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This classic key lime pie recipe features a buttery graham cracker crust, whipped cream topping, and a key lime filling that has the perfect balance of sweet + tart.
If you’re a fan of sweet-tart desserts, you will love key lime pie! Made with a traditional graham cracker crust and a lemony, creamy key-lime filling, this pie checks all the boxes. The finished pie is decorated with fluffy swirls of homemade whipped cream, plus thinly sliced lime wedges. It’s a total showstopper of a dessert that tastes like a million bucks.
Why You’ll This Key Lime Pie
- Easy. Both the crust and the filling come together easily. Plus, the pie bakes in only 30 minutes!
- Flavorful. Each slice of this key lime pie has the perfect balance of sweet and tart.
- Velvety smooth. The pie filling is so smooth and creamy that it just melts in your mouth. The texture is to die for!
- Impressive! Even though this key lime pie recipe is incredibly simple, the end result is a gorgeous classic American dessert. If you take this pie to a potluck or gathering everyone will be impressed.
What You’ll Need
The crust, filling and topping are all made with simple ingredients! To see the full amounts you’ll need of each item, scroll down to the recipe card.
For the Graham Cracker Crust
- Graham Cracker Crumbs: I like to crush my graham crackers in a food processor.
- Sugar
- Salt
- Unsalted Butter: Melted.
For the Key Lime Pie Filling
- Sweetened Condensed Milk: Make sure you don’t accidentally reach for evaporated milk.
- Key Lime Juice: Fresh-squeezed juice is ideal, but bottled also works great since key limes are often hard to find.
- Fresh Lemon Juice: To balance out the key lime flavor.
- Sugar: Cuts down on some of the tartness of the pie.
- Egg Yolks: You can discard the leftover whites or save them for something else.
- Salt: For flavor.
For the Whipped Cream Topping
- Heavy Whipping Cream: Keep this chilled until you’re about to use it.
- Powdered Sugar: This provides some sweetness – but more importantly, it stabilizes the whipped cream so it doesn’t wilt in the fridge.
- Vanilla Extract
- Lime Slices: Optional, for decorating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Key Limes are a variety of lime fruit native to tropical Southeast Asia. They are also called the Bartender’s Lime, Mexican Lime, and Omani Lime. Why are pies made with this variety of fruit called “Key Lime” pies? Because these limes were grown in the Flordia Keys until the late 1920s. As a result, when Southern cooks started making lime pie they used “key limes” from Florida.
For the sake of authenticity, I encourage you to make this pie with actual key limes if you can get your hands on them. Another option would be regular (Persian) limes, but the flavor is a little different. Either way, you will still need a full cup of juice. The flavor of the filling will vary based on the juice you use.
Tips for Perfect Key Lime Pie
- The trick to juicing limes: I like to microwave my key limes for 30 seconds before I halve them and go at them with my citrus juicer. This helps them release more juice. If you don’t have a citrus juicer, simply twist a fork into the open end of each lime half.
- Short on time? If you really need to cut down on prep time, go ahead and use a store-bought graham cracker crust instead of making one from scratch. Your key lime pie will still be magnificent!
- Let the pie cool completely: Don’t add your whipped cream to the pie until the filling has fully set. It should cool on a wire rack for 1 hour before chilling in the fridge for at least 5.
- Chill if not serving right away: This pie isn’t meant to be left at room temperature. Unless you’re slicing and serving it as soon as you add the whipped cream, return it to the fridge until you’re ready to enjoy it.
How to Store
- Fridge: This pie should be kept in an airtight container in the fridge. Enjoy it within 4-5 days for the best results. I’m willing to bet it’ll be gone well before then!
- Freezer: I recommend freezing it without the whipped cream. Flash freeze it for about an hour, then wrap it in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months, then thaw in the fridge prior to serving. Top with whipped cream before serving.
More Classic Pies
Key Lime Pie
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 7 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 10-12 slices
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Key Lime Pie recipe is seriously the best! Buttery graham cracker crust with creamy key lime filling and topped with whipped cream.
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 1 1/2 cups (201g) graham cracker crumbs (about 11 full sheet graham crackers)
- 3 tbsp (39g) sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (112g) unsalted butter, melted
Key Lime Pie Filling
- 1 3/4 cups (420ml) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup (240ml) key lime juice (I use bottled juice)
- 1/4 cup (60ml) fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup (52g) sugar
- 5 large egg yolks
- 1/4 tsp salt
Whipped Cream Topping
- 1 cup (240ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
- 1/2 cup (58g) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Lime slices, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- To make the crust, add the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and salt to a large bowl and stir to combine. Add the melted butter and stir until well combined and crumbly.
- Pour the mixture into a deep dish 9-inch pie pan and spread the crumbs around so that they are evenly dispersed. Press the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
- Bake crust for 5 minutes, then set aside to cool.
- To make the filling, whisk all of the ingredients together in a medium sized bowl.
- Pour the filling into the pie crust and bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until the edges are set and the center is just set but still jiggly.
- Cool on cooling rack for an hour, then refrigerate until firm, 5-6 hours.
- To make the whipped cream, add the cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract to a large mixer bowl and whip on high speed until stiff peaks form.
- Pipe whipped cream swirls around the edge of the pie. I added half slices of limes between each swirl, but feel free to decorate as desired.
- Store pie covered in the fridge. Pie is best if eaten within 4-5 days.
Notes
Store pie covered in the fridge and enjoy within 4-5 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Slice
- Calories: 340
- Sugar: 38.3 g
- Sodium: 164.7 mg
- Fat: 17.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 42.6 g
- Protein: 5.4 g
- Cholesterol: 123.7 mg
Hi! I was wondering does it matter what material the pie pan is? Which is best for this pie (glass, ceramic, aluminum)?
I would recommend glass or ceramic.
Lindsay, all of your recipes are great! You are always my go-to person for desserts. However, I wish I had read the comments (you commented you used bottled juice) before making this recipe. I used fresh key limes, which made the flavor too strong. I guess I should have picked up on the fact that you stated fresh lemon juice but didn’t state fresh for the lime juice. Maybe you could specify in the ingredients that you use bottled key lime juice? Otherwise, the recipe was easy to follow and tasty.
I’m glad to hear you enjoy the recipes! I’m sorry this one didn’t meet your expectations. You are correct that I use bottled key lime juice and I went ahead and added that note to the recipe. Quite honestly, we don’t get fresh key limes in our area so I didn’t realize that would have an effect. I would expect fresh key limes to be even better.
Looks good I will try it .
Hi Lindsey, planning on making this pie soon but key lime is almost impossible to find in Australia. Could I substitute for normal lime juice? And would you recommend bottled juice still? Thank you! 🙂
You could use regular limes or bottled Key lime juice. I would personally just use the bottle of Key lime juice.