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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Just made this for the first last weekend. It was surprisingly easy and quick to make (other than having to wait the 3 hours for it to set!) and turned out beautifully. Wouldn’t change a thing and will be making it again soon! Thank you for such a delicious recipe…and for all the other delicious recipes I have been making from this site.
I’ve made a few times over the last year and it is delicious. It only lasts 2 days with my small family of 3 and we are always mad at the person who gets the last piece. I use the bottled Nellie & Joe’s Key West lime juice. I even mistakenly bought the lemon juice on one occasion (they both come in yellow bottles) and I think I like it even better with the lemon juice.
Delicious. I cut the recipe filling in half and used a bit of lemon juice and lemon zest with the lime juice and zest. . I used a store bought chocolate pie crust that I baked for 5 minutes at 350 and let it cool. Then I baked as directed. I used the full amount of whipped cream. I’m savoring every bite. Thank you.
Can you use sour cream instead of yogurt?
Yes, sour cream will work in place of the yogurt. Enjoy!
The BEST key lime pie recipe. I made this as written with no changes and it turned out perfect. This pie is every bit as good as our favorite from Key West!
Hi! I am planning on using this recipe after seeing the amazing reviews. I have a question:
Should I put the toppings then chill for 3 hours? or Chill it for 3 hours first, then put the toppings on?
Thanks!
Hi Sammi, Put the toppings after you’ve chilled the pie for 3 hours. Hope you enjoy!
I’ve been baking a lot since thanksgiving. Stumbled upon this recipe and thought I’d give it a try. During a quick run to Aldi’s I figured I’d pick up the ingredients. After all, if the pie didn’t taste good because it was made of inexpensive ingredients, well… that would be a good thing. Right?!
I opted for cool whip and a store bought pie crust (again From ALDI).
I worried once I started to make it. How could a pie made of 4 simple ingredients taste good. NO EGG?! No sugar?! Not good, I thought. For a second, I assumed that Jen prepared
What the heck—let’s do it!
The end result was TROUBLE! If this pie was made with cheap cool whip and Pie crust—HOW delicious must the REAL DEAL, homemade crust and topping TASTE?!
Don’t second guess this one, folks. This one is a keeper. It’s incredibly rich and light, at the same time. Trust me… I’m trying so hard not to have a second slice (right now ;). I’d like to save it for later).
DO…DO…DO…make this pie! (Now, sadly working on my second slice).
So incredibly simple and delicious! We loved it. It was my first time making key lime pie and it turned out well. Thank you for the recipe and great tips. (I over bought the number of limes so we might have to try again in a few days. 😉
Best recipe ever for key lime pie!
I had Fage 7 oz. Plain 5% Greek yogurt so I used 2T. 4% fat sour cream to come up with the 8oz.
Worked wonderfully!
And I used 2 keebler large premade Graham pie crusts…which are nice to cut down on the time involved.
I made two key lime pies for my son’s 23rd birthday, this one and and another similar recipe that uses sour cream instead of yogurt. Both were delicious but this recipe was the winner and will be my go-to key lime pie recipe from now on! It was incredibly tasty and surprisingly easy! I did use bottled key lime juice, which made it even easier. And although I made whipped cream, I found that it didn’t need it as the pie & crust were sufficiently sweet on their own. Thank you for this wonderful recipe! I’m looking forward to trying many more recipes on this site!
Side note: When searching for key lime juice online, the most common brand that comes up is Nellie & Joe’s Key West Lime Juice. This is not key lime juice, it is regular lime juice that apparently comes from Key West and contains preservatives. It comes in a clear plastic bottle. However, they also make Nellie & Joe’s 100% Key Lime Juice, which IS key lime juice and comes in a green glass bottle. It’s a bit pricier and harder to find. This is the juice I used in my pies and it was fabulous. I just thought I would point that out since the labeling is very misleading!
Found this recipe by googling & decided to make it based on its 5-star rating. Wow! My 1st key lime pie & family not only loved the flavor but was impressed with look of whipped cream & lime slice garnishes. Was tempted by comments about excessive sweetness to reduce the sugar where you recommended but glad I didn’t. Been traveling to Florida annually for last 10 years & become a key lime pie aficionado so I know this deserves it’s 5-star internet rating!
Made this again for NYE & as usual, fam loved it. Been watching calories this year & losing weight to be healthier so appreciate the calorie count which not all creators of online recipes include 🙁