This Key Lime Pie is an American classic. Ours is made with lime juice and sweetened condensed milk in a graham cracker crust and topped with whipped cream. Use key limes if you have them, otherwise substitute regular limes.

Photography Credit: Elise Bauer

There is something irresistible about key lime pie. Like its cousin lemon meringue, key lime pie is mouth-puckering tart and a smile-making sweet, like a pie version of lime flavored starburst candy, but in custard form, surrounded by whipped cream and graham cracker crumbs.

Key lime pie is one of those sweet indulgences that you probably shouldn’t eat on a daily basis. But on a hot summer day? Or for a special gathering? This key lime pie is just perfect!

VIDEO! How to Make Key Lime Pie

What Is Key Lime Pie?

This all American pie is easy to make, too. Key lime pie ingredients are simple: sweetened condensed milk, lots of lime zest and juice (preferably from key limes), and just enough egg to give it a good set.

Pour the filling into a pre-baked graham cracker crust, bake briefly until the pie is set, and let it chill. Top the pie with whipped cream and serve.

For more information on making graham cracker crusts, see this post.

Can You Use Regular Limes to Make this Pie?

Key limes are great if you can get them! They’re from the Florida Keys, where they now grow wild. They are smaller and more tart than our standard Persian limes, and they have yellow centers and rinds.

If you, like me, live nowhere near Florida, you can easily make key lime pie with regular limes.

Can You Add a Meringue Topping?

Our version of Key Lime Pie has a whipped cream topping. If you’d prefer to make a meringue topping, just follow the instructions in our Lemon Meringue Pie recipe.

Storing Key Lime Pie

Key lime pie will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge, covered loosely with foil or plastic wrap. For presentation purposes, we recommend waiting to top your pie with whipped cream until the day you plan to serve it.

While “Frozen Key Lime Pie” exists, that’s actually a different recipe. We do not recommend freezing this particular version of key lime pie.

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