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 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! 🙂
It was good but just quite sweet.
I just made this Key lime pie today (I confess I bought a ready made graham cracker crust) and it was delicious! Easy to follow recipe…love the accompanying photos…and it set beautifully. My husband and son helped to taste test it and loved the flavor.
This is the most delicious key lime pie I have ever eaten. I can hardly believe it was made in my kitchen. It’s moan worthy!
Recipe was so easy to make. Loved this pie. It had a little too much zest in it for my taste. Next time I will not put as much zest.
Made this Key Lime Pie last night and it was a huge hit. My husband loved it and he is very particular about his Key Lime Pie. Definitely my new go to recipe.
Hi,
We love frozen key lime pie and I make it all the time. I am looking for a smoother; less bitey key lime taste. I’m thinking the yogurt might do it, but I see that u discourage freezing with u’r recipe. Why is that? Is it because when frozen it forms ice crystals and does not have smooth consistency or because it defrosts watery? Before I try the recipe with yogurt instead of eggs I would like to know as we enjoy key lime frozen.Thanku Jen!
Hi Alice, I’ve never frozen it so I can’t say from experience, but I think with all the dairy it has, it may not be the best candidate for freezing. If you decide to make it and freeze some, please report back!
Made for company this week and it was amazing! Everyone loved it. So easy. Will be making this again soon!
Seriously ridiculous! I made my own sweetened condensed milk and bought a store bought crust (definitely making my own next time) but otherwise followed the recipe. Best Key Lime Pie I’ve tried, and that a lot since I’m from Miami lol
AMAZING! I made it tonight and my boyfriend and I had like 3 pieces each! Soooo good!
Easy recipe. I used key lime juice because I had one on hand. Turned out amazing. I doubled the recipe. Gave second pie to son and girlfriend. Everyone raved over it and even mentioned it was the best they tasted
My husband made this for our first post-quarantine get together today. Holy wow – it’s amazing. I normally hate key lime pie but this one is in a whole different league from all the restaurant versions he’s made me try over the years. Just sweet enough and just tart enough and really, pretty much perfect. 10/10 I’d eat it again… and again… delicious.
I made this pie for a church potluck especially for a small group who love key lime pie. It was a huge success and all agreed it was the perfect blend of tart/sweet.
My question is this. I read repeatedly throughout the reviews that there’s recipes too sweet. Can one can sweeten condensed milk and one can evaporated milk work?
Hi Lori, I wouldn’t recommend using any evaporated milk here; if you want to cut the sweetness, 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!
Just made the key lime pie but not sure why my topping is so liquidity.
Thank you.
Hi Dora, Did you make any adjustments to the recipe?
Delicious and so easy to make. Everyone thought it was amazing.
I ordered two cans of sweetened condensed milk and got two cans of sweetened condensed coconut milk instead. Can I use them as a sub for dairy in the recipe and still have it turn out? I do have one can of sweetened condensed milk. Should I use one of that and one can of sweetened condensed coconut milk? I have a ton of limes I would like to use up!
Hi Christy, I’m honestly not sure how the pie would turn out with sweetened condensed coconut milk – I’m sorry! The fact that you have one can of sweetened condensed milk makes me a bit more confident that it may work but it’s hard to say for sure. Please let me know how it turns out if you try it!
can this recipe be used in a muffin tin to make mini pies? If so, is there any changes needed for baking time?
Hi Sara, I think you could make these in a muffin tin, but they may be challenging to remove. Also, bake time is likely to be a bit less but not sure by how much so just keep a close eye on them. I’d love to hear how they turn out if you try it!
They turned out great! I used muffin liners in pan, and cut the baking time in half. They practically melted in our mouths!
Muffin liners was a great idea! So glad they turned out well — thanks for reporting back. 🙂
One comment I forgot to add to my review. I used organic lime juice from a bottle every time I’ve made this pie and it was perfect — just a tip if you want to skip squeezing limes.
I’ve made this pie three times now and everyone loves it. Key Lime Pie is my all time favorite and this one is the best. The Greek yogurt I think makes the difference. The flavor is perfect — not too tart, just right, in my opinion. Thank you. It’s so easy to make on top of being delicious.
The filling is terrific! If you want a super tart lime flavor this isn’t the recipe you want – it was lime-y but very creamy. Unlike other commenters, I didn’t think the filling was too sweet. My guests RAVED about this pie!
4 stars because the recipe is lacking salt strangely – both the crust and the filling need it. I added about half a teaspoon to the filling and to the crust. Also the crust has way too much sugar for my taste. Two tablespoons and a dash of cinnamon and allspice kicked it up a notch!
I made this recipe using key limes for my husband who is very picky about his key lime pie. He LOVED it! The pie set up really well after the 3 hour chill. Perfect bitterness to sweetness ratio. He said, “don’t ever lose this recipe”. I’m definitely making this again.
I don’t know if I have reviewed this recipe yet (as I’ve made this at least 5 times), but, if I have, it deserves 5 more stars!
🙂
I made this recipe for my recent family gathering and would happily make it again, it was a hit and is a keeper!
Wow! Was this a hit! The filling is so creamy and smooth with just the right amount of tang. This is my new favorite Key Lime Pie recipe.
I made this recipe for a family dinner this week and to say it was amazing is an understatement! I’ve made plenty of pies over quarantine and my family all say this is by far the best one – so thank you!
This pie was amazing! So easy and delicious. However, Jenn I think you should add the 3 hour chill time into the recipe total time. I bought all the ingredients, went to start the recipe and realized I did not have enough time to make it to enjoy after dinner 🙁 I had to wait until the next day, but I am so glad I still made it!
Done! So sorry about that, Jane — I hope you didn’t have company coming! 🙂
I made this for my Florida friends who have a key lime tree in their yard. Not only could they not tell the difference between the limes, but they said it was the best Key Lime Pie they ever had! It was wonderful and I was asked to please bring it again to the next gathering. Thank you Jenn. It was a hit.
Hi Jenn! I plan to use a tart pan with removable base. Do I need to grease the pan before pressing the crust in? Will greasing make it easier to remove the pie?
No, it’s not necessary to grease it. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn! I just made this and look forward to trying it tonight. I do have a question after tasting the whisked filling. Does it get more tart as it bakes and chills? I like a really tangy pie and the filling (after I whisked all the filling ingredients together) wasn’t tangy enough for me. I added the juice from an additional lime and while it still wasn’t tangy enough, I didn’t add more because I didn’t want to mess up the texture too much. SO I’m wondering what you’d recommend to increase the tanginess and maybe decrease the sweetness a bit. Would one can of evaporated milk and one can of sweetened condensed milk be a possibility?
Hi Maiken, the filling is not likely to get more tart as it sits. I wouldn’t recommend using any evaporated milk instead of sweetened condensed milk but adding a bit more lime juice to the filling (as you did) is fine. 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!
Great recipe. The filling was super smooth and we didn’t think it was too sweet. Just wondering how long this dessert can be kept in the fridge (for leftovers)?
Hi Grace, it should last 2 to 3 days in the fridge but keep in mind that the crust is likely to get a bit soggy.
I never leave reviews but felt I had to because I’ve made this multiple times and every time people say it’s the best key lime pie they’ve had. I use regular sugar instead of confectioners in the whip cream but that’s the only change I make. This recipe is perfect and so easy!
Made it Saturday and we LOVED this pie! Easy and delicious. Thanks Jenn.
I love this pie so much! The recipe is so simple. My family loves it.
I cannot stress enough how amazing and phenomenal this Pie is! It’s a favorite and everyone is asking for the recipe… so easy and quick to make, and the taste is absolutely divine
Followed this recipe to a T. The filling was delicious. My husband said it tastes even better than Joe’s Stone Crab in Miami. And they’re famous for their pie. But! The crust was where I encountered a problem. I followed the recipe exactly, like I said. But the crust completely disintegrated when I cut into it. It was as if I never baked it, which I did. Maybe it needed more butter? I’ll try that next time I guess.
Hi Jenn! Would I be able to make this recipe as individual desserts in ramekins?
Sure, I think you could get away with it. I’d love to hear how they turn out!
More likely not enough sugar. Also, cook theCrust separately so that the sugar in it has time to caramelize and then, when it cools, it’ll be like brittle in peanut brittle. Not quite that hard, but you get the idea.
Just wanted to let everyone know this pie is absolutely delicious – MUCH better than those made with the bottled juice and eggs. It was cool how the filling thickened up so much when we added the lime juice 🙂 my partner’s mom adored it. I saw the note stating to add filling the day of or the crust will be soggy, but I finished baking the pie and chilled it 24h in advance and it was totally fine and not soggy. I also browned the butter in the crust for a notably toasty nutty flavor. Thanks!
I just finished making this the evening before presenting it as an anniversary gift to my husband. He LOVES key Lime pie but has been unimpressed with the selection here in Canada. I’m thinking this may be a nice surprise as a result; however, I see that you said to make it the day of. This concerns me greatly as we won’t be consuming it until the following evening, nor can we eat an entire pie between the two of us, so I truly hope it will still taste great by tomorrow, can either hold up for multiple days or be frozen..yikes. I’m wondering how the grocery stores are able to sell frozen versions…hmm. I may post an update to let others know if it was still yummy after delayed consumption and storage ‘pitfalls’.
I made this for my son on his 20th birthday, on the 7th! He absolutely loved it and my husband wants me to only use this recipe from now on! Thank you for this great recipe! 💚
so easy and delicious!! I followed the recipe exactly!
Do you have to leave it in a fridge for 3 hours?
Yes, I definitely recommend at least 3 hours.
Amazing key lime pie! I only used 1.5 cans of condensed milk as it was sweet enough for us, and added a bit more greek yogurt. Delish!!
can i freeze this pie with the whipped cream already on it?
Hi Amy, While I don’t think this is the kind of thing that I’d suggest making ahead and freezing with or without the whipped cream, if you have leftovers, you may be able to get away with freezing them (please keep in mind I haven’t frozen it myself).
Delicious pie! I added about 25% more lime as my family likes it really tart. Love the yogurt instead of sour cream.
Absolutely delicious; has the perfect balance of sweet and tart. Followed directions exactly (easy peasy) and results were perfect. Made it in a deep dish pie pan which left plenty of room for a generous amount of whipped cream to be piped along the edge of the crust. This recipe is a keeper!
Hi Jen! This pie is amazing as is( I last made it for Father’s Day) but I need some guidance on making the crust gluten -free for a friend’s upcoming birthday!! Do you think gluten- free graham crackers would do the trick ? The texture of the pie and the crust is what makes this recipe so good and I don’t want to compromise the end result!! Thanks so much
Hi Ellen, I think gluten-free graham crackers will work nicely here. Hope your friend enjoys!
Excellent idea! I live in Florida and have always made Key Lime Pie..but you are correct sometimes it’s very difficult to find key limes even for us Floridians. I make mine a bit different, I use eggs and put a high meringue top on it and bake it. I can’t wait to try it with Persian limes. Thank you for the suggestion.