This Key Lime Pie recipe comes straight from Savannah, Georgia. It is smooth and creamy with the perfect blend of tart and sweet.
I got this Key Lime Pie recipe when I was visiting Savannah, Georgia with my friend, Amie. Savannah has got to be one of the most beautiful and charming cities ever. We had so much fun touring the historic city squares, walking along the river, and eating! We went to Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room for a southern style dinner that was incredible. We had to wait in line for a while to get in, but, it was totally worth it. It was southern cooking and hospitality at it’s best.
When we were shopping downtown, I found this recipe on a magnet. Key lime pie has got to be my favorite kind of pie so I bought it and tried it out as soon as I got home. I made it for my family and we can’t get enough of it! I love how tangy and sweet it is. This is a super easy recipe (it is even EASIER if you just buy a pre-made graham cracker crust). It is now a favorite family recipe!
Now, traditional key lime pie is not bright green in color. It is more of a pale greenish-yellow color. Sometimes we like to add a little green food coloring if we are making this for St. Patrick’s day or to make the green “pop” a little more. Most of the time we just leave it how it is though.
This key lime pie is perfect for the summer time when you are wanting a nice, cool, citrusy dessert. Some people prefer to have their key lime pie with a meringue topping instead of using whipped cream. We have topped this key lime pie with the meringue recipe from our Lemon Meringue Pie and it is FABULOUS. Try it both ways and decide which way you like it best!
This Key Lime Pie recipe comes straight from Savannah, Georgia. It is smooth and creamy with the perfect blend of tart and sweet.
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 1/4 cup crushed graham crackers
- 4 large egg yolks
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
- 1 lime
- 1/4 cup key lime juice
- 2 teaspoons lime zest
- Whipped topping to garnish
- Melt butter, add sugar and then add crushed crackers.
- Spread evenly into 9" pie plate and press onto bottom and sides to form an even crust.
- Chill for an hour until firm OR bake at 375-degrees for 5 min and allow to cool before filling.
Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
With electric mixer beat the egg yolks until they are thick and turn to a light yellow (it takes a while, just keep beating).
Slowly add sweetened condensed milk while mixing on a low speed.
Zest 1 lime, then juice it. Pour the fresh lime juice into a 1/2 cup measuring cup then fill the cup with the Key Lime juice to make a full 1/2 cup of juice. (I like the Nellie & Joe's Famous Key West Lime Juice.)
Gradually add the 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 cool.
Serve with a garnish of whipped topping and a small slice of lime if desired.
More Delicious Pie Recipes from Favorite Family Recipes
- Coconut Cream Pie – Coconut Cream Pie is a dreamy island dessert with a flaky crust, coconut filling that is made from scratch, and toasted coconut sprinkles.
- Creamy Lemon Pie – This Creamy Lemon Pie is packed full of tart, lemon flavor and creamy goodness. This recipe is super easy to make and is always a crowd pleaser!
- Butterscotch Pie – This creamy butterscotch filling is spread into a flaky pie crust and drizzled with butterscotch topping then sprinkled with butterscotch chips. It’s basically a butterscotch lovers dream.
- Island Pecan Pie – Loaded with coconut, pecans, and pineapple, this pie is creamy and full of flavor.
- German Chocolate Pie – This pie recipe comes straight from Amish country. The rich, gooey, chocolate filling is to die for!
I've been looking for a good Key Lime Pie recipe…think I just found it! Thanks!
I love, love, love Key Lime Pie!!!
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I made this key lime pie for Sunday dinner and my family said it was the best key lime pie ever. I loved that it was so easy to make.
What if I live in Missouri & it’s January & I can’t use Key limes?!
hmm… if you are in desperate need of key limes you could probably find a place that will ship them to you!
If you live in St.Louis Dierbergs market carries key limes. But it is not necessary..I use the liquid from Nellies & Joes and it tastes fine. I have made at least 5 of these pies this month. It has been so cold and this just screams…warmth and sand and sun!!!
Couldn’t agree more!
that is easy….ever heard of Roses lime? Used
in making margaritas…..it works in a pinch…
And it is tasty.
Sel, with all due respect, as the owner/operator of a chain of nightclubs, we use Rose’s in mixed drinks, but my opinion is that it has a twinge of bitterness after taste to it, which might not translate well into this recipe. Same as grocery store bottled lime juice (ReaLime brand), which is not nearly as clean and bright in flavor as real squeezed limes. Although, its companion brand “ReaLemon” is totally satisfactory to use in place of real squeezed lemons, and does not have that “off” after taste that Rose’s and ReaLime has. Note, that I have not tried your suggestion in this recipe so I could stand corrected. Just a cautionary.
I’m so excited to make this! This may sound like a dumb question, but in your ingredients you say you need 1/4 cup lime juice but in the method it says you put half a cup in. Is this on the basis that you’d be getting 1/4 cup from the actual lime but then you must add another 1/4 cup of lime juice? Sorry, it’s probably a silly question but I don’t want to accidentally make the most sour pie in the world haha. Thanks x
That is right, you use 1/4 c. fresh and 1/4 c. of the key lime– making 1/2 c total
In this particular recipe for the key lime pie….notice the canned milk used, it is very sweet, and believe me condensed milk takes
it to another level of sweetness. So go ahead and use what the recipe indicates. No fear!
There are many recipes out there for this pie, and i have tried them all……
all one has to do is remember the color of the inside of the lime….it is never bright green. Take it from there.
This was delicious, and so easy. Thank you for helping me find my go to key lime pie recipe!
Thank you for taking the time to comment! Glad you liked it 🙂
Can we use lemon instead??
Yes, it will absolutely work with lemon. We also have these lemon pie recipes you can try:
https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/creamy-lemon-pie/
https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/sour-cream-lemon-pie/
https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/moms-lemon-meringue-pie/
Can we use lemon instead?
Yes, it will absolutely work with lemon. We also have these lemon pie recipes you can try:
https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/creamy-lemon-pie/
https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/sour-cream-lemon-pie/
https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/moms-lemon-meringue-pie/
This may be a silly question but would it be okay to just use a 1/2 cup of fresh squeezed lime juice?
Yes, you can definitely do that. The key lime juice has a slightly different flavor, but either will taste great!
I am not huge fan of Key Lime pie but husband loves it. I made this recipe a couple of weeks ago and he said it was the best ever. I tried it and I really liked it. I am making it again today. Thank you.
So glad you and your husband liked it! This is our favorite recipe for Key Lime Pie hands-down (and we are big fans too)!
I can’t find key limes in my local store, can I use regular lime juice?
Yes you can, they just won’t have that key lime tangy-ness. Hope this helps!
How far in advance can you make this? This looks like a good recipe and I can’t wait to try it.
You can make this probably 2 days in advance … I wouldn’t do much longer than that. Hope this helps!