This is probably the best Key Lime Pie Recipe! Each bite melts in your mouth. It’s deliciously rich and creamy thanks to the sweetened condensed milk and the sour cream, and it has the perfect amount of zesty, bright lime flavor. Just finish it with fluffy whipped cream for an over-the-top, incredibly enticing dessert!
Key Lime Pie is an amazing dessert year-round, but doesn’t it just scream for spring and summer?
- It’s so vibrant and refreshing, and I love that it’s simple to make a pie that doesn’t require a lot of extra effort.
- The simple filling comes together in no time and is so nice that it uses a graham cracker crust so you don’t have to wait for the dough to cool down and it doesn’t make a big flour mess all over the counter (and the floor and your clothes if you’re a messy baker like me).
- Plus, it’s a flavor pairing that’s just meant to be the way the honey graham cracker flavor blends with the creamy lime flavor is the perfect match.
- The great thing about this pie is that it fancy enough for the holidays but it’s easy enough for an after-dinner weekend treat. Any of the 365 days of the year is the perfect day to make this decadently luscious pie!
Could you make your key Lie Pie with Regular Limes?
- Here, either type of lime works perfectly. They taste so similar that I don’t think it’s necessary to squeeze 40 mini-key limes (or whatever it takes to get that much juice), the regular Persian limes work just as well.
Can I use a Quick Key Lime Pie Store-Bought Pie Crust?
- The store-bought crust is supposed to work great here, but you may have a few extra tablespoons of filling.
Tips for Perfect Key Lime Pie
- Do not use a cheese grater to zest the limes. Use the zester and press gently to ensure you don’t get any white pith of the lime. That white pit would make the pie bitter.
- Use fresh and juicy limes. When selecting limes, look for larger ones and squeeze them, they’re supposed to have some give and not be as hard as rocks. Juicier limes mean less work. Do not
- use bottled lime juice. It wouldn’t be as good as fresh anywhere.
- Allow the pie to chill completely so that it sets up properly. Plus, it’s so refreshing when it’s completely chilled.
Be sure to check out these other delicious pie recipes!
Apple Pie
Boston Cream Pie
Mini Apple Pies
Key Lime Pie
Whenever you're craving a refreshing and tangy dessert, this Key Lime Pie is the perfect blend of creamy, citrusy filling and a buttery graham cracker crust. With its zesty lime flavor and smooth texture, it’s an ideal treat for summer days or whenever you need a slice of sunshine!
Ingredients
Crust
- 9 full of graham cracker sheets 136g broken into halves
- 2 1/2 Tbsp 32g granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup 76g unsalted butter, melted
Filling
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 Tbsp lime zest or key lime zest
- 1 14 oz can sweeten condensed milk*
- 1/2 cup 120ml strained of fresh lime juice or key lime juice
- 1/4 cup 56g full fat sour cream
Topping
- 3/4 cup 175ml heavy cream**
- 1 1/2 Tbsp 19g granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
For the crust:
- Pulse graham crackers in a food processor, till they are fine crumbs. Put into a mixing bowl, whisk in sugar and then pour in the butter and using a fork stir till evenly moistened.
- Pour mixture into a 9-inch pie plate and spread and press into an even layer along bottom and edges of the pie dish, coming within about 1/3-inch of the top edge.
- Bake in preheated oven till golden brown, about 12 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely (meanwhile, prepare to fill). Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.
For the filling:
- In a mixing bowl whisk together egg yolks and lime zest. Stir in sweetened condensed milk, and then mix in lime juice and sour cream till well mixed.
- Set mixture aside to rest about 15 minutes (this allows it time to thicken before pouring into the crust).
- Pour into cooled crust and evenly spread. Bake in the preheated oven until nearly set, 15 minutes (pie should jiggle just slightly).
- Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack 45 minutes, then chill in refrigerator 4 hours.
- Pipe whipped topping over top, garnish with lime wedges if desired, and cut into slices. Store pie in refrigerator.
For the whipped topping:
- In a mixing bowl (preferably one that has been chilled in freezer 5 minutes) using an electric hand mixer, whip heavy cream, and sugar until stiff peaks form.
Notes
- Don't use fat-free sweetened condensed milk or it won't turn out the same. Just the standard stuff.
- If you want enough cream to cover the pie double the amount of heavy cream and sugar for the topping.