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.
Photo by Alexandra Grablewski (Chronicle Books, 2018)
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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.
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Do you have any recommendations for key lime bars? I love this recipe but just curious for a different way to serve!
Hi B, As of now I don’t have a recipe for key lime bars and don’t think this would translate well as I’m concerned that the filling wouldn’t be firm enough – sorry! If I come across a recipe for key lime bars that looks worthwhile, I’ll email you with it.
I appreciate the feedback and a possible future recipe. Thank you!!
No, just NO! Key limes are different, have a different acidity and a more intense flavour. Please do nt bastardize an age old recipe with your fake “persian” limes. NOT the SAMR. . . Seriously??? WTF is going on here? Why would you do that?
I’ve actually made this many many times and have used both key limes and the regular limes and I can honestly say no one that eats it can tell the difference. Maybe we just don’t have a sophisticated palate but they tell me it’s THE best they’ve eaten 100% of the time.
Cooks’ Illustrated, along with many other culinary experts, calls for Persian limes in their Key Lime Pie recipe. Best to save your lime outrage for another purpose.
Oh my gosh. I laughed out loud at lime outrage.
Persian limes are not Key Limes, but they are real and sometimes people may not be able to find them, so they are a good substitute. Most of my supermarkets carry Key Limes, especially the Hispanic stores.
I can not believe that you can not buy keywest key lime juice in maryland. Every grocery
store carries it. I make key lime buy all the time and do not use regular limes.
Cannot find key limes in Chicago. Used reg limes. Turned out great
Cannot find Key limes here in Sweden. So I have to use regular limes. I don’t know how the real thing should taste, but we love this Key lime pie. (Or should I say Lime pie?) Hopefully we will be able to visit Florida and taste the original pies made by local bakeries using Key limes.
I made this pie for a special dinner. I loved the make ahead aspect, especially when you have lots of other food prep., but my crust was hard. Was it possible that I was too “firm” when pressing the crumbs in the pie plate, or I overcooked it? The filling was perfect and everyone still really enjoyed it.
Hi Sandi, I think you’re right; it’s likely that you just pressed the crumbs down too firmly.
@onceuponachef
I’ve made this twice, once for myself and once for friends. They are Key Lime fans and they LOVED it.
I’m known for cutting corners and I did with this too. I bought half the limes and added the prepared lime juice instead. It was still very lime tasting and I loved every bite.
I recommend your site to all of my friends, I really appreciate it!
I’ve made this pie in a chezcake pan and it turns out marvelous and so easy to cut and remove. Very picturesque .
We are heading to Arkansas where it’s stupid hot right now. Will be making this pie for dessert while there. I feel confident giving it 5 stars ahead of time.🙂
I have tried many Key Lime Pie recipes over my 76 years and this is, by far, my favorite. Family and friends all agree with me.
Can I use bottled key lime juice instead of freshly juiced limes? Same amount of juice?
Hi Rachel, I think this is definitely best with fresh lime juice, but it will work with bottled (and, yes, you’d use the same amount). 🙂
Just made this pie today using our first batch of key limes from our key lime tree! My husband and I have never made key lime pie before & I knew you would have the perfect recipe- thank you! I have tried multiple recipes and they are always wonderfully delicious. I used Greek yogurt (1/2cup 2% and 1/2cup 5%) and only substituted to use up the Greek yogurt we usually have stocked in our refrigerator.
I’ve made this twice and it is fantastic!!
Dang! This pie is seriously great!!
I’ve always wanted to make a key lime pie but never tried it until now.
Fantastic! This is my summer go-to dessert this year. I used lime flavored Greek yogurt for even more flavor. I also made the crust from biscotti crumbs I’d been saving. Delish!!! Thanks!
Wowza! Beautiful, easy, and oh SO tasty!!
I made this pie today and followed the recipe exactly (I used full fat Greek yogurt since I couldn’t find low fat in my market). It was delicious! The pie set nicely and my whole family loved it. My son said it was better than a bakery key lime tart he had the week before (from a very good bakery)! This one’s a keeper for me. I did lightly spray the pie plate prior to adding the crust, but would spray it a little more next time as we had some minor sticking.
Hi, I was wondering if I could substitute the yogurt for sour cream? Thank you
Yep, as long as it’s Greek yogurt. Enjoy!
Not sure what happened- i followed the recipe to a tee with no substitutions and it is still quite runny/not setting in the oven after 15 minutes. What could be wrong??
I’m sorry you had a problem with this! You said you followed the recipe to a tee but because this pie is pretty predictable, I’m wondering — any chance you used traditional yogurt instead of Greek?
Fantastic recipe. Came out exactly as described and it’s delicious.
Hi Jenn,
I have family that is lactose intolerant and I prepared some lactose free condensed milk. I forgot to account for volume loss and only ended up with about 20 oz. I’m wanting to adjust your recipe slightly and wondered if using 1/2 c lime juice and 3/4 c dairy free sour cream would balance out the missing 8 oz of condensed milk? Or would you do more or less of either?
Thanks!
Yes, I think that would work — it will just be a little less limey. Feel free to add more lime zest if you’d like.
Have made this pie twice and everyone loves it! So delicious!
Fabulous recipe! Made it 24 hours before the birthday dinner and next day leftovers tasted even better!
Was delicious, came out wonderfully first time! Good recipe!
I am not a dessert person BUT…..Key Lime pie is my childhood favorite that I got to enjoy for a few weeks every year when we vacationed in Broward County from Massachusetts. It is a pie like no other pie and I just might have to make this wonderful recipe. Thank you Jenn.
I made this pie for a women’s retreat this weekend, and we all agreed that it was the best key lime pie we’d ever eaten. So easy to make (I cheated and used a store-bought graham cracker crust)! It set up well, was creamy and the lime flavor was not overwhelming, just perfect. Thank you, and I am adding this to our family favorites.
Made this pie in advance in smaller, individual servings. Are you able to freeze? Want to keep the crust crisp but will serve in 3-4 days
Hi Allie, I’ve never frozen this and wouldn’t think it was a great candidate for freezing, but a few people have mentioned that they have, and have been happy with the results when thawed. Keep in mind though that the crust will not stay crisp if the filling sits inside it (either in the freezer or the fridge). Hope that helps!
I wanted to give this recipe 5 stars for the flavor but the crust is a major problem. I’ve made graham cracker crusts before so maybe I should have known this one would be a problem when it didn’t want to hold together as I pressed it into the pie plate. Sure enough, the crust turned into crumbs when I tried slicing the pie. It was impossible to get a nice looking slice with the crust intact.
Afterwards, I noticed that many of the reviewers said they added extra butter. That tells me there is an issue with the recipe the way it is written.
I will use this recipe again, now that I know I need to make a revision to the crust. I wish I could have rated it higher because it really is delicious.
I think you must have done something wrong. I have made a few times and no problem with the crust.
hi im not much of a baker – was wondering can i make this inside of a cast iron instead of a pie dish? or a corningware? or one of those older pyrexes (the top of the top/bottom set is short…its glass)…or one of those pans where the bottom comes out (tho its not short).?
which of those is best/ok?
..im not fussed about pretty sides (obviously lol)….and dont want to buy a pie dish
im putting a 5star bc i know it will be lol
Hi Lulu, out of all the options you mentioned, assuming the cast iron pan is similar in size to a deep dish pie plate, I’d go with that. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
The only thing I would watch out for with cast iron is that it retains heat for a lot longer than a traditional pie dish after you take it out of the oven. Because the cooling rate is so important for a recipe like this, I’d be interested to see how things work out with cast iron.
This pie is everything I was looking for in a key lime pie 🙂 Refreshing taste and beautiful texture. I’ve made this roughly 8-10 times now and this is a crowd pleaser, highly requested and a favorite.
I do want to note I added one more tbsp of butter into crust and I buttered the bottom of the pie dish as the crust was sticking to the bottom.
Thank You for sharing this delicious recipe 😘
Can I substitute the sweetened condensed milk for sweetened condensed coconut milk?
Hi Meaghan, I’ve never made this with condensed coconut milk, so it’s hard to say for sure – I’m sorry! Please report back how it turns out if you try it!
Hi–I made this recipe and both my husband and I really loved it….very delicious. There were 2 ingredients that I altered a bit. I added 2 more tablespoons of melted butter to the crust and I used 4 fresh regular limes for part of the lime juice (about 1/3rd cup) and I used bottled juice for the remainder since I didn’t have any more limes. Also, if you are baking the crust in a higher end type of oven (mine is a French door Viking Oven), check the crust after 5 minutes of baking. Mine was done well before the 10 minute mark. I will definitely make this again! Thanks for the recipe : )
My first time of making key lime pie. I am happy I tried this recipe. Even though I used bottled key lime juice….it was still tart. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
This recipe was so simple and SO TASTY!!! I plan to make this a staple dessert for my household.
This is an awesome recipe! Easy to follow and turned out perfect. Huge hit at our dinner party. Thank you!
I am no baker, however, I gave this recipe a shot. Two things I will say. You made it super easy even for a complete novice and two, my family absolutely loved it and have asked me to make more. All thanks to you.
I made this the other day, and it was delicious! I added two more tablespoons of butter to the crust, and baked it at 350 for 12 minutes. Also, I used 5% greek yogurt and it set up beautifully!
Dear Jenn,
I made this pie yesterday. It tasted absolutely delicious, but I did have issues – the crust didn’t appear to be enough even using a 23x4cm pie tin – it was too thin. And then, when I removed it from the refrigerator, it was completely stuck to the tin. What could I have done wrong?
Hi Ana, I’m sorry you had a problem with this! There should be ample crust so that it’s not too thin and it shouldn’t stick to the pie plate so that’s a bit of a head-scratcher. I saw an earlier comment you left and you didn’t mention using sugar in the crust. Did you omit that? Regardless, it sounds like you may have mismeasured something for the crust. Please LMK if I can help in any other way.
Oh my gosh! I made this just today and everyone raved about it! Got an order for another for my friends birthday instead of a cake! Thank yoi so much for this great recipe!🥰🥰👌👌
First time I’ve ever commented on a recipe. I am not an amazing cook or baker, but I followed this recipe step by step…THANK YOU! This was a huge hit for Father’s Day! It didn’t look as nice as yours (but it looked pretty darn good), but the taste was AMAZING! I will be making this again.
This was absolutely the most delicious pie! Thanks for sharing!
This pie is fabulous. The only thing that I do differently is to dry out the decorative lime slices, and I use a different whipped cream recipe that I stabilize with cream cheese. It is a bit sweeter and holds up longer.
Anyway, My guests clean their plates.
This recipe is wonderful! I made it for my son’s 55th birthday & want to make it again for Father’s Day since it is both my son & husband’s favorite. If I make the crust the day before, does it need to be refrigerated or can it stay on the kitchen counter until I make the filling & assemble it the next day?
Thanks for all your terrific recipes. Love your cook books!!
Pat
So glad you like the recipes and this one is a favorite in your family! I always stick the crust in the fridge if I make it ahead, but it should be fine on the counter. 🙂
Loved the recipe, so easy to make and friends want to know when I’m making another. I made one error in the recipe that turned out OK. I picked up a small container of lite sour cream instead of yogurt, but the end result was wonderful. All cooking instructions were concise. I cheated and bought a 9″graham cracker crust and 1-8 oz container of cool whip. Saved me some time. Thank you Jenn.
Just the right amount of tartness & sweetness. This “Key Lime” pie is every bit as good as one in a restaurant. Another one of your recipes that I’ve used with excellent success.
Hi There! Could you use evaporated milk and add granulated sweetener to compensate for the sweetness lost by not using condensed milk?
Hi Tricia, I wouldn’t recommend using evaporated milk here – I’m sorry!
Can I make this with no crust? Thanks!!
I think you could, but suspect you’d need to serve it more like pudding as it won’t have the structure of the crust. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it.
Delicious, but the filling didn’t set.
So easy and so delicious! I can’t say enough good things about this recipe. It really is the best ever!
Hi, Jen ~
LOVE this recipe! Is there a way to make mini pies with this recipe? I’m doing a dessert bar & would love to include this in bite size.
Thanks,
Steph
Hi Steph, So glad you like this! haven’t tried it but think you could make this into smaller versions. I’d keep the temperature the same; bake time is likely to be less but not sure by how much as it depends on the size of your minis so just keep a close eye on them. Hope everyone enjoys!
Truly the BEST key lime pie ever! It was my first time making it and it turned out perfect. I made two pies and they were both gone by the second day. Thank you for the delicious recipe.
So I made this pie a couple of months ago, using lemons instead of limes, and it came out amazingly! So delish! However, this week, I decided to use real key limes instead of Persian limes, and it did not work out. The first day I tasted it, the pie wasn’t as sweet but it was holding up. However, the next day, I noticed this clear-ish, sticky substance leaking from the pie. Does anyone know what happened? The only other change I made was the first time I used a premade pie crust, this week I actually make the crust.
I’m sorry to hear you had a bit of a problem with the pie this time around. I don’t believe the key limes would have been the issue as a number of people have commented that they’ve used them successfully. Did you, by any chance, do a meringue topping on the pie instead of a whipped cream topping? If it was whipped cream, it may have been that you underwhipped the cream a bit. Please LMK if I can help in any other way.
OMG! What a delicious key lime pie. I had never made one from scratch and I had a bag of regular limes that needed to be used so I looked up a recipe and found yours. It took 10 small limes squeezed for 3/4 cup of juice and 4 of them for the 1 TBSP of zest. I did not have Greek yogurt so I used 1 cup of sour cream. I left off the heavy cream topping and my husband couldn’t get enough of it. He said it was the BEST pie he’s ever had and that it should be entered into a pie contest!!! We enjoyed eating the whole pie over a couple of days. I will definitely be making it again and again and again. Thank you for this delicious easy recipe!!
Made this for Memorial Day BBQ. It was fantastic! not a crumb left, literally. My question is can I use the same recipe with lemons? All the Lemon “Ice Box” pie recipes call for eggs. I don’t care about the ice box part, I just want a good creamy lemon pie with graham cracker crust. Does the lemon juice not set up like the lime juice? Thanks for any help!
Hi Marie, Glad it was a hit! I’ve never tried it with lemon but some other readers have commented that they have and have enjoyed it (and I think it should set up fine). Please LMK how it turns out!
Hi!
Can you make this with a tart pan? Realized I don’t have a pie dish
Hi K, I think this will work in a tart pan. 🙂