The Best Key Lime Pie recipe EVER! Tart and sweet and incredibly easy, this Key Lime Pie is sure to be a family favorite! A delicious graham cracker crust filled to the brim with an incredibly creamy filling that is just so quick to make! You won’t be able to stop at just one slice!
Love key lime desserts? Check out my Key Lime Pie Bars and Key Lime Pie Snowball Cookies!
Key Lime Pie
I’m admittedly not much of a pie person. I only share pie recipes that I absolutely love. Recipes like this Key Lime Pie. That incredible combination of tart and sweet is absolutely irresistible and will make this pie a family favorite, guaranteed.
So, confession time. I didn’t squeeze a bunch of key limes for this pie. This is an easy key lime pie recipe, after all 🙂 I used key lime juice. You can find it the produce area in most grocery stores. It makes this pie even easier to make!
Now, if you have access to key limes and want to squeeze them, go right ahead! Absolutely perfect in this pie.
After all of that, Happy Pi Day! With an electrical engineering degree you can bet I’ve had my fill of pi. But never, NEVER will I have my fill of this pie.
So this “key” lime pie recipe is crazy easy. And I mean cray-zee. So easy, you may find yourself making one a week, like I plan to, for the rest of your life.
Key Lime Pie – Always Start with a Graham Cracker Crust
The pie starts with a graham cracker crust. I am terrible at crusts but gosh darnit, a homemade graham cracker crust tastes WAY better than a store bought one and it’s pretty simple to make. Just some graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter will do the trick.
I’m a big fan of graham cracker crusts because they are super easy to make and go so well in many desserts. I use it in this Pistachio Pie and these No Bake S’mores Cheesecake Bars.
(Extra graham crackers? You can find all my recipes that use graham cracker crusts here.)
What Is In Key Lime Pie Filling
Now let’s get to the filling. It’s a whole lotta lime juice, lime zest, sour cream and a couple cans of sweetened condensed milk (a.k.a. nectar of the gods). You just whisk it all together, pour it into your pie shell, bake for 10 minutes and voila – you’ve got a key lime pie that will blow your family and friends away.
- Key Lime Juice
- Lime Zest
- Sour Cream
- Sweetened Condensed Milk
What You Need To Make this Key Lime Pie
- Pie Plate – I made this pie in my 9.5 inch Pyrex pie plate. You can use a smaller pie plate no problem. You’ll either have a little extra crust or just make it extra thick. The filling does not expand when baking so go ahead and pour as much of it into your crust as you can.
- Key Lime Juice or Key Limes – I used key lime juice. I actually order mine on Amazon. I’m a big fan of reading reviews to make sure I get the very best product. This is the one I’m currently crushing on. Truth time. This pie can be made with regular limes if you can’t find key lime or key lime juice. Just sayin’.
- You’re going to need a zester for this pie. The key lime zest adds SO much flavor to this key lime pie and looks so pretty on top!
The truth is, I’m not much of a decorator when it comes to pies and cakes. I’m all about simple, easy, get-it-in-my-mouth-as-quick-as-possible. You too? Good. Then you’ll like my no-nonsense whipped cream topping.
If you are in a hurry, and I mean, a BIG HURRY, I would perhaps allow you to use a store bought pie crust and a can of whipped cream. This pie would still be heavenly. No doubt. (Edited to add: I made the crust in the video but as we were running out of time, I used a can of whipped cream in the video below. Works in a pinch!)
More amazing pie recipes to try!
- No Bake Blueberry Lemon Cream Pie
- No Bake Peanut Butter Cheesecake Pie
- 31 Amazing Pies You Need To Try!
- Deep Dish Dutch Apple Pie
- No Bake Pina Colada Cream Pie
How To Make the Best Key Lime Pie
Best Key Lime Pie
Ingredients
Graham cracker crust
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tbsp butter melted
Key Lime Filling
- 28 oz sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 cup light sour cream
- 3/4 cup key lime juice
- zest from 2 regular limes or 4 key limes
Whipped Cream Topping
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Graham cracker crust
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter in a small bowl. Press the crumb mixture into an 8" - 9.5" pie pan. Bake for 7 minutes. Cool for at least 30 minutes.
Key Lime Filling
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Whisk together sweetened condensed milk, sour cream, lime juice, and lime zest in a medium bowl. Pour into prepared graham cracker crust and bake for 10 minutes.
- Let pie cool slightly before chilling. Chill for at least 3 hours.
Whipped Cream Topping
- Beat heavy cream and sugar together in a mixer until stiff peaks form. Beat in vanilla. Spread or pipe the whipped cream on top of the cooled pie. Top with additional lime zest if desired.
Video
Nutrition
Originally published March 14, 2015.
And now that we’re all thinking pie… Check out these pies from my friends:
Krispy Kreme Pie | Cinnamon Pie | Peach Hand Pies
And more pies, just for fun!
For all cake recipes, go HERE.
For all dessert recipes, go HERE.
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Ivette Garcia says
I’ve made this pie many times for family and friends. The last time I made it I switched out the sour cream for whipped cream cheese and everyone said I finally got the pie right loll. Go figure.
Great recipe!!
Melissa says
I’ve followed this recipe a few times and get nothing but amazing compliments every time. People say “it’s the best key lime pie I’ve ever had” thanks for a great easy recipe!
Janet Enns Conner says
I made this pie for my boss for her birthday. She asked if this was a old family secret recipe. I have also made them into tarts in a small muffin tin. I reduced the cooking time a bit due to them being small.People could grab and go. Had raving reviews.
Alexis says
My fiancé loves key lime pie so we have made and tried several different ones together (including one from the Great British Bake Off that Paul Hollywood said was the best thing he’s ever eaten) and THIS key lime pie is my favorite!! I have made it a few times now and it always turns out a hit.
Could this be made into mini key lime pies?
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Thanks Alexis! And yes, it sure can! Mini pies would be perfect!
S says
Great recipe, have made this numerous times and it always turns out good. A couple of tips for first timers:
– Unsalted or salted butter works
– Crushing your gram crackers in a ziplock bag with a rolling pin works great
– It’s hard to find key limes, especially key lime juice… regular limes work perfectly fine for this
– I’d advice not making the whipped cream topping, it doesn’t sit well in the fridge and kind of “melts”. Much easier to spray a bit of whipped cream on when you go to serve it.
– Also this is slightly easier than a cheesecake, its harder to mess up.
Hope you enjoy!
Diane says
This Key lime pie recipe is a keeper!!! Made this pie exactly as written except for replacing one can of sweetened condense milk for a fat free can. My guest loved this dessert and my husband thought it was the best pie he every had. I highly recommend this recipe for key lime pie. i will make this again and again and again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you for this recipe.
Jeff says
No luck on finding key lime juice at the market but found key limes. In case you’re wondering, it takes 3 tractor trailer loads of key limes to generate 3/4 cup of lime juice. (Just kidding!) I followed the recipe exactly and I am extremely pleased with the results
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
LOL! I know, they are SO tiny! Thank you Jeff!
Carrie Errer says
First time making key lime pie and it was delicious! Will definitely make it again!
Simara says
This is the easiest pie to make. I have made it several times in the past few years and people have told me it’s the best Key Lime Pie they ever had. They want to know my secret. I even had people that don’t like Key Lime taste it and comment that they enjoyed it. I highly recommend this recipe to all the busy people that need an easy recipe or someone that doesn’t bake that often. I would give this 10 stars if I could.
Mary says
This pie is a HUGE hit. Everyone raves about how great this pie tastes. It truly is deceptively easy it is to make, especially considering the accolades it consistently receives. Two enthusiastic thumbs up!
Leopold Damm says
I read your Key Lime Pie receipe several but did NOT see any eggs, yolks or flour in it, what holds it all together.
I did not want to make it in fear it will not hold up.
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
It will hold together. Trust me!
Michael Cothran says
Made this for the first time a few weeks ago and making it again today. This pie soo easy to make and tastes great. Makes someone who never made a pie look good. Thanks
Sybil says
This is wonderful! I thought making a key lime pie would be intimidating, but it wasn’t. Ok, juicing all those little limes was a bit challenging (cut into quarters, and use a garlic press), but the rest was easy!
I made a couple of changes to mine. I toasted some nuts, and ground them to mix into the crust (Yum). I also used one regular condensed milk, and one fat free. You can’t tell the difference. Too bad I can’t add pictures!
I’ll be making this again because I’ve had requests for samples.
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Thank you so much Sybil!
Jimmy Hemphill says
This is a wonderful pie. I’m also an engineer, a chemical engineer with particularly bad lab technique.
I’ve made several. They were super easy to make, even with my poor lab technique, and a resounding hit with everyone .
The last one I made I added 1/4 cup of pureed Maraschino cherries. The pureed cherries turned the color of the pie pink. I used the extra cherries as garnish. I called it a Cherry Limeade Pie. It was a huge hit.
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Cherry Limeade Pie – love it! Definitely will need to give that a try!
Desiree says
This is the first key lime pie I have ever tried but I brought it to an event I catered and it was a HIT! I had people asking if they could have the recipe. I love it and will continue to use this recipe anytime I am making a key lime pie.
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
I’m so glad Desiree! Have a great week!