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’ve been making this Key lime pie for years, and it’s one of my favorite desserts to serve when the weather warms up. Inspired by the classic pie made famous in the Florida Keys, it has a buttery graham cracker crust and a cool, creamy filling that’s the perfect balance of sweet and tart. Best of all, it’s easy to make with just a handful of ingredients—you can use regular limes from the grocery store, and Greek yogurt stands in for the usual egg yolks (trust me, it works). I’ve served this pie everywhere from summer barbecues to holiday dinners, and it’s always a crowd-pleaser.
“The best key lime pie I’ve ever had!! Tart, sweet, fresh but rich.”
Do You Really Need Key Limes?
Despite the name, you don’t need Key limes to make an outstanding Key lime pie. Over the years, I’ve made this pie with bottled Key lime juice (such as Nellie & Joe’s), fresh Key limes, and regular limes (also called Persian limes), and I actually prefer regular limes. They’re easy to find year-round and have a bright, fresh flavor that makes an exceptional pie. If you have access to fresh Key limes, though, they’re delicious too, lending the pie a slightly more floral, aromatic flavor.
What You’ll Need To Make Key Lime Pie
For the crust, you’ll need finely crushed graham cracker crumbs, light brown sugar, and melted butter. For the filling, you’ll need sweetened condensed milk, Greek yogurt, fresh lime juice and lime zest. For the topping, you’ll need heavy cream and confectioners’ sugar.
You’ll notice this recipe doesn’t call for egg yolks, like many traditional Key lime pie recipes. After testing it both ways, I found they simply weren’t necessary. The pie sets beautifully because the lime juice’s acidity reacts with the proteins in the yogurt and sweetened condensed milk, thickening the filling as it bakes (the same basic reaction that turns milk into cheese). And from a taste standpoint, I actually prefer the cleaner, brighter lime flavor that comes from leaving the yolks out. As a bonus, there’s no separating eggs, making the recipe even easier to prepare.
“Outstanding! Sets up beautifully and has the most perfect lime flavor.”
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Mix the crust. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and melted butter, stirring first with a fork, then finishing with your hands until the mixture looks like damp sand and holds together when you squeeze a bit in your palm.
Step 2: Press the crust into the pan. Work the crumbs up the sides of the pan first, then press the bottom—it’s easier this way. Press firmly; a loosely packed crust tends to crumble when you slice the pie later.
Step 3: Blind bake. Bake just until the edges turn a shade darker and it smells toasty. This short bake deepens the flavor of the crust and keeps the crust from turning soggy once the filling goes in, but it doesn’t need to brown deeply.
Step 4: Zest, then juice. Zest every lime you plan to juice before you cut into them—it’s nearly impossible to zest a lime once it’s been squeezed. A rasp grater makes this fast; a reamer or your hands work fine for juicing.
Step 5: Whisk the filling. Whisk the condensed milk, yogurt, zest, and juice together until completely smooth. The mixture will look thick, almost like a pudding.
Step 6: Bake and chill. Pour the filling into the warm crust and bake until the center looks just set. Let it cool for a bit on the counter, then pop it in the fridge for at least 3 hours to set completely. It’ll firm up further as it cools and chills.
Step 7: Whip the cream. Beat the heavy cream until it just starts to hold soft peaks, then add the confectioners’ sugar and continue beating until it’s thick enough to hold its shape when you lift the whisk. Don’t take it too far past this point—overwhipped cream turns grainy and starts to look more like butter than a topping.
Pro Tip: A hand whisk works fine here too if you don’t feel like pulling out the mixer—it just takes a bit more elbow grease.
Step 8: Top and serve. Top with the whipped cream shortly before serving rather than hours ahead, since cream loses its shape sitting on a cold pie for too long. A knife wiped clean between cuts will give you the neatest slices.
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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This key lime pie recipe is better than any key lime pie I’ve had from any bakery or restaurant, bar none! The instructions were very easy to follow and the taste was absolutely amazing! I will be making this again and again! Thank you for this recipe!
Hi, I’ve made this pie before and it was delicious, but I was thinking about puréing some strawberries and mixing them in as well. Do you know if this will affect the turnout of the pie?
Glad you like it! Unfortunately, I don’t think it would with the added strawberry puree — sorry!
Unfortunately you do not mention how much graham, yogourt, brown sugar and confectioned sugar to use for this recipe! Would you please let me know? Thank you in advance, I’m excited about making my first Key Lime Pie!
Hi France, It sounds like you are just looking at the portion of the page that has the pictures with some instructions underneath. 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 and that you enjoy the pie!
I’ve made this three times now to rave reviews! It’s fantastic. I forgot the sugar for the topping the 3rd time, but everyone still loved it! (I think the large meal beforehand contributed to that ;-p).
I do have a question – the “bake until the filling is almost set; it should wobble a bit” is still confusing! I’m used to doing the knife/toothpick into the centre of a pie/cake to determine doneness. Just wondering if there’s any other way to determine if it’s cooked enough. I’ve cooked it longer than 15min every time and it did set. But if I happen to only cook it for 15 minutes or longer , wondering how I will know if it’s sufficient until I pull it out of the fridge after 3 hours of chilling.
Thanks!
Hi Marie so glad you’ve enjoyed this! Unfortunately, because it’s a custard you really can’t tell whether or not it’s done if you stick a knife or toothpick in it. If you’ve cooked it for a few additional minutes every time and have had good luck with that, I’d just keep doing exactly what you’re doing. 🙂
Before I discovered Jenn’s amazing recipe I often made a Fine Cooking version that happened to included the internal temp of the key lime pie filling when done, 140 degrees. So I always check it with my Thermapen before taking it out of the oven, eliminates any wondering!
Loved it!
The instructions were easy to follow and the pie was so creamy and delicious. It was just what I needed 🙂
Hi Jen~ I have made this recipe and it’s fantastic. I am having a party with passed desserts. I would like to figure out a way to put this in individual dessert cups. Would it be possible? If so, could you provide suggestions/directions?
Hi Jamie, So glad you like this! I haven’t tried it but think you could make this into smaller individual ones. I’d keep the temperature the same; bake time is likely to be less but not sure by how much as it depends on the size of your minis so just keep a close eye on them. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jamie I made these in muffin cases as individual portions so I can freeze them Cheers Lynne
Hi Jen,
Question: Can I use an ordinary pie dish.
I made your delicious choc. cream pie in a regular pie dish.
Making this for clambake. Thank you, Rose
Hi Rose, I recommend a deep dish pie pan for this but if you only have a regular pie pan, you could use it — you may just have some filling left over. Please LMK how it turns out if you make it!
Hi Jen,
Huge success!!!
I see why a deep dish is necessary. Thanks so much, Rose
So glad it came out well — thanks for reporting back!
I made it in a regular pie dish and had enough for two pies!
Wow, good to know — thanks for the follow up!
Easy, excellent recipe. Received a lot of compliments.
I run a vacation rental business. I make this for my guests but serve them in little, clear wine cups. With a spoon then freeze and put in a cellophane bag with a cute ribbon. I use Stabilized Whipped Cream for topping. One thing i have learned is it is best to under cook the filling. It won’t get lumpy when i scoop it into the cups. These are a huge hit. Purchasing a juicer on round 2 was the best purchase to date. I love these and they make great parting treats at any gathering. Thanks for all you do for us. I love this recipe.
Sami Grace
Lake Ouachita Vacation Realty
Mt Ida, AR
I have a lot of experience in both baking and eating. I am rarely able to taste anything without having to make at least one suggestion,
When my daughter in law made this pie for us two days ago, I was speechless. This is the best pie I have ever tasted. It goes in the front of my recipes collection.
THANK YOU!