Key Lime Pie
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Bright, tangy, and ultra-creamy, this key lime pie has just the right balance of sweet and tart—perfect for warm days and easy entertaining.
I use ordinary supermarket limes, also known as Persian limes, to make my “Key lime” pie. Unless you live in the Florida Keys, true 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’re 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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LOVE your recipes! Following up on your answer to Toni below on 7/31/22. I too have time constraints so am planning to make the crust and filling 24 hours in advance of event and store each separately–the crust on the counter overnight and the filling in the fridge overnight. Can I make the whipped cream the morning of the event, top the pie with it, and then transport it 60 minutes to the event? Or, should I bring the whipped cream with me in a separate container and finish the pie onsite? I would prefer not to have to make the whipped cream at the host’s home unless absolutely necessary. Thanks so much in advance for your advice! (My husband’s made this pie before at our own home so I know it’s another winner.)
Hi Leslie, what you’re proposing is fine — hope everyone enjoys!
Sorry, but I’m still a little confused. I’m skipping the baking of the filling in the crust for 15 minutes?? Just making the filling and keeping it in the fridge overnight? Then putting the cold filling in the crust without baking? I feel like I’d be missing something, i.e., the baking part and that the pie wouldn’t turn out properly. Thanks again for your advice.
Hi Leslie, I must’ve misunderstood your question. The filling does still need to be baked. I’d do that part at home, make the whipped cream before leaving your house, and top the pie with it when you get to your destination. Hope that clarifies!
Absolutely delicious!! So easy to make and was a huge hit. Everyone was moaning as they ate it. Once again, Jenn, you gave us a winner!!
Made it this past Friday. I have never made crust or homemade whipped cream so I was not sure what to expect. It came out fantastic.
Jenn Segal – this is an excellent recipe and I appreciate it. My wife thought it was “divine”.
I was given some key limes by my neighbor who has a tree so I will try and compare that next week.
Again thank you so much. We really enjoyed it.
I made this key lime pie (using a different crust). It is the bomb! It couldn’t be easier to make and it is so delicious we just had it for breakfast! The filling is thick and silky. When eaten with the light and fluffy whipped cream, it is a perfect combination. It is a giant pain to zest those tiny key limes though!
Made this today and it was fabulous! I used Nellie and Joes Key West Lime juice in a bottle and it worked out perfectly. So easy ! A keeper for sure.
I made this yesterday and it was wonderful. I only had enough limes for 1/2 cup of the required Lime Juice and used 1/4 cup of Bottled Key Lime Juice.
I also had to add extra butter to the crust.
A recipe that I will make again,
Well I did make a mistake and picked up one can of sweetened condensed milk and one can of evaporated milk.
I decided to make the recipe anyway as I had all the other ingredients.
Guess what? It was delicious!!
Not as sweet, but better!
Can this be frozen and then the whip cream added at serving time? I have made this numerous times before
Love all your recipes
So glad you like the recipes, Sue! Unfortunately, I don’t think this is a great candidate for freezing — sorry!
I actually never bake this one and just serve it as a frozen pie. It’s delicious!
Really? Good to know – I’m sure other readers will appreciate your comment!
I’ve been making this now for at least 2 years and everyone who has it goes CRAZY for it. This is the best recipe!
Do you think it taste like “key lime” when using the regular limes instead?
I really do!
Amazing pie and so easy to make! I was curious, has anyone tried freezing te leftover pie?
This recipe is amazing & I love how easy it is to make (love the use of Greek yogurt, which makes any recipe better). The only issue is that it’s far too sweet–American sweet. I had the perfect KLP in Honduras, where I could taste the zingy, pungent, astringent limes & creamy custard–which creates the perfect mouthfeel–more than I could taste the sugar. Too much sugar changes the mouthfeel, so I think a slight adjustment will improve this. Planning to make it again with 1 1/2 cans of sweetened condensed milk instead of 2, which will also solve the issue of leftover filling.
I have frozen it a couple times, either leftovers or in one case an entire pie – both were made in a regular pie dish, not deep dish. The crust may have been a little soggy compared to the first go round, but everyone loved it and did not know the difference.
This is the best keylime pie. First time making a keylime pie. Great recipe!!