Key Lime Pie
A Florida Keys dessert born in the late 1800s from necessity: with no reliable dairy shipping to the islands, tart Key lime juice was whisked with shelf-stable sweetened condensed milk and egg yolks, whose acidity sets the filling. Made with small, aromatic Key limes rather than the larger Persian limes sold elsewhere, and topped with whipped cream rather than meringue in its most traditional form.
DessertVegetarian
⚠ Contains: Dairy, Egg, Gluten. Always check your own ingredients — this isn't a guarantee for severe allergies.
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/3 cup melted butter
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 can (14 oz/396g) sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 cup Key lime juice, fresh-squeezed if possible
- 1 tbsp lime zest
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
Steps
- Preheat the oven to 175C/350F. Mix the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar, and press into a 9-inch pie pan.
- Bake the crust 8-10 minutes until set, then cool slightly.
- Whisk the egg yolks and lime zest until pale, whisk in the condensed milk until smooth, then whisk in the lime juice until thickened.
- Pour the filling into the crust and bake 15 minutes until just set, with a slight jiggle remaining in the center.
- Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate at least 3 hours.
- Whip the cream with powdered sugar and vanilla to soft peaks, and spread or pipe over the chilled pie before serving.