This easy Homemade Key Lime Pie recipe is made with a buttery graham cracker crust and a flavorful creamy key lime filling.
Before I tried key lime pie, I didn't think I would like it. I thought, how good could it actually be?? Lime juice mixed with a bunch of sweetened condensed milk in a graham cracker crust. Sounds underwhelming. Boy was I surprised when I had it for the first time - I was blown away!
I don't think I had ever tried it myself until I was in Victoria last summer and my friends and I shared a slice after dinner at a restaurant one night. It was so delicious that we came back to the restaurant for breakfast the next morning and ordered a slice to share again after our breakfast! I was obsessed.
It's Pi Day on Sunday, March 14! Yes, Pi. As in 3.14159265358... Pi. Obviously, we have to celebrate with PIE! Might I suggest this Banana Cream Pie that I posted last year for Pi Day? Or my Fudge Brownie Pecan Pie. Or even my homemade Pumpkin Pie!
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⭐️ Why You Need to Make This Recipe
- Texture - This pie filling is silky smooth and creamy and the crust has a crisp texture.
- Flavor - The sweet and perfectly tangy filling accompanies the slightly salty buttery graham crumb crust.
- Method - Key lime pie might sound fancy but it is really so simple and the filling is made with only 5 ingredients.
🧈 Ingredients
Here are the ingredients needed to make this simple yet delicious homemade key lime pie.
Ingredient Notes
- Graham Cracker Crumbs - You can crush up graham crackers in a food processor or in a bag with a mallet or buy pre-crushed graham crackers
- Butter - I like to use salted butter in the crust for a slightly salty touch but you could use unsalted butter with ⅛ teaspoon of salt added.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk - I personally cannot stand the flavor of sweetened condensed milk on its own or in most recipes and was a little reluctant to use so much in this recipe. Don't worry though, I can confirm that you cannot detect any off-putting canned milk flavor in this recipe. The acidity of the lime juice completely cancels it out. My Billionaire's Shortbread Bars are also made with sweetened condensed milk!
- Egg Yolks - Just the yolks are needed to make a rich and smooth filling.
- Vanilla - A bit of vanilla brings warmth to the tart and citrusy filling.
- Key Lime Juice - Fresh squeezed key lime juice is best but bottled would work in a pinch. You can also make this recipe with regular lime juice. It won't be nearly as flavorful as key lime juice but it will work in a pinch.
- Sour Cream - A bit of sour cream makes the filling perfectly creamy and amazing!
See the recipe card for the full list of ingredients with measurements.
To Zest or Not to Zest
You may have noticed that I did not include any lime zest in this Key Lime Pie recipe. Why not? Well, the first time I tested this recipe, I added the fresh zest of several key limes. The result: a very off-putting bitter flavor in addition to the amazing creamy tart/sweet filling*. When the lime zest is baked into the liquid filling and then allowed to steep as it cools, even the smallest amount of pith (the white part under the lime skin) will flavor the filling with a terrible bitter flavor. If you really feel that this pie needs more lime zestiness, I recommend simply zesting some fresh lime zest on top after it bakes for a garnish or you could add some lime zest to your whipped cream! Please do not add it to the filling before baking!!
*Please note that this result came from using "key limes" grown in Mexico. I cannot buy authentic Floridan Key Limes where I live, so I was unable to test this recipe with real key limes (yes, according to my research there is a difference!). I now dream of traveling to the Florida Keys one day and making an authentic Key Lime Pie while I'm there!! One day...
📃 Instructions
Step 1: Stir together the graham crumbs, white sugar, and melted butter.
Step 2: Press firmly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Bake in a preheated oven for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown and toasty.
Step 3: Whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, and vanilla extract until smooth.
Step 4: Add the key lime juice and whisk until combined. The mixture will thicken.
Step 5: Lastly, add the sour cream and whisk until smooth.
Step 6: Pour into the pre-baked pie crust and then bake in a preheated oven for 14 minutes.
Let the pie cool down to room temperature on a wire rack before chilling in the refrigerator for at least 4-6 hours before slicing to serve with whipped cream.
💡 Top Tip
Don't overbake the pie! The crust is pre-baked so the pie doesn't need to bake for very long - only long enough to heat and cook the egg yolks thoroughly.
❓ Recipe FAQs
Yes. While a graham cracker crust is more traditional, you could make this pie with a butter pastry crust that has been fully blind-baked before filling with the pie filling.
It is important to use real key limes for authentic flavor and texture in this pie. Key limes are a lot more flavorful and tart than regular limes but regular limes could be used in a pinch!
No. Adding key lime zest to the filling will make it extremely bitter and unpleasant. Using fresh key lime juice alone will provide enough flavor.
Yes. You can use gluten-free graham cracker crumbs to make a gluten-free crust for a gluten-free key lime pie.
Store key lime pie covered tightly in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
🥧 More Unique Pie Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried this Perfect Key Lime Pie or any other recipe on my website, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and write a little note telling me how it went in the comments below. Thank you!!
📖 Recipe
Homemade Key Lime Pie
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
- ⅓ cup salted butter, melted
For the Filling:
- 2 ½ cups sweetened condensed milk (approximately 600 millilitres or 20 ounces)
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup fresh key lime juice *
- ½ cup sour cream
Topping/Garnish:
- whipped cream
- lime zest *
Instructions
To make the Crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Stir together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter until combined. Pour the crust mixture into a 9-inch pie pan and press firmly onto the bottom and sides of the pan to form a crust. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes. Leave the oven on while you prepare the filling.
To make the Filling:
- Whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Add the key lime juice and continue whisking until combined. Lastly, whisk in the sour cream until smooth.
- Pour the filling into the still-warm graham cracker crust and smooth out the top with a spatula. Bake in the preheated oven for 13-14 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack to room temperature before covering and refrigerating for at least 4-6 hours. Serve with whipped cream on top. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can also make this recipe with regular lime juice. It won't be quite as flavourful as key lime juice but it will work in a pinch.
- This recipe does not call for lime zest in the filling. When lime zest is cooked into the mostly liquid pie filling a very bitter and unpleasant taste is released into the filling. I suggest topping the pie with fresh lime zest right before serving (after the pie has baked and chilled) for more lime flavor and as a pretty garnish.
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