Key lime pie is a classic dessert along the likes of apple pie and pumpkin pie in my opinion. It is made with lots of egg yoks, condensed milk and a Graham brown sugar crust. You could use those premade 9 inch Graham crusts you can find at the grocery store. But I think making this from scratch is more fun. This comes with a homemade whipped cream topping which is absolutely delicious with the silky smooth pie filing. This pie is a labor of love like all pies-but it is so worth it in the end.
Assembling the key lime pie crust
This has a Graham crust as previously mentioned. You can either use Graham crackers and crumble them in a food processor. Or you can take the shortcut route like I always do and buy the Graham crumbs at the grocery store. The crumbs are then mixed with melted butter and brown sugar. This is then pressed into a 9 inch pie pan. You should get the really deep pie pans so the filling can fit. If not, a shallow 10-inch pie pan will do the trick. The crust is baked in the oven for 10 minutes to make it super firm.
The pie filling
Since the pie is called “key lime pie” key limes are preferred for this recipe. You can sometimes find key lime juice in specialty grocery stores. But I don’t think there’s such a huge difference if you decide to use regular limes. All you need is fresh lime juice, lots of lime zest, sour cream, egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk. To get the egg yoks I simply cracked 3 large eggs eggs through a strainer: the egg yolks are collected and the egg whites are strained into the bowl you use underneath. Once the key lime pie comes out of the oven, it has to be refrigerated for at least 6 hours to set properly.
The whipped cream topping
For the whipped cream, I use whipping cream or heavy cream and icing sugar. You can add a pinch of cardamom or cinnamon to make it fancy. Garnish the pie with extra lime zest and always serve this pie chilled. Since it has a whipped cream topping serving it cold will prevent it from sliding off. If it is summer, you can pop the pie in the freezer for an hour before you start serving it. You can store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days in a dry, airtight container.
Check out our YouTube tutorial for a step-by-step on how to make this silky-smooth pie!
Ingredients
Graham crust
1&1/2 cups Graham crumbs
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup melted unsalted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar (tightly packed)
Key lime filling
3 egg yolks, at room temperature
300ml can sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cup (key) lime juice
1/2 cup full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
2 tablespoons lime zest
Whipped cream topping
2 cups heavy/whipping cream
2 tablespoons confectioners' (icing) sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
Graham crust
- Preheat the oven to 375F/190C.
- Mix the Graham crumbs with melted butter, cinnamon, brown sugar and press into a 9-inch pan.
- Bake the crust for 10 minutes, take it out of the oven (leave the oven on) and let it cool. Lower the oven temperature to 350F/175C.
Key lime filling
- Using a hand whisky, beat the egg yoks on high speed until it becomes a bright yellow color.
- Lower the speed to medium and whisk in the condensed milk, sour cream, lime juice and lime zest.
- Pour this into the baked Graham crust and smooth out the top.
- Bake the pie for 15 minutes in the oven at 350F/175C until gently set. It might wobble slightly in the middle and that is normal.
- Let the baked pie cool completely to room temperature and cover loosely with foil.
- Refrigerate the pie for at least 6 hours or overnight to set.
Whipped cream topping
- Before serving the pie, whip the cream with the vanilla extract and icing sugar using a hand or stand whisk until stiff peaks form at the surface.
- You can use a piping bag to pipe the freshly whipped cream unto the pie or just use a cake icing spatula to spread the whipped cream over the surface of the pie.
- Garnish with extra lime zest and always serve the pie cold.