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 a 16 oz container of 5% Fage. Is that a cup or do I measure into a dry measuring cup
Hi David, you’ll need 1 dry measuring cup’s worth. Enjoy!
Thanks, this is the second time I’m making the pie first was a great success. This will be for Rosh Hashanah
I liked the taste of this pie but sadly the crust became soggy even though we ate it the same day. I feel like the soggy crust ruined it. I don’t understand what happened since I followed the recipe. I also noticed the filling didn’t get that hot in the oven, but I guess maybe it didn’t need to since it set and there wasn’t anything raw like egg in it.
This was THE best key lime pie I’ve made or eaten 🙌🏻🙌🏻
Thank you!!
Can you substitute fresh lemon juice and zest for the lime juice/zest?
Hi Naomi, I haven’t tried it, but it should work. While different, you may also want to consider my lemon meringue pie recipe.
Made this recipe as directed. The flavor was sensational. I did use actual Key limes for the recipe. The only issue was the filling turned on the yellow side instead of green. Any ideas what happened?
Hi Roberta, Key lime juice can be more yellow than regular limes, hence the color of your pie. Glad you enjoyed it!
I initially, on accident, made this recipe with nonfat plain Greek yogurt and all my pie samplers loved it! So, I have used nonfat Greek yogurt ever since.
Hi Jenn
Do you think I could use full fat sour cream in place of the Greek 2% yogurt?
( it’s what I have on hand).
Bringing this dessert to my chef’s table club—paella party! I know they will all comment, “well, Princess Barb only uses her bff, Jen Segal— so we know it will be great!” 😂. Many thanks!
Lol, I’m flattered, Princess Barb!
Yes, full-fat sour cream will work here — hope everyone enjoys!
I’ve made this pie 3 times and it gets a glowing review over and over. I really appreciate a recipe that can shine so bright without too many ingredients. Couldnt recommend it enough!!
Key lime pie is a favorite of mine and I was excited to try this recipe, because I’m such a fan of everything else I’ve made from this site. I was also curious, because it’s so different from other key lime pies I’ve previously made. I liked it, and will make it in the future, but it lacked the tart intensity I prefer. Next time, I will increase the juice to a cup and add more zest, too. Jenn, what would you suggest? Should I cut down on the amount of condensed milk to achieve that flavor profile? Thanks!
Hi Andi, I don’t think you need to cut back on the sweetened condensed milk, but would add more lime juice. You could also reduce the sugar a bit in the crust. Hope that helps!
Made recipe with 5% Greek yogurt. Came out perfectly. I just don’t understand what the 15 minutes in the oven does since there are no eggs. What is the chemistry between yogurt, evaporated milk, and lime juice and heat? Thx, David
Hi David, Great question! The acid in the lime juice reacts with the proteins in both the yogurt and evaporated milk, causing them to coagulate and thicken. Without this acid, the mixture wouldn’t set properly, and you’d end up with a runny filling. This reaction is similar to what happens in cheese-making, where acid causes milk proteins to curdle and solidify.