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4.3 from 36 votes

Key Lime Pie

This easy Key Lime Pie from scratch has only 3 ingredients in the satiny smooth filling. Because the filling doesn't contain eggs, there's no need to bake it, giving it an awesome texture and retaining the taste of fresh limes.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
2 hrs 30 mins
Servings: 1 pie
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

For Crust
  • 130 grams Graham crackers
  • 3 tablespoons evaporated cane sugar
  • 70 grams cultured unsalted butter melted
For Filling
  • 2 cups heavy cream 45% butterfat
  • 110 grams evaporated cane sugar about ½ cup
  • 4 grams lime zest zest of 1 lime
  • ⅓ cup lime juice see note below
For Topping
  • 1 cup whipping cream 35% butterfat
  • 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Move your oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 325 degrees F (160 C).
  2. Crumble the graham crackers into the bowl of a food processor and add 3 tablespoons of sugar. Pulse until they're fine crumbs (but not so long they turn into powder).
  3. Add the melted butter and pulse until combined.
  4. Dump the mixture into a pie plate and press the crumbs into an even layer along the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate. Using a heavy flat-bottomed object such as a glass helps ensure the bottom is packed tightly.
  5. Bake the crust in the preheated oven until fragrant (about 15 minutes). Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack.
  6. Add the heavy cream and sugar to a pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cook, stirring constantly for 5 minutes.
  7. Turn off the heat and stir in the lime zest and lime juice. 
  8. Let the mixture cool to room temperature, and then strain it into the pie crust through a sieve to remove the lime zest. Cover the key lime pie and refrigerate until the custard is fully set (2-3 hours).
  9. Whip the whipping cream until soft mounds form, Add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Continue whipping until the cream forms well defined peaks, but not until it's hard.
  10. Add the cream a piping bag fitted with your favorite tip and pipe the cream onto the pie. You can also just mound the cream onto the pie.

Notes

  • I know some of you are looking at the ingredients list and thinking that it's not a key lime pie if it doesn't include key limes, but I'd be willing to wager you couldn't tell the difference between a pie made with the juice and zest of regular limes vs key limes. If you're not convinced, feel free to substitute key lime juice and zest.