Classic Key Lime Pie
This key lime pie features a homemade graham cracker crust, a creamy sweet-tart filling, and homemade whipped cream on top. It’s so easy to make, but it looks spectacular!
If you’ve ever felt intimidated when it comes to making pies, this easy key lime pie recipe is a great starting point.
Not only is the graham cracker crust easy to make, but the filling also uses just three ingredients (yes, THREE!). In total, the key lime pie filling only takes a few minutes to mix together.
An added bonus? Since this pie needs to chill for a while in the refrigerator, it’s a great recipe that you can make ahead of time too.
Trust me, this is one of the easiest pie recipes you’ll ever make, and everyone will love it!
Recipe Ingredients
Homemade key lime pie has three components: the graham cracker crust, the sweet-tart filling, and the homemade whipped cream on top. Let’s quickly go over the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe.
- Graham cracker crumbs: You’ll need 1 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs to make the crust. You can buy pre-made crumbs at the store, or you can pulse 11 to 12 full sheets of graham crackers in a food processor to create your own.
- Granulated sugar: I sweetened the crust slightly to help balance out the tart key lime filling.
- Butter: Melted butter helps bind the crust together and adds richness.
- Key lime juice: You can use fresh or bottled key lime juice for this recipe. If you want to make this recipe easy, I suggest sticking with bottled key lime juice. I really love Nellie and Joe’s Key Lime Juice, which you can usually find by the juices in most grocery stores.
- Sweetened condensed milk: You’ll be using two 14-ounce cans of sweetened condensed milk to thicken and sweeten the filling.
- Egg yolks: There are 5 egg yolks in this pie and it adds so much richness! You can use some of the leftover egg whites in an omelet or in my white cake recipe.
- Whipped cream: You may use store-bought whipped topping, if desired. However, I prefer making my own homemade whipped cream.
How to Make Key Lime Pie
To prepare a traditional key lime pie, you’ll first have to assemble and bake the graham cracker crust. If you don’t bake the crust first, it won’t be able to hold up to the filling.
Here’s a simple breakdown for how to make the crust:
- Stir together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter: You want all of the crumbs to be fully coated in the butter.
- Press the mixture into a 9-inch pie plate: I suggest using a measuring cup for this step to firmly pack it on the bottom and around the sides of the dish.
- Bake the crust for 8 to 10 minutes
- Set the crust aside for at least 10 minutes to cool slightly: I like to set the crust aside while I prep the filling. This will ensure that the graham cracker crust firms up some and it will hold up much better.
The key lime filling is just as easy as the graham cracker crust! Here’s exactly how to make the filling:
- Whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, key lime juice, and egg yolks: The mixture should be nice and thick.
- Pour the filling into the pre-baked graham cracker crust
- Bake it for 20 minutes: You’ll know it’s done baking when the top of the pie is set, but still jiggly. The residual heat will continue to cook the pie and allow it to set up as it cools.
- Let it cool completely and chill for 5 to 6 hours
Key lime pie tastes best topped with whipped cream — it helps balance out the tartness of the filling. You can either use whipped topping or my homemade whipped cream recipe.
If you’re looking for a whipped cream that will hold up for several days, you can try my stabilized whipped cream recipe instead.
FAQ’s
Can You Make Key Lime Pie with Regular Limes?
Yes! An appropriate key lime juice substitute is an equal amount of regular lime juice or even lemon juice.
How to Store This Pie
I suggest keeping the pie refrigerated until you’re ready to serve it. You can store leftover key lime pie in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Can This Recipe Be Made in Advance?
Absolutely! The pie will last up to 4 days in the fridge. Wait until you serve the pie to spread the whipped cream on top, or pipe stabilized whipped cream onto the pie ahead of time.
Baking Tips
- Let the crust cool for at least 10 minutes before adding the filling. This will give it some time to firm up and it will hold together much better.
- If you don’t have any key limes, regular lime or lemon juice will work fine!
- In order to properly set up, this pie needs to chill in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours. It’s best to make this pie the night before and allow it to chill overnight.
- When you cover the pie, make sure that the plastic wrap is not directly touching the top. Plastic wrap tends to stick to the pie and pull some of it up with it when you remove it.
More Easy Pie Recipes!
Video Tutorial
Classic Key Lime Pie
Ingredients
For the graham cracker crust:
- 1 and ½ cups graham cracker crumbs (180 grams)
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar (65 grams)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled (85 grams)
For the key lime pie filling:
- 1 cup key lime juice (240 ml)
- 2 (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
- 5 large egg yolks
Topping:
- Whipped topping or homemade whipped cream
Instructions
- To make the graham cracker crust: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Combine the graham cracker crumbs and sugar in a mixing bowl and mix until well combined. Add the melted butter and stir until fully combined and all of the crumbs are moistened.
- Scoop the mixture into a 9 inch pie plate and firmly press it down into an even layer on the bottom and up around the sides of the dish.
- Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for 10 minutes while you make the filling.
- Keep oven temperature at 350°F (180°C).
- To make the key lime pie filling: Combine the key lime juice, sweetened condensed milk, and egg yolks in a large mixing bowl and whisk until fully combined.
- Pour the filling into the slightly cooled graham cracker crust and spread it around into one even layer.
- Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until the top of the pie is set, the pie will still be jiggly.
- Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool for 2 hours. Transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least 6 hours or overnight. Once chilled, top with whipped cream and enjoy!
Notes
An amazing Key Lime Pie. Made two pies for a surprise birthday party. I received so many compliments. Best Key Lime Pie, they have ever eaten!
This was the best key lime pie I ever had! I made for my hubby’s birthday. I used the recommended bottled key lime juice. (I bought it off amazon and was a wee bit worried about it, but it worked amazingly well.
Unbeknownst to me, my hubby had opened the lime juice and used over half the bottle before I made the pie! There wasn’t even a full cup left, but I had some regular limes so I juiced one and added some grated zest and it was perfect!
The only other change I made was adding a scant teaspoon of cinnamon to my graham cracker crust. It was a trick I learned from Anna Olsen, I think. Makes a world of difference in the crust.
The family is already asking me to make it again!
My filling turned out sour and with almost a grainy texture.. not sure what I did wrong?
I’m not sure what happened, Vanessa. Were all of your ingredients for the filling fresh? Did you happen to cook the pie longer than 22 minutes?
We don’t like super sweet desserts, but I was wondering if I used one can of sweetened condensed milk and used a can of evaporated milk, would that be a good substitution? I don’t want to mess with the creamy texture, but need a way to cut the sugar – not just the sweetness of the crust.
Thanks!
I don’t recommend it for this recipe, the pie probably won’t set up. You could cut the filling in half, reduce the baking time, and use a little more whipped cream.
I love key lime pie and have made it before. I couldn’t find the recipe I usually use but found that yours was similar enough. I wondered about the full cup of lime juice but went ahead and followed your recipe. The filling was a little thinner than I remembered but went ahead. It didn’t set up at all. Not sure what went wrong. I’m really bummed about it. Maybe next time I’ll use a tad less lime juice.
This recipe does use more key lime juice, but it also uses more egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk to compensate for the extra juice. Did you let it cool completely and chill it too?
Made this pie this morning. Just had my first couple of bites. Had to use half lime and half lemon juice. This is a non-fussy recipe that makes a lovely dessert. Thank you.
Is there a substitute for the sweetened condensed milk? This recipe sounds delicious, but I have diabetes and try to stay away from this ingredient.
You do need the sweetened condensed milk for this recipe, but I’m sure there are other options online that don’t use any.
Can I use egg beaters instead of eggs?
Thanks
I wouldn’t recommend it for this recipe.
I made this last night. The filling was way too sweet. I wil use one can of sweetened condensed milk next time.
Had a client request a key lime pie so I tested out your recipe. It is wonderful. Sets up beautifully and tastes amazing. My clients dad wasn’t able to make it to Florida this year and he’s missing his pie. He will be very happy. Thanks!
Hi Danielle. I’m trying your recipe this weekend and I have an 11 inch pie plate. Would I be able to make this work by doubling the ingredients and adjusting the bake time? Thanks in advance!
Hi, Natasha! This recipe makes quite a bit of filling, so it would probably be okay to increase the crust, but use the same amount of filling and decrease the baking time slightly. If you prefer a thicker layer of filling I would multiply the recipe by 1.5, but you will likely have some leftover. You could always use any extra to make mini key lime pies though. I hope that helps!
I am a Florida native and have been eating and making key lime pie for over 50 years. This is the exact, authentic recipe you need to make a classic key lime pie and I have no criticisms or corrections to make but I do have a few comments that may be helpful for those who are making it for the first time.
1. Fresh key limes are fantastic but are very hard to find, even in Florida. Most people use bottled key lime juice, even in the fanciest of restaurants. Nelly and Joe’s is the standard and is what I usually use. If you are lucky enough to find fresh key limes, they are very small but pack a lot of flavor. They are usually sold in 1 lb 24 count bags, which will yield about 3/4 cup of juice. They are tart enough that you don’t really need to worry about the exact measurement but if you have regular persian limes one on hand, you can add one or two to get the full one cup yield.
2. There were several comments and questions about substituting regular persian limes, lemons, etc. You can certainly do so and make a great pie but it won’t be an actual key lime pie. Key limes have a distinctive, concentrated flavor that you can’t get with any other lime or lemon. Again, you don’t need fresh key limes. Nelly and Joe’s is readily available in the US. if you can’t find it in your supermarket, buy it on Amazon.
3. I like to top mine with whipped cream, as the recipe suggests. However, traditionally, the pie has a meringue topping. After all, you have all of the leftover egg whites. You can find plenty of instructions on the internet about how to make a meringue topping and I recommend that you give it a try, if interested.
4. Although many people prefer a graham cracker crust, I far prefer a pastry crust. Try it both ways. I almost never make my crust from scratch. The pie has such a strong, tart flavor that it isn’t necessary. Buy a frozen crust, whether pastry or graham.
5. My last comment, which I guess is actually a mild criticism, is that you don’t need to cool it as long as the recipe suggests. I cool mine for a while at room temperature, until it is cool to the touch, maybe an hour or less,then cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and put it in the refrigerator for another hour or two. That’s all it needs.
Again, this is the real authentic recipe and is great as written.
If I can’t find the Nellie and Joes key lime juice, can I use Realime lime juice in a bottle? The stores around my neighborhood doesn’t carry the brand you recommend and they don’t keep lines in stock is the reason I am asking. Thank you very much
Yes, bottled lime juice is fine to use!
The pie had deliccious lime flavor, however, we all felt it was way too sweet. Any suggestions for making it less sweet? The condensed milk just added too much sugar for our tastes. Thanks Danielle!
You could possibly add some more key lime juice, but I haven’t personally tried it and I’m not sure if you would need to adjust other ingredients. You could cut the sugar in the graham cracker crust down to 1 to 2 tablespoons though.
Can I bake this in a 9×11 pan and make them into bars?
Yes, I think that would be fine!
I made this pie for the first time yesterday. And it looks really good. But I was just looking at the recipe again and I failed to use just yolks – I used 5 whole eggs. Now I’m afraid to try this beautiful pie. Is this bad?
It will probably change the texture of the pie, but it may still be okay.
So delicious! I addd a 1/3 cup of sweetened coconut to the crust.
Served it with dollops of whipped cream, a sprinkle of coconut and some lime zest. It was a hit!
Hi Danielle, thanks for sharing this recipe. It is the absolute best. I have made multiple times and have always used a glass pie plate. I am wondering if a disposable, aluminum pie plate would be OK to use, and if so, would the cook times need to be adjusted.
Hi, Eileen! That would be fine, just keep in mind that if it’s not deep enough it may not hold all of the filling. As long as you use all of the filling, the baking time should remain the same.
I am excited to try this. Somehow I have far too much filling. Maybe I read the sweet and condensed milk wrong, I read it as two 14oz cans, is that correct? I baked a second little dish of filling.
Yes, that’s correct! It does make quite a bit of filling, but as long as your pie dish is deep enough it should all fit 🙂
The original Key Lime pies in the Florida Keys were made with a regular pastry crust. I’d suggest doing that if you don’t have graham crackers.
can i ask you? if i don’t have sour cream, can I replace it with other substitute like buttermilk…is it suitable or not for this recipe?
Are you referring to a different recipe? This one doesn’t call for sour cream.
Would the amount of lime be the same if I used regular Persian limes?
Yes, I would use the same amount of lime juice.
Should the eggs be at room temperature before you add in the yolks?
It definitely doesn’t hurt for them to be at room temperature, but it’s not necessary.
Hi! I just wanted to say, I love this recipe so much. I have slightly adapted it, but stick to the key ingredients and steps here. Thanks for such an amazing guide! This is truly to die for.
Hi! The pie looks amazing and I would love to make one. But since I live in Russia and we don’ have Graham Crackers here, what kind of crackers can I use instead of the ones in the recipe? Maybe you could describe the crackers somehow so I could find the substitute? That would be really helpful. Thank you in advance!
Hi, Lilya! I believe digestive biscuits are a similar option to graham crackers.
Made this to take to a family get together. It was lush & everybody enjoyed it. Will definitely be making again. Thank you for such a lovely recipe. Greeting from across the pond.
Great recipe! Easy and delicious. This is my third time making it in as many months – my new go to for (small and socially distanced!) gatherings.
My husband was craving Key Lime pie and our favourite pie place is closed. Over 25 years of marriage I have only made pie once, but I thought I would give it a try. So I took to Pinterest and found your recipe which I chose because it had lots of lime juice. This pie was SO delicious! It also was super easy to make, very creamy and fresh tasting. Honestly, the hardest part was squeezing those little limes. I will be making this recipe for years to come, so thank-you!!
So happy you loved the pie, Katrina!
loved this key lime pie recipe! My sister and I finished it and wanted more. thanks for this great and easy recipe!
Once again Danielle has hit it out of the park!!! I followed her excellent instructions exactly and it was amazing. It was served for a very special occasion and everyone raved about it.
I will also NEVER buy a graham cracker crust again. This one was soooo easy and incredibly delicious.
With Danielle I feel like I have my own personal expert right in the kitchen with me. Such talent and effort is hard to find. Thanks again!!!!
Thank you so much, I’m so happy you enjoyed the pie!