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
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 had been craving key lime pie for a few weeks so made this tonight for a small gathering. It was a massive hit! Just wondering if it might be possible to add more Greek yogurt and reduce the condensed milk to cut back on the sugar…
I don’t recommend it, Julie. I’m sorry!
Hi Jenn! I’m so looking forward to baking this recipe!
Is there anything that I substitute 1 can of condensed milk with? I’m worried about the sugar content because 2 cans of sweetened condensed milk is quite a lot
Hi See, Unfortunately, you really need both cans of sweetened condensed milk. I’m sorry!
This pie was just outstanding! We’ve had lots of key lime pie in Florida, and this was certainly as good as anything we’ve had there. The only problem is one pie isn’t enough for 8 people. They always want more. It’s more like 5 people because everyone loves it so much. I loved the pre-baked crust to prevent sogginess. So good!
This recipe isn’t limey enough. It’s also a little too sweet. It’s an OK pie, just too sweet.
Absolutely delish! This pie was not only beautiful, it was so creamy and delish. The directions were perfect and it came together very easily. A definite hit at any function.
I have 6 little pie tart pans (6 in. in diameter) What cooking time for the crust would you recommend???
Bake time may be a little less but not much. Hope you enjoy!
I have made this Key Lime Pie twice within a couple of weeks for celebrations with family and friends. It is the most delicious pie ever! My husband who loves key lime pie (especially from Florida) absolutely loved it. I have had to share the recipe with everyone how has tasted it. I will be trying more recipes from your site!
Good Morning, I just purchased the items for this Pie and was getting ready to make it and noticed you used regular limes and not key limes. I purchased key limes, should I do anything different when making?
No, key limes will also be fine here. Hope you enjoy! 🙂
You have to make this! The taste is spot on.
My husband “hates” key lime pie and wants me to make another one it was so good.
I like that it’s simple. I used key limes and store bought graham crust.
Will key limes work?
Sure!
I’ve made this pie twice so far: once with limes & the other time with lemons. Served with strawberries and blueberries. Both were fantastic! Great use for the forgotten bag of lemons in the back of the produce drawer 🙂 Thanks for all the delicious recipes!
Would it be ok to use Condensed coconut milk? Thanks Jenn! You are the best and I love your recipes!!!
Hi Kathy, So glad you like the recipes! 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!
Will do!
I made this for my wife because key lime is her favorite pie, and we devoured it. She said it was the best she’s had. The filling is incredible (not quite as tart as traditional key lime). My crust was a little dry so I wound up adding a couple of extra tablespoons of butter, and it was perfect.
I made this key lime pie recipe for my husband and neighbors. They absolutely loved it and said it was the best they have ever had! Many of us had visited Key West and remembered fondly the key lime pie as part of our visit. But all agreed your recipe by far was the best! Thank you for sharing. I am trying your Dad’s favorite – chocolate pie – next!!!!
🙂 glad you enjoyed it!
Omg! This was a hit in my house!
Great summer dessert!! Every recipe I made from here is good!
Key lime pie is one of my husband’s favorites but since Tennessee isn’t known for it’s key limes, I’ve never been able to make it for him. He was highly skeptical of a recipe that used regular limes but your recipes have always been so good, I decided to give it a try. He’s very glad I did. It’s as good as any either of us have ever had!
Made this today, and it was fantastic. Tons of flavor! Perfect snack on a really hot Coachella day! 🌴🌴👍
This is my second time making this recipe, that’s how much we love it. So simple, very quick and extremely delicious! We cook for 6 daily and I appreciate things that can be put together without too much labor, or mise en place, but deliver on flavor. Thank you!
Will 1.5% fat Greek yogurt work? I went to 3 stores and it’s all I can find.
Sure, Loretta – it won’t be as creamy, but it will still work. Hope you enjoy!
Thank you! I made it and it looked beautiful and tasted delicious! I love your recipes. Thank you for sharing them!
OMG Jenn, this is delicious! I’ve tried so many key lime pie recipes. I am now done looking, I’ve found a great recipe. Thank you! I did not use the topping because that just doesn’t seem to work for me unless the whole pie will be eaten soon. I made a raspberry glaze and drizzled over mine with each serving. Amazing!
OMG!!! I swear that is the best pie ever and so easy to make. Absolutely loved it and it will be made again and again. You are the BEST and thank you fir sharing your 5 star recipes.
Margie Santos
I literally just made this today and my spouse loved it. Easy and delicious. Thank you for sharing!
Loved by my entire family of avowed chocoholics. And so easy to make, too! I made the mistake of adding the whipped topping right before serving; it flopped when I served it, but the pie was too delicious for the eaters to care about aesthetics. Next time (and there will definitely be a next time), I will be sure to chill the pie with the topping for an hour at least.
Can’t wait to try. Can I make the filling a day ahead and then pour it into the crust the day of?
Yep – hope you enjoy! 🙂
First time making this and it was perfect, well, it tastes perfect. Im still an amateur. Loved making this!
We had this Key Lime Pie for a family dinner this July and it was the BEST Key Lime Pie any of us ever had! I had gotten your recipe in an email and I forwarded it to my daughter, who wanted to bring a dessert. Since we LOVE Key Lime Pie I thought this looked good. Well, she made it exactly as directed, said it was easy, and it looked fantastic decorated with the thinly sliced limes. She was kind enough to leave half the leftovers with us, and we just finished the last piece today. It was just as good as the first day! Love the cheesecake-like consistency and creaminess. I am making a hard copy of your recipe to add to my recipe file. I am not a baker, but your recipe, with the pictures of each step, look like something even a beginner could follow. Thank you for all the recipes you send. I have tried several and they were great, too!
I made this recipe for our Saturday date night. This is the first time I made and ate a Key Lime Pie. It was amazing! The Key Lime Pie recipe will forever be in my dessert repertoire. Forever your fan, Michelle, Edmonton, AB, Canada
Hi Jenn! I made this yesterday and my entire family loved it! Thank you! Question, where did you get your pie dish from? It is so cute!
Sorry, I forgot to click the stars. 😅 All of your recipes are fantastic!
Hi, I like reallly tart key lime and lemon pies. There’s alot of condensed milk, can I add more lime juice and what would you suggest the ratio be? Or
Thanks! I’ll be making it tomorrow:)
Hi Carol, I worry that adding too much more lime juice will make the pie too runny, but you could probably get away with an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons. Hope that helps!
Hi Kelly, So glad you enjoyed! I wish I could tell you where the dish came from but it was a vintage find from my food photographer.
This was my first time making key lime pie and I will search no further for a recipe! This pie came out absolutely perfect and was crazy easy to make. It was a huge hit for the 4th of July!
This was excellent and so easy! In case anyone makes the same mistake I did and only bought one 6 oz. serving of Greek yogurt, I added an egg yolk to the filling mixture. It probably would have been fine with only 6 oz. but my usual key lime pie recipe (Joe’s Stone Crab) uses 3 yolks with the filling. It was an easy and delicious fix. Great recipe!
I served this pie for 4th of July celebration dinner and it was a hit. BEST.KEY LIME PIE. EVER. This is a keeper.
Fantastic recipe. I made candied limes as a finishing garnish on top. Loved everything about it. Thank you!
This is a great recipe. I’ve made it twice now. Delicious and easy to make. Just wondering if it would freeze properly.
Hi Steve, So glad you like it! while I don’t think this is the kind of thing that I’d suggest making ahead and freezing, if you have leftovers, you may be able to get away with freezing them (please keep in mind I haven’t frozen it myself).
Can you tell me why the filling has to be baked since there are no eggs in it? I make a no bake cream cheese pie called Cherry O Cream Pie… it is an old recipe from my aunt….It has lemon juice, condensed milk and cream cheese in a graham cracker crust. The filling thickens really nice because of the lemon juice reacting with the other ingredients… but anyway.. all the ingredients in your lime pie filling are safe to eat raw.. why does it need to be baked? Does it firm up the filling? With no eggs, they are not going to firm up as in a custard pie. It seems like all you are doing is heating up the filling, then cooling it back down again in the fridge. I planned to make this and read the recipe quick, then looked at it again and wow…I would have missed bake for 15 min.. lol. It looked just like a refrigerator type pie from the get go.
Hi Diane, you pose a great question! I’ve seen Key lime pie w/ no eggs done both ways – – with the filling baked and unbaked. Not sure how I decided on going the baked route, but I’ve been making it this way forever and it works. If you try it unbaked, I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Hi Jenn, thx so much for the recipe! If I don’t want it to be so sweet, can I use 2/3 condensed milk and an extra TBSP of lime? Prefer sour and not so sweet, or will that affect the consistency of the filling? Thanks much, Helen
Hi Helen, I wouldn’t recommend decreasing the amount of sweetened condensed milk but you can add an additional tablespoon of lime juice to the filling. If you want to reduce the sweetness further, you can omit the sugar from the whipped cream topping and reduce the sugar a bit in the crust. Hope that helps and that you enjoy!
I have not tried this recipe but wonder in no Fat yogurt can work. I doubt but is it worth a try.
Sure, Tom. It won’t be as creamy but technically it will work. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn,
Your recipe is the baked one so I’m confused by your answer, do we bake or no?
Can’t wait to make this!
Hi Kathleen, Sorry for the confusion. I accidentally switched baked and unbaked! You should definitely bake it for reliable results. 🙂
Okay. This is getting ridiculous. This week I have made this pie, your chocolate cream pie, and the salmon with cucumber/ onion salad. Last week, I made the shrimp tacos (yes! grilling the tacos on the BBQ), the chocolate cream pie, Peruvian chicken with green sauce, and the French apple cake (sixth time). I have since made the green sauce twice.
Yowser, girl. You are making me look like a star. Thank you!
Your superfan in Mill Bay, BC
😊
Guess what? You forgot to include oven temperatures both for the crust and the filling.
What’s up?
HELP I’m eager to make this pie. Your food site is the only one I use. It’s sane, beautiful,
all tried recipes great, and user friendly.
Thanks!
Hi Gail, Are you looking at the actual recipe underneath the step-by-step photos? If you go to the top of the page and click the “jump to recipe” button, it will take you to the recipe card with all the details. Sorry for the confusion!
This is a fantastic recipe. My Mum and I had bake off 🙂 She baked her usual one which has eggs and a meringue topping and I baked this one. Blind taste test by kids and partners followed. This was the winner. It has a lovely baked cheesecake like consistency and super easy to make. Thankyou for yet another great recipe.
Made this on Father’s Day for hubby – his exact words: ‘This is a miracle’. Pretty hard to top that. Jenn, you’ve saved me many times from being a disenchanted cook day in day out for a family of four. I have your cookbook and turn to your website weekly for fresh and new ideas as your recipes are refined, but not too difficult to pull off. Much appreciated and wondering if you’d ever consider adopting me as your older sister? 😉
LOL – so glad you like the recipes! ❤️
Another winner! I made this for my husband for Father’s Day and he loved it. We all did. Easy to prepare and delicious.
Just went to the store yesterday to pick up my limes. Will be making this for at least the fourth time. The only complaint I received when I made at Thanksgiving was “How come you didn’t make two?”
Can I add the whipped cream topping a few hours before serving or is it best to whip it and put on the pie immediately before serving?
Thanks so much! Can’t wait to make this.
Yes, Rachel, it’s fine to add the whipped cream a few hours before serving. Hope you enjoy! 🙂
OH MY!!!!! This was fantastic! My husband, a Key Lime Pie fanatic, could not get over how delicious this was! His Father’s Day treat! I posted on FB and soooo many comments….I shared the recipie with several friends! This was so easy to make and is definitely ” The Real Deal”! All of your recipies are amazing!
FYI to those questioning if you could/should make this with lemons… YES! It’s delicious! We made this for Father’s Day, but the store was sold out of limes. We always keep lemons on hand, so decided to try it. It’s really, really good. A wonderfully refreshing treat.
I just made this pie for Father’s Day and everyone absolutely LOVED it! It had the perfect amount of tartness which was topped by the whipped cream. I’ve made several key lime pie recipes over the years and I must say this one was the easiest and by far the best! Thank you for sharing your recipes with us. Every one I have tried has become a new family favorite!
Hi! I just made this and am looking forward to trying it once it cools. Question – can I cool this in the tin or do I need to take it out? Like, can I put it in the fridge with the pie still in the pie pan? I am new to making pies and I wondered if it won’t firm up in the tin? Or is it okay?
Hi Rebecca, Yes cool it in the pie pan. Hope yo enjoy it! 🙂
This “Key Lime” Pie is waaaay too good! My husband is diabetic, so treats are limited and when I do make a pie, if we don’t have guests to consume part of it, I make it in a small pie pan. I guessed at how much to decrease the measurements for the small pan and guessed long. That meant I had some filling that wouldn’t fit in the pie pan. I spooned it into an extra measuring cup and stuck it in the fridge. A few hours later I stuck a spoon in it and found it was firmed up to the texture of a firm pudding and it was beyond delicious. It also was gone in short order. Yum!!
I sent the link to my daughter, as my grandson thinks Key Lime Pie is the best food in the world. She couldn’t believe how easy it was and he couldn’t believe his mom just made the best Key Lime Pie he ever had.
Hi Jenn, I’ve made this pie and it’s really good and refreshing; my little one finds it a bit tart though, so I was wondering how can I reduce the tartness: less lime juice (2/3) and the rest water up to 3/4 cup, or add some sugar or simply less juice? I imagine this pie could be made with lemons instead of limes? Thank you for your great recipes and advice. Have a nice day!
Hi Ingrid, I think using 2/3 cup of lemon juice and the rest water is a good solution. Hope that helps! 🙂
If I wanted to make this recipe a little more tart, could I use key limes instead of regular limes?
Sure, Sarah, that should work. Hope you enjoy! 🙂
This is the best key lime pie I have ever made. Great recipe and easy to follow. My granddaughter wanted it for her birthday dessert and the guests devoured it! Thanks
Jenn,
What can I substitute for the Greek yogurt?
Hi BR, you can use sour cream in place of the Greek yogurt. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn,
I’d like to make this recipe but I was wondering if it’s really necessary to previously bake the crust 10 minutes, because totally it will bake for 25 minutes. I’m afraid it will be dry or burnt after all that baking?
Thank you,
Ingrid
Hi Ingrid, I would definitely bake the crust for the 10 minutes before adding the filling — it keeps the crust from getting soggy when you add the filling (and I’ve made it loads of times and haven’t had a problem with it burning). Hope that helps!