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 am new to your website and tried your Key Lime Pie on July 4th. People thought it was the best they have ever had! It was such a huge hit I made it again last night with similar results. I have shared your website with several people since then. Thanks so much!
😊
I made this two weeks ago when my son came to visit. Huge success! And without eggs, who knew yogurt would work! I plan to make it tomorrow but with lemons since we have a million. Should I make any other changes?
No other changes necessary, Linda. I’d love to know how it turns out. 🙂
Can I make mini pies?
Sure! I’d love to hear how they turn out in miniature form. 🙂
I’ve made this twice now- and it’s so tasty. A hit with my family. It’s a keeper 😊
I’m hoping to make this over the 4th of July weekend. Would it work to use bottled key lime juice instead of squeezing all those limes? Thanks.
I wouldn’t recommend it, Emily — sorry!
What about bottled key lime juice?
You’ll get much better results with the fresh limes, so I wouldn’t recommend it – sorry!
I made this pie last week and it turned out picture perfect! It looked as pretty as any Keylime pie I’ve ever seen and tasted as good. Everybody loved it. It was easy and I will be making this one again.
Hi Jen,
Do I need to spray/grease the pie dish before adding the graham cracker mixture? Thanks Jen
Hi Janelle, It is not necessary to grease the pan. Hope you enjoy the pie!
Anyway this can be doubled and made in a 9×13 or should I stick to the original recipe in a pie pan??
I haven’t tried that, Adriana, but I think it should work. Baking time may be a little different so keep a close eye on it. Hope you enjoy!
Did you have success doubling the recipe for a 9×13 pan? If so, what changes to the baking time did you need to make?
I made this in a 9 x 13 today with great success! I did 1.5 x the recipe and cooked the filling just 2 minutes longer than the recipe said (because I wasn’t sure exactly what it was supposed to look like coming out of the oven) and it came out perfectly! Sliced it into squares and it was a huge hit with the family 🙂
Good to know, Adriana — thanks for reporting back — I’m sure others will find it helpful!
I also made this with one can fat free condensed milk and one with the regular. Everyone loved it. I live in Florida and everyone raves about the Key Lime Pie from Publix’s, but everyone I served this to thought this was better. Nice and creamy and not as sickening sweet as some that I have had. I real winner!
I made this a few days ago, and it was a huge success. It’s the first time I’ve made key lime pie without eggs, and I don’t think I’ll ever go back to my old recipe! Your approach using Greek yogurt is a real win—the filling is still creamy but lighter and fresher tasting than other lime pies I’ve made. The few leftover pieces have held up in the fridge very well. A perfect start to summer!
Hi Jenn,
Can I make pie the day before or will the filling dry out?
Thanks.
Yes, Cheryl, You can make the crust and the filling a day ahead of time, but store them separately. (The filling should be added on the day of serving, otherwise, the crust will get soggy.) Hope that helps!
I made this recipe on Father’s Day. It was delicious! I plan to make this Key lime pie again this weekend. This is my favorite site for recipes. The directions are so clear and easy to follow!