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November 23, 2016 8 Comments

Key Lime Pie

key-lime-pieThis Key Lime Pie is the Key Lime Pie to end all Key Lime Pies. That’s why I’m nicknaming it Killer Key Lime Pie! If you are a fan of citrus-flavored desserts, you’ve got to also try my Strawberry Lemonade Pie.

I have a talent, which I didn’t know was a talent until my friend, Rebecca, told me it was. I thought it was normal and that everyone can do it. She told me I was wrong.

My weird talent or gift, if you will, is that I can taste things in my head without actually physically tasting them. It’s what makes me good at recipe development. If I think about a recipe I want to make, I can imagine what all the ingredients mixed together will taste like.

It’s similar to how some people have perfect pitch…I just have perfect taste. 🙂 I can taste the food without actually tasting it like people who have perfect pitch can make the sound of a note without actually hearing the note first.

More Fantastic Pies

  • Easy Eclair Pie
  • Peanut Butter Cookie Pie
  • Chocolate Pecan Pie
  • Lemon Blueberry Chiffon Pie
  • Dutch Apple Pie
  • Coconut Cream Pie

key-lime-pie-Anywho, the reason I bring that up is that even with my “tasting it in my head” talent, I underestimated the deliciousness of this pie. I knew it would be good and couldn’t wait to try it, but as an afterthought, I decided to do a little extra step.

Even the fine-tuned flavor receptors in my brain did not anticipate that that extra little effort would pay off in such a huge flavor-tastic way.

So what was the extra little step you ask?

All I did was zest the limes and mix the zest with granulated sugar. A day in advance of serving, I made the pie. So the sugar zest mixture sat out (in a little bowl) overnight and became hardened and crystallized. I don’t really know what I was expecting. I was really just doing it to have a pretty garnish for the pictures.

All I can say is “GO ME!!!” The crystallized sugary zest was a REALLY good idea. It does something AMAZING to the already delicious pie. Put a scoop of sweetened whipping cream and a generous sprinkle of the zest on top of your slice, and all I can say is “Boom baby! You’re in pie heaven!”

HOW TO MAKE KEY LIME PIE

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Use a food processor to crush graham crackers into crumbs or put them in a Ziploc bag and smash them with a rolling pin until they are tiny crumbs.
  • Mix in the 1/4 cup sugar first and then the melted butter until completely combined.
  • Press mixture evenly into a 9-inch pie pan. Make sure to press as firmly as you can to make the crust solid.
  • Zest all of the limes and put the zest in a small bowl. Combine it with 1 1/2-2 tbsp of granulated sugar. Make sure you use enough sugar to coat all the zest. Set aside overnight uncovered to set up and be crunchy.
  • In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the sour cream, sweet and condensed milk, and lime juice. Whisk together until combined and smooth.
  • Pour over graham cracker crust in the pie pan.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 15-17 minutes if doing one thick pie. Bake for 10 minutes if doing two thinner pies. (If you are doing a thick pie with a ramekin or two, pull the ramekins out after 10 minutes.)
  • Let pie cool completely.
  • Make the sweet whipping cream by combining the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Beat with a hand mixer until the mixture is stiff and can keep its shape.
  • Before serving, top each slice with sweetened whipping cream, and then sprinkle with the sugary crystallized lime zest.
  • Enjoy!

-key-lime-pie-

Tips for making Key Lime Pie
  • Zesters are so fun to use. Here is one I like on Amazon. Make sure to let the bowl of lime zest sit overnight to set up and be crunchy.
  • When pressing the graham cracker mixture evenly into the bottom of the pie pan, I put a little plastic bag on my hand to make it less messy. Make sure to press as firmly as you can to make the crust solid. 
  • So, this is a Key Lime Pie, but if you can’t find key limes or just don’t want to deal with the smaller limes, you can use regular limes. The flavor is very similar, but the key limes do give a slightly more tart flavor. So if the tartness is really important to you, you’re definitely going to want to find some key limes.
  • An important thing to note about this pie: The amount of filling is actually a little too much for a normal size pie tin. It’s perfect for a 9 1/2-inch pie tin if you have one. I don’t. So what I do is fill the pie tin and then put the remainder of the filling in a little ramekin or two. If you put them in a ramekin, put a graham cracker square on the bottom. Yum! The other option is to make two pies that have a thin layer of filling instead of one with a thick filling, which makes it more like a tart. This is a great option if you are a person who loves a large crust to filling ratio.

key-lime-pie

Baker’S tools:

  • Food Processor
  • 9-inch Pie Dish
  • Citrus Zester 
  • Mixing Bowl
  • Whisk
  • Measuring Cups

Delicious Citrus Desserts

Lemon-Swig-Cookie-Bars-4Lemon Swig Cookie BarsBest-Lemon-Blueberry-Bundt-CakeBest Lemon Blueberry Bundt CakeRaspberry-Lemon-Tart-dessert-bars-recipe-real-life-dinner--Fresh Raspberry Lemon Tart Bars

5.0 from 3 reviews
Key Lime Pie
 
Print
Prep time
15 mins
Cook time
15 mins
Total time
30 mins
 
Silky sweet and tart filling in a perfectly buttery, graham cracker crust topped with sweet whipping cream and a sprinkle of delicious sweet and crystallized lime zest. The texture combo is to die for.
Author: Maria
Recipe type: Pie
Cuisine: Dessert
Serves: 8-10
Ingredients
  • 1 sleeve of graham crackers (9 large crackers) or 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 6 tbsp butter, melted
  • 1½ cups sour cream
  • 2 (14 oz) cans sweet and condensed milk
  • ¾ cup key lime juice (about 24 key limes)
  • Zest of all the limes
  • 1½-2 tbsp of granulated sugar
  • Sweet Whipping Cream
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • ¼ cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Use a food processor to crush graham crackers into crumbs or put them in a Ziploc bag and smash them with a rolling pin until they are tiny crumbs.
  3. Mix in the ¼ cup sugar first and then the melted butter until completely combined.
  4. Press mixture evenly into a 9-inch pie pan. Make sure to press as firmly as you can to make the crust solid.
  5. Zest all of the limes and put the zest in a small bowl. Combine it with 1½-2 tbsp of granulated sugar. Make sure you use enough sugar to coat all the zest. Set aside uncovered. (This will need to sit overnight to set up and be crunchy.)
  6. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the sour cream, sweet and condensed milk, and lime juice. Whisk together until combined and smooth.
  7. Pour over graham cracker crust in the pie pan.
  8. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-17 minutes if doing one thick pie. Bake for 10 minutes if doing two thinner pies. (If you are doing a thick pie with a ramekin or two, pull the ramekins out after 10 minutes.)
  9. Let pie cool completely.
  10. Make the sweet whipping cream by combining the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Beat with a hand mixer until mixture is stiff and can keep its shape.
  11. Before serving, top each slice with sweetened whipping cream, and then sprinkle with the sugary crystallized lime zest.
  12. Enjoy!
3.4.3177

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Christmas, Desserts, Holiday, Pie, Recipes, Seasonal, Spring, Summer, Thanksgiving
citrus pie recipes, easy Key Lime Pie, Graham Cracker Crust, Key Lime, Key Lime Pie, Key Lime Pie recipes, lime pie recipes, lime zest, Pie, Sour cream. Sweet and condensed milk, zest
8 Comments

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8 Comments

  1. Meg B

    November 18, 2020 at 6:24 pm

    Seriously the BEST. We make it every holiday and on my birthday. My kids specifically requested it for Thanksgiving again this year!

    to Meg B" aria-label='reply to this comment to Meg B'>reply to this comment
    • Maria

      November 23, 2020 at 3:01 pm

      Yay! This makes me so happy Megan! 🙂

      to Maria" aria-label='reply to this comment to Maria'>reply to this comment
      • Katrina M

        September 11, 2021 at 6:27 pm

        Let Lime Pie is one of my favorite desserts. This one was simple to make and a crowd pleaser, for sure. So good!

        to Katrina M" aria-label='reply to this comment to Katrina M'>reply to this comment
        • Maria

          September 27, 2021 at 4:40 am

          A huge favorite at our house and I too LOVE how easy and simple this recipe is!

          to Maria" aria-label='reply to this comment to Maria'>reply to this comment
  2. Nicole

    March 30, 2021 at 6:52 pm

    I have made lemon pies similar to this but never key lime. The tartness of citrus is so refreshing and I might actually prefer it ver chocolate. I never thought I would say that. Haha. I’m saving this one for summer! Looks amazing! #marchgiveaway

    to Nicole" aria-label='reply to this comment to Nicole'>reply to this comment
    • Maria

      April 5, 2021 at 12:34 pm

      My family begs me to make this pie! They are all obsessed. We love the sprinkle of sugared lime zest. It really adds something special!

      to Maria" aria-label='reply to this comment to Maria'>reply to this comment
  3. Jackie

    May 28, 2021 at 2:16 pm

    This pie was remarkably delicious for how simple it was to make.

    to Jackie" aria-label='reply to this comment to Jackie'>reply to this comment
    • Maria

      January 5, 2022 at 9:01 am

      Yay! Thank you Jackie!

      to Maria" aria-label='reply to this comment to Maria'>reply to this comment

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Hi, I'm Maria. A mom of five and a total foodie. My superpower is taking ordinary recipes and making them DELICIOUS. Your family will LOVE these meals! Come cook with me, I promise it will be amazing! Get started here or search my archives below.


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