Key Lime Pie
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Made with ordinary limes, this “Key lime” pie tastes every bit as authentic as the real deal — plus it’s easier to make.
I use Persian limes, otherwise known as ordinary supermarket limes, to make my “Key lime” pie. Unless you live in the Florida Keys, key limes are near impossible to find. Furthermore, they’re so tiny that you’d need to juice at least twenty of them for this recipe. No thank you! Ordinary limes make an exceptional Key lime pie, and they are a much better alternative to bracingly tart bottled Key lime juice. This pie tastes every bit as authentic as the real deal — plus it’s easier to make.
Similar to coconut cream pie and lemon meringue pie, key lime pie can be made with a graham cracker/cookie crust or a traditional pie crust. I always opt for a graham cracker crust because it’s quick to prepare. Plus, why fuss with finicky pie dough when a graham cracker crust tastes so good?
What You’ll Need To Make Key Lime Pie
- You’ll need 8 to 10 limes total for this recipe. Choose plump limes that give a little when you squeeze them; they will be easier to juice. You should get about 2 tablespoons of juice from each lime. Be sure to zest the limes before you squeeze the juice from them, as it’s near impossible to do afterward.
- Sweetened condensed milk is canned milk from which water has been removed, and sugar has been added. Be sure not to confuse it with evaporated milk, which is usually sold right alongside.
- With no eggs, it may be hard to believe that this pie will set, but have faith — it will.
How To Make Key Lime Pie
Step 1: Make The Crust
Combine the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar and melted butter in a mixing bowl. Stir with a fork first, and then your hands until the mixture is well combined.
Using your fingers and the bottom of a measuring cup or glass, press the crumbs firmly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-in deep-dish pie pan. The crust should be about 1/4-in thick. (Hint: do the sides first.)
Bake the crust for 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Then let the crust cool a bit while you make the filling.
Step 2: Make the Filling
Begin by zesting the limes.
It’s best to use a rasp grater, which is a long, skinny tool that works well for grating hard cheeses and zesting citrus.
Juice the limes using a citrus reamer, then combine the juice with the sweetened condensed milk, yogurt, and lime zest.
Whisk to combine.
Pour the filling into the cooked graham cracker crust.
Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the filling is almost set.
Let the pie cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then place in the refrigerator to chill thoroughly, about 3 hours.
Step 3: Make the Topping
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or beaters), beat the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add the confectioners’ sugar and beat until medium peaks form. (Alternatively, the cream can be beaten by hand with a whisk.) Top the chilled pie with whipped cream and decorate with lime slices and zest.
You May Also Like
- Chocolate Cream Pie
- New York Cheesecake
- Luscious Lemon Bars
- No-Churn Key Lime Pie Ice Cream
- Banana Pudding
Key Lime Pie
Made with ordinary limes, this “Key lime” pie tastes every bit as authentic as the real deal — plus it’s easier to make.
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 1½ cups finely crushed graham cracker crumbs, from about 12 whole graham crackers
- ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the Filling
- Two 14-oz cans sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (2% or whole milk)
- 1 tablespoon grated lime zest
- ¾ cup fresh lime juice
For the Topping
- 1 cup cold heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
- 1 teaspoon grated lime zest
- 8 to 10 thin lime slices
Instructions
For the Crust
- Preheat oven to 375 °F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
- In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and melted butter; stir with a fork first, and then your hands until the mixture is well combined. Using your fingers and the bottom of a glass or dry measuring cup, press the crumbs firmly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9 x 1.5-inch (deep-dish) pie pan. The crust should be about ¼-inch thick. (Tip: do the sides first.)
- Bake for 10 minutes, until just slightly browned. Let the crust cool on a wire rack.
For the Filling
- Lower the oven temperature to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, yogurt, lime zest, and lime juice. Pour the thick mixture into the warm graham cracker crust. Bake for 15 minutes, until the filling is almost set; it should wobble a bit. Let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then place in the refrigerator to chill thoroughly, about 3 hours.
For the Topping
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add the confectioners’ sugar and beat until medium peaks form. Top the pie with the whipped cream. Decorate with the lime zest and lime slices. Store the pie in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Slice the pie into wedges, wiping your knife clean between slices, and serve cold.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: You can make the crust a day ahead of time, but the filling should be added on the day of serving, otherwise the crust will get soggy.
- Note: The nutritional information was calculated using 2% Greek yogurt.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (10 servings)
- Calories: 481
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated fat: 14 g
- Carbohydrates: 60 g
- Sugar: 54 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Sodium: 183 mg
- Cholesterol: 76 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
I am new to your website and tried your Key Lime Pie on July 4th. People thought it was the best they have ever had! It was such a huge hit I made it again last night with similar results. I have shared your website with several people since then. Thanks so much!
😊
I made this two weeks ago when my son came to visit. Huge success! And without eggs, who knew yogurt would work! I plan to make it tomorrow but with lemons since we have a million. Should I make any other changes?
No other changes necessary, Linda. I’d love to know how it turns out. 🙂
Can I make mini pies?
Sure! I’d love to hear how they turn out in miniature form. 🙂
I’ve made this twice now- and it’s so tasty. A hit with my family. It’s a keeper 😊
I’m hoping to make this over the 4th of July weekend. Would it work to use bottled key lime juice instead of squeezing all those limes? Thanks.
I wouldn’t recommend it, Emily — sorry!
What about bottled key lime juice?
You’ll get much better results with the fresh limes, so I wouldn’t recommend it – sorry!
I made this pie last week and it turned out picture perfect! It looked as pretty as any Keylime pie I’ve ever seen and tasted as good. Everybody loved it. It was easy and I will be making this one again.
Hi Jen,
Do I need to spray/grease the pie dish before adding the graham cracker mixture? Thanks Jen
Hi Janelle, It is not necessary to grease the pan. Hope you enjoy the pie!
Anyway this can be doubled and made in a 9×13 or should I stick to the original recipe in a pie pan??
I haven’t tried that, Adriana, but I think it should work. Baking time may be a little different so keep a close eye on it. Hope you enjoy!
Did you have success doubling the recipe for a 9×13 pan? If so, what changes to the baking time did you need to make?
I made this in a 9 x 13 today with great success! I did 1.5 x the recipe and cooked the filling just 2 minutes longer than the recipe said (because I wasn’t sure exactly what it was supposed to look like coming out of the oven) and it came out perfectly! Sliced it into squares and it was a huge hit with the family 🙂
Good to know, Adriana — thanks for reporting back — I’m sure others will find it helpful!
I also made this with one can fat free condensed milk and one with the regular. Everyone loved it. I live in Florida and everyone raves about the Key Lime Pie from Publix’s, but everyone I served this to thought this was better. Nice and creamy and not as sickening sweet as some that I have had. I real winner!
I made this a few days ago, and it was a huge success. It’s the first time I’ve made key lime pie without eggs, and I don’t think I’ll ever go back to my old recipe! Your approach using Greek yogurt is a real win—the filling is still creamy but lighter and fresher tasting than other lime pies I’ve made. The few leftover pieces have held up in the fridge very well. A perfect start to summer!
Hi Jenn,
Can I make pie the day before or will the filling dry out?
Thanks.
Yes, Cheryl, You can make the crust and the filling a day ahead of time, but store them separately. (The filling should be added on the day of serving, otherwise, the crust will get soggy.) Hope that helps!
I made this recipe on Father’s Day. It was delicious! I plan to make this Key lime pie again this weekend. This is my favorite site for recipes. The directions are so clear and easy to follow!