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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I have not baked it yet but is it possible I can subsitute for Greek yogurt and use sour cream instead?
Thank You.
Sure, sour cream is fine – enjoy!
I keep writing this and it keeps erasing. I am a single mom and not a great cook. My daughter loves frozen key lime pie. I have no zester, but a grater. Unsure about the Greek yogurt but will give it a go. Have no juicer but my daughter can squeeze? And no pie dish except a tin shallow. What kind of dish would I need to buy? Thank you!
I’m sorry your text kept erasing! While if you made this and had leftovers, I think you could get away with freezing them, I don’t recommend using this recipe if you’re looking for a frozen version as it’s not designed for that. I just took a peek and see a few recipes online that look promising. Hope you find something that works for you!
You do not say how much condensed milk, nor yogurt use
It sounds like you are just looking at the portion of the page that has the pictures with some instructions above. If you scroll down a bit to under the pictures, you’ll find the full recipe. Alternatively, at the very top of the page, to the right of the recipe name, you’ll see an orange/red button that says Jump to Recipe – if you click on that, it will take you directly to the recipe. Hope that clarifies!
My husband absolutely loves key lime pie so I made this for Father’s Day. My first time making it and so delicious! Everyone loved it. I had some extra filling … baking it in 3 mini pie crusts right now 😋 I saved some zest to sprinkle on top. Thank you for the recipe. I’ll be making this again!
I made this yesterday for Father’s Day for someone who loves key lime pie. I don’t think I’ve ever had key lime pie so I didn’t have anything to compare it to. He liked the pie and so did some other family members but my husband and I found it to be so sweet it was difficult to eat an entire slice. If I try to make it again, might I try using just one can of sweetened condensed milk? If so, will I need to add more yogurt? How much?
Hi G, sorry that you found it to be too sweet! I don’t recommend using only one can of sweetened condensed milk, but some readers have commented that they’ve cut back on the sweetness by using a tad more lime juice and reducing the sugar a bit in the crust. Hope that helps!
Thanks, I’ll try again some time. I appreciate your prompt response!
Excellent recipe (again)! Your recipes are truly delicious! You’re my “go to” site! Made this for Father’s Day and every one loved it. Like one other reader, I felt it was a tad too sweet, so I may try decreasing the sweetened condensed milk and adding more yogurt in its place next time. But that’s a personal preference and there was absolutely nothing wrong with the recipe. Perfect texture, etc. Thank you!
Could I substitute sour cream for the greek yogurt?
Sure, that will work – enjoy!
I make it with sour cream because it reduces the sweetness and is creamier. I make this every year for my husband’s birthday and he loves it!
Could I use crushed Biscoff cookies instead of Graham Crackers for the crust?
Sure!
Absolutely amazing!! My family LOVES key lime and this was better than any restaurant/bakery quality we have ever had! It was the perfect balance of sweet and tart.
The only thing I had to do differently was the crust. I had to use the Goodie Girl gluten free Birthday cake cookies with cookie cream included. I added them to my food processor and then mixed in the melted butter to form the crust. Next time I will try the gluten free Graham crackers but haven’t had the best success with them due to the fine crumble in pie crusts in the past. I made two pies in one day back to back and took one to a pool party. It was a huge hit with everyone. This will definitely be a go-to Summer pie! Thank you for making it simple to make and delicious to eat!
Absolutely. I live in Chile, where graham crackers are not available, and I use Biscoff cookies in place of graham crackers for crust. The result is super tasty!
What degrees do you bake it at and also how much yogurt and condensed milk or where can I find that info
Hi Kaylyn, It sounds like you are just looking at the portion of the page that has the pictures with some instructions above. If you scroll down a bit to under the pictures, you’ll find the full recipe. Alternatively, at the very top of the page, to the right of the recipe name, you’ll see an orange/red button that says Jump to Recipe – if you click on that, it will take you directly to the recipe. Hope that clarifies!
Thank you I didn’t check it properly 😅
This was a BIG hit! Everyone said it was the best they had ever tasted. They are an experienced crew too!