This easy key lime pie recipe is the perfect sweet and tangy dessert. A crust of graham cracker crumbs is loaded with a creamy citrus filling and topped with whipped cream. It’s great for making ahead and chilling until ready to serve.
Recipe Science
- This filling shines with key limes—small, tart, and intensely aromatic, they add a distinct citrusy-floral flavor.
- Key lime pie filling sets as milk solids in sweetened condensed milk, and egg yolk proteins thicken during baking at 149°F.
- The graham cracker crust may feel fragile when shaped, but baking melts the sugar and butter, creating a firm shell as it cools.
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Featured Comment 5
“I made this yesterday for my son’s family and they loved it. My daughter-in-law commented that it was the best key lime pie that she’d ever had. The pie crust was great too! The addition of sweetened coconut was a delicious tip. Beautiful and delicious!”—Denise B.
Why It Works
Making key lime pie is easy! The recipe calls for a simple graham cracker crust loaded with a four-ingredient citrus filling. There’s no need to go the store-bought route. It’s a tart and sweet treat with a bit of welcomed pucker.
The good news is there are many ways to save on preparation time, especially if you want to make the pie in advance. You also don’t need a lot of fancy tools, but they help make things go quicker. Plus, I’ll give you plenty of ideas for swapping.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Limes: This recipe is unique because it uses fresh key limes. They are small and round, greenish-yellow in color, and about 1 inch in size. Compared to regular large limes, they are much more tart, and when you zest them, you can smell intense citrus and floral aromas. Key limes have a lot of seeds, so make sure to strain the juice.
- Cream Cheese: Cream cheese adds a soft texture, and the extra fat helps to balance the strong tanginess.
- Egg: Egg yolks add richness; the proteins help the filling set when baked for a sliceable texture.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk: The canned product gives the filling a rich texture. It’s made from cow’s milk and sugar that’s been processed to evaporate much of the water, creating a very thick and sticky product.
- Graham Cracker Crust: A simple combination of crushed graham crackers, granulated sugar, and melted butter. The coconut flakes adds a subtle tropical flavor to complement the limes.
- Topping: Heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar are combined for a light topping.
See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).
Ingredient Substitutions
This key lime pie recipe is easy to customize! Try these tasty ideas:
- Key Lime Substitute: If you can’t find key limes at the grocery store, Persian limes can be used but are tarter than key limes. Regular limes will have a slightly less acidic taste. Bottled key lime juice and the zest of regular limes can also be used. However, the best flavor is freshly squeezed because it hasn’t been processed.
- Crust Swaps: Use a store-bought graham cracker crust. Try an Oreo pie crust for a chocolaty taste. Use a more sturdy, flaky pie crust recipe for a less sweet taste.
How to Make Key Lime Pie
Step 1: Preheat the Oven
Place the oven rack in the center position and set the temperature to 350°F (176°C). Line a half-sheet pan with parchment paper and set it aside for later.
Step 2: Make the Crust
Sweet and crispy graham crackers make the perfect base for the crust. To break them down quickly, I use a food processor to crush them into smaller pieces, then pulse and add coconut flakes.
Process until the crackers are fine in texture and the coconut is chopped down.
Quick Substitution: If you don’t have a food processor, add the crackers to the large plastic bag. Leave a tiny opening for air to escape, then gently crush it with a rolling pin. For the coconut flakes, finely chop them down with a chef’s knife.
Two ingredients help the crust bind together: melted butter and sugar. Mix the graham cracker crumbs until they coat and compress together. The mixture should hold its shape when pressed together.
Step 3: Form the Crust
Pour the mixture into a 9-inch pie pan, then use the bottom of a measuring cup to press the crust down firmly.
Tips for Perfect Execution: I like to use my fingers to finish gently pressing the sides and top. The crust won’t go up the side of the pan, flush with it. The entire crust should be about 1 cm in thickness or a ⅓-inch.
Step 4: Bake the Crust
The crust will feel very fragile before baking. Don’t worry. Baking it for 15 minutes will melt the sugar and, combined with the butter, will lock the cracker and coconut together. Once cooled to room temperature on a wire rack, it will become a more hardened cohesive shell.
Step 5: Key Lime Filling
I use a stand mixer to make the filling, but a hand-held electric mixer or vigorous hand whisking works, too. In a stand mixer, blend softened cream cheese with the paddle attachment on medium speed until smooth.
Add egg yolks and mix until combined. Add sweetened condensed milk, mixing on medium-high until smooth and lump-free. Finally, mix in the lime zest and juice. The pie filling should be very smooth, with no lumps.
Step 6: Bake the Pie
Once the crust has cooled, place it onto the parchment-lined sheet pan. Pour the filling into the pie shell.
The pie needs to bake for 15 minutes to cook the egg yolks and set the filling. It will be slightly jiggly but firm up once it cools.
Pro Tip: Let it sit for about 30 minutes before placing it in the refrigerator for 3 hours. This process will make each piece much easier to serve and slice.
Step 7: Make Whipped Cream
Make my homemade whipped cream for a fast, lightly sweet addition to complement the tart pie. I like to decorate along the edges by adding the cream into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip.
Experimentation is Encouraged: You can also make a decadent topping from egg whites and sugar, which I did for my lemon meringue pie. The meringue is much sweeter but requires cooking the eggs with hot sugar syrup. However, it pipes nicely and holds its shape, which is excellent if you have the pie on the counter at room temperature for longer.
Step 8: To Serve
Try using freshly grated lime zest, thin lime slices, or candied lime peel for extra garnish. Toasted coconut flakes are a nice touch, too.
Serving and Storing Tips: For the best texture, serve the pie within 24 hours. Add whipped cream on the day you plan to serve, and wait to add any garnish. Lime juice can cause the whipped cream to break down, making it weep. Enjoy any leftovers within 3 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
The chilled sweet and tart pie is thought to have originated in Key West, Florida, using special limes from the Florida Keys. One of the critical ingredients is sweetened condensed milk. The canned good was a handy preserved food during the late 19th century when fresh milk and refrigeration were not widely available.
Yes, regular limes can be substituted for key limes. However, the juice is not as tart and has a distinct floral aroma from the zest.
Key lime pie filling is unique in that it’s not a curd that contains cornstarch or cheesecake that uses a lot of eggs to firm up. Instead, the milk solids in the sweetened condensed milk and proteins in the egg yolks help the filling set once baked and chilled. It only needs to be briefly baked so that the eggs cook and thicken at around 149°F (65°C).
Key lime pie can be wrapped and frozen for up to one month. Let sit at room temperature for about 15 to 20 minutes before serving.
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Key Lime Pie
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 1 ¼ cups graham cracker crumbs, about 10 full crackers
- 2 tablespoons sweetened coconut flakes
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Key Lime Filling
- ½ cup cream cheese, softened
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 ¾ cups sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tablespoon key lime zest, plus more for garnish
- ½ cup key lime juice, about 25 limes
Whipped Cream Topping
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven – Place the oven rack in the center position. Preheat to 350°F (176°C). Line a half-sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Make the Crust – Break the graham crackers into small pieces and add them to a food processor. Pulse on and off 5 times. Add the coconut flakes and process on low speed until the crackers break down into a fine crumb consistency and the coconut is chopped, about 35 to 40 seconds. Measure 1 ¼ cup of the crumbs into a medium bowl. Add the granulated sugar, and stir to combine. Add the melted butter, and stir until it coats the dry crumbs. The mixture should hold its shape when pressed together.
- Form the Crust – Place a 9-inch pie dish on the sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Pour the graham cracker crumb mixture inside. Using the bottom of a measuring cup, press the mixture evenly on the bottom and onto the sides. The mixture should just come up to the top but not go onto the edges. Gently using your hands, make sure the sides are packed, and the edges are even.
- Bake the Crust – Bake for 15 minutes, rotating halfway through. Cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes.
- Key Lime Filling – In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the softened cream cheese. Add the paddle attachment and mix on Speed 4 for 20 seconds. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg yolks and mix on Speed 4 until combined, about 20 seconds. The mixture will be slightly lumpy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and paddle.Add the sweetened condensed milk and mix on Speed 4 for a few seconds. Turn up to Speed 6 and mix until smooth, for about 30 seconds. Scrape the bowl and paddle down. Make sure there are no lumps in the mixture, and mix for a few more seconds as needed.Add the lime zest and lime juice to the mixer. Mix on Speed 2 until the juice stops splashing, about 5 seconds. Turn the mixer up to Speed 8 for about 20 seconds. Scrape the bowl and paddle it with the spatula.
- Bake the Pie – Once the crust has cooled, place it onto the parchment-lined sheet pan. Pour the filling into the pie shell. Bake for 15 minutes, rotating halfway through. The filling will be slightly jiggly. Carefully transfer the pie to a cooling rack for 30 minutes before chilling it in the refrigerator. Transfer the pie to the refrigerator and chill until cold and the filling solidifies, about 2 ½ to 3 hours.
- Make Whipped Cream – Right before serving, make the whipped cream topping. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add heavy cream and powdered sugar. Alternatively, if using a hand mixer, use the whisk or beaters attachment and a large bowl. Processing times may vary.Whip on medium-low speed (setting 4) until the cream is frothy with bubbles on the surface, 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium-high (setting 8), and whip until a fluffy, smooth consistency is reached, about 75 seconds for soft peaks. Continue to beat in 5-second intervals until stiff peaks form. Be careful, the texture will change quickly. Transfer the cream to a piping bag fitted with a star tip and make a design on top of the pie.
- To Serve – Sprinkle with lime zest or slices of lime if desired. Refrigerate the pie until ready to serve.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Make ahead: You can make the pie 1 day in advance and store it in the refrigerator.
- Storing: Loosely cover or store slices in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: Wrap and freeze a whole pie in the dish for up to 1 month. Slices can be individually wrapped and transferred to a resealable plastic bag. Let sit at room temperature for 10 to 20 minutes before serving, depending on size.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Recipe Resources
Sherri says
can you add a few drops of green food coloring to make it look more like a green lime than a yellow lemon?
Jessica Gavin says
Yes, just add one drop of green color and then gradually add more as needed. Let me know how it turns out!
Denise Bercovitch says
I made this yesterday for my son’s family and they loved it. My daughter-in-law commented that it was the best key lime pie that she’d ever had.
I live in San Diego and found Key Limes in a 1 lb bag at my local Sprouts store. The amount was perfect. I followed the recipe exactly.
The pie crust was great too! The addition of sweetened coconut was a delicious tip.
I used a deep-dish glass pie pan and the filling after baking was about half-way up the sides – too low to serve as is. I had planned to serve the whipped cream topping on the side but instead increased the quantities a bit and spread over the entire filling, garnishing as Jessica suggests.
Beautiful and delicious!
Judy Caywood says
I have always enjoyed the fresh taste of key lime pie and now I have a recipe to make my own from someone I trust. Thank you Jessica. Enjoy your Thanksgiving. We have so much every day to be grateful for. I know you feel that too.
xo
Judy
Jessica Gavin says
I’m so grateful for you Judy! Happy thanksgiving!