Hundreds of comments from first-time bakers and veterans alike rave about this Key Lime Pie recipe! Just 8 ingredients total: a 3-ingredient graham cracker crust and a 5-ingredient filling, plus my easy, step-by-step instructions. You’ll wow your family and friends with this sweet-tart, creamy pie!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Toni-Lynn said, “This is my 4th time making this pie! My oldest daughter asked me to make it this time, so she can pick it up on her way to work tomorrow!! She absolutely loves it and is excited to share it with her co-workers. It has turned out perfect each time I’ve made it!! Just follow the instructions and you will have the perfect key lime pie!!“
Originally published in 2018 and updated in 2026 with new photos, expert tips, and more variations. The recipe? Unchanged and still award-winning!
The Recipe That Built a Community of Key Lime Pie Lovers
This one’s been the most popular recipe on my site since 2018, and honestly, it’s my favorite dessert I make (Mud Pie is a close second). Readers have won first-place ribbons with it at state and county fairs, which still makes me grin every time someone emails me a photo of their blue ribbon.
Real key limes make the best pie, but regular grocery-store limes work great too, and taste better than most bottled key lime juice. If you can’t find key limes, grab a bottled brand I trust below.
What You’ll Learn:
- Master an award-winning key lime pie recipe that serves 10 and delivers the perfect balance of tart and sweet flavors
- Learn expert tips and tricks to avoid common mistakes and achieve a restaurant-quality result at home
- Get a complete ingredient list and step-by-step instructions to make this impressive dessert in under 4 hours
- Understand the key techniques that make this recipe award-winning and worth adding to your dessert rotation
Why You’ll Love this Award-Winning Key Lime Pie Recipe
- Simple ingredients you can find at any grocery store
- Easier than it looks, I promise!
- Make it the day before, and it’s even better
- Customize the crust any way you like
- Trusted by hundreds of bakers, from total beginners to seasoned pros
- So good it wins ribbons at county fairs!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ One Reader said: “This pie was DELICIOUS! It was my first time making a key lime pie, and it was sooo simple. The taste is spot on! I used regular limes. The flavors were very well balanced. I’ll be making another one soon. There were NO leftovers! YUMMM!”
Expert Tip: Plan for Chill Time: This pie needs 6 hours to overnight to cool and chill before serving, so plan ahead. It’s worth the wait, if you love key lime anything, this is the one.
Key Lime Pie Ingredients
- Sweetened Condensed Milk: the short, stocky can, not evaporated milk. It gives the filling that silky, sweet texture. I use organic.
- Sour Cream: full-fat is best. Thick, full-fat plain Greek yogurt works too, several readers swear by it.
- Key Lime Zest: a little goes a long way. Real key limes or regular Persian limes both work.
- Key Lime Juice: real key limes make the best flavor, but Persian limes are a great stand-in. If you’re using bottled juice, quality matters here, see my brand recommendation below.
- Egg Yolks: they thicken the filling. Skip them for an egg-free pie, it’ll be a bit looser, chill it at least 4 hours, though overnight still gives the best set.
- Graham Cracker Crust: graham crackers, sugar, butter, and a pinch of kosher salt (add ¼ teaspoon if your butter’s unsalted). Gluten-free graham crackers work great too, or get creative with gingersnaps or Biscoff.
- Whipped Cream Garnish: heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, and confectioners’ sugar.
Get the full recipe in the recipe card below.
How to Make an Easy Graham Cracker Crust
Pulse graham crackers into fine crumbs in a food processor, or crush them in a zip-top bag with a rolling pin. You’ll need about 2 cups. Add the sugar and pulse, then the melted butter and salt, pulse again or mix with a fork. It should look like wet sand. Save a couple tablespoons of crumbs for topping if you want.
Press it into a 9-inch deep dish pie pan, using a measuring cup or your knuckles to build up the sides. Bake at 350°F for 6 to 8 minutes, until golden, not brown.
Step 2 – How to Cool Graham Cracker Crust Quickly
Cool the crust on a rack for 10 minutes, then pop it in the freezer for 20 minutes, until the pie plate feels cold. Handle it gently, it’s still fragile at this stage. Make your filling while it cools.
How to Make Key Lime Pie
Step 1 – Zest and Squeeze Key Limes
Zest your limes first, before you juice them, just the green part, not the bitter white pith underneath. You’ll need about ¾ cup of juice total, roughly 24 key limes or a mix of key and Persian limes. Bottled works too; Nellie & Joe’s is the brand I trust.
Expert Tip: A microplane zester and hand juicer will make all the difference in the world when working with key limes or any citrus.
I prefer fresh lime juice over bottled juice, but if you must use bottled, I like Nellie & Joe’s Key Lime Juice best.
Step 2 – Make key lime pie filling
Add the sweetened condensed milk, sour cream, key lime juice, egg yolks, and zest to a stand mixer or large bowl. Beat on low until combined, then medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes, until thick and creamy. Scrape the sides as you go.
Expert Tip: If your filling isn’t thickening, double-check you grabbed sweetened condensed milk and not evaporated milk; they sit right next to each other on the shelf.
Step 3 – How to Bake and Chill
Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until the center jiggles slightly when you shake the pan gently. It shouldn’t brown.
Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then chill 6 hours to overnight before serving. I like to bake mine the day before, it gives the filling plenty of time to fully set.
How to Make Stabilized Whipped Cream
Whip cold heavy cream in a cold bowl on high speed until stiff peaks form. Add powdered sugar and vanilla, keep whipping until thick and firm. Scoop into a piping bag and refrigerate until ready to serve. Full details in my Stabilized Whipped Cream recipe.
No piping bag? Use a sandwich baggie instead, snip off a corner about ½ inch wide and pipe as normal.
Garnish with whipped cream, lime slices, reserved graham cracker crumbs, or grated zest. Keep the whole pie refrigerated until serving time.
How to Decorate and Serve
This pie doesn’t need much. A few swirls of whipped cream (I use an Ateco 869 Open Star Tip), a few half wheels of lime, and a sprinkle of reserved graham cracker crumbs do it. Want more ideas? My readers have shared some great ones on Pinterest.
To serve, slice into wedges with a sharp knife and a pie server. The first piece can be tricky to get out clean; that one’s the baker’s reward. Add your whipped cream and lime garnish the day you’re serving, not before.
Best Key Lime Pie Recipe Variations
Crust Variations
- Store-bought: works great if you’re short on time.
- Coconut: add ¼ to ½ cup shredded coconut to the graham crackers for a tropical twist.
- Macadamia nut or pecan: pulse in ½ cup with your graham crackers for a rich, buttery crust.
- Brown sugar: swap in brown sugar for a caramel note, small change, big payoff.
- Pretzel: replace half or all the graham crackers with crushed pretzels for salty-sweet crunch.
- Shortbread: swap in crushed shortbread cookies, start with half the butter since shortbread’s already rich, add more only if it won’t hold together.
- Oreo: swap the graham crackers for crushed Oreos (filling included) for a rich chocolate crust. Full ratio and instructions in my Oreo Cookie Crust recipe.
- Using a springform pan instead of a pie plate? Press any of these into a 9-inch springform.
More variations
- Regular limes instead of key limes: not quite as tart, still delicious.
- Bottled juice: Nellie & Joe’s; skip the juicing entirely. Not all bottled brands taste good; this one does.
- Greek yogurt instead of sour cream: full-fat, plain.
- Egg-free: omit the yolks; the filling sets softer.
- Gluten-free: swap in gluten-free graham crackers; the rest of the recipe is already gluten-free.
- Key lime meringue pie: swap the whipped cream for meringue, then broil until golden.
- Lemon cream pie: no limes on hand? Fresh lemon juice and zest work beautifully here too.
How to Make Mini Key Lime Pies
I love when my readers get creative; make it their own! A reader reached out to me to see if she split it into mini pie pans, how long she should bake them, and here’s Jennifer’s response. “Eight minutes worked perfectly for the mini pies! This recipe made 12 mini pies and they were delicious!”
Storage and Freezing
Cover and refrigerate for 3 to 4 days. Add the whipped cream right before serving to keep it fresh; the crust starts softening around day 2. But that never stopped my family from eating leftovers!
To freeze, wrap the fully cooled pie tightly in plastic, then foil, and freeze up to 3 months.
I actually love it straight from the freezer, almost a frozen key lime pie bar, perfect on a hot day. Or thaw it overnight in the fridge for the classic texture; both ways work. Add whipped cream after thawing, or right before serving if you’re eating it frozen.
Traditional Key Lime Pie Recipe FAQs
Three things: real key lime juice or a good bottled brand, sour cream for tang and body, and patience with the chill time. Skip any of those three and the pie’s fine; it just won’t be the one winning ribbons.
Both. Egg yolks are the classic thickener and help the filling firm up in the oven. Sour cream is my addition; it adds tang and a silkier bite once the pie chills. Leave it out and the filling tastes flatter. Want to skip the yolks instead? You can; the pie sets a bit softer and is ready sooner. Chill it at least 4 hours, overnight if you want it firmer.
Overbaking is the big one, you want a slight jiggle in the center, not a solid top. Skipping the chill time is next, an underchilled pie won’t slice clean. Grabbing evaporated milk instead of sweetened condensed milk trips people up too, they sit right next to each other on the shelf. And packing the crust too hard turns it into a hockey puck instead of a crust.
Yes. Readers have used store-bought graham cracker crust, cookie crusts, even a regular pie crust. See all the crust options above under variations.
Yes. It won’t be quite as tart, add another lime or two worth of zest to make up for it, otherwise it’s just as delicious.
Rich and creamy like cheesecake, with the bright zing of key lime citrus and a buttery graham cracker crunch underneath. Sweet and tart in the same bite.
My favorite is this Microplane made from surgical steel; it’s dishwasher-safe and leaves the bitter white pith behind, so you get pure lime flavor. Great for citrus, chocolate, cheese, and spices too.
Press the crust into a 9×13 pan, bake and cool it, then pour in the filling and bake as directed, checking a little early since it’ll be thinner. It’ll be soft, more of a fork dessert than a hand-held bar. Cut once fully chilled.
Drizzle it over hot cinnamon rolls, my favorite use, swap it in for Crème Anglaise in bread pudding, or stir a little into your coffee. Transfer it to a glass jar and refrigerate.
Recipe adapted from Souffle Bombay.
While we think of key lime pie as a summertime dessert, it’s just as good on a holiday table, a nice break from all the chocolate and pumpkin. In my many decades of baking, I’ve eaten a lot of key lime pies, I’m kind of a snob about it, actually, and this is still the one I’d put up against any of them.
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Don’t forget to give it a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating and leave a comment below the recipe!
Video
Equipment
- Nellie & Joe's Key Lime Juice As a last resort, please use this brand.
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs typically 1 sleeve equals about a cup, but measure out, some sleeves = more
- ¼ cup sugar
- 6 Tablespoons butter melted
- pinch salt optional
Key Lime Pie Filling
- 2 cans sweetened condensed milk 14 ounce cans, I love Organic, not evaporated milk, I suggest full fat
- ½ cup sour cream I use full fat, may use full fat plain Greek Yogurt too
- 2 – 3 Key Limes zested (Persian limes may be used)
- ¾ cup Key Lime juice about 30 Key Limes or about 9 Persian limes, or if storebough I recommend Nellie and Joe's
- 2 large egg yolks room temperature
Whipping Cream
- 8 ounces Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2-4 tablespoons powdered sugar
Instructions
GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175° C). Melt butter and set aside. Finely crush graham crackers in food processor, blender or freezer baggie with rolling pin until all the same size. Add in sugar and pulse a few times until blended, pour in butter and stir with fork or pulse a couple times until mixed. Reserve ¼ cup crumb mixture for topping, if desired.2 cups graham cracker crumbs, ¼ cup sugar, 6 Tablespoons butter
- Pour crust mixture into 9" deep dish pie dish and using hands, press into bottom and up sides, evenly. Bake for 6-8 minutes, just golden, not browned. Remove from oven and cool completely on wire rack. *If need to speed things up, cool for 10 minutes on rack, then transfer to freezer for 20-30 minutes to cool completely.
KEY LIME FILLING
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175° C). Wash, dry and zest limes, set zest aside. Squeeze ¾ cup of lime juice (about 24-30 key limes, or 6-9 Persian limes). See notes about bottled lime juice.¾ cup Key Lime juice
- Pour lime juice, sweetened condensed milk, sour cream, egg yolks (if using) and zest into the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on low until combined, then increase to medium-high for 2-3 minutes. Scraping down sides once or twice. DO NOT SKIP THE LONGER WHIPPING. Whip until batter is thickened.2 cans sweetened condensed milk, ½ cup sour cream, 2 – 3 Key Limes, 2 large egg yolks
- Pour Key Lime filling into COOLED graham cracker crust. Bake at 350° F (175° C) for 15-20 minutes until center is set, but still jiggles slightly when gently shaken. DO NOT ALLOW TO BROWN. Remove from oven to cooling rack and cool for 30 minutes. Place in fridge for at least 3 hours, perferably 6 to overnight — if you remove sooner it will still taste good, it will just not be quite as set if you had let it sit longer in the fridge. See notes for details if making key lime mini pies.
WHIPPED CREAM AND GARNISH
- Pour cold whipping cream into cool bowl and whip until stiff peaks form. Add vanilla and powdered sugar, mixing on low until combined, then increase to speed to medium-high and whip until thick, almost to a light butter stage.
- Scoop into piping bag with open star tip. Whipped cream in bag may be kept in fridge until ready to garnish pie. Garnish with whipping cream stars, a little lime zest, graham cracker crumbs and a slice of lime.
Notes
- Mini Pies: Divide batter between 12 mini pie crusts and bake 8 minutes. Perfect every time! You could also press the graham cracker crumbs into a muffin tin (would make closer to 16-18 smaller muffin tin pies), bake, cool and then add filling, baking as directed.
- Key Lime Pie Bars: I have not tried this specific recipe, but it should work to press into a 9×13-inch dish, bake and cool, add batter, and baking will take less time, so keep an eye on them, closer to the 10-15 minute mark. They won’t cut super clean and you may still need to eat them with a fork, but a great way to control portions. Try my lemon lime bars!
- Make Ahead: This pie is actually better the next day, so I always recommend baking it the day before you need it! If you’d rather prep in stages, the baked crust can be made up to 2 days ahead and stored at room temperature, wrapped tightly. The filling can be mixed and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 day; just give it a quick whisk before pouring into your crust and baking.
- Gluten Free: Swap in your favorite GF graham cracker crumbs.
- Egg Free: Omit the egg yolks; the pie will still set up, just a touch softer.
- No Key Limes: Use Persian limes (regular limes) or skip the juicing altogether with Nellie & Joe’s Key Lime Juice, the only bottled juice I recommend. To keep the traditional flavor, add zest from 1-2 limes.
- Sour Cream Swap: Full-fat or 2% plain Greek yogurt works great. Avoid fat-free dairy in this recipe.
- Storage: Keep refrigerated for 3 to 4 days. Add whipped cream just before serving.
- Freezing: Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Serve straight from the freezer for a fun frozen treat, or thaw overnight in the fridge. Add whipped cream after thawing.
Nutrition
arturo salcido
very easy and simple, for very little time it is a very good dessert.
Thanks so much Arturo!
Robin A
First time Key Lime Pie maker here!! This was soooo easy, just need a little muscle to juice those Key Limes. This pie was delicious and was so light and creamy. Enjoyed every bite!
Yes! Those little limes are a joyful chore when you know the outcome! So happy you made it Robin!
Lisa
Pie was easy to make and delicious!
Thank you so very much, Lisa!!
Stephanie
It took more than 30 mins to get slightly set while cooking. It wasn’t quite set but I felt like it had to come out because it started cracking on the sides. I let it completely cool on the rack and put it in the fridge all night. It tasted great in the end but I do feel like it could have set better or maybe it’s because it’s more custard like than creamy using less eggs. Thanks for the recipe, the family loved it!
So glad you all loved it, Stephanie! And ovens and ingredients can certainly cause it to behave a little differently but glad you pushed through with your good instincts!
Olivia G.
After pouring into my standard 9″ crust (not deep dish) I have probably almost a cup of filling left over, any suggestions to use this? It’s so good I could probably just eat it with a spoon and be happy, I can’t wait for tomorrow when I bring it to my mother’s!
Sooo good. Yes, just bake it along with your pie. In a ramekin or oven safe custard cup. Hope you love it and your mom too!
Olivia G
Thank you! It’s such an amazing recipe that we’re already making another! And I ended up kinda making danishes with the leftover filling and crescent rolls and that was delightful as well.
I love this Olivia!!!
Lena
I’m really confused by how this turned out. I’ve had key lime pies before and this one was at the bottom of my list of favorites. The crust was almost impossible to mold in the pie tin and when I tried to serve it, it fell apart. My bf said it was still good but idk, maybe my tastes have changed. I didn’t like it at all. All I really tasted was bitter key lime.
I’m so sorry you didn’t like it, Lena. Did you change anything? Happy to help you troubleshoot.
Jill
Very delicious. I made a small one since my tin was filled. I used the sour cream and I liked it better than with the Greek yogurt. Just my preference.
So glad you liked it Jill!
Jill
I made this key lime pie on a Thursday for a birthday gift but when I was going to bring it they had to go out of town suddenly. Now I can’t get it to this person till Tuesday. Will it still be good then?
I would freeze it, it won’t be quite the same but should still be delicious. The crust will be a bit softer.
Janie Roos
Can I make your Key Lime Pie the day before? How long will it keep?
Absolutely Janie, in fact it will be better the next day. I wouldn’t do too many days in advance, but 24-30 hours it’ll be just fine! I’ve even had readers freeze it and thaw it, but I’ve never tried that.
Janie
Been wanting to make this for a while! It was amazing and easy to follow directions!
And it’s so beautiful, thanks for sharing your picture with me. And I knew you could do it!!
Toni Lynn
This is my 4th time making this pie! My oldest daughter asked me to make it this time, so she can pick it up on her way to work tomorrow!! She absolutely loves it and is excited to share it with her co-workers. It has turned out perfect each time I’ve made it!! Just follow the instructions and you will have the perfect key-lime pie!!
Thank you so much Toni Lynn, you really made my day, so glad you love it so much!
Toni Lynn
My daughter said everyone absolutely loved the pie!! They really went on and on about it. Some even thought it came from a bakery, and another person said she never thought any key lime pie would be better than her mother’s, until today!! She especially loved the lime zest. Thanks for this recipe Kathleen, I’ll definitely be making more of your pies!!
Awe tears in my eyes, Toni Lynn! Thank you 🙏
Connie
Followed directions, baked 20 minutes, did not brown but around the edges seems a bit firm. At 15 minutes pie was still jiggly. Won’t be eaten until tomorrow, hope I didn’t get it too firm and I hope it tastes like the batter because it was yummy!
I hope so too Connie! Browning just as edges should’ve just fine. It will firm up as it cools! Hope you love it!
Suzy
I made this for the first time today; first time making a Key Lime Pie, it was absolutely delicious! My whipped cream “decorating” was a little to be desired, but the flavors were phenomenal! My three year old grandson heartily approves also! I’ll definitely be making this again!
I’m sure it was beautiful Suzy!! Thank you for your sweet comment! And way to go!
Toni
very rich and sweet/tangy. A little goes a long way.
Sorry you didn’t enjoy like we do.
Dawn
I’ve never been a key lime pie fan, but I am now! I think this pie ranks up there with my favorite desserts ever. It’s delicious. Everyone agreed with me when I served it at our Christmas dinner. Thank you! It’s definitely a winner.
Oh Dawn you made my month!! Thank you for your sweet comment!!
Gina
My mom requested a key lime pie for her birthday. My son helped me bake your recipe and she loved it. She even said it was better than what she has bought from Publix.
A birthday win! Thanks Gina!
Cheryl Phillips
It’s delicious
So glad you loved it, Cheryl!!
Roberta Reed
I LOOOOVE this recipe! I’ve made it several times and have always gotten many compliments!
Your comment makes me smile, Roberta! Thank you!
Christine Johnson
Really the perfect key lime pie!!
Thank you so much Christine!!
Chris Champagne
Hi Kathleen,
I am making this for the first time today. I substituted homemade sweetened cashew cream for the condensed milk and vegan sour cream for regular and didn’t give it a second thought. It didn’t really thicken much while mixing (even though I mixed it for about 4 minutes, total). It’s now been in the oven for a good half hour and it’s still quite jiggly, ‘though showing no signs of browning, so I’m going to leave it a little while longer and see if it will set up properly.
I have never tried substituting vegan cream except for I know some people have tried vegan sweetened condensed milk as a one for one replacement and that has worked. Are you keeping it vegan? Or did you use eggs? I hope it sets up for you. Just let it chill a good long time.
Lisa
Maybe try a bit of cornstarch in the batter, then bake. Hopefully it helps! 🤞🏻
Cheryl Domian
My daughter~in~law requested a Key Lime Pie and a Bourbon Apple Pie for Thanksgiving 2025…. Your Key Lime Pie recipe looked appealing…. Bought Nellie & Joe’s Key Lime juice… Made the pie, traveled two hours to there home…. Grandson came out to greet us and he carried the pie into the house…. Daughter~in~law, in the throes of making a delicious meal, popped it into the refrigerator… Meal was completed, dessert time….. My 12 year old grandson used the piping bag and adorned the pie with gorgeous stars …. The pie was a hit! It was delicious!!
What a fun story Cheryl! Thank you for sharing and so glad it was a hit!!
Avie
I make this recipe every year for my family. It is super easy and tasty.
Thank you for your sweet comment Avie!
Cindy
This is my go-to! I’ve tried many but this is the one for my work potluck and Friendsgivings. It’s always the first dish to go and people often go back for seconds and thirds. THANK YOU!
Awe Cindy, you made my year!! Thank you!