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This Key Lime Pie has that signature creamy texture and classic sweet-tart flavor everyone loves. Ever since I brought this recipe home from Savannah, it has been the pie my family requests again and again.
Why this Savannah Recipe Works Every Time
I found this recipe in Savannah on a trip with my friend Amie, and I’ve been making it at home for years. It has become a tradition to have it for Thanksgiving and Easter. I’ve learned that these simple details are what make it work every time:
- Whipping the egg yolks before adding the other ingredients ensures a light, creamy filling.
- The sweet and tart ratio between the sweetened condensed milk and key lime juice is spot on.
- A short bake time keeps the filling smooth without drying it out or causing cracks.
- Chilling the pie for a minimum of 3 hours is ideal for the flavors to blend and easy slicing.
🩷 Erica
Key Lime Pie Ingredients
- Sweetened condensed milk gives the filling its silky texture and balances the tartness of the key lime juice.
- Egg yolks help the filling bake up smooth and creamy so it holds its shape once it’s chilled. Save the egg whites for a meringue topping or another recipe.
- Key lime juice is what really shines in this recipe. Fresh, ripe key limes are best, but sometimes hard to find. I’ve found Nellie & Joe’s Famous Key West Lime Juice is a great substitute if I can’t find key limes. I often use it as an addition to the key lime juice I can squeeze out of the key limes, since they are pretty small and sometimes not juicy enough.
- A graham cracker crust adds buttery crunch and holds the creamy filling well. I sometimes make the crust using Biscoff cookies instead of graham crackers. I love the flavor and extra crunch it gives. If you’re short on time, a store-bought graham cracker crust works well.
- Optional topping ideas: I like to decorate the top of my pie with homemade whipped cream and key lime slices. You can also use the separated egg whites to make a meringue topping like in this Lemon Meringue Pie.
How to Make Key Lime Pie
- Prepare the crust: Combine crust ingredients and press them evenly into a pie plate. Use a measuring cup to press the crumbs down firmly. Bake at 375 for 5 minutes and cool.
- Zest and juice key limes: Zest key limes to get 2 teaspoons, the juice key limes to fill a ½ cup measuring cup. If you can’t get a full ½ cup, use Key West Lime Juice to fill the remaining ½ cup.
- Prepare pie filling: Whisk or blend egg yolks until they are thick and turn a light yellow color. Slowly pour in the sweetened condensed milk into the yolks while continuing to mix.
- Gradually add the key lime juice and zest. Blend well.
- Fill the crust: Pour the filling into the prepared graham cracker crust.
- Bake: Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature then chill for at least 3 hours before serving.
- Garnish: Decorate with whipped cream and key lime slices (optional).
- Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
If your filling seems too soft, it likely needs more chill time. I’ve found that at least 3 hours in the refrigerator is the sweet spot, though overnight is even better. Make sure the filling bakes until it is set with only the slightest jiggle in the center, if at all.
If key limes aren’t available, Nellie and Joe’s Key Lime Juice is the next best option. Regular limes can be used as a last resort, it does change the taste. However, many of our readers have commented that they’ve used limes and the pie turns out great.
You can do either. Chilling the crust for an hour will set it, but baking it gives it a slightly toasted, firmer texture.
The baking time of 15 minutes is pretty accurate, but elevation and ovens do vary. The filling should look set and only slightly jiggly in the very center of the pie. The top of the pie should not be browned at all.
Yes, this is a great make ahead dessert. You can prepare the pie a day in advance and keep it refrigerated until ready to serve. It actually tastes best after chilling for several hours.
You can. Bake and cool the pie completely. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before serving. Wait to add whipped topping until after the pie has thawed and you are ready to serve.
More Delicious Pie Recipes
If you love tangy citrus-infused desserts like this one, be sure to try our Italian Lemon Cookies, Cream Cheese Lemon Bars, Coconut Lime Cheesecake Bars, or our super easy Orange Pineapple Cake! Here are some more of our favorites:
5-Star Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This has got to be the best key lime pie I have ever made. The recipe was so easy to make. My husband requests this pie at least once a month. It has become our all time favorite.” – Reba
“Made key lime pie for the first time using this recipe and it is a success. The recipe is simple, but the flavor of the pie is so good. I used fresh juice and didn’t use premade juice – maybe that also makes a difference. This recipe is a keeper!” – Joy
“So easy to make. Directions are clear and simple to read. A real down home and delicious pie.” – Melanie
“Absolutely perfect. I have tried many that did not set up or were too sweet. This is as good as the restaurant with the best key lime pie where I live. Thanks for sharing.” – Lorelei
We’d love to hear what you think! Did you try this Key Lime Pie Recipe? Leave a comment and rating below and let us know how it turned out for you. If you made any tweaks or served it in a fun way, we’d love to hear about it! 🍋🟩
Key Lime Pie
Video
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1/3 cup butter, melted
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
For the filling:
- 4 egg yolks
- 6 key limes, for zesting and juicing
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- Nellie & Joe's Famous Key West Lime Juice, (if needed)
- whipped topping to garnish, (optional)
Instructions
For the crust:
- Combine melted butter and sugar in a medium bowl. Stir in crushed graham crackers.
- Spread evenly into 9-inch pie plate and press onto bottom and sides to form an even crust. The bottom of a measuring cup works great for pressing the crumbs firmly into the pie plate.Chill for an hour until firm OR bake at 375-degrees for 5 min and allow to cool before filling.
For the filling:
- Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Zest key limes until there are 2 teaspoons of zest, then juice them. Pour the fresh key lime juice into a ½ cup measuring cup.If the ½ cup isn't filled, add bottled key lime juice to fill it completely.
- Whisk the egg yolks until they are thick and turn to a light yellow. Use a stand mixer or an electric mixer. Slowly add sweetened condensed milk while mixing on a low speed.
- Gradually add the key lime juice and zest and continue to mix on a low speed just until blended.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared pie shell and bake 15 minutes.
- Remove and let it cool to room temperate then store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Serve with a garnish of whipped topping lime slices and little lime zest, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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So easy but so yummy. Use it every time I make this pie. I will say I tried squeezing fresh key lines but too hard . I just use a fresh bottle of key west lime juice !
Those are very hard to juice! Thanks for your kind comment!
I needed to make 3 so, I tripled the recipe. That’s a dozen eggs! Thankfully, I have chickens, lol. They are in the oven now. Ty for the recipe, it is very easy and I can’t wait to try it!
Enjoy! Let us know how you liked it!
We haven’t tried it yet—it’s still cooling. But it was very easy to make and smells great. And I was able to find all the ingredients at the German supermarket. So, thumbs up for that! 👍👍👍
Can I use a prepared graham cracker crust pie shell?
Yes, you totally can if that’s what you prefer.
How long does it take to be ready to eat once it is done baking??
I think it tastes best after refrigerating for at least 3 hours. This gives the filling time to cool completely and set. Thank you for asking!
Easy to make and taste like florida keylime
Love it
I totally agree! I literally tried every key lime pie in Key West (really, I tried all of them) and I still think this recipe is the best. Just as good as Kermit’s (which was my personal favorite in KW!)
I added some finely minced mint along with the lime zest that i added on top and then some mint leaves as garnish on the cool whip and it added another layer of flavor that was really delicious. I also used the trader joes cinnamon graham crackers for the crust which was amazing
Ooh that sounds amazing! I love the idea of adding fresh mint! I am going to have to try that next time. I bet it just makes it taste extra fresh!
I have made this recipe so many times and it is perfection! Comes out perfect everytime. Wouldn’t alter a thing! And my family loves it.
Thank you for your comment! I’m so happy you like the pie!
Confusing recipe for key lime pie. you don’t know exactly how much key lime juice to put in. Use either bottled juice or fresh juice not a mixture of both. You need to revise this recipe. I make key limes pies all the time and there is a specific amount of juice you should use.
Sorry this was confusing. In the actual recipe instructions there are details on how the lime zest and lime juice should be measured. There isn’t enough room in the ingredient list to explain how this is done. You can find this under step 1 of “for the filling”. Hope this helps!
looks Yummers, but Have you had Captain Kutchies Key lime Pie? clearly you’ve Never had Captain Kutchies Key lime Pie. O M G that Piegasm had me Like “erm, Yes sister, this Is So good!” one You had captain Kutchies Key lime Pie and burgers, you’ll Never want to Go Back!!
Can’t say I have ever had Kutchie’s Key Lime Pie. I recently did a Key Lime Pie crawl in Key West and tried 10 different key lime pies and I can honestly say our recipe was right up there with the best ones we tried! It was right up there with Kermits and Moondog! In fact I would say the filling in our key lime pie is identical to the one at Moondog Cafe. You should definitely try it and see how it compares to your favorite!
Would the cooking tempa nd time need to be adjusted if makign at a high elevation?
With this recipe you should be fine with the time and temperature listed since it is not one that you use yeast.
The high fat content in egg yolks give the pie a rich flavor and firm texture. This is why egg yolks are used to make custard and other rich desserts. If you decide to try it, let us know how you like it. Thank you!
I’ve been making this recipe for years and I’ve had people who hate key lime pie so they loveeee this one. Will always use this recipe.
It is the best key lime pie! I’m so glad it was a success for you!
This recipe rocks! Limes are my favorite citrus fruit. I love this recipe because I’m able to cheat if I’m in a hurry and need to use a premade gram cracker crust. I had to use the bottled juice but it was still amazing. So simple to make and it will impress guests!
I have a Key lime tree in the backyard. Finding recipes is fun, but finding a recipe that is delicious and easy is the best. Taking this winner to Easter dinner!
Much easier to make than it looks. The taste is like a bite of sunshine on a crisp Spring morning. So Amazing. Best I’ve ever eaten.