Key Lime Pie
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Cool, creamy, and bright, this key lime pie is made for warm days and easy entertaining.
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.
Key lime pie can be made with a graham cracker 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?
“Off the charts delicious! The brown sugar in the crust is *chefs kiss* and the tart, creaminess of this pie is next-level.”
What You’ll Need To Make Key Lime Pie
- Crust: Made from finely crushed graham crackers, light brown sugar, and melted butter, the crust is buttery and lightly sweet, with just enough structure to hold the filling.
- Filling: Sweetened condensed milk gives the pie its creamy texture and sweetness (don’t confuse it with evaporated milk), while Greek yogurt adds a subtle tang. Fresh lime juice and zest provide bright citrus flavor. You’ll need about 8 to 10 plump limes; zest them before juicing and expect roughly 2 tablespoons of juice per lime.
- Topping: Lightly sweetened whipped cream adds a pillowy topping, with a bit of lime zest for freshness and thin lime slices for garnish.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Make Key Lime Pie
Step 1: Make the crust mixture. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and melted butter in a mixing bowl. Start by stirring with a fork, then use your hands to mix until everything is evenly combined.
Step 2: Form the crust. 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-inch deep-dish pie pan. Aim for a crust about ¼ inch thick.
Pro tip: form the sides first, then press in the bottom.
Step 3: Blind bake the crust. Bake the crust for about 10 minutes, until it’s lightly browned. This quick bake helps set the crust so it stays crisp once the filling is added. Let it cool slightly while you make the filling.
Step 4: Zest and juice the limes. Start by zesting the limes. A rasp grater (the long, skinny kind shown below) works best for this and makes quick work of citrus zest. Then juice the limes using a citrus reamer.
Step 5: Make the filling. In a large bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, yogurt, lime zest, and lime juice. With no eggs, it may be hard to believe that this pie will set, but have faith—it will.
Step 6: Fill and bake the pie. Pour the filling into the baked graham cracker crust and smooth the top. Bake for about 15 minutes, until the filling is just set. Let the pie cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then transfer it to the refrigerator to chill completely, about 3 hours.
Step 7: Make the whipped cream 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.)
Step 8: Assemble and serve. Within a few hours of serving, top the chilled pie with the whipped cream and decorate with lime slices and zest. Enjoy!
Key Lime Pie Video Tutorial
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Key Lime Pie
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
- Make the Crust: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) 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 1½-in (23 x 4-cm) pie pan. The crust should be about ¼-in (6-mm) thick. (Tip: do the sides first.)
- Bake for 10 minutes, until just slightly browned. Let the crust cool on a wire rack.
- Make the Filling: Lower the oven temperature to 350°F (180°C). 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.
- Make 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.
Notes
- 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.
- The nutritional information was calculated using 2% Greek yogurt.
Nutrition Information
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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I lived in So. FL for 30 years. Had every Key Lime Pie imaginable…and made dozens. This is the best version I have ever made/eaten! Kudos on this recipe, Jenn!
I accidentally put 1 cup of crackers instead of 1.5, how much will the crust be affected?
Hi Kim, I think it will be okay — your crust will just be more buttery and a bit thinner.
Excellent pie! Just the right balance between sweet and tart. Friends and family loved it. Thanks for sharing.
This was a great recipe. I made it using gluten free graham crackers and it turned out great!
I made this recipe as individual mini pies in a mini cheesecake pan. They turned out fantastic. I just adjusted the baking times slightly. I love this recipe ♥️
My family and I had never tried key lime pie until I made this. So delicious. Will definitely make it again since it was such a hit with everyone. Thanks again for another great recipe.
This is the BEST Key Lime Pie I’ve ever made. Our family just loved it! Your recipes are all so good and fun to try. Thank you!
My topping was a little runny…… turned out good though.
No need to search for another key lime pie recipe, this one’s the best! I’ve probably made this pie 10 times over the past year – it’s easy to make and everyone loves it. I’ve referred many of my friends to your website. Thank you 🙂
My friends and family loved this! I didn’t have enough limes so I ended up with half lime and half lemon juice and it still tasted great.
One thing though – this recipe was too sweet for our tastes so even though we loved it, we could only eat very small portions at a time! I usually halve the amount of sugar in dessert recipes. Is there any way to make this less sweet? Can I increase the greek yogurt:condensed milk ratio?
Hi Sarah, Glad you enjoyed it! I wouldn’t change the yogurt/condensed milk ratio, but if you want to make it less sweet, you could use a tad more lime juice, omit the sugar from the whipped cream topping and reduce the sugar a bit in the crust. Hope that helps!
Can use regular yougurt instead of greek yogurt?
I don’t recommend it, Ashley – sorry!
Made this Key Lime Pie recipe today and it turned our perfect! I used key limes I found at a local Farmers Market and followed your exact recipe. The pie turned out great! Thank you for sharing. Now that I can make my own Key Lime Pie, I no longer have to wait for Happy Hour at my favorite local spot just to indulge in their KLP.
Great, super easy recipe! Next time I will add a bit more lime juice for tartness. I didn’t expect the texture to be so spot on with the alternative custard ingredients…awesome. Thank you!
I made it tonight. It is tart and super smooth and creamy. Quite delicious. Everyone in the house enjoyed it. I used cheap, disposable pie tins, so it actually made two pies. It’s a good thing, too, because my boyfriend doesn’t like whipped cream.
Can this be turned into a lemon pie with 1:1 substitute of limes to lemons instead? I have a lemon fan in the house that doesn’t like meringue. Thank you!
Hi Lisa, I’ve never made this with lemons but a few readers have commented that they have and have been happy with the results. Hope you enjoy if you try it! 🙂