk egg yolks in a large bowl. Add sweetened condensed milk, key lime juice, lemon juice and zest. Mix until smooth.

  2. In a separate clean bowl, beat egg whites until foamy with mixer. Gradually add 2 tablespoons sugar, beating until soft peaks form.

  3. Gently fold into yolk mixture, then spoon into prepared crust.

  4. Bake at 325 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, until set. Cover and chill for 4- 8 hours.

Whipped Topping

  1. Beat whipping cream until stiff. Add sugar and vanilla. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

10 thoughts on “Key Lime Pie

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Recipe Rating




  1. OK-I love that pie too, but had no idea I was making it with the wrong juice. What a waste of all those years-“sigh”.
    No wait, SI-thanks again for saving the rest of my cooking career.
    Love Ann

  2. The Best key lime pie we have ever eaten was at
    Kutchie's Key West down in North Carolina. We
    stopped there while on vacation a few years back.
    Key lime pie is my husbands favorite, he said that
    pie was the best one yet. We tried to get the recipe but was unsuccessful in doing so. Do you think that you guys could get it for us?
    Thanks, Mary Beth Couric

  3. 5 stars
    I made this for Thanksgiving this year along with your Apple Cranberry pie and some pumpkin pies. It is a KEEPER!! My kids loved it and we definitely needed two! Thanks for the easy, yummy recipe!!

  4. I’m making this for Christmas dinner!! When you say cover and chill, do you let the pie completely cool before putting it in the refrigerator?

  5. 2 stars
    I followed the instructions exactly but this was just ok compared to key lime pies we’ve eaten in Florida. The flavor was okay; I would prefer less sweetness and more lime flavor/tartness. The eggs made the filling grainy and kind of lumpy instead of smooth and creamy. I would not make this again.

  6. 5 stars
    This pie was so easy to make and so delicious! I didn’t have any key lime juice, so I substituted 1/4 cup lemon juice and 1/4 lime juice together to create the 1/2 cup key lime juice. Turned out great!

  7. 5 stars
    Would it be possible to make this recipe in a jelly roll pan? We will be making it for a large function. If so, would doubling the recipe be enough? Thanks!