Perfect Key Lime Pie
This easy key lime pie recipe has a dreamy, creamy filling, homemade graham cracker crust, and a cloud of whipped cream on top. It’s a keeper! Whenever I make this homemade key lime pie, my son goes crazy for it. It might be his favorite dessert! Traditional key lime pie calls for key lime juice, which works really well in our recipe below. That said, I usually make this pie with regular limes and actually find it turns out just as well, if not more flavorful in the end. For more pies like this one, see our lemon meringue pie, fresh strawberry pie, banana cream pie, or my favorite coconut cream pie. Key Ingredients Graham Cracker Crust: While a store-bought crust works just fine, I really love the graham cracker crust recipe below. Store-bought crusts are often smaller, so you might have a bit of that delicious filling leftover. Limes: You can use either key limes or regular limes here. While key limes are traditional in the Florida Keys, my family loves this pie when made with regular limes. So if you can’t find key limes, don’t worry. The regular limes in the produce aisle work really well! Sweetened Condensed Milk: This is the magic ingredient in classic key lime pie. It’s a thick, sweet syrup that perfectly balances the tart lime juice and makes the filling rich and creamy. Heavy Cream: Many recipes skip this, but it’s the secret to achieving a truly silky, dreamy filling. I’m convinced that cream is the reason this is the best key lime pie I’ve ever made at home. Egg Yolks: You’ll use 5 egg yolks to make the pie filling thick and help it set up perfectly. Whipped Topping: Nothing beats a big mound of homemade whipped cream against the tangy lime filling. I make mine with a touch of powdered sugar and salt, which helps the cream stay stable for days. Graham Cracker Crust: While a store-bought crust works just fine, I really love the graham cracker crust recipe below. Store-bought crusts are often smaller, so you might have a bit of that delicious filling leftover. Limes: You can use either key limes or regular limes here. While key limes are traditional in the Florida Keys, my family loves this pie when made with regular limes. So if you can’t find key limes, don’t worry. The regular limes in the produce aisle work really well! Sweetened Condensed Milk: This is the magic ingredient in classic key lime pie. It’s a thick, sweet syrup that perfectly balances the tart lime juice and makes the filling rich and creamy. Heavy Cream: Many recipes skip this, but it’s the secret to achieving a truly silky, dreamy filling. I’m convinced that cream is the reason this is the best key lime pie I’ve ever made at home. Egg Yolks: You’ll use 5 egg yolks to make the pie filling thick and help it set up perfectly. Whipped Topping: Nothing beats a big mound of homemade whipped cream against the tangy lime filling. I make mine with a touch of powdered sugar and salt, which helps the cream stay stable for days. Find the full recipe with measurements below. Tips for Making the Best Key Lime Pie Key lime pie is one of the simplest pies you can make at home, and it’s also one of the most show-stopping pies out there (it’s high on my list of the best holiday recipes!). Here are a few tips so you feel confident making our recipe below: Tip 1: Buy extra limes. The number of limes you need varies greatly. To get the ¾ cup of fresh juice required for our pie recipe, you’ll need 6 to 8 regular limes. Key limes are even more unpredictable. I’ve needed to juice 32 before! It’s always a good idea to buy more limes than you think you’ll need (especially when using smaller key limes). You can easily freeze any leftover juice to use in smoothies, cocktails, or curries later. More guidance is in the recipe below. Tip 2: Know when your pie is finished baking. Knowing when key lime pie is done baking can be tricky. You want the edges to be set while the center is still quite jiggly. It might not look right at first, but don’t worry, the pie will finish setting and firm up as it cools. Tip 3: Cool the pie before topping. You really want your pie to be completely cool before adding the whipped topping. If it’s still warm, the whipped cream will melt and slide right off. After taking the pie out of the oven, let it cool on the counter for about 30 minutes, then transfer it to the refrigerator to chill thoroughly before you add the topping. Then, store the finished pie in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. It lasts up to 4 days! Perfect Key Lime Pie PREP 30 mins COOK 25 mins TOTAL 55 mins PREP 30 mins COOK 25 mins TOTAL 55 mins Our family loves this recipe for key lime pie. We use our homemade graham cracker crust for the base, and generously top the pie with whipped cream. The filling is tangy, perfectly sweet, and creamy, thanks to the addition of heavy cream (my secret ingredient for the best pie!). Makes 1 (9-inch) pie, 8 to 10 slices You Will Need Graham Cracker Crust 12 graham cracker sheets or 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs (180g) 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (24g) 6 tablespoons melted unsalted butter (85g) Pinch fine sea salt 1 tablespoon lime zest, plus more for garnish ¾ cup fresh lime juice (177ml) 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk 1 ⅓ cup heavy cream (315ml) 1 ½ tablespoons sugar (18g) 5 large egg yolks 1 cup cold heavy cream or heavy whipping cream (240ml) 2 tablespoons powdered sugar ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract Small pinch fine salt Directions 1Prepare the oven and pan: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Place a 9-inch pie dish onto a large baking sheet. 2Make the graham cracker crumbs: Place the graham cracker sheets into a food processor. Pulse until they form fine crumbs. 3Mix the crust: In a large bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and salt. Pour in the melted butter and stir until the mixture resembles wet sand. 4Press the crust: Pour the crumb mixture into your pie dish. Using the bottom of a glass or a measuring cup, firmly pack the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the dish. For a smooth edge, use the back of a spoon to shape the corner where the side and bottom crust meet. 5Partially bake the crust: Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack until it’s warm to the touch. 6Make the filling: While the crust cools, whisk together the lime zest, lime juice, sweetened condensed milk, cream, sugar, and egg yolks in a medium bowl until smooth. The mixture will thicken slightly. As an optional step, you can taste a very small amount of the filling at this point to see if you need more sugar. It should taste pretty tart, but every-so-slightly sweet. 7Bake the pie: Pour the filling into the warm crust and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. The pie is done when the edges are mostly set, but the center is still wobbly. The pie will look slightly underdone, which is exactly what you want. 8Cool the pie: Remove the pie from the oven and place it on a cooling rack. Let it cool at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes, then put it into the refrigerator to chill before adding the whipped topping. 9Make the whipped topping: Use an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer to beat the cold heavy cream on low speed until it starts to foam. Increase the speed to medium-high. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt, and continue to beat on high speed until medium to firm peaks form (if piping this onto the pie, you will need firm peaks). 10Finish the pie: Swirl or pipe the whipped cream on top of the cooled pie. Sprinkle lime zest over the cream (or decorate with thin lime slices). Refrigerate until you’re ready to serve. 1Prepare the oven and pan: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Place a 9-inch pie dish onto a large baking sheet. 2Make the graham cracker crumbs: Place the graham cracker sheets into a food processor. Pulse until they form fine crumbs. 3Mix the crust: In a large bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and salt. Pour in the melted butter and stir until the mixture resembles wet sand. 4Press the crust: Pour the crumb mixture into your pie dish. Using the bottom of a glass or a measuring cup, firmly pack the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the dish. For a smooth edge, use the back of a spoon to shape the corner where the side and bottom crust meet. 5Partially bake the crust: Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack until it’s warm to the touch. 6Make the filling: While the crust cools, whisk together the lime zest, lime juice, sweetened condensed milk, cream, sugar, and egg yolks in a medium bowl until smooth. The mixture will thicken slightly. As an optional step, you can taste a very small amount of the filling at this point to see if you need more sugar. It should taste pretty tart, but every-so-slightly sweet. 7Bake the pie: Pour the filling into the warm crust and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. The pie is done when the edges are mostly set, but the center is still wobbly. The pie will look slightly underdone, which is exactly what you want. 8Cool the pie: Remove the pie from the oven and place it on a cooling rack. Let it cool at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes, then put it into the refrigerator to chill before adding the whipped topping. 9Make the whipped topping: Use an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer to beat the cold heavy cream on low speed until it starts to foam. Increase the speed to medium-high. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt, and continue to beat on high speed until medium to firm peaks form (if piping this onto the pie, you will need firm peaks). 10Finish the pie: Swirl or pipe the whipped cream on top of the cooled pie. Sprinkle lime zest over the cream (or decorate with thin lime slices). Refrigerate until you’re ready to serve. Adam and Joanne's Tips Storing: The pie with the whipped cream topping will last for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. Keep it chilled until you’re ready to serve. Store-bought crust: Feel free to use one, but keep in mind they are usually 8-inch round, so it’s smaller than the 9-inch pie in our photos. You may have some filling leftover. You can skip making the crust, but still partially bake it for 10 minutes. Limes vs. key limes: You can use either key limes or regular limes (also called Persian limes) for this recipe. However, when we tested this recipe, we found that regular limes actually tasted even more flavorful than the key limes. So, my family sticks with regular limes. How many limes to use: If you’re using regular limes, you’ll need about 7 to 8 limes to get ¾ cup of juice. For key limes, the number can vary greatly depending on their size. In our tests, we needed about 32 tiny key limes to get the same amount of juice. Bottled key lime juice: Use ¾ cup bottled key lime juice, such as Nellie & Joe’s, and 1 tablespoon of fresh grated lime zest (from regular limes). Use different citrus fruits: While this recipe is written as a lime pie, you can substitute the limes for any tart/sour citrus, like lemons, Meyer lemons, grapefruit, or sour oranges, like Seville oranges. Calamansi limes are also lovely. Nutritional facts provided are estimates. Storing: The pie with the whipped cream topping will last for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. Keep it chilled until you’re ready to serve. Store-bought crust: Feel free to use one, but keep in mind they are usually 8-inch round, so it’s smaller than the 9-inch pie in our photos. You may have some filling leftover. You can skip making the crust, but still partially bake it for 10 minutes. Limes vs. key limes: You can use either key limes or regular limes (also called Persian limes) for this recipe. However, when we tested this recipe, we found that regular limes actually tasted even more flavorful than the key limes. So, my family sticks with regular limes. How many limes to use: If you’re using regular limes, you’ll need about 7 to 8 limes to get ¾ cup of juice. For key limes, the number can vary greatly depending on their size. In our tests, we needed about 32 tiny key limes to get the same amount of juice. Bottled key lime juice: Use ¾ cup bottled key lime juice, such as Nellie & Joe’s, and 1 tablespoon of fresh grated lime zest (from regular limes). Use different citrus fruits: While this recipe is written as a lime pie, you can substitute the limes for any tart/sour citrus, like lemons, Meyer lemons, grapefruit, or sour oranges, like Seville oranges. Calamansi limes are also lovely. Nutritional facts provided are estimates. Nutrition Per Serving Serving Size 1/10 of the pie, 1 of 10 slices / Calories 507 / Total Fat 30.6g / Saturated Fat 18.1g / Cholesterol 178.1mg / Sodium 229.5mg / Carbohydrate 52.2g / Dietary Fiber 1.2g / Total Sugars 40.8g / Protein 8g AUTHOR: Joanne Gallagher We’re Adam and Joanne, a couple passionate about cooking and sharing delicious, reliable recipes since 2009. Our goal? To inspire you to get in the kitchen and confidently cook fresh and flavorful meals.More About Us