Key Lime Pie is about the easiest pie to make – the ingredient list is short and simple (only 6 ingredients!), and everyone will love it!
Here we are on the first day of school (at least where I live). AKA the first day of fall. AKA summer is OVER. Or is it?? I think of Labor Day long weekend as the official wrap up of summer, so even when school starts before Labor Day, I always try to squeeze the last little bits of summer into the long weekend. For us this year, that means a weekend getaway. For some people, it means parties, picnics and barbecues.
If you’re attending (or hosting) an end of summer party this weekend, I strongly encourage you to make dessert. Specifically a pie. Specifically this pie – Super Simple Key Lime Pie. It’s super simple because it only has 6 ingredients, and it’s super easy because there’s minimal prep work involved. Plus your fellow party goers will be impressed because really, who doesn’t love key lime pie? You don’t even have to tell them how easy it was to make.
Now, just because I bring a pie that looks like this ⬆⬆⬆ to a party, doesn’t mean you should. Food bloggers: please tell me I am not the only one who does this! I was going to take it with the whole slice removed, but I opted for the slice returned, with one bite sized piece removed (for photo purposes, I assure you). Anyway, no one even commented, and I was the one who ate the pre-cut piece with the missing bite.
All you need to make this key lime pie is graham crackers, butter, sugar, limes (zest and juice), sweetened condensed milk and egg yolks. You don’t even need to search for key limes – I tried that once (juicing those tiny things takes FOREVER!), and it didn’t taste any different than with regular limes. If you want to get really fancy, top with whipped cream or meringue (see my Lemon Meringue Pie recipe to find out how to make it), but I prefer it plain. Happy last weekend of Summer!
Key Lime Pie
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 8 whole graham crackers, broken into pieces (use Gluten Free graham crackers to make this recipe Gluten Free)
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
For the Filling
- 4 large egg yolks
- 4 teaspoons grated lime zest plus 1/2 cup juice from 4 limes
- 1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
- Whisk the egg yolks and lime zest together in a medium bowl until the mixture has a slight green tint, about 2 minutes. Add sweetened condensed milk and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the lime juice. Cover and set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes, until thickened. While you’re waiting, prepare the crust.
- Move oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325°F. Pulse graham cracker pieces in food processor until they are fine, even crumbs. Add butter and sugar and process until the mixture resembles wet sand. Transfer graham cracker mixture to a 9 inch pie plate. Press firmly onto the bottom and sides of the pie plate with the palms of your hands or the bottom of a dry measure. Bake for 13-16 minutes until the crust is fragrant and starting to brown.
- Once the filling has thickened, pour it into the crust while the crust is still warm. Bake until the edges are firm but the center still jiggles when shaken, about 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack at room temperature for about an hour, then cover loosely with plastic and refrigerate until filling is chilled, about 3 hours. Garnish with lime slices, additional grated lime zest, or whipped cream as desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer: I try my best to make sure the nutrition information I provide is accurate to provide you with the best information possible. However, due to ingredient discrepancies and other factors, the above nutrition information should be considered an estimation only.
***Recipe from The Complete America’s Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook
Key Lime Pie Nutrition Notes:
Of course, this is a dessert, and there have been no attempts to make it “healthier”. Most of the sugar in key lime pie comes from the sweetened condensed milk that is necessary to make the filling, so cutting back on the sugar content is pretty much impossible. Enjoy in moderation.
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