Easy Key Lime Pie Recipe
This homemade key lime pie is an amazing treat! It’s a perfect combination of tart and sweet from key limes and creaminess from sour cream. Refreshing, flavorful, and sure to please any crowd!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 8
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- 6 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Key Lime Pie Filling
- 2 (14 ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
- ¾ cup key lime juice
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons grated key lime zest
Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix the graham crackers, melted butter, sugar, and cinnamon together. Press into a 9-inch pie pan and bake in the oven for 7 minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes before starting the key lime filling.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, lime juice, sour cream, and lime zest. Pour into the cooled pie crust and bake for 9-10 minutes. Cool to room temperature before placing in the fridge to chill for at least 3 hours. While the pie is chilling, place the bowl and beaters for whipping the cream in the freezer.
- Once the pie has chilled, using a stand mixer or handheld electric mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Spread or pipe over the fully chilled pie.
- If desired, garnish with lime zest and lime slices.
Notes
- Key limes are less tart than their Persian lime sisters. However, they are usually only available here in the United States during the summer months. I have found this pie just as delectable (albeit a little more tart) with Persian limes.
- Making your own graham cracker crust is a breeze, and you use a spoon or the bottom of a metal measuring cup to press the crumbs into the pie plate. They both come in very handy on the sides and bottom edges.
- Do not bake this pie longer than 9-10 minutes time. Little tiny bubbles will start to surface on the pie, but you can barely see them.
- If preparing the whole pie in advance, it is best to stabilize your whipped cream. That way, you are not in the kitchen piping your whipped cream at the last minute.
- Store loosely covered with plastic wrap for up to 3 days in the fridge. Or flash freeze by putting it in the freezer until frozen, then cover it with several layers of plastic wrap. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator.
- I would suggest making the stabilized whipped cream if you want the pie to look good for days. However, if you are preparing the crust and the filling in advance but not serving until later, you could pipe on the whipped cream right before serving.
- For an extra speedy key lime pie, buy a ready-made graham cracker crust and used canned whipped cream.
Find it online: https://www.smalltownwoman.com/key-lime-pie/