Key lime pie is a nostalgic summer dessert. It’s refreshing, and perfectly sweet and tart with bright key lime flavors. And believe it or not, it’s quite easy to make!
It’s the kind of treat that brings people together, perfect for parties, potlucks, or just because. This easy key lime pie is truly the ultimate slice of summer!
I’ve tasted so many key lime pie recipes over the years, and this recipe I’m sharing today is my absolute favorite! It’s got the perfect balance of sweet and tart, and the consistency is the perfect cross between creamy and custardy.
Key lime pie is one of those timeless desserts, highly popular in the summer but what’s to stop me from making it year-round? It’s so good!
Because it needs to chill overnight anyway, it’s an excellent make-ahead dessert and great to bring to potlucks or parties. It also freezes really well. We like to keep a few slices in the freezer, right next to the best lemon bars, for whenever the craving hits!
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Why I Love This Recipe
- Simple ingredients. The ingredients are pantry staples and easy to find.
- Balanced flavors between sweet, tart, and bright. Not overpowering.
- Perfect consistency! The homemade graham pie crust sets nicely, and the pie filling is the perfect cross of creamy and custardy thanks to the sweet condensed milk.
- Freezer-friendly, so why not make an extra key lime pie for later?
Ingredient Notes
For this easy key lime pie recipe, you only need a few easy-to-find ingredients. Here, I included a few notes from recipe testing, as well as substitutions.
- Key lime juice: True key limes, which are a lot more tart than regular limes, can be hard to find here in Michigan, so I use bottled key lime juice from Nellie and Joe’s brand Key West lime juice (it tastes amazing!) Substitution: Regular limes are fine but it may lack that signature tartness.
- Graham crackers: For the crust, I use about 10 graham crackers (they are 2.5 x 5 inches each). This is equivalent to 1 ¼ cups of graham cracker crumbs.
- Granulated sugar: For the crust.
- Melted butter: Also for the crust, adds moisture to form the perfect graham pie crust.
- Sweetened condensed milk: A key ingredient in key lime pie! Creates a smooth, velvety texture, and adds the right amount of sweetness.
- Sour cream: Not only does it add a creamier, but it also balances the tart flavors and stabilizes the custard filling.
- Egg yolks: Provides structure and richness to the pie. No egg whites needed.
- Whipped cream: Heavy cream, vanilla extract and confectioners’ sugar.
- Regular limes for decoration
As always, quantities are located in the recipe card down below.
How to Make Key Lime Pie
This easy homemade key lime pie comes together very easily. It does need to be chilled for 8 hours or overnight, so be sure to plan for that.
Step 1 | Make the pie crust
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Using a food processor, pulse graham crackers until you get fine crumbs. Add granulated sugar and melted butter, pulsing until evenly combined and moist.
Transfer to a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the graham crumbs around the edges and bottom of the pan until a compact crust forms. I like to use a measuring cup to press. Then, pre-bake for 10 minutes until set and slightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Step 2 | Make filling, assemble and bake
In a bowl, whisk the sweet condensed milk, egg yolks, sour cream, key lime juice until all evenly combined and smooth. Pour the filling into the pre-baked graham cracker crust and smooth out the surface using an offset spatula.
Place the assembled pie on a baking sheet (just in case). Bake for about 18 minutes until the filling is set around the edges. The center should be just slightly jiggly, but mostly set.
Step 3 | Chill and decorate
Let the baked pie cool completely at room temperature, then transfer to the fridge and let it chill for at least 8 hours or overnight. This way, the key lime pie will be fully set and chilled. Decorate the pie with the whipped cream, lime slices and lime zest.
Cut a few slices of this summery key lime pie and enjoy with a glass of my homemade strawberry lemonade!
Tips for Success
- Key limes can be hard to find sometimes. I use bottled key lime juice from Nellie and Joe’s brand that tastes amazing! Alternatively, you can use regular limes but it may lack that signature tartness from key limes.
- Pie pan size: Use a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. It should be about 1 inch in height.
- Graham crackers: To fit a 9-inch tart pan, you need about 10 regular graham crackers (each 2.5 x 5 inches), which is equivalent to 1 ¼ cup of pulsed graham cracker crumbs.
- Pack in the crust tightly to prevent any leakage. I use the sides of a measuring cup to press against the edges and bottom.
- Use sweetened condensed milk, not evaporated milk.
- How to tell if the key lime pie is ready: After baking for about 18 minutes, the edges should be fully set and the center should be just very slightly jiggly.
Make Ahead and Freezing
Make ahead: This recipe is make-ahead friendly on its own since it needs to chill at least 8 hours or overnight, but it can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days (covered) until ready to decorate and serve.
Freezing: Key lime pie can be frozen without the whipped cream for up to 2 months. You can freeze either the entire pie or slices. Cover with a layer of plastic wrap then aluminum foil, and store in a large resealable freezer-friendly bag.
Recipe FAQs
This recipe fits a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. It’s about 1-inch in height.
Yes! You will need 1 ¼ cups of pulsed crumbs.
Absolutely! If so, you won’t need to pre-bake it (it already comes pre-baked).
Yes, but they may taste a little less citrusy and tart. Key limes are a lot more tart.
There’s nothing quite like freshly squeezed key lime juice, but they are hard to find where I live, so I use Nellie and Joe’s Key West Lime Juice brand and it tastes amazing.
More Summer Treats
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Easy Key Lime Pie
Equipment
- Electric hand mixer if not using stand mixer
- Piping bags and tips for decoration
Ingredients
Graham pie crust
- 10 sheets graham crackers - or equivalent to 1 ¼ cup graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 5 tablespoons unsalted melted butter
For the filling
- 21 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 4 large egg yolks
- ¾ cups bottled key lime juice - or freshly squeezed, see notes
Decoration
- 1 ½ cups cold heavy cream
- 2-3 tablespoons confectioners sugar - to taste
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Limes for decoration
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Make the graham pie crust: in a food processor, pulse the graham crackers until fine crumbs form. Add the sugar and melted butter, and pulse a few more times until well combined. Transfer to a shallow 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Press down the bottom and sides using a measuring cup (or a glass) to make a tightly packed pie crust.
- Pre-bake pie crust: Place the prepared pie crust on a sheet pan (to catch any crumbs). Bake for about 10 minutes until set and slightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and let it cool slightly.
- Prepare the filling: Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk the sweet condensed sugar with egg yolks, sour cream, and key lime juice, until completely smooth and evenly combined.
- Assemble pie: Pour the filling into the pre-baked crust and smooth out the surface using an offset or rubber spatula.
- Bake: Place the assembled pie on a sheet pan. Bake for about 18 minutes until the filling is fully set around the edges. The center should be just slightly jiggly.
- Chill: Let the pie cool completely at room temperature, and then chill for 8 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
- Make the whipped cream: When ready to serve, beat the heavy cream on high speed using a stand mixer (whisk attachment) or electric mixer until soft peak forms. Incorporate confectioners sugar and vanilla, and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
- Decorate: Decorate the pie with the whipped cream, lime slices, and lime zest. Enjoy!
Notes
- Pie pan: 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, about 1 inch in height.
- For the crust, I use 10 graham crackers, which is equivalent to 1 ¼ cups of pulsed graham crackers.
- Pack the graham pie crust tightly around the edges and bottom. This, along with par-baking, will prevent any of the filling from leaking.
- How to tell if the pie is ready: The edges should be fully set and the center should be just slightly jiggly. It will fully set when refrigerated.
- Make ahead: It needs to chill in the fridge for at least 8 hours or overnight, but you can make it up to 3 days ahead.
- Freezing: Freeze without whipped cream for up to 2 months. Cover with a layer of plastic wrap then aluminum foil before tightly sealing in a freezer-safe bag.
- Key limes: Bottled key lime juice (I use Nellie and Joe’s brand)
- You can use a pre-made 9-inch graham cracker pie crust if you’d like.
Tiffany says
Someone just made this for me and it was insanely good! It tastes just like the famous Key Lime Pies in the Keys!
Tania says
Happy to hear you all liked it!!
Cindee C Riggs says
Made this with my 10 year old daughter just now. We used a premade graham cracker pie crust to keep it a little more simple. It was so good! And so easy! Thank you for posting this recipe…its a keeper!
Tania says
So glad to hear, Cindee! 🙂 Thank you for making my recipe and for your kind words!