This recipe is ridiculously easy, and it is the best key lime pie I have ever tasted! It is perfectly creamy and tart, and topped with fresh whipped cream. A biscoff crust makes it stand out above other recipes.
I got this key lime pie recipe from my good friend Judy in a recipe swap a few years ago. It quickly became a family favorite. It is sooo good! My son made it for Thanksgiving last year, and it was the first pie to go. Everyone loves it!
The sweetened whipped cream on the top is the perfect compliment to the tangy filling. I started out making it with graham cracker crust, then my cousin Tami suggested trying a biscoff crust.
I love the richness the biscoff cookies add! I buy mine at Costco. Of course, if you can’t find them, you can make it with graham crackers if you prefer. I think a shortbread cookie crust would be tasty as well.
WHY THIS IS THE BEST KEY LIME PIE RECIPE
- The filling only calls for 3 ingredients – sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, and limes.
- It is ridiculously easy! My teenage son can whip it up all on his own.
- Lime zest adds an unbeatable fresh flavor boost.
- It is topped with fresh sweetened whipped cream. So much tastier than the stuff in a can or tub!
- Using crushed Biscoff cookies in the crust adds and extra depth of flavor. It’s still mighty tasty with graham cracker crumbs, but give the biscoff cookies a try!
WHAT KIND OF LIME JUICE SHOULD I USE?
Some bakers swear that key limes are the best for the filling. I don’t have access to fresh key limes, so I use regular Persian limes that you can find in any grocery store.
I have tried bottled key lime juice, and personally I prefer fresh lime juice, but that is a matter of preference. If you want to use key limes, you will need a lot. They are tiny, so it takes a fair amount of time to juice all of them.
If you’ve never made pie before, this is a great recipe to start with. It is so easy, and just takes minutes to whip up. I made my own crust, but if you used a purchased crust, the prep time would be like 5 minutes. You have really got to try this!
To skip my tips and tricks and just get to the full printable recipe card, simply scroll to the bottom of the post.
HOW TO MAKE KEY LIME PIE
KEY LIME PIE INGREDIENTS:
- biscoff cookies (You can substitute graham crackers.)
- butter (I use salted butter.)
- sweetened condensed milk (Not to be confused with evaporated milk, it is sweetened and thick.)
- egg yolks
- lime juice (Fresh is best. Key lime juice is great, but I almost always use regular limes.)
- lime zest (Again, fresh is best.)
- cream (You can use either heavy or whipping cream, but not half & half light cream.)
- powdered sugar (confectioners sugar)
- vanilla extract
- First up you need to make your biscoff (or graham cracker) crust. It is so easy, and tastes infinitely better than store bought, but if you are really in a rush, you can purchase a graham cracker crust.
- Whisk together your ingredients and pour them in your baked crust. No mixer needed, just a whisk.
- Bake the pie for about 15 minutes at 300 degrees. It will barely be set, but don’t over bake it! You want it nice and creamy, and it sets up even more as it chills.
- To finish off your cooled pie, you are going to top it with fresh whipped cream sweetened with powdered sugar. So simple, but oh so good! I like to spread the whipped cream over the entire pie, but you can garnish each slice individually if you prefer.
HOW TO STORE LEFTOVER PIE
Because of the eggs and whipped cream, leftover key lime pie must be stored in the refrigerator. It will actually last for up to a week if covered tightly, but the crust is best eaten within about three days. It starts to get a bit soggy after that, but it is still edible.
CAN YOU FREEZE KEY LIME PIE?
Yes, you can freeze it, but the crust does get soft. Cover it tightly with two layers of plastic wrap. It will last for a month or two in the freezer. I recommend freezing it before you add the whipped cream, but that’s a matter of preference.
To thaw it, place it in the refrigerator and let it sit for several hours. Or of course you can just let it thaw for a little while and serve it frozen or partially frozen.
VARIATIONS:
- I use fresh Persian lime juice and zest in my filling, but you can use bottled key lime juice if you prefer.
- Some authentic key lime pie recipes call for a meringue topping instead of whipped cream. Since you will have egg whites leftover from the filling, if you like meringue, go for it! I am personally a whipped cream girl.
- We love our key lime pie crust made with biscoff cookies, but graham crackers still taste amazing. You could even add some toasted coconut to your crust for a tropical flair.
- Traditional key lime pie filling is yellow, due to the egg yolks. If you prefer a more green filling, you can add a few drops of green food coloring. I sometimes do that for St. Patrick’s Day.
MORE AMAZING PIE RECIPES TO TRY:
- Pumpkin Pie with Condensed Milk
- German Chocolate Pie
- Buttermilk Pie
- Chocolate Cream Pie
- Sugar Cream Pie Recipe
- Peanut Butter Pie Recipe
- Chocolate Pecan Pie
- Cream Cheese Lemonade Pie
- Dutch Apple Pie Recipe
- Frozen Chocolate Pie
- Homemade Banana Cream Pie
EASY KEY LIME PIE RECIPE
Key Lime Pie
This easy key lime pie is the best! It only takes a few minutes of prep time, and it is perfectly tangy and delicious!
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 3/4 cups Biscoff cookie crumbs (about 28 cookies)
- 1/3 cup melted butter
Filling
- 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 3 egg yolks
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- zest of 1 lime, optional
Topping
- 3/4 cup heavy cream, whipped
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Stir together the crumbs and melted butter, and press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9" pie pan.
- Bake crust at 375° for 9 minutes; remove to a cooling rack. Turn the oven down to 300 degrees.
- Whisk together sweetened condensed milk and egg yolks in a mixing bowl till smooth.
- Whisk in lime juice and lime zest.
- Pour filling into crust and bake at 300° for 15 minutes.
- Cool pie completely and chill.
- Spread sweetened whipped cream over the top just before serving.
Notes
-You can substitute an equal amount of graham cracker crumbs for the biscoff crumbs.
-The filling only fills the pie shell half full. This is so you have room for the whipped cream on top!
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(originally published in November 2008; updated January 2021 with new photos and crust recipe)
Even if you are a beginning baker, you can impress your friends and family with this homemade key lime pie. It tastes just as good as pie from a restaurant, and no one will guess how easy it is!
How many limes and are they in season. I have trouble getting juicy limes.
I usually buy 3-4 limes depending on size. I also have a bottle of key lime juice in the fridge as a backup if I need it. š
The biscoff crust is the perfect choice!! This will be great all summer long!! So refreshing & creamy!
My family would definitely not complain if I made this all summer long! š
SO GOOD! My family and I loved this Key Lime Pie! It was incredible!
This is our favorite pie! Such a great dessert for any occasion! Can’t wait to make this again soon!
I am always looking for new dinner recipes and I know you are good at it and desserts. thank you.