Key Lime Pie
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
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
More Classic Pie Recipes You’ll Love
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.
See more recipes:
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
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! 🙂
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!