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.
Key Lime Pie Is A Summer Essentialbut Can You Make This Dessert With Regular Limes Let’s Take A Closer Look At Key Lime Vs Lime
Limes are a summer staple. Just a splash of this tart juice is all you need to bring out the bright flavors of salads and sooth the savory notes in grilled food. Not to mention, lime can be refreshing in cocktails, limeade and desserts!
But what if your recipe calls for Key limesand you cant find them at the grocery store? Is it okay to use regular limes instead?
Where To Buy Key Limes
It can be hard to find fresh key limes in most grocery stores. They only grow in certain regions of the United States and are in season for only a short time, from June through September in Florida and some parts of California. And they don’t stay fresh long. Key limes are grown in Mexico year-round but can be finicky to ship to the United States because they are delicate. They’re one of those fruits that dont ripen after being picked, so when buying them, look for ones that are a yellowish-green color, heavy and firm but not hard, and that have skin that is smooth and intact. Bottled key lime juice can be found in specialty markets in the canned fruit aisle near the bottled lemon juice, and it’s often sold online. Because key limes can cost upwards of two to three times as much as Persian limes, it can be cost-effective buying it bottled. Depending on the store, they might be sold loose or prepackaged in bags according to weight .
Because key limes grow in a tropical or subtropical climate, their growing season is limited. One way to get around this is to grow key lime trees at home indoors. They can be grown in planters, and trees as small as two feet high can produce fruit. For people who live in more tropical climates, key lime trees might thrive outdoors, or potted plants could be moved outdoors during warmer months.
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So Can You Substitute One Kind Of Lime For Another
When it comes to Key limes and conventional limes, yes! Despite their differences, the fact of the matter is they each have their merits in the kitchen, as these 12 lime recipes demonstrate .
No, not that daiquiri. While the icy, sugary, frozen version will always hold a place in our spring-break-beach-loving hearts, it just cant compare to the perfection of a classic daiquiri. Made up of just three simple ingredients white rum, simple syrup, and fresh lime juice this hard shaken sweet-tart refresher is guaranteed to become your summer staple. Get our Perfect Daiquiri recipe.
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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More Amazing Pie Recipes To Try
Graham cracker crust
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter in a small bowl. Press the crumb mixture into an 8″ – 9.5″ pie pan. Bake for 7 minutes. Cool for at least 30 minutes.
Key Lime Filling
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Whisk together sweetened condensed milk, sour cream, lime juice, and lime zest in a medium bowl. Pour into prepared graham cracker crust and bake for 10 minutes.
- Let pie cool slightly before chilling. Chill for at least 3 hours.
Whipped Cream Topping
- Beat heavy cream and sugar together in a mixer until stiff peaks form. Beat in vanilla. Spread or pipe the whipped cream on top of the cooled pie. Top with additional lime zest if desired.
What Other Types Of Limes Are There
Another type of lime that turns up a lot in Southeast Asian recipes are makrut lime . They are easy to spot by their bumpy, wrinkled skin. Makrut lime leaves may be easier to find than the fruit itself, especially in Asian grocery stores. They lend a floral, citrusy fragrance to Thai dishes thats like a combo of Persian lime, lemon, and orange essence. The actual fruit isnt very juicy, but the zest can be used like the leaves, to infuse flavor into soups, sauces, and curries.
You might also see calamansi in an ingredient list for a Filipino dish, and it sometimes goes by the name Philippine lime or golden lime but its not actually a lime at all.
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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
What A Floridian Never Puts In Key Lime Pie
The answer might surprise you.
I am a native Floridian, which means I grew up in a very weird state and have a lot of thoughts on Key lime pie. There are a lot of ways to make this deceptively simple dessert. At its most basic, Key lime pie has a filling made with sweetened condensed milk, lime juice, and egg yolks, that is baked in a press-in cookie crust. I prefer the buttery flavor and crunchy texture of a classic graham cracker crust, but some people opt for crusts made with crushed shortbread cookies or vanilla wafers, or even cookies mixed with nuts. Some people also use chocolate wafers. Those people are wrong.
You can top your Key lime pie with mounds of fluffy whipped cream or sticky peaks of meringue to cut the intensity of the tart-sweet filling, but it’s also good without, especially if you like your citrus desserts a bit puckery.
My ideal Key lime pie has a graham cracker crust, creamy and tart-but-not-too-tart filling, and swirls of burnished meringue on top. But I’ll gladly eat this classic dessert in other formsas long as it doesn’t contain one thing: lime juice. Persian lime juice, that is.
Speaking of color, a Key lime pie is pale yellow. Save the green food coloring for St. Patrick’s Day.
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Graham Cracker Crust Or Baked Pie Shell
This is another debate thats as old as the recipe.
My grandmothers recipe allows for either. Note, however, that I listed a graham cracker crust in the recipe. I guess that tells you which side of the debate I landed on. I think the sweetness of the graham cracker crust helps round out the tartness of the key limes.
The first known published recipe calls for a graham cracker crust. Some of you might say this settles the debate for authentic Key lime pie. But does it, really? My grandmothers recipe allows for either, so maybe its only the one published recipe that doesnt like choices.
Tips For Making Perfect Key Lime Pie:
- Use Key Lime Juice: There are 2 ways you can get key lime juice for this recipe. Juice about 20 of your own small key limes, OR use a bottle of Nellies Key Lime Juice . I always go for the latter.
- My secret ingredient for key lime pie: The secret ingredient in this key lime pie is the cream cheese! Its not traditional in key lime pie , but its what makes this pie extra smooth and creamy and adds a little stability to the filling. There are only 4 ounces of itnot enough to change the flavor, but just enough to give the pie an extra creamy texture that puts it over the top!
- Use full fat cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk. The low fat options wont allow the pie to set up as well.
- Dont skimp on the lime zest in your key lime pie! Lime zest is a must for key lime pie! It gives the extra boost of flavor, and it adds little specks of green to the filling that help give the pie its signature look.
We love this pie with a traditional graham cracker crust, or with a gingersnap crust. Both are equally as fantastic, and Ive added directions for the gingersnap crust in the notes below the recipe.
Now go ahead and dig in to the BEST key lime pie ever! Id love to hear if you make it, and which crust you usecomment below!
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Abq Baker Continues To Push Herselfyour Browser Indicates If You’ve Visited This Link
Meyers continues to master the intricacies of baking. She says that each creation takes time. “People think smaller should mean cheaper,” she says. “It actually takes more time to do small pieces.” Queneesha Meyers is the owner and pastry chef at Q’s Cakes & Sweets Boutique.
Albuquerque Journal
How To Use Key Limes
To select a ripe key lime, make sure the skin has turned yellow and is unblemished. It can be used for zest or juice. There is no preparation, just use a clean fruit. Some people believe rolling it prior to juicing will yield more juice. This is a myth that has been proven false. To zest, wash and dry the skin and remove the zest with a zester. To juice, wash and dry and cut in half before juicing.
Fresh key lime juice is preferred for flavoring , making limeade, and garnishing drinks and plates due to its tantalizing bouquet and unique flavor.
The juice is used for syrups and, of course, key lime pie. Most commercially available key lime pies these days are made from the frozen concentrate of the Persian lime, not the key lime. If you’ve never had a true key lime pie, it’s worth seeking out.
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What Youll Need To Make Key Lime Pie
- Youll need 8 to 10 limes total for this recipe. Choose plump limes that give a little when you squeeze them they will be easier to juice. You should get about 2 tablespoons of juice from each lime. Be sure to zest the limes before you squeeze the juice from them, as its near impossible to do afterward.
- Sweetened condensed milk is canned milk from which water has been removed, and sugar has been added. Be sure not to confuse it with evaporated milk, which is usually sold right alongside.
- With no eggs, it may be hard to believe that this pie will set, but have faith it will.
Key Lime Pie Always Start With A Graham Cracker Crust
The pie starts with a graham cracker crust. I am terrible at crusts but gosh darnit, a homemade graham cracker crust tastes WAY better than a store bought one and its pretty simple to make. Just some graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter will do the trick.
Im a big fan of graham cracker crusts because they are super easy to make and go so well in many desserts. I use it in this Pistachio Pie and these No Bake Smores Cheesecake Bars.
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How To Tell Key Lime Pie Is Done
One of the most common and easily remedied key lime pie problems is over-baked pie. Its tricky to know when the pie is done, but heres my secret: bake the key lime pie until the filling is only slightly jiggly in the center . It should be firm to the touch, but not completely liquid or totally solid. The pie will continue to solidify as it cools.
Cool the pie completely on a wire rack, then cover and chill for at least 1 hour before serving. I recommend garnishing your key lime pie prior to serving.
Graham Cracker Crust Options:
This recipe uses a graham cracker flavored shortbread crust that is game-changing delicious. There is truly no contest between this crust and a store-bought graham crakcer crust. Homemade is always going to taste so much better! However, life happens and sometimes you need a shortcut. You can always substitute with a store-bought graham cracker crust if needed.
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What Are Key Limes How Do Persian Limes Differ
Its a funny thing, the way our commercial food system works.
Key limes originated in Southeast Asia and eventually made their way to the West Indies and the Florida Keys, which is where we get our name for this little fruit. But commercial Florida citrus growers generally dont raise them anymore. When you buy key limes, theyre probably imported from Mexico or South America.
Florida citrus growers raise Persian limes, whichyou guessed itare not from Persia.
Heres the skinny: