Favorite Key Lime Pie Recipe
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This Key Lime Pie Recipe is a classic, creamy, and tangy dessert with a buttery graham cracker crust and fresh key lime filling. It’s easy to make and the perfect delicious treat for summer or any special occasion.
The bright, tangy flavor of fresh key limes, a graham cracker crust, and an airy, smooth filling make this the best key lime pie. This recipe has been a longtime reader and family favorite because it delivers the perfect sweet-and-tart balance in every bite. Whether you’re making it for Mother’s Day, summer cookouts, or a family supper, this easy key lime pie is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.
Key Lime Pie is one of my husband’s favorite pies. For years, I thought that most of those I’d tasted were a bit too dense and either too tart or not tart enough. I’m picky, but I thought there had to be a fine balance and wanted an updated version of the classic. So I got to work and developed this much-loved key lime pie recipe many years ago.
Why You’ll Love This Key Lime Pie
- Simple Ingredients: Uses pantry staples and fresh key lime juice.
- Make-Ahead Easy: Tastes even more delicious after chilling overnight.
- Light and Refreshing: Great balance of tangy and sweet.
- No-Fail Crust: Buttery graham cracker crust that holds up well.
- Crowd-Pleasing: Dessert that’s loved by both kids and adults.
Ingredients
Here’s how I create this absolutely delicious and favorite Key Lime Pie:
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information.
- Graham Cracker Crust: Simple to make, homemade crust. Do not pre-bake crust; chill it in the refrigerator according to the crust recipe instructions before making this pie.
- Eggs: Separate the whites from the yolks, saving both. The yolks give richness; the whites give this pie its silky, cloud-like confection.
- Sweetened condensed milk: Homemade recipe, or store-bought.
- Fresh key lime juice and fresh lime juice: Combination of key limes and other limes gives a delicious, sweet, tart flavor. Can use pure key lime juice in the bottle if needed. Need 12-16 key limes and 2-3 regular limes.
- Key Lime Zest: Optional but recommended
- Lemon juice
- Sugar: Granulated sugar
- Lime slices: Optional – for garnish
- Whipped cream: Perfect for topping this pie.
Limes Lesson:
- Zest your limes before you juice them. The zest adds a deeper lime flavor to the pie. It’s optional, but I hope you add it because it makes the pie so…zesty!
- Look for the ripe, plump limes. For key limes, dark green ones are not ripe. You can leave them on the counter for a few days, or place the key limes next to other fruit for a couple of days to help them ripen faster (within a day or two). They begin to yellow as they ripen.
- Roll the limes on a hard surface before juicing. This will “soften” the limes and help them release the juices more easily.
How to Make Key Lime Pie
After experimenting with various changes to the method for making this classic pie, along with subtle adjustments to the ingredients, I achieved a lighter, fluffier pie that’s easy to make.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Make the crust: This recipe calls for my graham cracker crust. It must chill in the refrigerator according to the recipe instructions before filling.
- Combine pie ingredients. Whisk the egg yolk, sweetened condensed milk, lime juices, lime zest, and lemon juice in a large bowl until well combined.
- Beat egg whites. Use an electric mixer to beat the egg whites until they begin to foam. Gradually add granulated sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, with soft peaks forming.
- Spoon into the pie crust. Gently fold the beaten egg white mixture into the egg yolk mixture and carefully spoon it into the prepared graham cracker crust.
- Bake, then chill. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until lightly browned and the pie filling just sets throughout. Remove from the oven and chill on a wire rack. Lightly cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours to chill.
- Garnish and serve. Garnish with whipped cream and thin slices of lime, if using. Slice and serve. Refrigerate the remaining pie after serving for up to 3 days.
Storage Instructions
- Store: Refrigerate, covered, for up to 3-4 days.
- Freeze: Wrap tightly and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Make-Ahead Tip: Bake up to 2 days ahead and store in the fridge.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use Persian limes instead.
Yes. After serving, refrigerate within 2 hours. Key Lime Pie should last in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
The center should still have a slight jiggle but not be liquid.
Yes — use gluten-free graham crackers for the crust.
More Favorite Pie Recipes
Why This Key Lime Pie is a Classic Favorite
With its perfect balance of tangy key lime filling and sweet, buttery graham cracker crust, this easy key lime pie is sure to impress. Refreshing and creamy — it’s the ultimate crowd-pleaser for any occasion.
Key Lime Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Graham Cracker Crust
- 3 large (150 g) eggs, separated
- 1 1/4 cups (386 g) sweetened condensed milk , or 1 (14-ounce) can, store-bought
- 1/2 cup (121 g) key lime juice
- 1/4 cup (60.5 g) lime juice
- 1 tablespoon (14 g) lemon juice
- (4 g) zest of 1 key lime, optional, about 2 teaspoons
- 2 tablespoons (24 g) granulated sugar
- lime slices, optional
- whipped cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325º F.
- Whisk egg yolk, sweetened condensed milk, lime juice, lime zest, and lemon juice in a large bowl until well-combined.
- Beat egg whites with an electric mixture until they begin to foam. Gradually add in granulated sugar and beat until light and fluffy and soft peaks have formed. Gently fold into egg yolk mixture and carefully spoon into the prepared graham cracker crust.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, until lightly browned and set throughout. Remove from the oven and chill on a wire rack. Lightly cover and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 8 hours.
- For serving, remove from springform pan, if using, and top with whipped cream and lime slices. Slice and serve.
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate, covered, for up to 3-4 days.
- Freeze: Wrap tightly and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Make-Ahead Tip: Bake up to 2 days ahead and store in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
From the Add a Pinch recipe archives. Originally published 2011.
Hi Robyn! I hope I don’t sound stupid, but is there a difference between key lime juice and regular lime juice? I don’t believe I have ever seen key lime juice in the grocery store( though I never looked for it before). Thanks.
Hi Terri,
It may be hard to find key limes year round in the grocery store. If you can’t find the key limes in your grocery store, you can use regular limes you find there for this pie. Enjoy!
Hi Terri, If I may offer an answer, there is a huge difference between Key limes (now from Mexico, since a hurricane wiped out the Key lime groves in the Florida Keys), and Persian (regular) limes. Here in Washington state, grocery stores and Walmarts both carry bagged Key limes, which are usually green (unripe and a pain to squeeze, but better than bottled). I tried making a Key lime and a Persian lime pie at the same time, and everyone who tried it confirmed that the Persian lime pie was underwhelming. Maybe fine if you don’t have a Key lime pie to compare it to, but the Key lime pie has so much more punch.
I’m not sure why you’d need to add lemon juice to a Key lime pie, as the recipe here suggests, but if you’re making a Persian lime pie, the lemon juice might add some extra kick. But please don’t call it a Key lime pie unless there’s Key lime juice in it. That’s like calling something a rhubarb pie, even though you used strawberries instead.
Lastly, if you can’t find fresh Key limes, and want to try bottled, Nellie and Joe’s sells “100% Key Lime Juice” on their website, but their top seller is something called “Key West Lime Juice.” I don’t know if or how much actual Key lime juice is in that second one. “Key West Lime Juice” sounds to me like Persian lime juice with other ingredients, bottled in Key West, and labelled to confuse people into thinking it’s Key lime juice. But that’s my own speculation. So far, I haven’t been able to get them to confirm the actual ingredients.
Try to find Key limes for your pie! They’re so good!
Hi there,
Following your recipes for a long time and whenever I get time I make one of them. All my family member love that. On this weekend I am going to try this recipe.
Thanks
Thanks, Raushan! Hope you enjoy the pie!
The key lime pie was extraordinary! I followed your directions to a T and so glad I did. The crust was simple and so much better than a bought one. The pie itself so much lighter and just delicious. My only problem is that I should have made two so I could keep one just for myself!!
Thanks so much, Charlene! So glad you enjoyed the pie. Some days just seem like a two pie day, don’t they! xo
I made this for a retirement party and everyone who got a piece actually loved it. One person couldn’t wait for dessert and took one eighth of the pie when it was actually time to serve it. The person who was retiring claimed it was the best key lime pie she had ever had! Thank you for this great recipe.
Colleen,
I’m so happy everyone liked the key lime pie. Hope your friend enjoys retirement! Thanks! xo
H Robyn,
I have never really cooked before so I don’t know my way around the kitchen. I made everything exactly to your instructions. But I don’t own a spring for pie dish. I used a glass one and set the temp to 325 however I almost had to double the time for it to be firm all across and the top was a teeny tiny bit golden. Looked like your picture. Also I made the graham cracker crust to your recipe and did not pre-cook. Should I have? It’s cooling now and will go in the fridge over night. I can’t wait to taste it! The limes were the best from my friends trees. I’ve been using your limeade recipe for a few weeks now. Everyone loves the limeade! So hopefully the pie will be just as good!
Evablue,
It is fine if you don’t use a springform pan. I don’t pre-bake my graham cracker crust for this pie so you did the right thing. Hope you love this pie. Glad you like the limeade recipe. Let me know how you like the pie.!
Loved it
Thanks Vickie!
We loved this pie! The revisions you made are terrific. This will now be my go-to key lime pie recipe. Thank you.
Hi Robyn,
I love your recipes! This morning I tried to whip up this key lime pie and I struggled with folding in the egg whites. I’m certain that this comes down to my lack of experience. My question for you is: Is it possible to over beat the egg whites? They seemed too stiff and when I tried to fold them into the egg yolk mixture, it broke up into a curdled-looking mixture and didn’t seem to blend in well. Before folding in the egg whites, they were firm but not light and airy, they were rather dense looking.
Thanks for your delicious recipes! I look forward to trying this one again!
Hi Soulee,
I’m so happy that you enjoy the recipes! I love hearing that!
I’m sorry, but it does sound possible that your whites might have been over beaten – especially since you say they were firm and dense looking.
I hope you enjoy this pie if you decide to give it another try.
Thanks so much! xo
Love Key Lime Pie!! It never lasts with my son around though, lol. Love the share 🙂
It goes quickly around here too, Cori! 😉 Thanks! xo
I have the question others asked. Although first, what did you make the pie in, pie pan or springform?? And if springform, what size? Looks delicious; want to try it and would rather make in the springform I think…
Hi Charlotte,
I used a pie plate for mine. You can use a springform pan, if you prefer. I hope that helps! xo