Key Lime Pie Recipes. Deliciously Lime-flavored Pie

Nearly every major city or vacation destination in the United States lays claim to an iconic dish. In Chicago, it’s deep-dish pizza. In Philadelphia, it’s a cheesesteak. In Texas, it’s brisket. In South Florida, it’s key lime pie. Named for the small citrus fruits said to have been introduced in the area in the 1830s by Henry Perrine, a botanist, and diplomat who discovered the plant in Mexico, this tart and creamy dessert can be found on almost every menu in the Sunshine State.

One thing that sets a true key lime pie apart from the pretenders is the use of real key lime juice squeezed from fruit harvested from plants now native to parts of the West Indies and Mexico but with origins in Asia. The citrus plant produces a small green fruit that, when ripe, becomes yellow and offers an intense tartness over the green Persian or Tahiti limes often sold in grocery stores.

Key lime pie is an American dessert pie made of Key lime juice, egg yolks, and sweetened condensed milk in a pie crust. The traditional Conch version uses the egg whites to make a meringue topping. The dish is named after the small Key limes that are naturalized throughout the Florida Keys.

Key lime pie recipes — Image by rj_snider from Pixabay

Vegan key lime pie

Creamy dreamy vegan key lime pie! This deliciously lime-flavored pie has a perfect mousse texture and is wonderfully sweet and tart at the same time.

Magic Key Lime Pie

Homemade graham crackers and stovetop condensed milk give my Key lime pie a freshness you won’t find in other recipes and a more balanced sweetness. From the earthy crunch of the crust to the tangy yet creamy filling, these DIY ingredients take the pie to the next level.

The Easiest Key Lime Pie Recipe

This is the easiest pie in the history of baking. Mix, pour, bake, serve, devour. Simple as that. It’s so easy, it’ll become your go-to for potluck and dinner parties. Tell them you’ll bring dessert and show up with a Key lime pie (or two). If you can’t find bottled Key lime juice (or fresh Key limes) in your local supermarket, you can get a 16-ounce bottle of Nellie & Joe’s Key West Lime Juice delivered right to your door instead for authentic flavor. In a pinch, regular lime juice will do, even if the majority of South Floridians would cry foul.

Key Lime Pie

This is a very famous recipe from Florida, where a certain special variety of limes called Key limes are used.

Their season is short and there aren’t enough grown to export; however, the pie tastes just as good with other varieties of lime in this authentic American recipe.

Classic Key Lime Pie

This Classic Key Lime Pie features an easy homemade graham cracker crust, a smooth and creamy key lime pie filling, and homemade whipped cream on top. The perfect dessert for key lime lovers!

Key Lime Yogurt Pie

This easy Key Lime Yogurt Pie is a cross between a key lime pie and a key lime cheesecake with a light, creamy filling that is sweet and tart, made with key lime juice, yogurt and cream cheese in a graham cracker crust.

How to Make Key Lime Pie?

If going the homemade graham cracker crust route, make sure to give yourself enough time for the crust to chill before making the rest of the pie. (It’ll need at least 2 hours to chill).

Once the crust has had time to set, you can start in on the filling. Beat the egg yolks until light in color, then blend in the sweetened condensed milk, lime juice, and zest. Spoon into the pie crust and bake until set, then remove from oven and let cool in the fridge.

When you’re ready to serve the key lime pie, whip the cream and vanilla until stiff peaks form and then pipe onto the pie. If you don’t have any piping bags, you can use a plastic zip-top bag (just snip a tiny corner off). You don’t even need a piping tip for this, even-sized dollops of whipped cream will do!

What is the difference between key lime and a regular lime?

The difference between key lime and regular lime is that key lime is slightly more tart, making the fruit great for balancing sweet flavors. That being said, I have never really had a problem with using regular limes in all of my experience as a professional chef.

Don’t worry if you can’t find key limes — go ahead and use whatever variety you can find.

Can I Use Regular Limes in Key Lime Pie?

Of course! I realize this is a key lime pie recipe, but you can get away with juicing regular limes if you don’t have any key limes on hand.

Can you substitute key lime juice with lime juice?

Yes, you can. You can only use Lime Juice, the pie will taste great or you can mix of 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice and 1/2 cup fresh lime juice.

Can I Freeze Homemade Key Lime Pie?
You can, actually! Let it sit in the fridge for 4 hours after baking, then wrap the key lime pie tightly in plastic wrap and foil before freezing it. To thaw, set the frozen key lime pie in the fridge overnight.

Note that you should freeze this easy key lime pie plain — you can whip up a fresh batch of cream just before serving the pie.

Can I Make Key Lime Pie in Advance?
Not only can you make this key lime pie in advance, but you pretty much have to! Homemade key lime pie needs to chill for at least 4 hours before you can serve it, so you might as well make it the night before you plan on serving it to friends and family to make your life easier the next day.

How to decorate a key lime pie?
Even though this key lime pie is made in 10 minutes, it looks like it took ages. This quick dessert is dressed up to the nines, complete with whipped cream and curls of thinly sliced lime. I love to add zest and lime slices as they add vibrant color and tell people that this pie is the real deal packed with tangy, citrus flavor.

How to store Key Lime Pie?
If you have any leftover Key Lime Pie (which I doubt you will…) you can cover the leftovers with cling wrap and store it in the fridge. This will keep fresh for up to 4 days in the fridge. You can also freeze leftover pie. To defrost from frozen just allow to soften in the fridge and enjoy!

How long can key lime pie be left at room temperature safely?

Bacteria grow rapidly at temperatures between 40 °F and 140 °F. Therefore it is best to discarded if left out for more than 2 hours at room temperature. Browse the collection of key lime pie recipes.