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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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Best Key Lime pie I have evry made better then what you get in Florida everyone loved it had to make another so I could get some!
This is the first time I have ever made or had a key lime pie and it is just so flavourful and fresh
Key Lime Pie is a favorite of mine if made with the right ingredients….this recipe crosses off all the best ingredients.
Has anyone used the whites for meringue on top?
I haven’t tried that but you definitely could! It would be like a key lime meringue pie.
Best dessert.
LOVE KEY LIME PIE, THIS ONE WAS GOOD. I ADDED LIME ZEST TO MY CRUST.
I love key lime pie. It reminds me of the summer breeze and sitting under the trees at our farm. I have been to restaurants in Savanah but it doesn’t compare to this tangy, smooth, summery pie from favfamily recipes.com.
Mouth watering YUM! So easy with minimal ingredients. This comes together quickly and a family favorite..thank you.
Five stars for this recipe all the way around! From the limited number of ingredients needed, to its pleasantly rich but not overwhelming flavor, to the ease of the “start to finish” process, I’ve made this recipe several times now; and it has been consistent each time. My mother (who’s palette is ridiculously limited by choice and will not even try anything new if it is not the exact brand, etc that she prefers) discovered Key Lime Pie in a restaurant several years ago while visiting my brother on the east coast – she couldn’t find ANYTHING on the entire menu that was to her liking and finally settled on a piece of Key Lime Pie (because no chocolate items were listed on the dessert menu). She ended up loving it so much that she ordered a 2nd piece. Since then, I have bought several Key Lime Pies (and even other key lime flavored dessert products), but none of them came close to passing her liking and were just “not the same”. I gave up until this Key Lime Pie recipe showed up in my inbox one day; and I decided on one more attempt to bring Key Lime Pie back into her life. Needless to say, she had devoured the whole pie within days! It truly was delicious! I did use the store bought bottled Nellie’s because key limes were not readily available where I live as well as the zest of a few regular limes and the flavor was spot on! This is definitely a recipe that I make especially during the summer for bbqs and potlucks because it’s not something that other people usually bring, it’s easy to make, the citrus-y flavor is perfect for summer time and I always bring home an empty pie pan!
Thank you so much for this kind review!
I love Key Lime pie!! Will make my homemade Gluten Free graham crackers in the next few days so I can make this. Even looking at the picture, my mouth is watering!
I love this recipe! My family really enjoys citrusy desserts and this is most definitely their favorite!
I really like this recipe because it is not complicated, and it seems really easy to make.
Love key lime
I love this recipe. It is tart and refreshing – a great dessert and snack. I rate it a no-brainer. I give it a ⭐️.
Key Lime Pie is one of my favorites. When I live in Florida Key Limes were easy to find when I lived in Florida. Now I live in the North East and use Nellie’s Key Lime juice, the flavor is the same and Key Lime Pie is my go to when I have company.
I love this recipe.
Key lime pie is one of my favorites because it is so easy to make and tastes so good. It is a light dessert and the perfect end to a meal.
This key lime pie is the best ever! Using fresh limes and real whipping cream is “KEY”!
One of my favorite desserts, with its rich , creamy filling and the tartness from the Limes you can’t go wrong with this dessert. So easy to make too.
Easy to make and so delicious.
Great recipe. We really enjoyed it!