January, as far as I’m concerned, is a pretty mediocre month. The holiday party tinsel-and-bubbly frenzy of November and December is replaced with hibernation and Netflix binges. The charming first and second snowstorms pass and the ones that follow are met with more of a really? it’s snowing again? Squarely between Christmas and mid-Winter break, it’s too early in the season to be so weary of the cold, but here I am, counting down the days until the hi/bye gloves can literally come off.
Fortunately, just when I’ve resigned myself to thinking it’s going to be as beige and bleak going forward as the paragraph above, January — as if implicitly understanding that it’s going to have to sell itself harder — presents us with a luminous ray of tropical sunshine packaged as citrus fruit. I become obsessed. This ridiculous thing I bought five years ago as everyone around me tut-tutted that it would never earn its keep is put into overdrive as we conduct methodical studies of the pros and cons of cara-cara vs. blood orange vs. pink grapefruit vs. tangerine juice. (Spoiler: they’re all amazing.) Citrus is as good as everything else about a biting cold sleeting day is bad.
Predictably, it doesn’t take us long to graduate from wholesome pursuits such as freshly-squeezed juice and citrus-studded salads (such as these) and onto more urgent matters: pie. There is something about key lime pie that, to me, easily trumps lemon meringue or even the most buttery caramel blood orange tart and that thing is sweetened condensed milk, which is unquestionably the manna of the canned food aisle. Thick, creamy and halfway to dulce de leche, it protects you from the harshness of the lime juice without taking away any of its tart-fragrant charm. Add a salt-flecked buttery graham cracker crust and a raft of whipped cream on top — did I mention you can have this whole thing made in well under an hour? — and I only want to know why we don’t have this around more often. Or, as my friend Claire Zulkey said best, “I never know it’s what I wanted until I’m eating it.”
One year ago: Pear and Hazelnut Muffins
Two years ago: Gnocchi in Tomato Broth
Three years ago: Buckwheat Baby with Salted Caramel Syrup
Four years ago: Baked Potato Soup (with the works!)
Five years ago: Black Bean Soup with Toasted Cumin Seed Crema
Six years ago: Light Wheat Bread and Clementine Cake
Seven years ago: Chicken Caesar Salad
Eight years ago: Pancakes, Frisee Salad and English Muffins and Artichoke Ravioli with Tomatoes
And for the other side of the world:
Six Months Ago: Easiest Fridge Dill Pickles
1.5 Years Ago: One-Pan Farro with Tomatoes
2.5 Years Ago: Bacon Corn Hash
3.5 Years Ago: Raspberry Ricotta Scones
Plus, since it’s popsicle season where you are: Both last week’s Butterscotch Pudding and this week’s Key Lime Pie have popsicle equivalents in the archives. Make them and send sweltering thoughts our way, please.
Classic Key Lime Pie
Adapted somewhat liberally from the version at Joe’s Stone Crab in Miami, where I am not
Every key lime pie recipe agrees that a can of sweetened condensed milk is the king of ingredients. From there, they diverge. Some use more lime juice, some less. (I use 2/3 cup for a nicely tart filling; use only 1/2 cup if you’re more wary of the tartness of limes.) Some use more egg yolks, some use less. (I find I only need 3 for a good set and flavor, but you can go up to 5 if you’d like something extra-rich.) Not all insist that you whip your yolks until they’re pale and ribbony, but it makes for a lovely final texture and I think is worth it.
Most importantly, despite the name, you don’t need key limes to make this. I mean, if you can get them, please do. They’re wonderful. But I made this, as I often do, with regular grocery store Persian limes and it’s no less dreamy with them.
Crust
1 1/2 cups (155 grams) finely ground graham cracker crumbs (from about 10 crackers)
3 tablespoons (40 grams) granulated sugar
2 pinches sea salt
7 tablespoons (100 grams) unsalted butter, melted
Filling
1 1/2 tablespoons finely grated lime zest
3 large egg yolks (though extra-large would do you no harm here)
1 14-ounce (396-gram) can sweetened condensed milk
2/3 cup (155 ml) fresh lime juice (from about 1 dozen tiny key limes or 4 persian/regular limes)
To Finish
3/4 cup (175 ml) heavy whipping cream
1 to 2 tablespoons powdered or granulated sugar, to taste
Heat oven: To 350°F (176°C).
Make crust: Combine graham crumbs, sugar and salt in a medium bowl and stir until mixed. Add butter and stir until crumbs are evenly coated. Press crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of a standard 9-inch pie dish. I like to use the outer edge of a heavy measuring cup to press in neat, firm sides but nobody will be the wiser if you just use your fingertips. Bake crust until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Set on cooling rack while you prepare filling. Leave oven on.
Make filling: Zest limes into the bottom of a medium bowl until you have 1 1/2 tablespoons. Beat zest and egg yolks with an electric mixer until pale and thick, about 5 minutes. Add sweetened condensed milk and beat until thickened again, about 3 minutes more. Squeeze zested limes until you have 2/3 cups juice. Whisk into yolk mixture until combined. Pour into graham crust and bake pie for another 10 minutes, until set but not browned on top at all. Let pie cool completely before adding topping — you can do this outside (thank you, January!) or even in your freezer (but don’t forget about it) to hasten the process, and your pie reward, along.
Make topping: In a medium bowl, beat cream and sugar until soft peaks are formed. Spread over top of chilled pie. Ideally, pie should be chilled at least another 2 to 3 hours with the cream on top so that it can fully set before you take a slice, but whether that happens is between you and your pie.
Key lime pie keeps in fridge for a week, though certainly not around here.
Great recipe! Mine is pretty similar. Sometimes I even thrown in some walnuts in the crust mix ;)
Try toasted pecans instead of walnuts. #Magic!
Ooh I love key lime pie! Maybe it’s time to break my no-desserts rule… I made it two weeks at least :)
I’ve been making this recipe since you’ve published and still to this day do I visit your website to reference it. It’s become my family’s secret weapon when it comes to desserts, thank you!
Ahh, my favorite favorite favorite. I don’t typically order dessert when out to eat, but if there’s key lime pie on the menu, I cannot resist!
Hello! I love this recipe so much but find that I always struggle with the crust. No matter what I do, the crust always sinks completely down and seems very greasy! Any tips?
It might need more crumbs. Grahams vary between brands. If it’s too buttery, just add more crumbs.
This is the version I use for key lime pie too! Joe’s pie is simply amazing, and it’s hard to stop at just one slice!
Key lime pie is one of my favorites to eat and make! I usually follow the same recipe, but yours looks so much prettier. I’ll definitely be using it as inspiration for my next KLP!
-E
This is the recipe I’ve been waiting for!
P.S. My boyfriend had you write me a super-sweet inscription in a copy of your cookbook as a holiday gift. It meant the world to me—thanks for being so good to your readers!
Key lime pie might just be one of my dessert island desserts, and the more tart, the better. Sadly, my husband is allergic to dairy, which kills the sweetened condensed milk (aka manna from the gods). I’ve resigned myself to just ordering it at the beach. This is not helping my cravings.
This is years and years late, but I recently found coconut condensed milk… as in, dairy free, made of coconut milk. It has all the unctuous sweetness of the real thing. It also means that now I can make recipes like this despite my husband’s lactose intolerance. Happy day!
Oh my, I love key lime pie! (rhyme intended…) I really have a hankering for it now, think I might try this out :) Such gorgeous photos too!
Hazel xx
hazeljane.co.uk
The last few times I’ve made this (and I’ve made it dozens (not kidding) of times, the crust has been stubbornly stuck to the pie pan and has been embarrassingly difficult to get out. What am I doing wrong?
Try this: use a 9” springform pan instead of a pie tin. Line the base with parchment, then mold the crust to the bottom and a half inch up the sides. Freeze it before you unmold, then let it in the fridge 15-30 minutes before serving.
Looks amazing! What do you think this would be like with a “regular” pie crust?
So good! I always use a pat-in-the-pan butter crust and it is amazing!!!
I love key lime pie made with condensed milk, works every time for me!
what timing, this is perfect for the yolks i have leftover from my attempt at a healthy breakfast. also i admittedly despise when people post other recipes in the comments, but have you ever tried this “atlantic beach pie” on food52? i love a key lime pie as much as the next guy but the saltine crust gives the traditional graham cracker a real run for its money!
https://food52.com/recipes/29939-bill-smith-s-atlantic-beach-pie
Just made the Atlantic Beach Pie last night. The saltines are an improvement on the graham crackers in my book! A winner with my guests and so easy.
If I could literally climb through the screen for that, I would.
You know I never knew what key lime pie was. I presumed it was of course a lime pie but with condensed milk? Buttery biscuit crust? Why did no one tell me. I’ve reeeeeeally been missing out. Excited to make this.
I love you!! I’ve been looking for a great recipe for Key Lime pie! It is our household’s favourite!
I have to make key lime pie someday. I made lemon cupcakes before but now I am thinking about this sweet-lemony recipe. YUM!
Key lime pie – nom! I made it once with the tiny limes. They took forever to squeeze, so I was very protective of the final product. Maybe if I see some at the store I’ll try this recipe.
50/50 blend of grocery-store limes and lemons will produce the same flavor exactly. Zest of one lime.
Oh man, it is citrus season and this looks like such a good idea. BTW, have you heard/seen about Amy Thielen’s rhubarb-lime icebox pie? It’s kind of this incredible hybrid love-child of key-lime and rhubarb custard pies, perfect for(next) spring:
https://flic.kr/p/nGNuZ1
Sara — Thanks for the tip! I love that book but haven’t cooked much from it.
I recently found a recipe that adds cream cheese to the filling. I think I’ll try that as the sweetened condensed milk filling has become cloyingly sweet! It also gives it a different texture and creaminess.
Hi Deb! I cannot wait to make this – I can taste the key limes now…
Question: do you think this would work dairy-free, or is that heresy? Would coconut cream work?
I must say that one of my dreaded kitchen tasks is juicing citrus en masse… but for this recipe, I would gladly do so! By the way, the natural color of key lime pie is fabulous! It makes me sad for pies that have green food coloring added. :(
See my above comments about key limes.
Totally mediocre, but pie will always spruce up my January days! You know? I’ve never made a key lime pie before. This is definitely a recipe I’ll save!
This looks absolutely delicious! The perfect pick-me-up for boring January!
I adore key lime pie. It makes me think of warmth and sunshine, even on dreary, miserable days. I agree, January is just the worst, but luckily we have yummy pies and citrus to get through the days until spring!!
One of the best cheesecakes I ever made was a Key Lime Cheesecake (recipe was in Bon Appetit or Gourmet) made with key lime juice that came in a bottle. I used a chocolate wafer crust and it looked gorgeous.
Beautiful pie for a dreary day here in Georgia!
This looks truly to die for and key lime pie happens to be on my list of things I want to make this year…
Can you use the egg whites to whip up a meringue topping instead? How does one do that?
I did this! Whipped all 3 egg whites in the stand mixer, after they started to get foamy added 1/4tsp cream of tartar, and then as they got bulkier slowly added 5-6tbsp of white sugar. Spread on top of the pie instead of whipped cream and baked it for a few more minutes and then got lazy and broiled for 30-60s. Came out great!
The first time I made Key Lime Pie, I bought the key limes and used my little wooden reamer to juice the 20 (20!) I needed. What a chore! Then I bought one of those brightly colored, enameled lemon/lime squeezers and used it for the key limes. It, too, was as much a chore. Thank goodness making the pie is easy, or it would be a deal breaker! Next time, Persian limes.
See my comments above about key limes.
Ugh, juicing key limes is the wooorrrst! The ones I got were the size of emaciated walnuts, so my reamer was useless; had to use a garlic press. Swore I’d never do that again and bought the bottled stuff. Nice to hear Persians work just as well so I can keep it fresh.
Tried your Eagle Milk–free pumpkin pie and loved the lighter texture. I wonder if that would work with key lime, as well.
I’ve tried to make this in the past, but I run into issues with the acidity in the juice curdling the dairy element (not making it bad, but just separating it – sometimes before the oven, sometimes during). Deb, do you have any recommendations regarding mixer speed, pre-mixing temperatures, etc. that might help keep everything like it’s supposed to be? thanks!
JUST what today needed – thank you!
And completely, unabashedly OT, because the quest has consumed my morning: any chance you’ll update on school lunches someday and how that Planetbox is working out for your family? Wondering about leaks …
Val, I don’t think a meringue would work, because the filling is cold when you pour it, whereas lemon meringue pie filling is cooked on the stovetop and is akin to napalm when you add the topping. The heat from the filling helps bond the egg whites to the filling before you bake it.
I am definitely making this ASAP. January is leaving me less than enthusiastic about 2015, I need a pick me up stat!
About how much lime juice is required? I know you said 12 tiny limes, but those types of guidelines always leaves me somewhat confused, can you give me an approx. liquid measurement?
Thanks!!
The kitchen girl crush lives on with this winner of a dessert. I made it with 3 XL egg yolks and combo of key limes and a regular lime to make 2/3 cup. It set no problem, even while I was eating it warm because I couldn’t wait. I crushed Graham wafers because I find store-bought Graham cracker crumbs kinda stale. Plus I kept mixing the juice with the electric mixer to save washing a whisk.Thanks, Deb!
Curious why you took the recipe from Joe’s Crab Shack and not Joe’s Stone Crabs?
Yes! This is just what I need to snap me out of this cold-induced funk. Looks lovely, Deb!
One quick tip in case others want it: I brown the butter and add some finely chopped pecans or walnuts to the crust. This is such an under-rated dessert…one of my favorites.
It’s cold. It’s rainy. It’s January. Hot damn, do I want some Key Lime Pie! Ok, time to go to the store.
This looks absolutely divine!
Sarah
Gorgeous. And this feeds the desire I’ve nurturing for 2+ weeks now to just run away to Florida.
I LOVE key lime pie, but I don’t love sweetened condensed milk. Is there any way to make this without it??
Well, shit.
Pretty sure my Saturday plans have changed, as of right now. So long, pizza and cookies. Hello, tapas and key lime pie!
(Don’t ask. It will work bee-YOO-tifully!!)
As ever and always: thanks, Deb.
xx,
Molly
Will the filling set firm enough to make these as bars instead of as a pie? If not, what substitutions would you recommend?
We love key lime pie and I make it several times a year. I like to use ginger snaps for the crust in place of graham crackers.
If I made this with the Meyer lemons I found miraculously would it set well? Really don’t want to go outside to buy limes to make this and I already impulse bought the lemons.
Nikki- i have made this many times with limes, but I cannot think of a reason that this would not work with lemons of any kind. It would just taste different. In addition to adding flavor, the point of the citrus is to “set” the egg yolks and the sweetened condensed milk.
Well, bless your heart, but if it doesn’t have Key limes in it, then it isn’t Key Lime Pie. It’s just lime pie.
Words out of my mouth – as a 13 year former resident of the Florida Keys. Love Deb’s recipes though!
My dad’s birthday is next week; he died 6 years ago, and this time of year is always really sad for me. But this recipe made me smile–he LOVED key lime pie! I’m going to have to make this in his honor. :)
So, I never bake my graham cracker crusts. Why should I? And why, especially, would you bake pre-bake one, if it is just going back into the oven once it is filled? Is it a flavor thing? This pie may just kill my diabetic husband, but I might make it anyway, and hide it from him.
Eri…I think that b/c Meyer lemons aren’t as tart, you might need to tool around with the recipe a bit so the pie isn’t too sweet. Sounds like a good idea, though.
I have to make this! I haven’t made anything in a while and this would really brighten my day I think.
It is my very humble opinion that you can never have enough pie! Thanks for sharing this dreamy recipe!
Mmmm, lime and condensed milk are a match made in heaven. The lime popsicles are a firm favourite in our house, and although i have a couple of lemonade ones still in the freezer, i think i could ‘sacrifice’ myself to eat them, and then make the lime popsicles. We’ve been having an amazing summer, what better way to cool down than with one of your fabulous creations?!
My husband’s favorite! And I must admit, it’s one of those things that the more I eat, the more I love. At this point, I might even love it more than he does. ;)Also… organic condensed milk?! Where did you find this magical stuff?
I LOVE key lime pie, but unfortunately it’s a little too much temptation for me. Instead I indulge occasionally in your absolutely genius key lime pie pops. This recipe however… ugh, don’t make me do it, Deb.
Yum! and perfect because my husbands bday is coming up and this is his favorite! But I am wondering, can you half the recipe and make a small pie? or maybe make two little ones and freeze one? (the kiddos aren’t a fan of the tartness) and if I’m going to do most of the eating it would be great if it were small!
My dad (who passed away in 99) used to make his famous “Lemon Ice Box Pie,” which had these same exact ingredients (but lemon instead of lime). I love key lime, but I have to suggest that you also try with lemon, when you want a variation. It was my favorite growing up, always my choice instead of birthday cake…
Oops, he didn’t use zest–probably results in a more delicate lemon flavor.
Deb, if I don’t want to waste the egg whites, can I top this pie with meringue instead?
I made almost the exact same pie last week for my daughter’s birthday, which is the day before mine, so it was my birthday dessert, too. I made your homemade graham crackers for the crust. Good thing I had people with whom to share and who would have noticed if the pie went missing the next morning.
Deb, have you ever tried avocado pie? I think of it as the lazy man’s key lime pie since it is literally ready in minutes, no baking and you don’t even have to wait for it to chill! 2 avocados, 1/2 cup fresh lime juice, and a 5 oz can of sweetened condensed milk pureed in a blender and poured into your favorite crust. It is the most lovely shade of green that persists way longer than you would expect, must be all the sugar!
I showed this to my husband, whose birthday is Saturday. He loves key lime pie. He asked “can tequila be added to it”? Not sure if it’s in jest, but thought I’d throw the question out there anyway!
One of my favorites, too. I love it with a shortbread crust. I once found a Keebler ready made crust at the grocery while vacationing in Florida. I’ve never seen it again, but who cares? It’s easy enough to make. Use a little less butter though because there’s so much more butter in shortbread than in graham crackers.
Re, making a meringue topping from the leftover eggs whites — I think this should work just fine, but follow the meringue-ing instructions from a good lemon meringue pie recipe. If I’m remembering correctly, you’ll want to add the meringue when the filling is warm from the oven then return it for browning.
Vicki — I’d think so. Do you have a 4 or 5-inch pie plate?
Crystal — WHOOPS. Meant to also list 2/3 cup lime juice. Now edited. However, I remembered why I did it this way: I didn’t want anyone to squeeze the juice before zesting the limes — it just makes the process incredibly annoying. I’ll try to add that in an uncluttered way.
Christina — I’m very spoiled in the grocery department in my neighborhood, especially now that I have a Westside Market (swoon) very close as well. I think they had four different brands of SCM.
SVF — I haven’t much in the past either, but now I will. I really was impressed by the way this one came together, it felt more solid and smelled wonderful. I’m pretty sure these will be my go-to graham crust proportions going forward. (Also, I found a box of preground graham crumbs! Totally made my day to save a step.)
Eri — You could, it would definitely be sweeter. Maybe bump it up to 3/4 cup lemon juice.
Kinjal — I was thinking of making these as bars! Great minds. I have a good set on mine, on the soft side but totally clean cuts in the end. I think you could make it even more firm by adding another egg yolk or two, OR by using two whole eggs instead of 4 yolks. The whites will add extra sturdiness.
Mya — Ha! Because I wrote the wrong place down. It is indeed adapted from the one at Joe’s Stone Crab. :) Now fixed. Saveur has a version of their recipe online, but I used a different crust and slightly different proportions.
Lesley — I’ve never had this problem before with SCM. With milk or even cream, yes, but I’ve never experienced SCM curdling. You had this issue with a pie filling like this?
Juicing limes — A.k.a. “Find out where your paper cuts are!”
Shaina — Hooray! I’m glad you liked the gift.
The first (and only) key lime pie I’ve made helped me get through a particularly cold week in January a few years back, but now that I live in the land of Midwest polar vortexes, I’m glad to have your recipe to try out, since I think I’m going to need an even better pie. It’s funny how a chilled pie can be so uplifting on a chilly day, isn’t it?
I’ve never made a key lime pie so it looks like this is going to be my first time- making key lime pie that is!
Key Lime Pie has long been the bane of my existence. I love it so much, so of course it is the one thing that I have never been able to successfully make. I’ve tried Ina’s frozen version (how could a frozen one never set? I don’t know and I’m still annoyed by it.) I have a ton of limes to use, so hopefully this recipe breaks the curse of pies that refuse to set.
Ha, thanks for the shout out! I bet my husband wouldn’t mind if I made this. I’ll have to eat some just so he doesn’t feel so alone.
Loooooooove key lime pie. Have you tried Ina Garten’s *frozen* key lime pie? I think it’s from the family style cook book but it’s insane on hot summer days.
I love Key Lime Pie, but because I am l-a-z-y, even for this simple type of recipe, I have always used Nellie & Joe’s Key West Lime juice and their recipe on the label (in my defense I often make my own crust). You can often find it in the lemon/lime juice section. Totally worthwhile shortcut.
Great recipe and I’ve made it numerous times with Persian limes. I must admit, my husband and I embrace the tartness of the limes and I use 3/4 plus 2 Tbsp lime juice. Devine!
I love key limes! (I’ve been waiting for them to come into season so that I can use them for your lime yogurt cake!)
This pie looks similar to the key lime pie bars I made a few summers ago — I added macadamia nuts and made the whole thing no-bake (see: summer.), so I’ll have to try your version soon!
http://www.bitesoutoflife.com/2013/07/17/no-bake-macadamia-key-lime-pie-bars/
Far be it from me to turn down key lime pie in any form, but after making it with a meringue top instead of whipped crème, I wouldn’t make it any other way. More work, but so worth it.
I went to college in Memphis, Tn. You could get Lemon Icebox Pie nearly anyplace that sold food. Exactly the same as Key Lime, except, of course, lemons instead of limes. Meringue usually topped it. My Mom was from the South, and used to make it all the time. BTW, electric juicers are fairly inexpensive and worth it.
as luck would have it i JUST made your homemade graham crackers which means I guess i have to use a few for this! done and done.
This is so light and fresh to brighten up the dull winter weather right now! Homemade key lime pie is one of my favorites and I love how simple this recipe is.
So, so good! I didn’t have graham crackers, but I did have a ton of good animal crackers (yes, I have a small child too), so I used those instead. I dropped the sugar to 1T, and it was fantastic. The salt in the crust was especially perfect.
Thanks so much for thinking of those of us on the other side of the world!
Deb, any thoughts on what graham crackers may be in other countries?? We definitely don’t get them in Australia – is it sweet? Like the kind of biscuit you might use for a cheesecake crust? Or are they more like an English digestive biscuit?
Is it just me? This crust is a mess – there is WAY too much butter. It looked at the top and made my crust super soggy. What gives?
Crumb crusts can be very variable because the amount of butter etc. is based on storebought cookies, which won’t always be the same. I used generic, plain graham crackers (Nabisco or somesuch). What did you use? And did you measure by cups or weight? (Cups are definitely less reliable for crumbs.)
I’ve spent the last few weeks nursing a broken foot. I am making efforts to stay off of it, so I’ve had lots of time to devour your inspirations. I’ve only recently come across your site. Your pictures are glorious and your writing is fantastic. I have accumulated a big, fat list of your recipes that I intend to make once I’m back in the kitchen. I’m so looking forward to it. Thank you.
I am swooning! I have made a very similar pie with a saltine crust which gives you the salty/sweet/tart thing. Either way, this is happening again around here!
Inspiring, can’t wait to try. BTW, a garlic press makes quick work of juicing cut key limes… No good for garlic, but great for tiny citrus.
This is very similar to a recipe I got from NPR nearly 35 years ago (4 egg yolks and with meringue), and I’ve loved it for all that time.
Over the years I’ve also used Meyer’s Lemons in a variation but found that it didn’t set up well without some modifications: I ended up with 5 egg yolks and 1 TBSP of corn starch. BTW, A gingersnap crust makes a tasty change.
Does anyone have any tips for making these into something fun like mini-pie bites (in mini-muffin pans)? Would love to take something like that in for my co-workers…
Fun post that brought back memories! 60 years ago my parents went on a cruise to Cuba and a few other islands which departed from Miami. While in Miami my father had his first taste of Key Lime Pie and paid the chef the princely sum (at the time) of $5.00 for the recipe! It became a staple in our household and I’ve made many over the years.
Our recipes are very similar except we use four egg yolks rather than three, and the whites are beaten stiff with 6 tsp. of sugar, 1/4 tsp. baking powder, and a 1/2 tsp. of vanilla to make the meringue which is poured over the filling and baked at 350 for 15 minutes. I’m feeling a need to make one now!
Love key lime pie! My brother and I make the crust with your pecan sandie cookies and it is INSANELY good. We also once made a three layer keylime cheese cake with the same cookies for the crust, a rich cheesecake layer, key lime curd layer on top of that, and a sour cream frosting on top. We waited till 3:00am for it to finally cool and eat, then ate the leftovers for breakfast. We still talk about that thing!
COURTNEY, my sister makes mini tarts in a mini muffin pan. make sure to use liners so they don’t stick and possibly try a stickier crust so it’s easier to form in the cups/ if not sticky enough add a teense for butter or use a short pastry crust instead if it won’t stick to the cups well enough.
My husband caught the photo of this pie in my Bloglovin feed and now is begging for a key lime pie. You are now to blame for the 5 pounds we’re both gonna gain this week. lol
My husband is lactose intolerant; do you think whipped coconut milk would be a tasty substitution to the whipped cream?
Sounds perfect! How can I substitute the graham cracker crumbs over here in Germany where I cannot find graham crackers? And I cannot find sweetened condensed milk either. How much sugar would you add to a 14-ounce can unsweetened condensed milk? Thanks a lot!
As one of the true old Conchs ( real Keys natives from the ’40’s), I always love your recipes and most of the comments. This recipe is no exception but thought Icould clarify some questions people have. The Florida Keys didn’t have reliable electricity until around 1960. Most people cooked with propane stoves and had ice boxes for cooling and some had propane fridges. Hence, a real, true, Key Lime pie had no cream but a meringue crust. The great cooks were known by their Key Lime Pies, certain fish dishes, and other now- rare dishes that came over from the Bahamas with the early Keys residents. Crusts were standard crusts, made with flour and Crisco. ( no real butter could make it there and I never tasted real cream until I was 18. Standard recipe was 4 egg yolks, as the whites made those mile high meringues. Most milk was reconstituted or straight Carnation evap milk. EagleSCM was used for lots of dessert sauces and lime or sour orange pie. Lastly, remember that real Key Limes are YELLOW when ripe, VERY juicy, and larger than the hard, green Mexican limes sold as Key Limes. The taste is immediately discernible from a Persian lime. Don’t waste hours trying to squeeze those hard little green limes. Use plump, juicy limes like Deb shows and you’ll be happier, unless you have access to the real thing. Rember, too, that all limes vary in their tartness from one lime to the next. This is why you cant be too exact in your measurement but must taste as you go. If you use too much juice from limes which lack tartness, your pie won’t set up. Now go make a pie and enjoy!
I wish I would have read this first – I used the seedy, small Mexican limes that were labeled as key limes and the smell and taste seemed exactly the same to Persian yet with so much more work and straining
***Sorry, didn’t edit first. I meant to say that the true old Key Lime Pie recipe had a standard crust and a piled meringue topping. No graham cracker crusts with them because the butter in the GC crust works against a successful Meringue topping. Use a standard crust if you wish to use Meringue.
Will this pie freeze well?
#89 Anneke. I am in France and carried Graham cracker crumbs over from the US. Wasted luggage space! There are so many good cookies in the supermarket aisles. Pick one that would go with your pie filling, pulverize them in a food processor and make your own crumbs!
Hi Deb, I only have a 10 inch pie dish. How would you recommend I proceed in making this. Should I just leave the recipe as it is and have a thinner pie or should I make an extra half of the recipe just to be on the safe side? Also sorry to be a pain but would it be possible to add metric measurements. Can’t wait to make this. I have had so many other smitten kitchen successes and I think this will definitely be another! Xxx
Oh man! I forgot about Key Lime Pie! One of my favorite desserts and a classic, you can never go wrong! Thanks for sharing….sometimes you just need to indulge!
Was looking for a great birthdaytreat for my colleagues, looks perfect!
This is amazingly similar to a pie my mother made when I was growing up. Other than the crust, she did not bake it at all. I grew up loving SCM and since we referred to it as Lemon Meringue Pie, I did not like the other types of LM Pie. Sh died in 2007 and I can’t ask her, so I’ll just have to make this for comparison sake. Also, hers had a meringue topping. I guess she browned the topping so the pie may have been in the oven a short time. This sounds yummy. Any thoughts about using cream cheese instead of SCM as someone has suggested?
Hmmmm…Smitten…usually you’re fine…but this time…NOPE..
KEY LIME 2 DIE 4
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 large tub COOL WHIP
4 LIMES ALONG WITH THEIR ”ZEST”’
COMBINE ABOVE
POUR INTO CRUST…TOP WITH BIT MORE COOL WHIP…& ZEST FREEZE..THEN SET OUT FEW MIN B4 EATING…SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO EASY…SOOOOOOO GOOD…
Yummi its great, love the way you cook and show it :-)
I couldn’t wait! Yesterday I fell to temptation at Whole Foods and bought their key lime tart. I feel better about my low resistance since obviously it’s a January thing. I will feel even better when I make my own. Thanks, Deb, for knowing what we need now – as in, right now.
Deb, There’s nothing better than key lime pie. I know. I used to make them professionally. Here’s my take on key lime pie, an authentic recipe from South Beach, where I cooked for years, and made the pies for a famous South-Beach crab house who I won’t name because they’d deny the story and some of their fame is built on this recipe. The toasted pecans in the crust makes all the difference. Also, lime juice alone misses the true flavor of the key lime. The simple trick to the real key-lime flavor is to use half-and-half juice of Meyer lemons and Persian limes. Key limes are wonderful, but blending the above juices gets the same flavor and juicing key limes is a true pain in the a@@.
http://jeffskitchen.net/2012/07/26/hello-world/
By the way, you mentioned the name of a particular restaurant in South Beach, one I won’t name. But I’m familiar with it. Very much so.
I have been making key lime pie for years and it is by far my most requested desert. I have always used the version in the old NYTimes cookbook. I do everything as you do but I separately whip the 3 egg whites and fold them into the key lime mixture before pouring into the pie shell. I just made it this weekend and everyone loved it.
Would you be ok with letting me know where I could get that pie tin you used in the key lime pie recipe? Have never seen one like this and would like to try. Am going to make this for our church ladies luncheon.
This looks amazing! Would this work as mini pies in muffin tins for a party (before the whipped cream) and can I freeze them?
How did you know? Fresh Direct is delivering this very morning Key Limes, the rest of the required ingredients AND Stone Crabs. I can’t wait.
I’m a native Floridian and key lime pie might be our state pie! The pre-ground crumbs sound easy but if you’re up for it, use Biscoff cookies for the crust with some ground Macadamia nuts…heaven! Also, I use key limes from my brother’s tree in season (they do in fact make a difference), but Terry’s which I get from a local market, but I think you can buy on line makes a bottled key lime juice…really is good.
Nancy and others who asked about the pie plate I used — I bought it from Giada DeLaurentis’s line at Target about 5 years ago, I think it was on clearance. ;) Don’t think they have it anymore, but it totally fit the bill for something simple, white, inexpensive and not deep-dish (as the more coveted Emile Henry’s usually are). I think this would fit the bill as well.
Binnie — I’d think so. I also think you could bake the filling up as little pudding-style pies, too, in ramekins.
Courtney — You could just make it a little thinner; I don’t think there’s any harm. Metrics coming soon! (Update: have been added!)
Re, UK and outside-US alternatives to graham crackers — Digestive biscuits work great! I mean, not the ones with chocolate coating. Those you should send directly to me.
Make your own sweetened condensed milk — I’ve seen a few recipes on the web that look promising, although I’d go for one that doesn’t have anything but milk and sugar in it. You essentially want to reduce it by half at a very low temperature on the stove, so that it becomes thick and almost gooey.
Cecelia — I don’t think that cream cheese is a natural swap here, or, if you used it, you’d definitely want to add some cream or milk and a good amount of sugar. It’s not really the same taste. If I were going in that direction, I might just make this beloved Key Lime Cheesecake from the archives instead. It’s always a hit.
Hi deb, Key lime pie has always been a favorite until I had white chocolate key lime pie in Florida a couple of years ago. I did miss the Eagle Brand Milk flavor so I put the two recipes together and now this is my favorite. I hope you will try my version.http://rosemaryandthegoat.com/2013/06/26/white-chocolate-key-lime-pie/
Sherry
Can you believe I’ve NEVER had key lime pie?! Ack. I feel like a failure! This looks absolutely stunning. One question – how easy is it to clean the juicer contraption? As in would it be worth it for juicing 1 lime to put the juice in a soup vs. a traditional hand juicer? Thanks!
http://www.youtube.com/sparklesandsuch26
Anneke – I often make a substitute for sweetened condensed milk using 1/2 cup boiling water, 1 cup non-fat powdered milk, 2/3 cup sugar, 3tbs melted butter, and a few drops of vanilla. Buzz in a blender or food processor. It’s an old recipe I found years ago, and it works in most recipes (haven’t tried it in pie, tho!). This key-lime is on the list for the next dessert party…
Deb you summed up my feelings on January perfectly. I’m pretty tired of wearing my long johns. If I cannot bask in sunshine I can eat it in pie form. Very cunning.
Mmmm…I love me some key lime pie! I will definitely try your filling recipe! For anyone counting calories out there, I only 2 TBSPs sugar and 3-4 TBSPs melted butter in my graham cracker crust and I think it’s still delicious. Not that there’s much point to counting when sweetened condensed milk and egg yolks are in the mix. haha. Thanks for the recipe! It brightened my cold day right up. :)
Yum! Key lime pie, a real treat this time of year.
I never knew about key lime pie until I visited the Blue Heaven restaurant in Key West. They absolutely RUINED me for key lime pie. As my friend dubbed it, “Unf***ing Believable” pie. We’re talking graham cracker crust made with browned butter (I asked) and a mile high and perfectly browned meringue topping. OMG, I’d die and go to heaven (Blue, of course), if I could replicate it. Just looking at photos makes me drool!
http://myamericanodyssey.com/a-perfect-winters-day-in-key-west-fl/
Call me crazy but I’ve never made key lime pie before! This recipe looks super simple–too simple for me to keep putting it off :)
This is very similar to what I make, only I’m too lazy to separate eggs so I just use whole eggs, and haven’t noticed any real difference. Also I got tired of graham crackers and started using gingersnaps. There’s something about the lime/ginger combo that is amazing.
I have never craved pie more! This looks so light, and fresh, and will really brighten up this rainy day! :)
I find that REAL Key limes are rather stingy about giving up juice … so in a pinch, a combination of grocery store Persian limes and bottled Nellie’s Key Lime juice will do!!
Hi Deb, thanks for a great & easy recipe. Do you think I can try it with lemon ?
Hi Deb,
Would adding ginger snaps to the graham crust be completely out of place here? I need to use them up, but I don’t want the pie to be too snappy AND tart… Maybe swap half the graham or less? Thoughts?
Oops, just found the answer to my question:)
This sounds so delicious and looks beautiful!!!!
If you want to make Key Lime Pie bars, Cook’s Illustrated had a recipe in their July 2006 magazine for that very thing. I have made it and it is wonderful. I agree that one of the only happy things about winter is citrus, that and avocados, here in CA. I think there is never a bad time for pie, though!
I appreciate the distinction you made between Key limes—which are yellow, not green—and Persian limes. I have never found genuine Key limes in a grocery store.
In Germany, January is a great month–the Christmas lights and trees and plastic decorations go down and the Carnival decorations go up and the parties go on, Winter is not much of anything here (little snow, except in Bavaria and the Alps)
but the darkness (sun goes up at 8:30 and goes down at 4:30pm) drives everyone to eat, drink and be merry. I make baked fennel with orange juice and hazelnuts, grape salad with pears and shallots, avocado with grapefruit, carrots with razberries and young cabbage stirfry with yogurt, black sesame, shrimps and cumin in lemon juice, and your lime pie recipe inspired me to make an orange meringue, a lemon meringue and your lime pie—thank you for the recipe!
Down here in the Keys we have frozen Key Lime Pie on a stick. After your pie is done it is frozen and cut into slices. A round stick is inserted into the back of each slice and dipped into chocolate and refrozen. Yum!!!
What claimed to be key lime pie was served at a potluck recently. It didn’t taste like lime at all – vinager, not very good vinager maybe, and it was slimy It was sooooo easy to not eat it which is good for those of us still suffering from post holiday plumpness.
This recipe is very like the one from Dinosaur BBQ which now has location all over NY state. My husband who flew for UPS raved about it, I bought their cookbook and made it myself, and yesyesyes it is a killer so I am betting this is too. You can also make the filling and make icecream or popsicles from it. Seems like the evaporated milk keeps it from turning into a brick when frozen.
Being LAZY I buy Pet Ritz frozen pie crusts. They are pretty good, never fail, and would make a fine base for this recipe if one didn’t want to use a graham cracker crust. Or, if one is a chocoholic, make the crust like a graham cracker crust but replacing the graham crackers with home made chocolate wafers that if my memory isn’t too far off was essentially equal parts butter, flour, and cocoa (the very good, expensive kind like pernigotti or valrhona.)
I am not a fan of Cool Whip. I think you could make a pie out of lime zest, lime juice and cool whip and it would be…lime flavored Cool Whip. For Cool Whip and lime fans, probably a treat, but calling it key lime pie might lead to disappointment for some.
At the end of the crust recipe there is a notation, “16g 2.5T.” Is this a typo, or is something missing from the recipe?
I intend making this for the bf’s coming-up birthday next week. Won’t that be a nice surprise! Thank you for the recipe, Deb.
We love the limes but we have never used them for cakes, nice idea!
http://inatrendytown.blogspot.com.es/
HOORAY! Key lime pie was my favorite growing up, and during one of our many moves my mom lost my great grandmother’s recipe. I’ll have to audition this one and see how close it is!
We have more key limes on our trees than we can use. Thanks for this lovely recipe. Can’t wait to try it this weekend!
Yay Key Lime Pie!
For those who do not have an oven or don’t want to turn on the oven, try the 10-Minute Lime Cracker Pie from Serious Eats. The flavor is not unlike the key lime pie, except it’s no-bake. And it’s delicious. http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/07/10-minute-lime-cracker-pie-recipe.html
I’m 40 weeks pregnant and have been baking everyday to pass the time! Today this recipe showed up in my email inbox and I went straight to the store for a few ingredients. The pie just came out of the oven and it smells and looks delicious. I can’t wait to slice into it once it cools!
My husband looked at me like I was crazy when I said I was making a similar pie for dessert at Christmas. So glad the cold brings out the need for citrus in all of us. I made the food 52 version because I had saltines leftover from christmas crack (seriously, I did not want to do anything complicated this year, still not sure why) and it was heavenly. Trying yours tomorrow though. Our 6 chickens just started laying, so Im extra excited to do anything with eggs lately!
Oh Deb, I adore that you added info for your fans on the other side of the world! I’m in Melbourne, Australia, and I just feel so touched that you acknowledged your readers who are sweltering, not freezing!
I hope things return to a more even temperature for all of us soon, but this pie looks good enough to cheer me up in the meantime!
this pie is exactly what I need to get through January. Thanks!
Probably one of my top 3 favorite desserts. And I just realized that I really don’t have a go to recipe. I always order it. Well here I am face to face with a tested recipe. Yay!
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What? No fresh grated nutmeg in the crust? I always do that and it’s killer. Nutmeg and lime is a natural combination.
Whoa Nellie! Comment spammers are out hard tonight! Key Lime is my favorite favorite, but what I really need is a different crust. The key lime cheesecake at Cheesecake Factory *swoon* has THE. MOST. AMAZING. CRUST. and I can’t figure out what it’s made of. Shortbread? Teddy Grahams? I don’t love graham cracker crust, but if I figure out CF’s crust, I’m in deep trouble.
@Anneke and others in Germany: I’m planning to make this today and i think Milchmädchen will be the best substitute for sweetened condensed milk…rather than trying to add sugar or make your own – I’ll let you know how it turns out!
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Hmmmm…Smitten…usually you’re fine…but this time…NOPE..
KEY LIME 2 DIE 4
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 large tub COOL WHIP
4 LIMES ALONG WITH THEIR ”ZEST”’
COMBINE ABOVE
POUR INTO CRUST…TOP WITH BIT MORE COOL WHIP…& ZEST FREEZE..THEN SET OUT FEW MIN B4 EATING…SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO EASY…SOOOOOOO GOOD…
No. Just no. You can have ALLLL that Cool “Whip”. :-)
That Key Lime Pie makes my mouth water!!! Looks Delicious!!
Marielle | High Alpine
http://myhighalpine.com
Key Lime is our favorite but if you want a true “island/sun” taste, add coconut to your graham crust or just make a coconut crust with melted butter and flaked coconut…then sing the song…put the lime in the co-co-nut and mix it altogether…
Deb, Thanks for including the links for those of us living in a place with another season. i can read your current post but find links which serve me a bit better (since it is mid-summer in Chile right now!)
Hi Deb!
Firstly, I wanted to tell you that since I discovered your blog a few years ago, I have been hooked on using the recipes, tweaking to make them my own, and always enjoyed reading what you have written. And the pictures are beautiful! Yesterday was my birthday, and one item I was wishing for came true ! My family purchased your Smitten Kitchen cookbook for me and I am SO excited to read it and use it ! I work full – time as a pastry chef and I am always looking for inspiration and creative ideas. Your book has been on the top of my list to try. Just so you know !
And this key lime pie looks fabulous – I look forward to giving it a try :)
Happy Baking!
Alyssa
So excited to see your recipe for Key Lime Pie – my husband’s favorite! I will definitely be making this recipe for his upcoming birthday – thanks for sharing:)
I have the same question as Betsy (comment 128). About the “16g 2.5T” after the graham crackers in the crust ingredients list. The crust came out fine with the graham, sugar, salt and butter, and there are no extra steps or ingredients in the directions. But I’m very curious! The only thing I could think of is that is the weight/measurement for one cracker?
I made the pie this afternoon and it’s amazing! Definitely will be a go-to recipe for the winter blues!
We went to Joe’s Stone Crab a few weeks ago. Our waiter was terribly pompous, but the pie was divine.
Lucky for me I live in Vermont where it’s always winter (or so it seems, sometimes). I’ve got a key lime pie chilling out in God’s icebox right now! Sometimes I think of my deck as one big refrigerator. :)
Hi Debs. Love your writing and your recipies. Perfect for a dreary January day. Can you tell us Brits – what is a graham cracker? Is it like our Jacob cracker? Or can you show us a picture of it so I can match it. Many thanks, Samantha
Mine is baking in the oven right now! My filling was a lot more green flecky looking than the photos. I used a microplane zester, should I have used something else? Anyway it tasted delicious, but just curious. Love this blog, BTW, the recipes, the layout, the search function, everything!
Oh, is my mouth watering! I love Key lime pie, and this looks delicious.
This is the first time I have commented, although I read your e-mails often and with great pleasure. I’ve given some of my best friends your cookbook.
I live in Sanibel, Florida, where almost every restaurant serves key lime pie. And while I always enjoy the key line pie, I think I am going to try a variation. I have a Meyer Lemon tree in my garden. Very large variety, as big as oranges, and quite tart. Since you give the amount of juice in volume, I think I can substitute the Meyer Lemon. Comment?
I made this last night {first-ever attempt at key lime pie} and it made my kitchen smell like a lime marshmallow cloud on a warm summer day! I let it chill overnight and had it for breakfast this morning — it was delicious! Wonderfully tart and creamy with perfect crunch from the crust. I was also thrown by the “16g 2.5T” that appears in the recipe, but the crust was perfect, and my kids loved crushing the crackers with soup cans in a 1-gallon zip bag. Twelve of the Honey Maid graham crackers made exactly 1 1/2 cups, finely crushed. Thank you so much for the recipe — I followed it exactly, well… except I used a full cup of heavy cream for the topping, please forgive me!
Making this for my dad who loves this pie! Thanks, Deb!
I just made this ….I will admit I used five egg yolks, increased the zest and a used a slightly deeper pie pan …it came out great…..
I didn’t add the whipped cream to the pie….I served it on the side hmmmmmm
This is one of my favorite pies. Super easy but delicious! Love it!
Oh my gosh that looks delish! I was just thinking that I need to make something that reminds me of summer -this might be it! Thanks!
Real key lime pie is made ONLY with key limes. If you can’t get fresh limes (and they are difficult to juice) Nellie and Joe’s bottled key lime juice is a fine substitute. And it doesn’t burn your fingers when you crack open the bottle the way juicing the tiny lines will!
Make it FOR your dad? This is so easy my 80 year old kitchen-averse dad makes it for us! As long time key west snow birds we’ve eaten a lot of them at good restaurants down here and made just as many. Love the recipe but the beauty of Key Lime Pie lies in the speed and ease with which once can create something so yummy and then pretend to read book while napping. In my expert opinion – spend the time making the crust as store bought graham cracker crusts taste like nasty cardboard, but eschew any topping whipped cream, merengue or otherwise. Too time consuming, and adds zip to the deliciousness except extra calories that can better be consumers via another piece of pie. Instead, fan a lime half in the center, sprinkle zest, and get back in that pool! That’s Key West.
It was very useful for me. Keep sharing such ideas in the future as well. This was actually what I was looking for, and I am glad to came here! Thanks for sharing the such information with us.
Yay for citrus! It’s what gets me through winter. The pie looks luscious and very similar to the recipe that I use. I’ve made it with Key Limes, but thought it wasn’t worth the extra cost OR effort. The ones I had were expensive, small and full of seeds and tasted the same as it did with Persian limes.
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nice recepie i like very much.
I’m so excited to try this recipe. So delicious! So inspirational!
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I’ve made many a lemon meringue pie, but I’ve never tried making a key lime pie. I think it’s high time I get on that. This one looks like a great first try!
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I always think of key lime pie as a summer dessert and I don’t quite know why. You are brilliant to make it as a ray of sunshine in January.
Deb, I just made this today and it was so easy and amazing! Too easy, actually. Dangerously easy. The filling was a tad bitter, but I may have gone overboard on the lime zest. Next time, I’ll go easy. Thanks for sharing this yummy dessert!
I lived in the Keys (not that it makes any difference!) for many years, and loved making key lime pie. My recipe is similar to yours. I also saw that recipe for key lime cheesecake in the magazine man years ago and have made it dozens of times; it’s a terrific recipe. I also have one for key lime cake! Thanks for the recipe!
I just made this yesterday and its fantastic. Yes you can make one sans egg yolk and no need to bake it twice and that one tastes good as well, but this one feels so homey. The only modification I made was using some meyer lemon and coconut cookies (from Trader Joe’s) in the crust, also tossed in some unsweetened coconut flakes, because why not??— Key limes are such a pain to juice but the result is worth the sting. Thank you Deb for another great recipe. I make your pear bread and coconut bread every other week, there’s always one of your recipes sitting on my table for a sweet pick me up. Thank you for everything that you do and please do not change your site, i think the layout is perfect.
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By the way, making key lime pie with Cool Whip is sacreligious, just like adding green food coloring!
Looks easy and delicious!
Cara Cara oranges are my drug. So very delicious!
Deb, this looks fantastic! Can I remove the pie from the dish after the final bake? I’ve always had difficulty making a graham crust without it falling apart on me, not sure how you do it.
Key lime pie! One of my favorite mid-winter cures. Also, a reason to eat graham cracker crust, which I could eat with a spoon before pressing it into that pie plate. Nom nom. That reminds me – I need to check out your graham cracker crumble things – that recipe had me drooling. :)
save us, key limes! save us from the winter! this pie is to die for.
Holy spam comments, Batman! And “Florida 1” – enough with the freaking cool whip. Ick.
#152 – Samantha – Graham crackers aren’t similar to Jacob’s. They are slightly sweet. I’d use something like a plain digestive biscuit or some Ginger Nuts. (I think a Ginger Nut crust would be damn delicious!).
Key Lime Pie is my favorite pie in the whole wide world. I love you, Deb.
I’ve never tried key lime pie, think it’s an American thing, and it looks amazing, love zingy stuff! I will just need to work out a replacement for sugar in the recipe :)
zx
Deb,
Looks delish – as all of your creations do!
And yes, I love the sweetened condensed milk – the effect on my waistline, not so much. I remember back in the day one of our neighbors taking a can of the stuff, removing the label and putting it in a pot of water boiling on the stove for an hour or more, and it made the most wonderful caramel frosting. Have you ever heard of this?
Deb,
Just checked online – that was boil for FOUR hours…
@Liz S, that’s dulce de leche, a Latin American treat. And agree, it’s totally yummy. I go the safer route, empty the milk into a mason jar, cover with water, and cook all day in the slow cooker. No worries about explosions or plastic lining (BPA?) in the cans.
@Annie, thanks – all the online references I found call it a soft caramel. I just remember a friend of our family’s used to make it – in the early 1970s, before anyone cared about BPAs – and she used it to frost cakes – not sure if she cooled and whipped it first or just poured it over somewhat warm. As far as I know, if you keep the can completely submerged at all times, there is no danger of explosion. But the mason jar and slow cooker sound like a healthier alternative.
@Frances #182, there is no way to remove a graham cracker crust from the pie plate in one piece. It never actually solidifies into a single crust. It is always tender and crumbly, part of its charm. Served slice, by slice it is delicious but can only be served that way. So it is not you…no worries!
For the person who asked about regular pie crust (@Claire): (not like you will see this) I grew up in southern FL and that’s the only way I ever had it, honestly. I never had it with a graham cracker crust until I came up north and thought “what the heck is this?”
Key Lime is one of my most favourite desserts, yet I’ve never attempted to make one. Didn’t realise it was so easy…I hope!
Have baked this twice since posted, soooo good, can hardly wait for it to chill, another regular fave to bake along with your coconut bread and raspberry coffeecake *yum*.
Living in south TX, we get bags of key limes for a couple of dollars & squeeze them with a garlic press. Makes quick work of these little buggers!!
The best crust for key lime pie I ever had was a pecan crust in a small Port Aransas, TX, restaurant. After hunting for some time, I finally found a good pecan crust recipe & have used it several times, including my lemon meringue pie. Pecans are grown all around us and again are pretty inexpensive. The pecan crust with a chocolate pudding pie is truly yummy!
Hi Deb,
I was craving for Key Lime pie when your post came up and I thought the universe sent me a massive go ahead signal to make it.
I am in Australia where we do not have graham crackers, so I substituted for Digestive Biscuits which is probably why the crust was leaking melted butter! and lots of it. I think next time I will add just a knob of butter, the digestive biscuits probably have a lot more oil in it than graham crackers.
I also made a meringue top, baked it after letting the filling cool “slightly” it worked out really well. (used 3 egg whites and 1/2 cup of caster sugar with a pinch of salt, then baked at 180 degree Celsius for 10 minutes).
It was beautiful, thank you! :D
I love citrus in the winter and definitely in pie form ;).
This pie is gorgeous too!
Isabelle
I made this yesterday exactly as written, and it was so good and so easy. So good, in fact, that unbeknownst to me, my kids ate all the leftovers for breakfast today and there is none left for me for a mid afternoon snack :( Thank you! Will definitely be bookmarking this (I think 50% of my bookmarked recipes are SK recipes)
I too had been thinking about key lime pie, and had bought a cheapie pre-made graham cracker crust, had part of a bottle of Nellie and Joe’s key lime juice in the fridge, and the nitrous oxide cream whipper had a good bit left in it, so it was way easy. A few drops of lime oil subbed nicely for the zest. A little bottle seems expensive but lasts an awfully long time in the fridge since it’s used a 1/4 t at a time.
Might have been even better with all the fresh ingredients, but it really hit the spot. Apparently the original recipes were very much a pantry-based thing, other than the limes which grew like crazy, b/c there was very little fresh milk to be had in the Keys, so sweetened condensed and evaporated were used for a lot of things.
Of all the things I miss about living in Florida, Key lime pie, stone crabs, and conch chowder have to top the list!
I swapped out the limes with Meyer lemons (since that’s what I had lying around) and whipped up the egg whites into a meringue. Basically, the best lemon meringue pie I’ve ever made (and so easy!). Thanks Deb!
Thanks for sharing this recipe with all of your followers. This is one of my son’s favorite desserts. Too bad he’s in S Korea until this July since I’m going to try it this weekend. But it will be a good test drive for me.
I’m curious how this might work in mini pie pans. I just found 6 of them, unopened from my local Big Lots store (I’m guessing they must have been purchased for some school project from long long ago). Guess I’ll make your recipe and see how many mini pans I can fill with your recipe. And, I’ll have to guess on bake times, although, I’m hoping its basically the same as with the 9″ pie dish.
So, the pie turned out DELICIOUS. Like really truly amazing. But the green zest bits got a bit discolored in the filling, into a slightly yucky looking darker green color. Did anyone else have this problem? Is there a way to zest finer than a microplane grater?
Frances, JP — While I’ve never had luck fully unmolding a graham pie crust, the one I used here was the most solid I’ve made — I think the prebaking is magic, and will do this going forward — and had no trouble removing slices. I think a bigger issue unmolding the whole pie is that inevitably there will be a spot where the crumbs were a little thinner and maybe some filling came through. You might have some luck pressing the crust into a 9-inch springform, just an inch up the sides, and baking the pie in there. The sides should come off with a little loosening. But it won’t be traditionally pie-shaped.
I just love key lime pie — I’ll have to give your wonderful recipe a go this coming weekend!
I think the only way to successfully remove a graham crust is to use an aluminum pie pan and cut “tabs” to release. I used to just cut straight through the aluminum pan for clean serving peices.
Just made this as per recipe (with digestives and a couple ginger nut) and am waiting for it too cool . Easy peasy and the whole house smells lovely :)
Made it. Devoured it. Thank you. :)
Key Lime Pie is ONLY made with key limes. Pie that is made with persian limes is simply Lime Pie. There is a HUGE difference. Key Limes taste completely different from Persian Limes. Once you’ve tasted the difference, you’ll never mistake the two again.
Just made this key lime pie for dinner guests and guests said it was some of the best they had. I never knew it was so easy. Thank you.
I made this pie on Friday for my book club and it was quite a success. That said, Deb means it when she says the whipped cream needs to set for at least a few hours…I lost patience and only let mine set for 2 hours and each slice kind of fell apart. If I were to do it again, I would make this pie at least 8 hours in advance and would serve the whipped cream in a bowl on the side so that my guests could dollop at will! Overall, great recipe, perfect tartness. My friends also really loved the consistency of the graham cracker crust. Loved the measuring cup technique to press it into the pie dish!
Is it possible to use lemon instead of lime? It’s really hard to get lime in Israel…
I made this yesterday. It was my first attempt at making a key lime pie from scratch. Holy Cow it was yummy!!!!! My kids loved making it with me too, but they both thought the final product was a bit too tart for them. My husband and I just ate their servings, too!!! More for us!! YAY! Also was my first time making “real” whipped cream! Woo-hoo!!! Now I can’t wait to have some more tonight…
i am a regular reader of your blog and every time i found new recipes n your blog. your recipes are simple for everyone.
Thanks for sharing this recipe
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Just made this – delicious! Best key lime pie I’ve ever made. Yum!
Have you tried using Nilla Wafers instead of graham crackers? I REALLY like them in a key lime pie crust. In case you were wondering =)
I have the same issue/question as Inessa – Is there a way to zest finer than a microplane grater? When I made this, you could very much still see the zest in the filling. It tasted great, but I’m wondering how you get the zest to “disappear” in the filling.
I just ate and drank my way through a Royal Caribbean Cruise (otherwise known as just returned from a cruise). Key lime pie that sounds like this one was an option for desert one night. It was very popular and oh so delicious!
@JP and @deb That’s good to know, I thought I was doing something wrong! Haha. I’m going to try the pre-baking for a cheesecake graham cracker crust. Thanks!
Zest — I’m not sure there is something more fine than a microplane. I suppose you could mince it a bit with a knife after grating. Or, if you really don’t like the zest threads running through you filling, you could let them sit in the batter for a little while before straining them out, that way, you keep some of the flavor from the oils, which I find more dynamic than that from lime juice.
Nilla wafers — No, I haven’t tried them. I should. Unrelated, I tried to make them homemade this week — they were tasty, but didn’t look anything like the originals. Back to the drawing board!
I brought home key limes on Saturday and made this pie. Except I didn’t read the instructions carefully and didn’t whip the egg yolks. I just whisked them into the condensed milk and zest, and then added the lime juice. It came out delicious and satiny smooth, and left me wondering if whipping the egg yolks adds anything to the recipe.
I have made and loved over 50 of your recipes, but am so terrible at commenting. However, this pie has promoted me to do so. After three feet of snow, and learning this morning that the city of Boston “advised against” taking the subway line I use to commute, I ran (trudged) to the market at 7:30 AM to buy supplies to make it while working from home.
I followed the recipe as written using four yolks and four Persian limes – the only change I made was adding a glug of cointreau to the topping for that little hint of orange. I just tried my first piece and once again, I am smitten!
I made this over the weekend, along with a pot of the black bean soup from the past recipies link at the bottom of the post. The soup was amazing by the way! I loved the texture of the pie, but I think maybe a little less zest – mine came out a bit bitter-tasting – maybe it was just my limes (used persian limes)?
I am a key lime pie lover, but never had a go-to recipe…until now. This recipe has allowed me to produce the best pie of my entire life! I think what really made the difference was using my electric mixer for 5 min on the yolks and 3 minutes after adding the SACM. Other recipes have just suggested whisking by hand. I would have never thought to do the yolks for a full 5 minutes either…it seemed long. However, the volume of this filling actually filled my crust where previous recipes have been pretty low in the pan, so I guess mixing is the key!
We are lucky to have fresh key limes in Vancouver! The element of bitterness that they provide is hard to replace.
I opted to use 4 egg yolks and 2/3 cup fresh key lime juice. Perfect! Using this recipe for the rest of my life!
Just a follow up I did make this using 5 inch tart pans, made 5 little tarts, SO GOOD the birthday boy declared that it was the best key lime pie he ever had – agreed!
I put some of the tarts in the freezer so we would have eaten a whole pie just the two of us but not really working we just keep going back to
The freezer!
Hi! I’m from Romania. I tried key lime pie when I visit San Antonio. I tried to make home your recipe and it’s great. Thank you very much.
I made these into mini bites and was able to make 48 minis using the standard mini muffin tin and liners. I filled it 1/3 full of crumb and then topped almost fully with pie. I reduced baking times to 7 minutes each.
I made this for a baby shower and it was a hit! Creamy, tangy, light and with a great crust. I added some toasted pecans and coconut to the crust for a little extra flavor as the crust is always my favorite part. I made it the night before I needed it and the pie/topping set well together for slices that stayed intact for serving. Thanks for the recipe!
Greetings,
Would you be so kind as to tell me what the second line of the crust ingredients represents? “16g 2.5T”
Thx a million!
Moodyjames — Whoops. Total stray text from my own recipe notes. Now removed.
WOW !! How Nice Food !! I wanna Test It. Thanks For It :P .
I made this a few weeks ago and it was delicious! My only problem was getting slices out of my pie pan – the graham crackers crumbs were intent on sticking! I am planning to make it again for my mom’s birthday and I was thinking of trying this in a 9-inch tart pan, the kind where you can remove the bottom piece; mine is non-stick, and usually cracker crusts come out pretty well. Would this pie work that way? Or am I better off sticking to a regular pie pan? Thank you Deb!
Golda — Try buttering your pie dish first next time. I didn’t find I needed it, but it might help with your pan. A tart pan could work too, but will hold less. You might have enough for up to 1.5 tarts.
I finally made this today, had a minor disaster with the crust. My first attempt I just used the weights given and in the oven it was graham crumb soup. It didn’t stay formed at all. No idea if it was the no name store brand graham crumbs I used, but I measured out 1.5 cups and for me it weighed 235g. Next time I’ll maybe buy the Honey Maid crumbs and see if that makes a difference, or buy the crackers and crush them. I didn’t think it would matter as I’ve used that store brand chocolate crumbs for the Brownie Mosaic Cheesecake with no issues. Second attempt worked better (although still seemed like there was a bit much butter), and the finished pie is delicious, totally worth juicing 16 tiny limes (12 was just over half a cup of juice). Didn’t bother with the whipped cream on top, just had another piece of pie!
Deb – Just made this tonight for my dinner party in celebration of Pi Day. Not a crumb was left (I know; I licked the pie plate). Thank you for an easy pi(esy) recipe!
I made this tonight for pi day…does it really need to set for 3 hours after it cooks? I want to eat it now!
sarah — It helps it firm up and get that traditional cold texture. But, nope, nobody will tell on you if you don’t. :)
This is such a great recipe! Have made it twice now. Once for a potluck, but it was all gone before I had a chance to try it. So I made it again yesterday (yep, for pi day) and LOVED it. The only thing I have to mention about the recipe is that you can easily mix the crust ingredients right in the pie plate to save yourself a bowl to wash.
Made two pies last night with my 20-year-old daughter (finally she wants to learn how to cook!). Loved this recipe, but wanted to mention two things: 1) we ended up needing 5 or 6 limes to get enough juice, and 2) one of the pies was a bit bitter because we either used too much zest or got some of the white pith of the lime in there, so be careful. I don’t think it’s necessarily the more the merrier with the zest-use just the amount given in the recipe. This recipe is definitely a keeper.
I just made my first ever Key Lime pie using your pie filling recipe and it came out delicious. Thank you
Thank you for the recipe!!! Made it today (again) everyone loves it!
Try this using biscoff cookies instead of graham crackers for the crust – so delish. Also have added a bit of the whip cream and folded it into the pie filling. It’s delicious frozen on a hot summer day, too :-)
Made this for Easter. Winner. Thanks, Deb!
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This pie is chilling in my fridge right now – looking SO forward to digging in tonight! :-D thanks for another perfect (I’m assuming) recipe!!!
This pie is fantastic, we made it for my birthday & I’ve been raving about it since. I feel like – given the current heat – you might like a twist I made on it. Our local ice cream place makes Key Lime Pie ice cream as a flavor of the month this time of year (with bits of crust and everything!) so for Memorial Day we made Key Lime Pie Ice Cream Sandwiches. Just used store-bought graham crackers as the base and they turned out really well.
It just seemed like the kind of thing we thought you might like, thanks for running such a great blog!
I just made this yesterday to serve to my bookclub gals tonight. Perfect in the summer heat. I used about 16 key limes. I’m not sure why all these others here are complaining about juicing the key limes. I used my handheld metal juicer and it couldn’t have been easier! Probably much easier than a reamer. But really worth it if you want to call it a true key lime pie. The filling went together in a snap and I was lazy and bought a store made crust. Thank you for the simple recipe.
Hello there,
I need help with my lime pie. I usually follow the recipe from “Tea with Bea”, which calls for 1.5 can of condensed milk and 8 yolks, then bake for 25 min. However the pies I make are always very temperamental – sometimes they just doesn’t set. Today for example it was in the oven for over 1.5 hours until I got fed up, and it’s still liquid in the middle. Has anyone had a similar experience? It actually always takes a long time; sometimes by the time it’s set, it’s dark brown on top and the crust around it is quite burnt!
Kabir — It’s hard for me to troubleshoot a recipe I haven’t made. I feel strongly, however, that you will love this one and that it will set perfectly in the oven.
You were right! We made it according to your recipe and it came out light, fluffy, nicely set and perfect. Needed to bake it for 40 min but it didn’t brown on top like the other one did. Thanks a lot! :)
Great recipe. I added nutmeg and ginger to the crust because I wanted some kick. Excellent idea.
I made this for Father’s Day and it was a hit — thanks for the perfectly tart recipe!
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Deb – you may be having your baby right now, but when you come back I hope you read that I think you are a genius! I make key lime pie every year for my colleague’s birthday. Since I love all your recipes, I decided to try yours. My life is changed by the beating of the egg yolks. Everyone says it’s the best I ever made, and I agree. You are making me famous among my friends for birthday cakes, and now I believe this is a legendary key lime pie!
Deb, I LOVE this recipe and have made it several times… I am hoping to make some for the rehearsal dinner I am having for my son’s wedding next week. Have you ever frozen them and if so did that work?
I made this for a friend’s birthday and it turned out amazing! And it is pretty easy. I used key limes and it was very tart (perfect)! Thanks for the wonderful recipe. I will definitely use it again!
Deb, you are the QUEEN! Lovely Husband and I read your recipes out loud to each other in the evenings through this past (long, cold) winter, and nearly every page in your cookbook is bookmarked. What a feast — and that’s before we’ve even started cooking. Thank you, and Mazel Tov!
Made this recipe for friends earlier this summer, and it’s now my go-to Key Lime Pie recipe. If I wanted to add some of the goodness of cream cheese, without going all the way over to making cheesecake, could I just add maybe 4 oz. of softened cream cheese to the filling here, ramping up the quantity of lime a little, as well? Do you think that a) that could work, and b) it would need a longer bake time?
All good wishes to you and yours. :-)
I made a key lime pie following this recipe for when a few of my friends were visiting and they were blown away! Easily one of my favorite go-to dessert recipes from now on, thanks for sharing :)
Thank you! The best, and I mean the best, Key Lime pie we’ve ever eaten. It’s the way you beat the eggs, then the sweetened condensed milk, then the limes that made the difference. Oh, and the lime rind in the eggs! Once, when we were in the Florida Keys, I made a Key Lime pie a day for our family. And I’ve eaten them everywhere. This blew them all away. It’s the details that made all the difference: the pinch of salt, the method for mixing, the balance of ingredients. I held back some sugar in the whipped cream and used some vanilla, too. But the little curls of rind on top were the best.
Just made this for a co worker who is from North Carolina and misses pie. Told me key lime was his favorite. So I visited your blog because you never let down. I brought my key limes from Fresh Direct. He absolutely loved it. Did tweak out a lil bit by adding roasted almonds which I pulverized to the crust and I topped with the whipped cream and toasted coconut. Thanks again, love from NYC (i do have a photo but don’t know how to share it on here. Thank you again I love love love your blog.
Last week we ate half the pie so I froze the other half whipped cream and all. Unexpected company tonight. Frozen key lime pie! Fabulous!
This recipe is great! Just made this today, the taste and texture are perfect! Any tips on getting the crust to “not” stick to the pie dish? I used a ceramic dish as well.
Thanks!
I had never tasted key lime pie, let alone made it before yesterday, and can’t help thinking “What was I waiting for?” I love citrusy desserts and this one might just be my new favorite :) Only adjustment was omitting the sugar in the crust because I thought the digestive biscuits were plenty sweet without and used regular limes (key limes in Denmark? Not so much). Will definitely be making again :)
Just made this for a dinner party, and it was a hit! Thanks for the recipe.
I made this with digestives, following the suggestion to reduce butter (I opted for 4 TBs), and chose the 5-egg yolk option! Would not change a thing next time round and there will be a next time soon! Thank you!
Oh my goodness, to die for!! Do you know if I could use premade mini graham cracker pies for this recipe? I would hate to deviate from your recipe, but am in a bit of a jam with time. I would love to use the filling, just not sure this time around I could make the recipe in full.
In which case, if I could use mini graham cracker pies, how long would I bake the crust for? Also, how long would I then bake the filling for, since they’re smaller pies? Thank you so much and again this looks absolutely amazing!
Jamie — I don’t see why not. I’m not sure if premade ones are considered pre-baked as well. I would check the directions they come with. If it feels soft, however, there’s little harm in giving the a brief run in the oven, I find it melts the sugar a bit and gets the crumbs to glue together more crisply.
I needed a favor from one of my sons and he told me, with that melt your mother’s heart smile, he would do it if I would make key lime pie for Thanksgiving. That led me to your website and this wonderful recipe! There is very little left and I thought there was going to be a fight over the leftovers. This turned out great, it looked exactly like the picture which is a goal that I don’t always meet as a cook. A friend asked me for the recipe that I was going to use but I never share a recipe until I have tried it. I will be sending her your way. Thanks for a great recipe that I sense will become a tradition in our family.
Just made this with key limes (lucky enough to find them!), and everyone that had it asked for seconds and more to take home. We are all big foodies here. Wonderful recipe, crust, filling and all. Did not last more than a day cause we polished it all off!
First–this is totally delicious! As good as I’ve tasted anywhere. So happy to have found the recipe.
Second…there seems to be a bunch of “spammy” posts on here (see above just a couple weeks ago)….these are really annoying when all you wan to see are review of a recipe. Is there any way for us to flag them so they can be removed? Spam on a cooking site is really annoying and bugs me. Argh!
Again–great recipe!
JP — Thanks, now removed. Not sure how they got in! I read every comment as it arrives, must have missed a page.
Really terrific recipe! I made it using meyer lemons instead of key limes (they’re what I had in the house). It wasn’t as tart as the key limes would have made it, but it was still excellent!
Just a wanted to let you know there are still a couple spammy messeges posted up 6, 7, and 8 spots above this one.
Also, really like the layout of this recipe and hope to try it soon(found while looking for lime pie recipe). And I really like that juicer and the idea of juicing our own fruit plus the pie plate you used for your pie!
Thanks for sharing!
Hi Deb – Just made yesterday with persian limes, and it was gorgeous and tasted fantastic!! However, my crust completely stuck to the bottom of the pie and I couldn’t get a clean slice. Should there be a step to butter the pie plate or something else I could have done? My guests still liked their plates, literally!
I made this for a Pi day party and it was the hit of the whole party! It was completely finished and everyone was raving! I’ve always loved key lime pie, but have never made it before. It was so easy! The filling was perfectly tart, everyone complimented how it was the perfect balance of tart and sweet . The whipped cream was also delicious! Thanks so much!
Made this last weekend when friends were coming over for dinner. It was easy and delicious! My husband, who doesn’t care for key lime pie helped himself to seconds! This recipe is definitely a keeper!
I made this tonight with a fe adjustments:
– I was working with small (large marble size) key limes so I needed about 24 to get even close to 2/3 of a cup of juice. To bridge the gap I added the juice of a very ripe meyer lemon (oh the hardship! ;) ).
– In the future, I would add toasted pecans to the graham cracker crust mix just for a slightly less sweet flavor as my family’s tastes tend to skew that way.
– One tablespoon of sugar in the heavy whipping cream was fine, but I actually might omit it next time.
– Don’t be afraid if the pie doesn’t really look set after 10 minutes in the oven, it is! Just let it sit for AT LEAST 30 minutes before adding the topping and then, ideally, several hours in the fridge before slicing.
This was a HUGE hit and someone even suggested selling slices door to door ;). Such a winner of a recipe! Thank you, as always!
Oops, I meant to include a picture of my final result! It is here: http://i.imgur.com/HdfoDyh.jpg
(1) Not being a native of the Keys, maybe I’m out of line writing this comment, BUT….:-)
I’d read that due to limited appliances like ovens in the olden days in the Keys plus the rarity of Salmonella infected eggs back then, the original Key Lime Pie was not baked! You mixed up the filling ingredients, poured them into the crust, and put the pie in tho the ice box to set. Think of it as a kind of dessert ceviche, in which the acidic lime juice “cooked” the egg and SCM mixture. This doesn’t explain how the pie crust got baked of course. What do “Conchs” say?
(2) for the people with dairy problems, an excellent sub for SCM is home made Sweetened Condensed COCONUT Milk! I first saw this made in Viet Nam. I’ve made it myself since then. You need 28 ounces (2 cans) of plain coconut milk and 1/2 cup of white sugar, a pinch of table salt, and if you like, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla. Simmer this mixture in a nonstick pot, stirring until the mixture cooks down to 14 ounces in volume and assumes the thickness of the real SCM. You must watch it and keep stirring to prevent burning on the bottom.
I should have added – if you keep cooking the coconut SCM you will get a dairy free dulce de Leche!
Lotsa spam here :-
My wife’s favorite pie is Key Lime, so my 10 year-old daughter and I made her this recipe today for Mothers’ Day. Made it exactly to recipe and it turned out perfectly. Needless to say it was a big hit and got raves from the woman of honor (and us). Great recipe, nice balance of sweet and tart. So silky and creamy but set up nicely. Kudos! And thank you!
A few notes from a Floridian who has made this recipe. Suggesting that Persian limes may be substituted for Key limes borders on sacrilege. These two citrus fruits are completely different animals. If you can’t get Key limes, a more reasonable substitute can be had by using the juice from half Persian limes and half lemons, but the result will still be different.
Also, anyone considering using anything but sweetened condensed milk is committing sacrilege. Key Lime Pie was invented to use condensed milk not long after Gail Borden invented it. Fresh milk was generally unavailable in the Keys prior to the construction of the Overseas Highway in the 1930s and SCM was considered a luxury item. A notable exception is if you are making frozen key lime pie, which involves the use of softened vanilla ice cream.
I’m making this for Father’s Day and while I’ve made many cakes and cookies, I’ve never made a pie. When you first beat the eggs and zest if using a stand mixer, do you use the wisk attachment? Thanks!
Laura — You can use either.
Sorry, “whisk” ;)
I made this for the 4th of July. Came out awesome! I added a tablespoon of sour cream to the cream to help the whipped cream hold
Just made this, used 4 egg yolks since I needed whites to make a pavlova. Delicious. The crust did not go as planned: I had a box of graham crackers, but ended up being empty !?!? so I punted with some old Annie’s bunny cookies that my kids didn’t like. Went to mix in the butter and realized they were rancid, so I totally changed course: ~130g of almond meal, ~35 g whole wheat flour and a pinch of cinnamon and ginger with the butter (but I was using 1/2 butter 1/2 coconut oil). To make sure it bound properly, I added 1T egg white. This was based on a vague recollection of a GF pie crust my mom made over a decade ago… it turned out great. Frankly, the crust was so good, I want to make almond shortbread cookies based on it. I made sure to whip the filling as directed and the texture was amazing. Thanks!
You do know that this is NOT key lime pie, right?
I totally agree with Rob, above.
When you use actual key limes the taste is completely different.
Key limes are small, yellow-ish, round fruit, green on the inside, but the
juice and the resultant pie are yellow.
It’s ok to call this a lime pie, but not a key lime pie. If you doubt this, make one this way and one with real key lime juice, fresh makes a difference, and taste both. Hope you’ll update the name!
Love this, but wish it came in a printer friendly format ;-)
There should be a print link (icon) at the bottom of the recipe. Is it not showing?
Hi!
I’m pregnant and I was wondering if you think the egg yolks are cooked enough after 10 minutes in the oven in order to be safe enough for me to eat?! Hoping you will say yes :) :) Craving this right now :)
xx
I’m not an expert but I think so. Also, FWIW, I was very pregnant when I made this and had no qualms about eating it, then again, I was definitely a slacker with the rules that time around.
pretty good, even better after the flavors meld for a few days. maybe not as good as joe’s, but still plate-licking good. i would probably add an extra yolk next time to make creamier. thanks for another winner deb!
Chilling this pie after making it is essential. I didn’t vary the recipe aside from using a store bought graham cracker crust. Got rave reviews from my kids so I’d make this one again.
I had made the “Joe’s Stone Crab” key lime pie many many times in the past few years and then I lost the recipe….! Then I was searching your website and found your recipe and saw that you were referencing the same recipe…
I had been craving that “citrus” flavour and could not find it anywhere…..
I just made this recipe and it turned out perfectly! I had not added the whipped cream before and will do when I am entertaining…
Thank you!!! I will also be trying some of your peach recipes….!
Erin :)
Hi Deb-
Love your site and your book. This pie is my favorite. Wondering if you have ever made it in small tart shells and how you would advise adjusting baking time.
Thanks,
Ginette
I haven’t done this one in small tart shells but it never hurts to start checking at right past the halfway point in the full baking time. More times than not, even when halved, things take closer to the full cooking time than we’d guess.
Thanks so much for your quick reply. You were right, the same cooking time applied!
Thanks, Ginette
>
Can’t find the print icon, put I just selected area and printed it, worked out fine. Thanks for all your wonderful recipes Deb! Am making this one Sunday for my DIL’s birthday.
Is it not showing up like this?
Yes…there it is…was looking in the wrong place! Sorry.
And to add to my computer ineptness…how can I post a picture of it?It looks great.
Just finished making it. Looks great! Thanks! (I added a bit more lime juice, for some extra tartness)
Here’s my picture.
Last time I made this I used the California Farms organic sweetened condensed milk (green can). Today when I went to get it for the pie, there was an orange can of California Farms organice sweetened condensed milk, full cream. Do you think that would be as good to use, or even better (though I don’t think better is a possibility)
Wow, I haven’t even heard of it. I can’t imagine it would be bad, however. You’ll have to send me some to confirm, though. :)
Absolutely. I will also have to make 2 pies to do a taste test. BTW, got it at Fairway in Brooklyn, along with a bag of Key Limes (though a product of Mexico). BTW, Fairway is a great place to have an inexpensive, outdoor lunch on a nice day, with views of the harbor and Statue of Liberty.
Wow, which one?
Right now there is only one in Brooklyn, in Redhook.
RED HOOK
480-500 Van Brunt Street
Brooklyn, NY 11231
https://www.yelp.com/biz/fairway-market-brooklyn
Is the pies as good the second day as the first (e.g…can I make it a day ahead, without losing anything pie wise?). Can I make the crust a day ahead?
This one absolutely. Make it in full if you have time; it keeps well.
Thanks!
Ooh I made this yesterday and it’s about 3/4 of the way gone already, between two people. It’s truly great — tart, creamy, with a graham cracker crust that actually holds up in clean slices! I don’t have an electric mixer, and I just whisked the eggs as hard as I could and it turned out more than fine. Did I mention that it was super easy? Having never made key lime pie before, I couldn’t believe the baking times and how simple it was. I sound like an infomercial right now but it’s true.
I used 14 tiny key limes and it was just enough juice. Whipped cream is a must. Thank you for another fantastic recipe!
The crust was good, a bit hard, but it did not stick to the sides so I ended up with a really thick bottom. I’ve never made a crust from scratch so I’m not sure what I did wrong. The filling was so good.
You are missing the chopped pecans or walnuts in the graham cracker crust…for those who aren’t nut intolerant.
Key Lime pie is a Florida stable!! Yes, you can use regular lime juice But IT’S NOT a KEY LIME pie then! There is a difference in the taste of a true Key Lime pie and a pie made with regular lime juice. Key Limes have a stronger tart taste and the juice isn’t green. Being a native Floridian I am very critical of Lime pies that pretend to be Key Lime pies, you can tell the difference in taste! Key Lime trees can be grown in patio containers so even if you don’t live in Florida you can have a Key Lime tree of your own!! Key Lime juice freezes well and in order to enjoy Key Lime pie year round we squeeze the juice and freeze it. You can even purchase Key Lime juice in a bottle and this is better than using regular lime juice!! Please don’t call a lime pie KEY LIME unless you have used authentic Key Lime juice in it. It would be like calling a pie made with Walnuts a Pecan pie. Right church, wrong pew!!
Seems my question is answered then :v
What do I lose out on if I have to use ordinary limes over those fabled Key limes? I’d make this for sure this weekend if I didn’t already have treacle tart with clotted cream on the horizon!
Nothing, I always make this with regular limes. I mean, if you can find them, they taste amazing here but this is still a delicious pie without them.
I made this one evening for a family dinner. The end result was DELICIOUS, but the proportion of butter to graham crumbs in the recipe seemed wrong and nearly ruined the pie. Too much melted butter! After the initial baking, the crust was soggy and had slipped down the sides of the pie plate. Husband suggested scooping out some of the crust, replacing with additional dry crumbs and re-baking. His suggestion to do this saved the pie — whew!!
Deb – I made this and had to buy a pie tin just to make this recipe (I’m more of a cake gal) Boy, I did not regret the new pie tin purchase – this was amazing, and simple to make – and almost finished the whole pie in one sitting (had a dinner party of 6 … they were nice enough to leave me one extra slice to enjoy at lunch today) Amazing recipe, thank you for sharing. Will definitely make this one again.
I made this pie last night. The flavors are amazing and the crust was perfect. My only complaint is that the filling didn’t set. I baked it for 10 minutes as recommended. After refrigerating for 3 hours the middle was still pretty liquidy. Not sure what I should have done differently. :(
I made the pie last night & it tastes great, but after baking the filled crust for 10 minutes it was just starting to set around the edges. I ended up baking it for about 45 minutes before it didn’t swirl around when I moved the pan. The crust was a bit dark on top & center was firm, so baked it a bit too long, but it needed way more than 10 minutes…at 400 degrees?
I am making this right now and having the same issue – the filling was only set at the edges around 10 minutes. I left it in the oven, am checking it every 10 minutes, and think it should be just set around the 50 minute mark(!) I have to wonder, was the 10 minutes a typo?? :)
No, 10 minutes is all you need. Just made it two days ago. :) The filling sets as it cools. A little jiggle is fine.
Thanks, Deb! Yeah, I wayyy over baked it, lol. I’ll definitely make it again with the right timing!
any success making this with an non-dairy alternative to the sweetened condensed milk?
I currently live I never Rwanda. No graham crackers and limes as we know them are hard to find. I used speculoos cookies and citrons (kind of a lemon-lime hybrid) and it was absolutely delicious! Thank you so much for this awesome recipe.
I’ve made this half a dozen times and it is always a hit. I’ve become a bit famous for it.
Hi! I’m buying a pie dish JUST to make this pie. How deep is the one you used? Amazon has Pyrex ones that are 1.2 and 2.1 inches deep… trying to decide which to get. Very excited to try this recipe.
I use a standard depth pie dish, so probably the 1.2.
I take my cooking seriously, and if I didn’t think it would sound arrogant, I would call myself a serious cook. Oops! There now, how arrogant am I?! I am also a fussy food snob, apparently, because if something is badly cooked, ill conceived or made from poor quality ingredients, I would rather go without. I am a nightmare to take out to dine. Confession over. However, since discovering Smitten Kitchen, I have been an avid follower of Deb’s recipes, because they are often unusual, always exciting, and to the British palate, a really nice change!
This Key Lime Pie is exquisite. No other way to describe it. I saw it and had to have a go. Soooo easy to make, looks really attractive and flavour to die for.
Sadly, we are empty nesters, so only myself and my husband to eat it. We managed to make it last for a couple of days. Very difficult. But we saw it as our duty. We are nothing if not dutiful. And full of Key Lime Pie. Heaven!
I used this recipe for my first key lime pie and it was delicious. The balance between sweet and tart was perfect. I gave a slice to a friend who ate it while making dinner! I baked the crust and pie longer because of my oven.
This is the perfect key lime pie recipe! I used 1/2 c lime juice instead of 3/4c. I’ve tried several different klp recipes, but this one has the perfect tangy:sweet ratio I have been looking for. Thank you!
Once again, freakishly coincidental. Made a lime meringue pie yesterday. Thought it would be nice as a “lighter” alt to this sweetened condensed milk and cream version of key lime pie (which my great Aunt from Marathon Key swore she invented in the early 1930’s). It was—okay—but now I am craving the real deal. Might need to head to the store for more limes and some canned ambrosia.
Juky 3, 2016 spam post.
and more importantly:
Could this be made either in small ramekins without a crust and also in a pie pan w/o a crust> Has anyone tried?
Thank you, now deleted. Doesn’t look like anyone has but I definitely think it could work.
I love all your recipes. They are reliably divine <3 but I fear I may stray from the path on this one. I was given the advice, years ago, to use Nellie and Joe's Key Lime Juice for key lime pie and have done so ever since. It's a great short cut and I've found it's more consistent than fresh juice. It also does great in a margarita in a pinch 😬
Jessica, on the offhand chance you see this…. when using the bottled juice do you omit the zest? If so, do you increase the juice? Thanks!
Would you expect this to freeze well?
I haven’t but I think it should.
Do you think this would be ok for bars? I find that holiday guests like small bites of desserts and I would like to make this in a 9×9 square. Perhaps line the bottom w parchment paper for easier release/ transfer? After cutting I’m gonna add a rosette of stabilized whipped cream to each square.
Any help is appreciated.
Yes, I think they might be a tiny bit soft but just keep them cold, people will be in heaven. (I might be projecting but it’s been way too long since I had this pie.)
Just made this with a pre-made crust. Note: do not buy the one that promises 2 extra servings, because the filling isn’t exactly enough. It did expand a bit in the oven, at least, so hopefully the cream will deal with the gaps well enough.
Took me 15 minutes at 350 F to set.
This was delicious! I added an extra pinch of salt to the crust, and had to supplement the lime juice with one lemon, otherwise made it exactly as directed. There wasn’t a crumb left. Thank you!
I’m making this for second time for Easter dinner (loved it the first!) and both times my graham cracker crust has slid down the side of the pie pan which is disappointing. Any tips to prevent this?
Can you press it back into place after it does?
These are great! I just made one for hubby and myself. YUM YOU rock!
I’ve made this pie before with great success. I want to bring it from Astoria to NJ for a family dinner, but I’m not sure how the topping will hold up on the transit for that long. Do you think it would hold up if frozen overnight? Thanks!
This was heaven. Used regular ‘ol limes. For those without an electric mixer, it is worth the whipping effort.
Excellent key lime pie! I was without key limes so I added a touch of fresh lemon juice to the lime juice!
Could you freeze this (crust and filling) and then add the whipped cream on the day you serve it?
Made this last weekend Deb, and it as stellar as you say. Used Key limes — think it took about 3 dozen to get the 2/3 C juice. I and my guest really enjoyed that much lime juice and the zest (tho it’s a bit of a chore with arthritic hands to zest enough little limes even with a microplaner) is just lovely… and so pretty.
Thanks for another great recipe!
This looks so good! I am going to make it this weekend for my husband’s birthday treat. Do you have any tips or trick for whipped cream? It seems mine always separates, even if I use a super cold bowl and whip it stiff. It seems like it always falls after a few hours. Am I missing the secret??
I’ve never had whipped cream separate before, so I’m unfamiliar with this. A great trick to keep up your sleeve, however, is that a little creme fraiche mixed in can help keep whipped cream stable for hours. Of course, you have to like the faint tartness of it (we do) but it does seem to work well. More on that here.
This was simply the best…Perfect for a hot summer day…But please remind me that it’s OK to make it when it’s cold and gloomy for a little bit of summer in January….
I made these as bars (thanks for the idea/tips) and they are delicious. I went with the suggestion of using 2 eggs, yolk and whites, and they didn’t really firm up as much as I would have liked, but not a big deal, they are absolutely wonderful.
I am baking this now and things are not going well! I baked the crust for a few extra minutes because it looked wet, not set at all, and not really brown. Now I’m about 30 minutes in on baking the filling and it’s not set in the middle. I guess I will just have to roll with it as I’m worried the filling around the edges is starting to brown a bit. Also, the crust still looks very buttery/oily and not done. I measured everything so not sure what’s up?!
Mine firmed up a bit overnight in the fridge.
Glad it firmed up overnight. Re, crusts, honestly, crumb crusts are very hard to get right by recipe because each brand of cookies and crackers varies in how oily they are and how much butter is need to “set” them. You might have a brand where you can put more crumbs in for the same amount of butter, or a touch less butter. next time..
Made this for dessert tonight- amazingly simple to make and delicious!! In fact I’m making another one tomorrow! Thanks for the great recipe!!
Covid times had me missing my annual trip to Key West. So I made two key lime pies and everyone loved it! Between 5 people, I only have 1/4 of a pie left in 24 hours. That says something! I could not find my zester so I couldn’t zest any limes but it still turned out perfectly. I let it set overnight in the fridge and served it without the whipped topping, everyone still loved it! I’m sure it would be heavenly with the topping though. Planning to make this again very soon. Thanks, Deb!
I am a huge fan of this website (and cookbook!) and, over the years, have probably made hundreds of your dishes, many on regular rotation. This recipe is the only flop I’ve ever had. It came out so lime-y that it was inedible. I struggled to eat it, because I’m stubborn this way, but it really tasted more like cleansing product. I used the tiny key limes. Would regular limes be better?
Perfect Key Lime Pie. It was devoured quite quickly. A huge hit.
Looking forward to your event @ The Free Library of Philadelphia.
See you then…..so excited!
I would love to read this recipe and make it but the adverts make the page repeatedly jump up and down and away from what I’m reading. Even as I am writing this comment, the page is all over the place and I need to keep scrolling back to this text box. The adverts are extremely intrusive..
Sorry about the ad trouble. It should be fixed now. I was on vacation and not paying as close attention as usual. Do let me know if it continues to be problematic on your end.
I’ve made many, many key lime pies but wanted to try your recipe because your things always come out perfectly for me. I don’t get the butter to crumb ratio. 7 TB of melted butter to 155 grams – which you say 1-1/2 cups? My scale has 155 grams less than 1-1/4. I made one crust exactly as you direct and it was so buttery that it will never be right. What did I do wrong?
I would say that it’s not you, it’s the all crumbs will weigh something different and require different butter amounts to get them just right but not too buttery. It’s hard to find formulas that will work for everyone; I’ve found this one largely does, but that’s not any consolation to you. A spoonful or two of extra crumbs next time might do the trick; sorry for the trouble.
I made this and it was so delicious! The tartness from the 2/3rd cup lime juice complemented the sweetness very well. I want to make it again but make it a little boozy this time!
If I were to add in rum or whiskey to the filling and/or whipped topping, how much would you recommend?
Hey Deb,
I was eating a leftover piece of key lime pie from dining out and found myself wishing I could make one like it. My first thought, “let me see what Deb at Smitten Kitchen has on KLP”. As usual, I was not disappointed. :D
I can HARDLY wait to make this!
One question: if I were to make these in muffin tins, how would you advise me to adjust baking time? Thank you and have a wonderful day!
I am planning to make this for thanksgiving – something light and fresh to cut through all the heavy food. Can I make this this two days before thanksgiving and keep covered in the fridge? I can add the whipped cream the day of. Thanks much!
How can I keep the pie from sticking to the pan? I’ve made this pie over and over because I love the flavor, but each time it is glued to the pan and is destroyed when removed. I’ve tried glass and ceramic pans to no avail. Please help.
It might be a bit of a pain, but I would cut a piece of parchment into a circle the size of the bottom of your pan
Thanks for the idea. I’ve also heard to dip the entire pie pan in hot water before trying to serve, but that would end in disaster for me, I’m sure.
Love this recipe!
Modified it for a holiday variation:
Using 4 egg yolks
Zested 2 oranges instead of 4 limes (could do lemon here as well)
Instead of lime juice, took 1 1/2-2 cups whole cranberries blended with the juice of the 2 oranges, then strained, used 2/3 cup of this liquid, added a dash of ginger
Baked 12 min to set
Whipped cream as directed, then sprinkled some of the ground-up cranberry solids around the top for festive color.
Delicious!
Hi! This is my go-to recipe for key lime pie and for years I’ve been getting rave reviews, so thank you so much for sharing! A friend would like me to make a few of these for her mother’s Christmas dinner, but I leave for my own Christmas travel a few days before they need them. If I leave off the whip cream and wrap them tightly, do you think the pies would keep 3 days without drying out too much? I think they would hold okay, but maybe not be as creamy? What do you think? Thanks for your time – I just love your blog and have tried many of your recipes (lentil and sausage with chard soup, oven braised beef with tomatoes and garlic, roasted tomato soup, etc etc etc!) and people ALWAYS love your food. Thanks again! :)
I know this is late, but for future reference, I made three of these three days in advance for a friend’s wedding, and they were a-ok! No issues at all. I just kept them in the fridge/cooler, and added the whipped cream and zest at the last minute.
I do usually 1.5x the crust however, as I always find the crust a bit scant for my pie plate. It slides down when bake, and I press it back up, and despite my apprehension each time, it always works out perfectly.
Any suggestions on how to change the measurements for a 9.5 inch pie?
One more question…I usually do the whip cream just before serving a dessert, to keep it from weeping. Is there any reason to do this several hours before serving?
No, but I haven’t had a lot of problems with it weeping that fast.
Thanks! And any suggestions on how to change the measurements for a 9.5 inch pie? It was great, just disappeared too fast. Thought a larger one next time would be good.
I’ve made this recipe several times and it is just perfect. This pie is a huge hit with everyone and I’ve shared this recipe so many times. Key lime pie is sentimental for me. My grandmother used to get me one every year for my Birthday. I was intimidated to make one myself. But your recipes are always so thoughtfully written. I always feel like you’re cheering us all on! Thank you! I will make this recipe for many years to come.
I have a meyer kemon tree bursting with fruit. Do you think it would work with meyer lemons?
Pat
Yes, the primary issue is sweetness; limes are more tart so will offset the condensed milk butter.
Hi Pat, did you make it with lemons and was it good?
I did and it was divine
Key lime pie is a fave in my family! I use gingersnaps instead of graham crackers for a little additional zing.
I made this recipe and measured all items perfectly. I also timed the beating aspects however I am at the end and it is not think but very liquid like :( what did I do wrong??
I had the same problem: runny filling no matter how precisely i followed the recipe. After about a dozen “experimental” pies, i settled on the following method to get a firm (but still smooth, not chewy) filling:
Before adding the lime juice, mix it with 3/4 tsp. of unflavored gelatin and heat it to near boiling in the microwave. Take it out and LET IT COOL, then add as usual. While the filling mixes, slowly add about 3/4 tbsp. of corn starch. This will help the filling hold its shape when sliced, but it wont turn it into jello.
Also, if you are a purist and prefer to use those egg whites to make meringue, try making italian meringue instead of the usual french variety. Then, when you have about 2 minutes left of mixing, add about 1/4 tsp corn starch to the meringue. Finally, before topping the pie, dust some corn starch over top of the filling. These steps will control the “weeping” meringue problem that many people run into.
Hope that helps!
My pie wouldn’t set either. I’ve triple-checked the recipe, not sure where i went wrong. I baked this for about 40 minutes until the crust was looking a bit too crispy and still pretty liquidy. The liquid does taste delicious though, I must have went wrong somewhere!
I’m having the same issue. Once I add the condensed milk it is not thickening in the slightest, so thinking that may be the issue. Adding corn starch now in the hopes that it’ll work. Really worried about adding the lime juice :(
Made this for Pie Day, 2018. Loved it! Used 4 small yolks, and the texture was just right! Would like to increase the amount of lime juice next time. Great with whipped cream, liked it more than meringue.
I guess everyone likes pies, but does using orange peel not bitter?
What do you mean?
This pie was AMAZING!!!! My husband said it was the best pie I have ever made so I’m thinking it will be back again soon in my house! I used more lime juice because I like things a little more tart and it was definitely the right call. SO GOOD!
I made this yesterday and it turned out beautifully. I followed the recipe pretty much exactly, using 4 yolks as my eggs looked small. I am in the UK, so I used McVitites Digestive Lights and Carnation condensed milk, because that was what the shop had available. I did find like some other readers that the crust mix was too wet/buttery, so I added four extra Digestives into the mix. This worked really well. I also didn’t have a pie dish, so I used an 8 inch square cake/brownie pan with a removable base. I put all the crust on the bottom, not up the sides at all, as you would to make a slice, or bars. I used baking parchment around the edges to stop the mix sticking to the pan and was glad that I did, the lime layer did stick. One other note is that I don’t have a electric whisk, so I just used a balloon whisk and my arm muscles. It came out perfectly. 10 mins for crust and then 10 mins to set the mix were spot on cooking times at 180 degree fan oven. Gorgeous balance of tart and sweet. It was surprisingly rich to eat, and four of us only managed half of the pie last night. A really easy, delicious recipe I will definitely make again. One note for others who use square 8 inch pans, this did give quite a thin lime layer, but it was enough. You could double the lime layer I would think to give taller squares, but then definitely serve smaller portions. Thanks Deb!
Hi! I’d like to make these as bars – could you help me figure out the ratios to do these in a 9×13 dish? Thanks!
I’ve made this a million times following the recipe to rave reviews. I’ve even made them in mini cupcake and regular cupcake size. That also worked well. This weekend I tried doubling the recipe and making it in a 9×13 glass casserole dish. I doubled the baking time for the crust and the pie. It mostly worked, but the crust was too thick and over-baked. The filling was perfect, albeit a little taller than a regular pie. If I do it again, I’d only use about 3/4 of the crust and increase the baking time for the CRUST to about 12 minutes (if using glass). Twice the baking time for the filling in glass was the right amount of time. Still, having done both, I think it’s probably better to just make two pies rather than a big one.
Read more of the comments, and now think the culprit to my hard crust might have also been my “aged” graham crackers. I might cut the butter back a smidge, too. Either way, THANK YOU, DEB for all the amazing recipes!!
Oh my word. I found limes on sale at the grocery and THANK YOU for the note that you can make this with ‘regular’ limes or I might not have tried it. So, so, so easy and delicious. I didn’t put whipped cream on top because well, I don’t like whipped cream, but it was delicious without. Thanks for helping me put those sale limes to delicious use- I can see this being in my regular rotation from now on! (With the whipped cream for company- not everyone loves pure lime as much as I do lol).
I have made this pie about 10 times, and it is always wonderful. I always get repeat requests. The only problem is getting the slices out of the pie pan. Am I pressing down too hard on the crust? Sometimes I butter the bottom of pie pan, sometimes not. Still sticks. I use a glass pan. The last time I served it, it was more like key lime /graham cracker pudding, because i had the scrap the crust out separately. What am I doing wrong?
You could try buttering you pie pan before making the crumb crust. What material is your pie pan?
I did try that, buttering pie pan before i did the crust (see original comment), it is a Pyrex 9.5 inch deep dish glass. Perhaps I am pressing crumbs too hard?
Thanks,
Marilyn
Sorry I missed that. I’ve never heard of a pie sticking because the crumbs are pressed too hard. If not pressed, you risk a loose crust that doesn’t hold a slice, doesn’t seem worth finding out. I’m sorry I cannot be more helpful; I’ve had crumb crusts stick in places where the filling sank through, but not so much that it would be impossible to loosen with a thin knife or spatula. I’ll keep thinking on it.
Thanks…I’ll try harder with a thin spatula. This is my favorite dessert!!!! Even if it doesn’t look so good on the landing.
I had the same question exactly and posted it here a while back. Seems that nothing I did kept the crust from sticking. However, I made this yesterday for the upteenth time and it didn’t stick. The only think I did differently was that I sprayed the glass pan with coconut oil spray. I’ve tried other sprays that didn’t work…but the coconut oil spray did work and they came out perfectly! I was so happy as this is my favorite pie ever. Hope this helps you.
Made this today, and it came out so well! I ran out of sugar at my place, so I made both the crust and the topping sans sugar and they came out great. There are no key limes locally available, so I used the juice of one lemon to get more tartness. I also added two secret ingredients to the crust – powdered ginger and cardamom. I’ll definitely make another version of this again, thanks for the recipe!
Love your site and your book. This pie is my favorite. Wondering if you have ever made it in small tart shells and how you would advise adjusting baking time.
Thanks,
I haven’t, sadly, but I’d expect it to work. I would check it at 5 minutes.
With bottled key lime juice i don’t know why anyone wouldn’t use it. Nellie&Joes the only original key lime juice and its soooooo good!!
I made the crust last night, and left it in the oven for about 20 minutes and it still didn’t seem to set. I froze it overnight and now it seems set. What will happen when I bake it? Will the crust hold? Thank you!!
Hi Deb, could this be topped with merengue for a (supposedly) lower calorie option? If so, how?
Thanks! Looks amazing!
I haven’t tried it here at all — but if you like the combination, I’m sure it will be delicious.
Ha-so we have become pretty sugarless or low sugar in our eating habits over the last few years. Yay us! But sadly that can of sweetened condensed milk makes this gorgeous pie a touch too sweet for us. I’m on a quest oft a less sweet alternative. Would evaporated milk plus sugar to taste work? Do you have any suggestions?
You can make your own sweetened condensed milk by simply mixing sugar and mix and reducing it. There are recipes online, but you’re aiming for a canned-like consistency. This way you can control the sugar.
This recipe is PERFECT, I’ve made the pie 3 times and it’s just flawless. Best key lime pie I have ever had, and I’ve had a lot. I often leave a little sugar out of the crust, and add that extra egg yolk. Tart, smooth, and satisfying!
Is orange peel not bitter?
Followed the directions exactly- OMG- so delicious! Wish my daughter lived here- she would be swooning with me. Perfect
I know that I will catch a LOT of grief for this, but the classic key lime pie is an “icebox cake” which requires no baking, and I have made this MANY times using a recipe just like this before there was an internet and before there was a concern about salmonella. Sure, you bake the crust if you make it from scratch, but if you start with a prepared graham cracker crust, as I do, the filling goes straight into the crust, and only needs a few hours in the refrigerator to set. Bake it, if you like (I am NOT saying you shouldn’t), but it is not required for the recipe to work.
I’ve made this recipe many times because it it just that excellent. I’m wondering if you think it’d be possible to make mini ones of these in a cupcake tin? If so, do you think the cookie crust would have to come up the sides, or could it just be pressed into the base only? This is really a case of the structal integrity of the lime filling, do you think it would hold up? I know there’s the cheesecake route (and you have a recipe for this) but I kinda want to stick to the traditional KLP thing. Thanks for this recipe and for making me so bloody popular!!!
I definitely think you could! I’d probably put the crust up the sides a little, especially if you’re either not using paper liners or hoping that it will be handheld.
Just made this for pi(e) day! Turned out beautifully but tasted off… kind of bittter?! I estimated on the lime zest measurements and I’m thinking that is the root of the issue- too much lime zest. Plus, I used regular limes, not key limes. Anyone else have problems with this or any insights? Would like to get this right, as my family loves a good key lime pie! None of my SK recipes have ever been a flop so I’m thinking it must have been user error on my part.
It could be bitter from the zest — if you got any of the white in. Or, the limes could have had a waxier coating than others. (Some people gently scrub it off before baking; I only do if it looks extremely glossy.)
I’m hoping you might lead me to a GF graham cracker-like crust for this? I LOVE Key lime pie and am trying to adapt to my new celiac diagnosis. Otherwise I’ll just make the filling and eat it straight up..
Can you find gluten-free graham crackers or digestives?
I found gluten-free graham crackers to make this for a friend! For the particular brand I used, there was too much butter for the crust that I had to blot away after the par-bake. Trust your gut and if the crumb looks too buttery before pressing it into the plate, add more crushed graham cracker!
The amount of butter is perfect for regular graham crackers though
First time making a key lime pie and it turned out terrific. It wasn’t effortless – grinding the graham crackers, grating the teeny tiny key limes, and then pressing 20 of them (it took that many to get enough juice) in my hand juice press thingamajig was a pain in the *** but ultimately worth it. I won my office pie contest, so thanks Deb! ;)
Made this for my husband’s birthday and it turned out wonderful. I was able to get key limes. Made as published and worked beautiful. The crust was perfect.
Hi Deb!
Thank you very much for this recipe. I was wondering if, instead of whipped cream I could use meringue. And, if so, for how long can the pie be baked further when we add the meringue on top?
Thank you so much!
I’m sorry, I’ve just never made this as a meringue before and it might be easier to start with a recipe designed for it. You can still use the filling and crust here, but use the meringue and the baking time suggestions from it.
Hi Deb I’ve made this delicious creation in the past and I’m wanting to make it this weekend but in a “mini” version since I’m having 10 people over and hate cutting a pie. I was thinking of using muffin tins… any suggestions on adjusting cooking time??
Thanks
Rachel
I made this exactly as written and it is perfect. I’m wondering if a few people possibly used evaporated milk rather than sweetened condensed and that’s why theirs didn’t set. My filling was already quite thick going in.
Oops, not meant as a Reply!
This is incredible, that bit of salt in the crust adds so much balance. Deep taste of lime from blending the zest with the yolks for 5 minutes. Will definitely make again. Thank you!
Made this last night on a hot summer night and it was delicious! This recipe will be my go-to. Just tangy enough but not overly so. Exactly what I was looking for in a key lime pie! Thanks Deb!
First, I just wanted to say that I’m a total fan – I’ve made tons of recipes from your site and never had a problem. But I just had a disaster with this pie crust, and after reading the comments, it seems like I’m not the only one and I wanted to chime in. There’s just way too much butter (and I measured the graham crackers and butter by weight) – the crust dissolved into a buttery puddle and I had to toss it out. I checked my default graham cracker crust recipe, which always works, and the proportions actually match the Joe’s Crab Shack recipe posted on other sites (Food Network, et al.): 1/3 of a lb of graham crackers, 5 tbsps butter, 1/3 cup sugar. If you don’t want to adjust your recipe, maybe at least add a note mentioning that these proportions might work better for some?
KLP is my husband’s favorite pie and so I made it for his birthday. I’ve made Ina’s frozen KLP before and he’s enjoyed it, but when he tried Deb’s he exclaimed “This is the best KLP I’ve ever had!” So many thanks to Deb for the perfect recipe that was easy and delicious. I made it exactly as the recipe called for. I used the whole 2/3 c lime juice and it was lovely– slight pucker but offset by the yummy condensed milk. I like this recipe even more than Ina’s since you don’t need to make room for it in the freezer (I know — first world problems lol). Thanks for another winner, Deb! Xx
Hi,
Can you please share a substitute for eggs in this recipe?
Thanks!
I would recommend looking for eggless curd recipes and follow those. I think they usually use aquafaba (whipped water from a can of chick peas). Let us know if you find a good option!
I use the egg whites for a merengue too.
I’ve made this a couple of times now (using regular Persian limes, since I can rarely find key limes where I live) and it’s a huge hit every time! Delicious–creamy filling, perfectly sweet and tart, and the whipped cream is just what it needs to balance it out. I’ll be making this for years to come.
I have intended to try this forever and finally did. All I can say is wow. My whole family fell in love with it. Yum!
Love this recipe I have made it several times. I’m wondering if substituting lemons for limes would work out? We have a surplus of lemons and I’ve already made lemon bars!
I made this today with what I had on hand. Animal crackers for the crust (I rarely ever have graham crackers). They have a little spice in them so I played that up a bit with some ground ginger added to the mix. I used 4 egg yolks and I only had condensed coconut milk. This was fabulous!
I have made this recipe several times over the past few years. I love it—certainly a crowd pleaser too! I usually sub pretzels instead of using graham crackers. I really enjoy the salty crunch of the crust, tangy lime filling, and sweet whipped cream on top.
Also, I did make this one with key limes but found it took *much* longer since it takes so much more time to zest / juice. I’ve used whatever limes I can get my hands on and have had no complaints!
I made this last week and it came out great. I made the filing as written with regular limes. I cut the butter for the crust to 5 Tbsp because a whole stick sounds like too much and cut the sugar for the crust to 2 Tbsp because the graham crackers already have sugar and the crust also came out very well. Will make again.
I just made the crust from this recipe to go with the chocolate silk pie from your first cookbook for my husband’s birthday. It’s his favorite dessert! I’ve made the chocolate silk pie several times, but always stumble over the first directions for the filling — you write to whip the butter and sugar, then to beat the chocolate in, and the picture shows the beater attachment of the mixer. Can you clarify this? Whip or beat or both? I’ve done all three and it’s always delicious, so it doesn’t really matter, but I’ve always wondered if I’m doing it wrong. Thank you as always for your amazing recipes!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Have made this several times and it always comes out perfect!
I love that SK recipes always work. Thank you for the work you put in to make that happen. 💕
I live in Australia and have never seen Graham crackers. Would you be able to tell me a bit about them. I usually use the Australian biscuit called Granitas or a very similar biscuit from England called McVities. They’re both whole meal and not too sweet.
Thank you.
You can use digestives here too!
I made this this weekend as small little tartlets using cupcake liners.
It made 12 tarlets and I had so much crust left over that I crumbled it up to sprinkle over the top once I added whipped cream.
It is great to peek in the fridge and grab one, top with whipped cream and crust and I can feel all fancy eating my plated pie. I will me making this again soon!!!
I made this today. It was easy as, well, pie, and it was delicious. I like the tiny bit of sea salt in the graham cracker crust, and the lemon zest in the filing. I used extra-large egg yolks, and it all set after 10 minutes in the oven, exactly as the recipe states. Everyone asked for a piece to eat tomorrow. Thank you.
So let me first say that Smitten Kitchen is my “go to” site for recipes, never disappointed with any of the recipes. My dad loves the Key Lime pie, I decided to bake it thinking I had graham crackers, but nope someone had gotten to them! Looking around I decided to sub granola for some of the graham crackers. Turned out great! Thanks Deb for all of your great recipes and suggestions.
I followed the Key lime recipe to the letter. The crust stuck to the pie plate. Couldn’t cut through. After eating the filling a family member scraped the crust up. Hoping to make it tomorrow.
Hello! has anyone had success making this with a vegetarian egg substitute?
Thank you, thank you, thank you for presenting the recipe sans gelatin (ugh!). Too many published KLP recipes include that.
Perfecto!
I do mine in a springform, with a little more filling, but this IS perfect!
Reminder, do not use slightly stale Graham Crackers for crust! I had to make the crust twice because the first time looked like a bubbly mess I believe because of slightly stale cracker crumbs. Second crust used fresh cracker crumbs, one tablespoon less butter and voila, perfect crust. Baked with filling for 10 mins and perfectly set in the middle.
I had “large” eggs and eyeballed it at 4 yolks–didnt seem to be enough so added a 5th. Followed rest of recipe to the letter. Came out perfectly; set up in 10 minutes at 350 despite our finicky oven.
This pie is AMAZING. Aside from juicing the limes, which is a bit tedious, it comes together very easily and quickly. I didn’t make the whip cream and it was still fantastic. I think the best part is the crust – truly incredible and this recipe makes plenty so the crust is delicious and thick. Highly recommend!
My sister introduced me to your blog back in 2007. We’d lost our mom as teenagers and we relied heavily on the internet as a guide for cooking and baking. I’ve returned to your recipes again and again since. Best blueberry pancakes, stuffed lebanese eggplant, cauliflower tacos, chard and white bean stew… I felt compelled to comment today because my partner and I just finished slices of this key lime pie, in bed on a Sunday morning. It was so delicious and brought him (and me) such palpable joy that I wanted to thank you for this moment, and all the other moments of joy sharing your recipes with loved ones has brought over the last 14 years.
Thank you so much for your note — it made my day.
Delicious! I’m in the uk and don’t have graham crackers but digestive biscuits worked well. I didn’t add sugar to the digestives but just the butter and the crust was perfect.
Last year I made this and it was delicious but the crust seemed to have too much butter as it was rock hard. I made it again this year and this time measured in grams and it’s still swimming in butter. Still delicious but next time I’ll adjust the crust.
My graham cracker crust slid down the sides of my pan. However, after I stuck it on the cooling rack, I discovered it was still malleable. So I used the bottom of a measuring cup to gently flatten/stick it back up the sides of the pie pan. The pan was Pyrex, not sure if this made a difference in the sliding factor! The filling came out perfectly, I baked for 12 minutes to just get that sliiiiight wobble in the center. Waiting for it to cool now before I cover it in whipped cream and chill it!
What a great pie recipe, and not just for those of us who aren’t so good at pie baking! I used meyer lemons instead of limes, otherwise followed the recipe exactly (except for whipping the cream to just this side of butter–oops). This was easy and delicious, and I’ll definitely make it again.
This key lime pie was delicious! After reading through the comments, I decreased the amount of butter in the crust to 5 tbsp instead of 7, and didn’t have any issues with the crust slumping down. The amount of lime juice was perfect, and there was a nice tang to the filling. I added another egg for some additional richness. I baked for just a min or two longer than the recommended time and it set up just fine in the fridge. Would definitely make this again, thanks Deb!
Do you think I could meringue on top as with the whole lemon lemon-bars?
Yes, absolutely.
I made this for pi day (03/14) a few months ago and it was a big hit!! So delicious
Your key lime pie is INCREDIBLE!
I am intimidated by most baking, but after years of requests from my husband to try my hand at his favourite – key lime pie- I thought why not! And wow! Are we both glad I did! It is perfect and oh so satisfying.
A month after making it, I tried this recipe again but subbed the lime for fresh grapefruit juice. I had never seen it before and while it did occur to me there might be a reason for that, being stuck in my home I thought it was the right time to give it a go. While the grapefruit flavour was far more subtle and the pie ended up being more reminiscent of a light cheesecake it was still delicious!
Thank you for another delicious recipe and providing such straight forward directions! You made this novice baker feel like a pro.
Do you think this could be made with a cheesecake springform pan instead of a pie dish?? I almost never make pies but I really want to try this one!
Yes, it will just be much shallower than the pan, of course!
Made SK’s graham crackers for this. I found it a little too rich and filling and was happy with smaller bites but it was a big hit with everyone else! My only quibble: it was such a photogenic pie and I forgot to take even a single photo!
Oh I should mention, one friend specifically mentioned how they loved that it didn’t taste like a cheesecake but like a key lime pie. I used a bunch of green minneola tangelos which is a hybrid of grapefruit and oranges and one lime because it was becoming more orange-y than I thought it needed to be. I used a most 3/4 cup juice to ensure the right flavor but everything else was the same proportion.
I made this! Well rather, I’ve made this recipe many many times and this time I modified it to be a different recipe…yes one of those comments haha. I was looking for a lemon pie recipe, but NOT lemon meringue, and the internet led me to Joanna Gaines’s popular lemon pie. “Lord Have Mercy! I am not making a pie with 2+ cans of condensed milk for my family of 4”, I thought as I read the recipe, “and there isn’t even any lemon zest”! So I modified your perfect Key Lime Pie recipe and swapped the lime for lemon juice and it turned out beautiful and a reasonable portion for a weekend treat. I also have to make my pies gluten free so I often use gluten free graham crackers, but for this one I tried out Siete’s Mexican Shortbread cookies for the crust which was very good as well.
Made this into a lemon icebox pie using Meter lemons. It worked perfectly. Since they aren’t as tart, I doubled the zest but it wouldn’t hurt to mix in a little conventional lemon juice to get that tart taste. I used 5 yolks because I wanted to make meringues with the whites. Recipe worked perfectly as written. To those trying to get it cooked through, you’re really just looking for the top skin to set. The rest sets in the fridge (or freezer). Don’t test it with a finger tip or you’ll break the top skin; just shake it gently to make sure the top has set. I added lemon zest to the whipped cream as well. The pie was delicious!
What a wonderful idea — I think I will try it!
Classic, can’t go wrong. Don’t forget to zest limes before juicing!!!! I’ve forgotten several times.
I’ve never eaten key lime pie (lemon meringue is the trad UK standard) and I’m going to put that right SOON! But I had to look up graham crackers. Digestive biscuits to us over here!
Hi Deb,
I LOVE your posts, emails and blog. I’ve preordered your new cookbook. Can’t wait. I have a question about whether this key lime pie can be adapted to individual tartlets? I’m bringing to a party and the host has asked for individual servings. Would a pie amount fill a 12 small muffin (mini muffin type) pan? Do you think I need to change anything? Thanks!
Absolutely it can be made smaller and it will be a huge hit. I haven’t tested this specific recipe but it can never hurt to make extra crumb crust to ensure each cup gets lined.
Hi Deb, Just wanted to let you know that I made the key lime pie as tartlets (in cupcake pan) and they were TO DIE for! Interestingly I had more than enough batter but not enough crust mix, so I made a little extra crust and made a few samples in mini muffin tins (one bite versions). I also used lime zest on top of the whipped cream. They were gone in a flash at the party I took them to and so good that I plan to make again for our gathering on Memorial Day. I also told everyone that asked where I got the recipe from and about you! Thanks so much!
everyone in my family LOVES this pie. I have to make it constantly. However, each time I make it the crust is super hard so that its very difficult to cut a piece of the pie. I tried to flatten it out and make it as thin as I could but still its almost impossible to cut. How can I fix this?
I would love to avoid turning on the oven (this heat wave won’t let up)–have you tried any no-bake options for this delightful recipe? I see some with similar graham cracker crust that gets frozen, not baked. Do you think it’s worth experimenting gently heating the filling on the stove top or over a double boiler, and then pouring into the cold/frozen crust? Any thoughts would be appreciated!
Some people choose not to bake crumb crusts but I prefer to since I think they hold up better in one piece. It *could* be skipped though.
Thank you! The crust worked out great. I will experiment with gently heating the filling on the stovetop so that it can be done without heating up the oven at all.
I made it exactly as written. PERFECT. Served it 24 hours after making it. Everyone loved it and requested the recipe. No leftovers!
Thank you for all you do, I love reading your posts & making your recipes!
I’ve tried many variations of this recipe & agree with your thoughts but I either substitute part of the graham cracker crumbs for ginger snap crumbs or Biscoff Cookie crumbs, such a great flavor addition! I hope you’ll try & feel the same.
I love this recipe and have made it for years but always with the same difficulties. The flavor of the filling is amazing but it never sets for me. And the crust tastes delicious it is so hard that I have to saw through it to serve which destroys the pieces (especially with the soft filling)! Any tips for hard crust/soft filling?
This has been one of my go-tos – thanks Deb! I also started expiramenting and I turned this into a grapefuit pie with rosemary whipped cream. It’s a huge hit :)
I absolutely love this recipe! I just got a big box of passion fruit from rincón tropics after seeing them on your IG- could I either replace the lime with passion fruit or use both?
loved this so much. i made it today using Annie’s organic graham crackers on a relatively humid day and the butter ratio was perfect for crust.
things that i prepped the day before that worked perfectly: i zested & juiced the limes, crushed crackers & mixed w/salt & sugar, separated yolks (and refrigerated without other ingredients in them), made whipped cream using teaspoon of sour cream to stabilize (added vanilla but no sugar, we like our whipped cream unsweetened).
i used homemade vanilla sugar in the crust and sprinkled small amount of homemade vanilla coarse kosher salt on top of the crust after blind bake. (we didn’t notice the salt, prob not worth it)
i baked two small ramekins halfway full alongside the pie for a roomie who can’t do graham crackers. sooooo delicious! did the full 10 min and they set perfectly. we still added the whipped cream and let it sit for a few hours to get the full effect.
this florida girl gives her endorsement to this recipe, no reservations.
This is my favourite pie! I’m not a fan of the whipped cream. Prefer meringue…
I made this and was in a time crunch so I used a store bought graham cracker crust and it was delicious! I had a similar issue others mentioned about needing to bake it much longer than 10 minutes for the filling to set. I think I went for around 20 and it probably wouldn’t have hurt from another 5, the center is a teensy bit loose. I will definitely make this again!
I made Joe’s key lime pies on South Beach for six years. Key limes are expensive, hard to find in most cities, and very hard to work with if you don’t have a juicer like yours. Here’s a tip: use regular grocery-store limes and lemons instead, in a 50/50 mix. Different from just regular limes, and absolutely indistinguishable flavor from key limes.
Otherwise your recipe is perfect.
For the people that weigh their ingredients: 1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs = 255 gr and not 155 gr …
Great recipe!
I have made this glorious pie, which, of course, doesn’t disappoint. IT IS PERFECTION! Today, I’m looking to make these in the form of bars. Anything you think should be done differently to accomplish this goal, Deb? TIA 🙏
Thank you, Deb! This has been my go-to contribution for family gatherings for years. I make it exactly as written and it is perfect every time.
Made the pie for friends. Personally key lime is not my favorite, so I decided to smoosh up some fresh strawberries (locally grown and no sugar added) instead of the whip cream topping… OMG!!! Please try!!!
Fantastic! Used key lines, followed recipe exactly except we doubled the topping – it was a little hard to know exactly when to stop whipping but we thought we had it right and it just wasn’t nearly enough for our tastes. Doubled was excellent. Used 3/4 cup of key lime juice and found it very tart next day (but still excellent) and less tart and even more excellent 2 days in. Might try a little less lime juice next time.
I have made this key lime pie for many years now. It is the best recipe for key lime pie FULL STOP.
I have been making this recipe as bars for years and it’s even better than the pie. Press crumbs into just the bottom (no sides) of an 8×8 metal pan lined with a parchment sling running in either direction, blind bake crust as directed, add filling and bake for 10-12 more mins. I usually cut into 16 squares, and tonight I cut each square into two right triangles for a perfect two-bite dessert. Such a perfect contrast to all the richness this time of year. It’s truly the best key lime pie I’ve ever had.
Thank you so much for this!!! I love this pie and have made it so many times, and was now wondering about bars and scaling up… Thank you Elsa :-)
And thank you Deb for EVERYTHING (the hard work you put in giving us excellent recipes and having us all and spreading the joy). Greetings from Berlin!
Just made this tonight. After all these years of baking, I can’t believe this is my first key lime pie. The tartness hits the spot!
I have made this so so so many times over the years, and always so delicious. Today I tried with condensed coconut milk and something didn’t quite work.
I baked the pie with filling for 10 min, it was still so so sloshy. 8 minutes more and it’s firmed up but isn’t very pretty…it looks over cooked.
In the end the filling was so thin, like 1/5″ in the pie and didn’t have that custard-y feel.
Has anyone else tried this and had it work? Any tips?