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Have You Ever Been?

I have never been to the Florida Keys, but I thank them for this beauty – Classic Key Lime Pie. I love the combination of sweet, tart and cream filling on top of a crumbly, buttery crust.

This California girl can’t get key limes on the regular, but I’ve found that the limes entering my local supply chain are just dandy. My limes probably come from Mexico, and for that I’m giving them a shout-out because these larger-than-key-limes bake and chill into poetry in a pie pan.

It Doesn’t Take Much

You might be surprised at how easy this recipe is and how few ingredients are needed to build a dessert at this level of deliciousness. The next time you see Classic Key Lime Pie on a fancy menu for $12 per slice, it might be hard to justify the cost when you can make it in your own kitchen for $1.25 per slice.

Chill, Chill Baby!

I brought this Classic Key Lime Pie to a family event to celebrate Father’s Day. It ended up being a super hot day, and I miscalculated the timing of when dinner and dessert would be ready. The pie sat on a kitchen counter for much longer than I realized – about 3 hours. It should have been chilling in a crisp cold fridge. When it was time serve, the pie was still set, but very soft. Don’t make the same mistake! The flavor was fantastic, but this pie requires chilling to be its best self.

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Classic Key Lime Pie

Tart, sweet, creamy and wonderful, this pie is the perfect marriage of flavors. As beautiful as a restaurant pie, easy to make and easy to transport, its sure to become one of your favorites. www.itstartedwithtoast.com

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword creamy desserts, easy dessert, favorite cafe desserts, key lime pie, key limes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Chilling Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings 8 people
Calories 307 kcal
Author Jessica Nelson

Ingredients

Crust Ingredients for a 10 inch Pie Pan

  • 18 graham cracker rectangles, finely ground approx. 2 sleeves of graham crackers
  • 7 tbsp butter, melted
  • 1/3 cup sugar

Filling Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup lime juice approx. 6 regular sized limes or 20 key limes
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 tbsp lime zest for the filling

Garnish Ingredients

  • 1 tsp lime zest for garnish
  • 1-2 tbsp blackberries for garnish
  • Whipped Cream (optional)

Instructions

For The Crust

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F

  2. In a medium bowl, mixing by hand, combine the ground graham crackers, melted butter and sugar.

  3. Pour the crust mixture into the pie pan. Using your fingers, work the mixture into the bottom and sides of the pan. Then follow up using an item with a flat bottom, like a drinking glass or meauring cup to press the mixture into an even surface.

  4. Bake directly on the oven rack at 350°F for 10 minutes.

  5. Remove from oven and allow to cool while you make the filling.

For The Filling

  1. In a medium sized, pre chilled bowl, whisk the egg yolks using an electric mixer or by hand for approximately 3 minutes. Their color will go from yellow to light yellow.

  2. Add the sweetened condensed milk and lime zest to the egg yolks and mix for another one to two minutes. Add in the lime juice and mix until combined, approximately 1 minute more.

  3. Pour the filling onto the cooled, cooked crust. Bake for 10 minutes, until the filling is set.

  4. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature. Then regrigerate for 1 hour before serving. Can also be chilled in the refrigerator overnight.

Garnish

  1. Sprinkle lime zest and berries on the top and serve

Recipe Notes

I used a 10 inch tart pan for this recipe. However, if you are using a classic 9 inch pie pan,  adjust the crust ingredients to the following: 

  • 8 Graham Cracker Rectangles
  • 3 tbsp butter, melted
  • 3 tbsp sugar

The filling ingredient portions remain the same.