Key Lime Pie
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
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.
Photo by Alexandra Grablewski (Chronicle Books, 2018)
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
Powered by 
- 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.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
I have a 16 oz container of 5% Fage. Is that a cup or do I measure into a dry measuring cup
Hi David, you’ll need 1 dry measuring cup’s worth. Enjoy!
Thanks, this is the second time I’m making the pie first was a great success. This will be for Rosh Hashanah
I liked the taste of this pie but sadly the crust became soggy even though we ate it the same day. I feel like the soggy crust ruined it. I don’t understand what happened since I followed the recipe. I also noticed the filling didn’t get that hot in the oven, but I guess maybe it didn’t need to since it set and there wasn’t anything raw like egg in it.
This was THE best key lime pie I’ve made or eaten 🙌🏻🙌🏻
Thank you!!
Can you substitute fresh lemon juice and zest for the lime juice/zest?
Hi Naomi, I haven’t tried it, but it should work. While different, you may also want to consider my lemon meringue pie recipe.
Made this recipe as directed. The flavor was sensational. I did use actual Key limes for the recipe. The only issue was the filling turned on the yellow side instead of green. Any ideas what happened?
Hi Roberta, Key lime juice can be more yellow than regular limes, hence the color of your pie. Glad you enjoyed it!
I initially, on accident, made this recipe with nonfat plain Greek yogurt and all my pie samplers loved it! So, I have used nonfat Greek yogurt ever since.
Hi Jenn
Do you think I could use full fat sour cream in place of the Greek 2% yogurt?
( it’s what I have on hand).
Bringing this dessert to my chef’s table club—paella party! I know they will all comment, “well, Princess Barb only uses her bff, Jen Segal— so we know it will be great!” 😂. Many thanks!
Lol, I’m flattered, Princess Barb!
Yes, full-fat sour cream will work here — hope everyone enjoys!
I’ve made this pie 3 times and it gets a glowing review over and over. I really appreciate a recipe that can shine so bright without too many ingredients. Couldnt recommend it enough!!
Key lime pie is a favorite of mine and I was excited to try this recipe, because I’m such a fan of everything else I’ve made from this site. I was also curious, because it’s so different from other key lime pies I’ve previously made. I liked it, and will make it in the future, but it lacked the tart intensity I prefer. Next time, I will increase the juice to a cup and add more zest, too. Jenn, what would you suggest? Should I cut down on the amount of condensed milk to achieve that flavor profile? Thanks!
Hi Andi, I don’t think you need to cut back on the sweetened condensed milk, but would add more lime juice. You could also reduce the sugar a bit in the crust. Hope that helps!
Made recipe with 5% Greek yogurt. Came out perfectly. I just don’t understand what the 15 minutes in the oven does since there are no eggs. What is the chemistry between yogurt, evaporated milk, and lime juice and heat? Thx, David
Hi David, Great question! The acid in the lime juice reacts with the proteins in both the yogurt and evaporated milk, causing them to coagulate and thicken. Without this acid, the mixture wouldn’t set properly, and you’d end up with a runny filling. This reaction is similar to what happens in cheese-making, where acid causes milk proteins to curdle and solidify.