Key lime pie is more than just a pie similar to a lemon pie. It has a distinct flavor profile bursting with freshness and bright citrus goodness.
Deliciously creamy, sweet, and tart, key lime pies are a guilty pleasure. It has several varieties – it may come with meringue or whipped cream, graham cracker crust or pie crust, bake or no bake, pie form or not.
While they may seem intimidating, you can make your own in the comforts of your home. I even compiled the best key lime pie recipes to help you out.
1. No-Bake Key Lime Pie
It’s frustrating when you want to make a pie but can’t because the recipe needs an oven. So you won’t deal with that frustration, I’m starting this key lime pie recipe post with a simple, no-bake pie.
This great recipe is as simple as possible without compromising flavor. Thus, you don’t have to make a graham cracker crust from scratch, as you can use store-bought.
The pie filling calls for regular lime juice instead of key lime juice to avoid squeezing too many fruits. Besides the juice, you need cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, and lime zest.
2. Best Key Lime Pie by Mom on Timeout
This key lime pie recipe from Mom on Timeout oozes with tart, fresh lime flavor. From crust to toppings, this pie is well-thought-out to ensure the best quality.
First, it has a homemade graham cracker crust made from graham cracker crumbs, granulated sugar, and melted butter. The homemade crust has a better taste and feels than store-bought.
As for the key lime pie filling, there’s sweetened condensed milk, sour cream, key lime juice, and zest. The homemade whipped cream needs heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Keep some lime zest for garnish.
3. Classic Key Lime Pie by King Arthur Baking
This classic baked key lime pie recipe has a homemade graham cracker crust. You can add toasted coconut to the crust mixture to elevate the flavor.
The key lime pie filling is like most recipes but has egg yolks and optional lime juice. Place ingredients in a mixing bowl, then into a pie pan with crust, and bake for around 25 minutes. Oven temperature should be 325°F.
Let the key lime pie chill for several hours, maybe in the fridge overnight. Then, decorate the cooled pie with whipped cream topping and lime slices.
4. Real Florida Key Lime Pie Recipe by My Gourmet Connection
Key lime pies are Florida’s official pie because of the region’s abundance of key limes. They’re especially prominent in the Florida Keys.
Thus, we can’t have a key lime pie recipe list without authentic Florida key lime pies. Florida’s key limes season is from June to September; thus, this recipe may be best for those months.
The pie filling is simple: sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, and key lime juice. The crust needs crushed graham crackers, sugar, and butter. Most of what you need is in your pantry or sold in most grocery stores.
5. Nellie & Joe’s Key Lime Pie
Squeezing key limes to get their juice takes effort because of their size. If you can’t do that, refreshing, bottled key lime juice is always a great alternative.
Bottled key lime juice is as good as fresh if you choose the best brands. This one uses Nellie & Joe’s key lime juice, a favorite alternative for fresh key lime juice among pie makers.
Bring together the usual ingredients (condensed milk, egg yolks, lime zest) in a medium bowl with Nellie and Joe’s Key Lime juice. Bake with a prepared graham cracker crust and serve with whipped cream.
6. Key Lime Yogurt Pie
What do you think results from the marriage of pie and cheesecake? I’d tell you what – it’s a yogurt pie!
This no-bake key lime yogurt pie is heaven in a graham cracker pie shell – creamy, sweet, and tart. It’s lighter and healthier because it swaps condensed milk for yogurt (the recipe uses plain yogurt, but you can use Greek, too).
Besides yogurt, you need graham crackers, whipped butter, sugar, gelatin, key lime juice, cream cheese, sugar, and lime zest. While you don’t need an oven, you would need an electric mixer, food processor, microwave, and fridge.
7. Low-Fat Key Lime Chiffon Pie
Because of the sweetened condensed milk and other ingredients, key lime pie can be dense and high in fat. This low-fat key lime chiffon pie changes how you enjoy this dessert – healthier but just as delicious.
Some change in the standard pie is that instead of whipped cream, there are egg whites. It also uses nonfat condensed milk, unflavored gelatin, sugar, key lime juice, and kosher salt.
Most graham cracker crusts are also heavy in fat because of butter. This one has none but uses reduced-fat graham cracker crumbs, ground ginger, salt, canola oil, and nonfat milk.
8. Key Lime Pie Gelato
Let’s deviate from the usual key lime pie in its pie pan with a graham cracker crust. Instead, let’s go for something with the essence of a key lime pie but in a different form.
This absolutely delicious key lime pie gelato is a huge hit during the summer. It takes the beauty and flavor of a homemade key lime pie and transforms them into a creamy, cold dessert.
To make the pie, you’ll need whole milk, heavy cream, egg yolks, sugar, key lime juice, lime zest, vanilla extract, and frozen graham crackers. You will need an ice cream maker.
9. Key Lime Pie Mousse Cups
If you’re looking for the most adorable, tiny desserts, this is the best recipe for you. Taste of Home’s key lime pie mousse cups is the perfect mini-mes of the tart pie we all love.
Get yourself cream cheese, condensed milk, key lime juice, heavy whipping cream, frozen miniature phyllo tart shells, and fruit garnishes, like raspberries or lime slices. Cream cheese, condensed milk, and juice go into the mixing bowl before the whipping cream.
Pipe the mixture into the mini tart shells to serve. Top with raspberries and lime wedges to complete the look.
10. Key Lime Pie Trifle
These absolutely cute key lime pie trifles give you several layers of citrus and creamy goodness. Contained in small mason jars, they make the perfect addition to any dessert table.
These no-bake treats are also easy to make, needing only graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar, cream cheese, whipped cream topping, cold milk, key lime juice, and key lime zest.
There are two alternating layers: the graham crackers crust and the key lime whipped cream topping. Refrigerate the trifles before serving with some lime zest and a sprinkle of graham cracker crumbs.
10 Best Key Lime Pie Recipes
Treat yourself to the best key lime-flavored desserts with these recipes!
Ingredients
No-Bake Key Lime Pie
Best Key Lime Pie by Mom on Timeout
Classic Key Lime Pie by King Arthur Baking
Real Florida Key Lime Pie Recipe by My Gourmet Connection
Nellie & Joe’s Key Lime Pie
Key Lime Yogurt Pie
Low-Fat Key Lime Chiffon Pie
Key Lime Pie Gelato
Key Lime Pie Mousse Cups
Key Lime Pie Trifle
Directions
- Select your favorite recipe.
- Organize all the required ingredients.
- Prep a key lime pie in 30 minutes or less!