Oh boy I have a delicious Key Lime pie recipe for you. The beauty of this pie is that it is so easy to make and so perfect for Spring and Summer weather.
You can make a standard pie with this recipe or you can do individual little pies- I have done it both ways to great results.
I love this recipe because it does not call for eggs if you are a bit squeamish about uncooked eggs in recipes. I try to avoid them if I can.
The key to this recipe is using actual Key Lime juice. I don’t find a standard lime to have the same vibrant flavor and I always find myself disappointed with the pie. You can for sure use standard limes but just note you won’t get the super bright and tangy freshness of key lime.
If you don’t want to juice about a zillion little key limes, not to worry. My Safeway store carries Nellie and Joe Key Lime juice in the juice aisle and that worked beautifully in this recipe. The last time I made this pie I couldn’t find Key Limes anywhere and when I finally spotted them at Sprouts they were so tiny- like walnuts. I probably would have needed 30 limes to get enough freshly squeezed juice.
You can use a premade graham cracker crust for this recipe but really homemade is so fast to make and has so much more flavor. I like to add in a little coconut and it gives just a subtle hint of flavor but it is so good!
Here is the recipe we love:
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
- ½ cup Key Lime Juice (fresh squeezed or bottled)
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- For the crust:
- 9 Graham Crackers
- 6 tablespoons melted butter
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar (optional)
- 2 tablespoons shredded coconut (optional)
- To start the crust add 9 graham crackers into a food processor and grind into crumbs.
- Add 6 tablespoons of butter to a bowl and microwave until melted.
- Add the graham crackers, brown sugar and coconut and stir well.
- Press crumbs into a pie plate firmly.
- Bake for about 6-7 minutes in a 375 degree oven.
- Remove from oven as it is slightly golden brown and let cool completely.
- For the filling:
- Mix key lime, condensed milk and cream in a bowl.
- Pour into the cooled crust and either place in the fridge overnight for a pie or place in the freezer for frozen pie.
- Top with fresh whipped cream or serve plain.
.
Here are a few tips for this recipe- make sure you measure the butter carefully. I have found when I use more than 6 tablespoons of butter I get a soggy crust the next day on the pie. When I use 6 tablespoons exactly the crust holds up beautifully for leftovers.
The brown sugar and coconut are completely optional- I like the extra flavor it adds to the crust. I used unsweetened coconut. If you have sweetened coconut you might cut back a little on the brown sugar.
And to make individual pies, I used a popover pan that I have. It is slightly larger than a muffin pan. I lined the pan with cupcake liners and pressed the graham cracker mixture into the liners. I baked and let cool and then topped with the key lime mixture. Once the mixture was frozen, I popped them out of the pan and removed the cupcake liner. Serve immediately from the freezer as the pie will start to melt. You should be able to get about 9 of these larger size individual pies. If you use a standard muffin tin you should get at least 12.
To make the whipped cream- I use the super simple recipe here. You can dollop it on top or put it in a pastry bag with tip to get pretty swirls on top.
And that is it! Really this is so simple to make and so perfect for warmer weather. The only trick to this recipe is the patience to let it freeze overnight or chill enough in the fridge 🙂
And here are a few other recipes to consider:
dodi says
Oh my! Key lime is my favorite! I have never tried to make it but this recipe looks pretty easy. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Charlene says
Please do and come back to tell me what you think. It sounds like a lot of steps but really so easy– the pie crust is my favorite part 🙂
Rachel says
I made this pie today for my husband’s birthday tomorrow. I can’t wait to try it! Do you like it frozen better?
Charlene says
Oh Rachel I hope you like it. I do like the frozen better. It is more creamy and less tart 🙂
C.K. says
This pie was everything I expected and more! Perfect for this 90 degree weather we’re having right now. The flavors and texture were really light and refreshing- a delightful combination. Couldn’t be happier with the results! I absolutely recommend others to add the coconut to the crust. I also subbed coconut sugar for brown sugar, and only used 1 Tablespoon, as the graham crackers are sweet enough. Added a bit of lime zest into the filling, too. Yum!!
Charlene says
So happy to hear that CK! It was 100 degrees in Sacramento yesterday! I agree 100%- time for this pie. 🙂