This basic, straightforward key lime pie recipe is a refreshing deal with! Begin with a easy selfmade graham cracker crust, fill it with a 3-ingredient key lime filling, and end with a barely sweetened, fluffy whipped cream. Recipe features a how-to video!
My Favourite Key Lime Pie
At the moment I’m resharing a basic household favourite: key lime pie!
Presumably one of the extensively examined recipes on my web site (beside my macarons), this recipe is a no frills model; only a easy and simple pie with a crumbly graham cracker crust, a creamy filling with a tart lime chunk, and a fluffy, candy selfmade whipped cream topping.
Why Strive My Recipe:
- Definitively tart, with out making your mouth completely pucker — you want to have the ability to eat the entire slice and a few pies are so tart I can’t make it previous one or two bites! You’ll be capable of end a complete slice (then possibly one other!) of this one.
- Straightforward to make. When issues can be easy, they need to be. There’s no must complicate a basic with fussy substances or awkward methods. This recipe is well-loved due to how easy it’s, we stick with basic substances however make a number of ratio tweaks to yield the best possible, most balanced taste.
- Easy, refreshing, and timeless recipe.
- Extensively examined. I made dozens of variations of this pie earlier than deciding on the model that you simply see right here at this time. I first shared this recipe in 2015 and it’s been widespread and well-loved ever since. Once I deliberate to reshare it, I even went again to the drafting board and tried to enhance on this recipe, and half a dozen pies later determined it’s actually simply good as written.
What You Want
None of those will shock you, we’re utilizing basic substances And PLEASE, take note of my notes on condensed milk!
- Sweetened condensed milk. Don’t use evaporated milk! Whereas the 2 are bought subsequent to one another and look related, they don’t seem to be the identical (you’ll know this in the event you’ve made my straightforward fudge or no-churn ice cream). My recipe makes use of 2 cups of condensed milk, which is usually about 1 ½ cans. Positive it could be good if we may simply use a good 1 or 2 cans, however as I discussed above, you get one of the best outcomes while you use this barely awkward measurement. Use the leftover as a espresso creamer or topping for shaved ice!
- Key lime juice. Should you’ve made my key lime cake or watched the video, you’ve heard me complain about my incapability to search out contemporary key limes the place I dwell. It’s simply not often potential. Whereas I’ve examined this recipe with contemporary key limes and like it that means, I can also affirm this pie works completely properly with bottled key lime juice (not common lime juice, which doesn’t have the identical taste). “Nellie & Joe’s” model is the one I exploit, it’s often out there within the juice part of most grocery shops.
- Butter. You’ll be able to salted or unsalted butter within the crust, however I are likely to desire salted to assist stability out the sweetness of the pie. Should you don’t have salted butter, you’ll be able to add a scant ¼ teaspoon of salt with the butter.
- Brown sugar. To offer my graham cracker crust additional taste, I like utilizing a mixture of brown sugar and granulated sugar. Both mild brown or darkish brown sugar will work.
- Egg yolks. You will have six egg yolks. Room temperature eggs will mix simpler, in order that’s what I like to recommend utilizing.
- Vanilla extract. This goes into the whipped cream, not the precise filling of the pie. You don’t need it instantly within the filling, it could diminish the brilliant key lime taste.
SAM’S TIP: Should you don’t wish to waste the egg whites, save them to make my coconut cake, lemon cake, strawberry cake, meringue cookies, chocolate meringues or French macarons.
That is simply an outline of the substances I used and why. For the total recipe please scroll right down to the underside of the publish!
Tips on how to Make Key Lime Pie
- Juice your limes (or measure out your lime juice!). Since they’re so small, I exploit a garlic press to squeeze my key limes. Should you can’t discover key limes in your space (they’re so exhausting to search out!), bottled key west lime juice is one of the best substitute I’ve discovered. I’ve made this recipe a number of instances with the juice pictured above, and I by no means have a problem.
- Make the graham cracker crust. Mix your graham cracker crumbs and sugars, then stir within the melted butter till every thing is coated. Pour this combination into your pie pan and use a measuring cup to press it into the underside and up the edges. Set this within the fridge when you put together your filling.
- Add the filling and bake. Whisk collectively the condensed milk and egg yolks, then add the lime juice. Whisk till you discover the combination has thickened a bit (or not less than whisk vigorously for 30-60 seconds and ensure every thing is sweet and uniform), then pour into your crust and bake.
- Cool and beautify. Let the pie cool to room temperature, then place within the fridge to relax for six hours or in a single day. As soon as chilled, beautify as desired (I like so as to add a whipped cream border and lime zest!).
SAM’S TIP: Whereas I like to recommend utilizing key lime juice for the filling, you should utilize common lime zest for a garnish. That small quantity gained’t make a distinction flavor-wise.
Steadily Requested Questions
I don’t suggest it. Key limes aren’t simply smaller and extra obnoxious to squeeze than common limes, in addition they have a unique acidity and taste to them Whereas some folks will argue you can substitute lime juice for key lime juice, it’s simply not my desire or suggestion.
Should you can’t discover contemporary key limes (I typically can’t), you’ll be able to substitute bottled key lime juice. I personally like to make use of Nellie & Joe’s model (I’ve no affiliation with them), they promote Key West lime juice in addition to 100% key lime juice. Both will work splendidly.
Not like store-bought whipped lotions, the selfmade whipped cream on this recipe will maintain its form for a number of days within the fridge. You don’t have to fret about any weeping or softening!
Whereas limes and key limes are inexperienced on the surface, you’ll discover their juice isn’t. The colour of the pie displays the pure coloration of the important thing lime juice mixed with yellow egg yolks and white(ish) condensed milk. When made correctly, it ought to have this extra yellowish coloration. Inexperienced key lime pie is often made utilizing meals coloring.
Nope! OK, I imply technically the pie will nonetheless “work”, however the consistency isn’t as good and the flavour isn’t as vibrant or nice. After intensive (and I do imply intensive!) analysis, I discovered that 2 cups of condensed milk was the right quantity for the right style and texture. And as somebody who likes to make use of neat and tidy measurements, I actually did attempt to go away you with a strong recipe that used a neat 2 cans, nevertheless it simply wasn’t nearly as good as this model!
Should you love key lime pie, strive my lemon pie subsequent! It’s much like this recipe, however undoubtedly value a strive for one thing a bit totally different.
Get pleasure from!
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Key Lime Pie
Servings: 10 servings
Energy: 434kcal
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Directions
Graham Cracker Crust
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In a medium-sized bowl, stir collectively graham cracker crumbs and sugars.
1 ½ cups (170 g) graham cracker crumbs, 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 Tablespoon mild brown sugar
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Add melted butter and stir substances collectively till well-combined and all crumbs are moistened.
7 Tablespoons (100 g) salted butter
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Press crumb combination into backside and up the edges of a 9.5″ pie pan. Set pie crust within the fridge to relax when you put together the filling.
Filling
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Mix condensed milk (word that you’re utilizing solely 2 cups and never 2 full cans!) and egg yolks in a big bowl and whisk till properly mixed.
2 cups (475 ml) sweetened condensed milk¹, 6 giant egg yolks
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Add key lime juice and whisk properly, till barely thickened (about 2 minutes).
⅔ cups (160 ml) key lime juice²
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Pour into pie crust and bake on 350F (175C) for 18-20 minutes. When completed baking, the crust could also be turning a deeper golden brown, the perimeters of the pie might be agency/set and the middle will nonetheless be barely jiggly when jostled.
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Take away from oven and permit to chill utterly earlier than transferring to fridge. As soon as cooled, switch to the fridge and chill not less than 6 hours (ideally in a single day) earlier than serving.
Selfmade Whipped Cream Topping
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Earlier than serving the pie, put together the whipped cream.
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In a big mixing bowl, mix heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Use an electrical mixer and stir on medium-low velocity for 20 seconds, then progressively improve velocity to excessive and proceed to beat on excessive velocity till combination is thick, fluffy, voluminous and billowing (“stiff peaks” stage).
¾ cup (180 g) heavy whipping cream, ¼ cup (30 g) powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
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Pipe or unfold whipped cream over chilled pie (I used an Ateco 848 tip for the piping within the images). Slice and serve.
Notes
¹Important condensed milk word
Please word that this recipe calls for two cups (473ml) and not 2 14-oz cans. You will have about 1 ½ 14-0z cans for this recipe. Please see the publish for extra info on why this quantity was used, if you’re curious.
²Key lime juice
You should utilize contemporary or bottled key lime juice. Should you want to use contemporary limes, you’ll want about 20-24 key limes to take action. I’ve discovered that the simplest and best strategy to squeeze key limes is to chop them in half and use a garlic press (see video). Should you decide to make use of bottled juice, be sure that it’s really “key lime” juice, substituting common lime juice isn’t nearly as good.
Utilizing totally different sized pie plates
You should utilize an 8.5″, 9″, or 10″ pie plate for this recipe. You’ll probably want to regulate the baking time barely relying on the scale (smaller pie plates would require an extended bake time, and bigger could be shorter. See my notes within the recipe for judging that your pie is completed baking).
Storing and freezing
This pie will preserve 3-4 days within the fridge, cowl with plastic wrap or foil.
To freeze, wrap tightly and completely with plastic wrap and retailer within the freezer for as much as one month. If thawing the entire pie, return to the fridge the night time earlier than serving and permit it to thaw within the fridge.
You’ll be able to freeze with or with out whipped cream, however the whipped cream will turn out to be agency within the freezer so I desire so as to add it simply earlier than serving.
Vitamin
Serving: 1slice | Energy: 434kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 8g | Fats: 23g | Saturated Fats: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 1g | Monounsaturated Fats: 7g | Trans Fats: 0.3g | Ldl cholesterol: 169mg | Sodium: 225mg | Potassium: 300mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 44g | Vitamin A: 791IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 214mg | Iron: 1mg
Dietary info is predicated on third-party calculations and ought to be thought-about an estimate solely. Precise dietary content material will range based mostly upon manufacturers used, measuring strategies, cooking technique, portion sizes, and extra.
This recipe was initially revealed 06/22/2015, images and textual content up to date. Not the recipe, although, that was evidently excellent as written and stays the identical, albeit with a number of extra (hopefully useful) notes.
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