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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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I made this last night. I found it to be way too sweet. Next time I will use a cup and a half of lime juice and five egg yolks.
Love this recipe! Thanks for sharing!
How do you add the meringue topping? Do you bake the key lime first then reduce the temp and add the top and then bake the extra 10 minutes or add the topping before baking the key lime?
Hey Gemma- Usually we don’t go meringue topping on the Key Lime pie but if you would like to, you can use these instructions from our lemon meringue pie: https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/moms-lemon-meringue-pie/ Hope this helps!
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.
Thank you for the compliment! I love this recipe. It turns out perfect every time. I’m also a fan of the tartness of the pie. I’m so glad you like it!
Excelent recipe !!! It was a hit !! Will make again !!!
Can this pie be frozen? How long will it keep frozen?
We haven’t tried freezing it before but it I’m sure it is possible. I wouldn’t keep it frozen than more than a couple weeks, if it were me. I don’t like the freezer flavor so the less time in the freezer (at least for me) the better!
Love this recipe, I use 1/2 cup of freshly squeezed key lime right from my tree! Perfect pie everytime!
Love that you have a lime tree. Now I want one! 😀
Sounds very delicious, as I live in Brazil, can you tell
me what the crackers are and what can I use as a substitute.?
We have wonderful limes here in Bahia , can I use all this juice etc.
Thank you so much.
Hugo Skucek
Hi Hugo– Graham crackers might be tricky to find in Brazil. If you can’t find them, you can use Nilla Wafers, ginger snaps, or any kind of plain vanilla cookie. Even animal crackers. 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!
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!
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)!
Do you have to refrigerate the pie to firm it.I put it in the oven at 350 degrees and it rose up some but still had a lot liquid.so I put it in refrigerator.
That should be totally fine. If it was still liquid-y I would but it in the refrigerator to firm. Hope this helps!
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!
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 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 🙂
all one has to do is remember the color of the inside of the lime….it is never bright green. Take it from there.
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……
I had the same question!
you use 1/4 c. fresh and 1/4 c. of the key lime– making 1/2 c total. Hope this helps!
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.
You can make this with regular limes. Key limes are preferred, but if you can’t get them, just use regular limes. Also, most markets sell key lime juice. That is another great option. But don’t sweat this – it will still taste great either way. 🙂
I have made this pie on 3 different occasions and it has been a crowd pleaser. As others have noted, this is a very easy recipe to follow to achieve a well balance of flavor and creamy textured pie.
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.
I love, love, love Key Lime Pie!!!www.lifeofamodernhousewife.com
Easy and delicious
I've been looking for a good Key Lime Pie recipe…think I just found it! Thanks!
I have never had success with my key lime getting firm With any recipe