How To Make Easy Key Lime Pie
The filling is super simple to make, and it only has three ingredients: cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk and lime juice + zest. I just add the softened cream cheese to a mixing bowl and pour everything over top.
You want to use about 1/3 cup of lime juice. This was the juice of two large-ish limes for me.
Plus, you will want the zest of one of them. I added about 2/3 of that zest to the mixing bowl , and I reserved a little to sprinkle on top later.
Once you have everything in there, you are going to beat it with a mixer.
Itll look lumpy at first. Like this.
No worries, though! A few minutes with the mixer will make it creamy like this. This is where softened cream cheese is key!
Then you pour your creamy filling into the shell, and spread it around to even things out.
And sprinkle the remaining lime zest on top.
Then you refrigerate for a few hours to let everything firm back up. Mine took about 3 to 4 hours.
And you are left with the yummiest dessert. Nobody will suspect how little time and effort you put into it either. This is summer recipe jackpot, my friends.
Garnish with lime slices if you want to fancy things up a bit. Honestly, I did this for the photos. We dont have patience for that in real life.
Enjoy the best easy key lime pie you will ever make!
Why Youll Love This Recipe:
- This classic key lime pie recipe is luscious, creamy and bursting with fresh key lime flavor. The graham cracker crust is crisp and buttery, and its topped with homemade whipped cream.
- Its so easy to make, and may be made a couple of days in advance.
- Its a show stopping dessert that everyone will love, and its perfect for any occasion.
Key Lime Cream Cheese Pie
Are you looking for a summer dessert that isnt too heave and will get your taste buds tingling? This key lime pie with cream cheese is a delicious combination of a traditional key lime pie and a cheese cake. YUM.
Can we talk about why we love this key lime cream cheese pie so much?
- This key lime pie is made with delicious and simple ingredients.
- You only need to bake the graham cracker crust, add the filling, and let the pie chill. No need to have the oven on all day in the summer!
- It is so creamy and delicious.
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Tips For Making The Perfect Key Lime Pie
Photo:
Key lime pie is a Floridian classic, originating from Key West in the 1930s. You may have seen several variations on it, but dont be fooled by the supposedly high-end recipes. Key lime pie is supposed to be a simple and humble dessert. In our opinion, its all the better for it.
So without further ado, lets move on to our top 6 tips for making the perfect Key lime pie.
How To Make No Bake Key Lime Pie
CRUST: Though you can substitute store-bought crust, this homemade crust is extremely easy to make .
FILLING: This easy filling is made with just 5 ingredients!
Allow the pie to chill at least 4 hours in the refrigerator or overnight before serving.
TIPS: Add parchment paper to the bottom of the pan for neater and easier removal of pie pieces. For clean slices, run the knife under warm water after each cut.
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Limes Versus Key Limes What’s The Difference
Most limes found at the grocery store are of the Persian variety. While similar to their cousins the Key Lime, most of the difference, comes in look and size. Key Limes do have a slightly more acidic flavor, giving that extra punch, but they are similar enough that you can substitute one for the other when necessary.
So, to all the Key Lime Pie purists I see you, I hear you, I love you. I am not here to argue if made with actual key limes is better or not. Key Limes are delicious. But when living in Utah, far far away from the sunny Florida coast where Key Limes are grown, you some times have to make due with what you have readily available.
Why This Recipe Tastes So Good
This is going to be the best key lime pie you ever had. The graham cracker crust is buttery and nutty with just a little salt for a nice sweet, salty combination. The key lime filling has only four ingredients, amazing lime flavor, a creamy texture with the right amount of sweetness and it’s topped with an abundance of whipped cream.
If you love citrus desserts check out my recipes for Roasted Pineapple and Lime Curd Tart and Lemon Cupcakes.
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The Best Key Lime Pie
The Best Key Lime Pie has the most amazing homemade graham cracker shortbread crust, with a perfectly creamy and tart filling, and homemade whipped cream on top. It is simple to prepare and so good, you will want to eat the whole pie in one sitting!
The Best Key Lime Pie has the most amazing homemade graham cracker shortbread crust, with a perfectly creamy and tart filling, and homemade whipped cream on top. It is simple to prepare and so good, you will want to eat the whole pie in one sitting!
If you have had a difficult experience with key lime pie in the past, stay with us here, because this is truly the easiest key lime pie recipe. We know a lot of recipes are no-bake, and while that gives the illusion of an easy recipe, its actually so much more difficult! We have had so many issues with no-bake pie recipes setting, so we are bringing you a key lime pie that is meant to be baked in the oven to make this the easiest and most delicious key lime pie ever! We love to bring this to family parties, but this is also just an amazing dessert to make at home to treat yourself. Go ahead and serve yourself that extra slice, we wont judge.
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How To Juice Limes
Here are a few tips to getting the most juice out of your limes.
- Store limes in the refrigerator. Leaving them out on the counter hardens the rind and dries out the flesh. Plus, they will last longer in the fridge.
- Let the limes come to room temperature before juicing.
- Place the limes in the microwave and heat it for 15 seconds. Heating the fruit helps release its juices.
- Before juicing, place your palm on a lime and roll it around on a countertop or hard surface. This separates the individual segments inside the lime, making the lime juicer.
- Use a citrus squeezer, one of my favorite kitchen tools, to juice the limes. Place the limes cut side down in the squeezer and squeeze away! Make sure you put a bowl underneath to catch the juice.
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Cookie Crust Vs Graham Cracker Crust
The crust for these key lime bars is my cookie crust recipe with the addition of sweetened coconut. The coconut adds a nice sweet balance with the tartness of the key lime filling and is a perfect pairing. A butter graham cracker crust is the classic crust for a traditional key lime and you can definitely use that instead. But I strongly recommend the sweet nutty flavor of the coconut cookie crust to pair with the key lime.
Ingredient Key Lime Pie Filling
Yes, my key lime pie filling is only 3 ingredients. If youve tried my key lime pie bars or mini key lime pies, youll notice that todays filling is a little different. I typically add a little cream cheese to the filling to ensure stability and structure, but decided to skip it today. Were keeping it traditional with this classic key lime pie, which means were using egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk, and key lime juice.
- My tip: Do yourself a favor and buy a bottle of key lime juice from the store. Theres a brand of bottled key lime juice that I love called Nellie & Joes in most major grocery stores next to the bottled lemon juice. Just make sure youre using key lime juice, not regular lime juice. Otherwise you will spend 100 years juicing 500 tiny key limes yourself. You need an entire cup of key lime juice and yes, it will take you 100 years to squeeze them all!
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What Kind Of Crust
So lets start with at the beginning with the graham cracker crust. Because, duh, thats how key lime pie bars should ALWAYS start.
The crust is such a key component to these bars because it needs to withstand the cutting and hand-holding that happens before they can be devoured.
Butter, graham cracker crumbs, and sugar is all it takes its the ratio that makes the difference. And the quality of ingredients of course. I am excited to be partnering with Challenge Butter as an ambassador again this year and even more excited to be using their top-quality butter in my recipes, including these Irresistible Key Lime Pie Bars.
Challenge Butter is made with 100% real cream butter nothing artificial just the way I like it. No hormones, additives or fillers. And straight from the farm to the fridge in just 2 days can it get any fresher?
Can Key Lime Pie Be Made With Regular Limes
If you cant find fresh Key limes or theyre not in season, look for frozen or bottled Key lime juice, preferably a Florida brand like Nellie & Joes Key Lime Juice. Usually, it will be on the shelf next to lemon juice in the juice aisle of a supermarket. Persian lime juice is the next best substitute.
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What Is In Key Lime Pie Filling
Now lets get to the filling. Its a whole lotta lime juice, lime zest, sour cream and a couple cans of sweetened condensed milk . You just whisk it all together, pour it into your pie shell, bake for 10 minutes and voila youve got a key lime pie that will blow your family and friends away.
- Key Lime Juice
- Sweetened Condensed Milk
S To Mini Key Lime Pies
And only 7 ingredients in the entire recipe.
An optional but tasty third part is a generous dollop of whipped cream on top
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Homemade Key Lime Curd Tart
Nothing screams summer quite like the flavor of key lime. I always get so excited when I see bakeries start to carry key lime pies and tarts because honestly, theyre some of my all-time favorite desserts! Although I like to enjoy them year-round, the flavor and consistency of key lime tarts make them perfect for summer. Theyre light and zesty while still being creamy and indulgent. You can easily bring those quintessential summer flavors to your kitchen with this homemade key lime tart recipe! Your friends and family wont be able to get enough. My mouth waters just looking at it in all of its glossy, citrus glory!
Making a curd tart at home is a lot easier than you would think. It takes less than an hour from start to finish! One thing you need to keep in mind, though, is that after the tart is baked, it needs a few hours to chill and set in the fridge. As tasty as it is, its not the best if youre short on time! On the other hand, its GREAT for making ahead and can take a lot of pressure off when youre trying to prepare for a summer get-together. But be prepared- everyone is going to want a piece. Make sure to snag one for yourself!
Key Lime Pie: The Perfect Texture
This brings us, finally to firn, not runny, pie filling. Some Key lime pie recipes require no baking whatsoever, depending on the acids in the lime juice to denature the proteins in the egg yolks and the milk until they hold their shapekind of a milk-and-egg ceviche. Though that process can work on its own, a two-pronged approach is best:
Introducing an acid to egg proteins neutralizes some of their negative electrical charges. Consequently, when the proteins are heated and unwind they do so at a lower temperature. The altered electrical charges on the proteins cause them to form a weak, soft gelthus, the strong acid in lemon juice, while encouraging an egg to cook and form a solid, keeps the solid moist and creamy.
Cooks Illustrated, The Science of Good Cooking.
Its hard to get the pie to set up the right way with just acid and eggs, and the acid helps the eggs cook up more smoothly, so a bake cycle is beneficial to the whole process. Baking the pie at 325°F until it reaches an internal temperature of 145°F is perfect. Using a Thermapen ONE to verify the temperature is far more accurate than shaking the pie to check for wiggle, and will help you to not overcook it. Use one and youll never be in doubt of whether your pie is done or not.
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