This is one of my favorite pies of all time – classic graham cracker crust and a soft zesty key lime filling. Topped with a beautiful homemade whipped cream topping and some extra lime zest, this will quickly become one you add to your pie list every single year. 

I have a huge story about key lime pie, but I’ve included it in my 2019 cookbook Cake Confidence with my Key Lime Pie Cake and I don’t want to spoil it for a second! So, I shall torture you instead with oh, the most delicious pie of all time while we wait.

Anyone else make pies for Thanksgiving every year? YES!? Good. That’s how it should be. I love cake. I make it all the time. But really, there is no way to get around letting pie get it’s fair time in the dessert limelight (lime… get it? ;)).  I can pocket my cake pride and let pie have some time to shine for such a bountiful holiday such as Thanksgiving! It doesn’t rain on my parade at all, and I love having something different to dig into making in my kitchen each year.

This cake is pretty low-maintenance. There’s no dough-rolling, and I wish I could say it’s completely no-bake, but there is a bit of baking involved. For this pie, though, it adds a lot to the overall texture and flavor. Plus, the ingredient list is pretty chill, too.

Except for the key limes…

You’re going to need to juice a whole bag of those little devils. If you’ve ever done that before, you know exactly what I’m talking about. But NO! Don’t run away!!! You can always use bottled lime juice, or just put on a good song in your kitchen and zest away, embracing every last drip of key lime juice you earn.

I know you can easily just use limes. After all, there’s more juice per lime, an it’s less of a zesting/juicing craze to get your 3/4 cup of juice required for this recipe. However, there is a taste difference between key limes and regular limes. There’s more of a floral subtle mellow deliciousness behind those little guys, and I love it.

You decide. Either way, let’s get that 3/4 cup of juice going, shall we?

I mean, look at this pie!!! It’s worth every second.

First, you’ll need to create your crust. It’s very easy if you have a food processor. Just pulse up those graham crackers, add in a touch of sugar, pour in your melted butter, and press the crust into the pie dish. The more you press, the less crumbly your pie crust will be. You want it firm enough to make clean slices, so press it hard (I love using a metal measuring cup or the bottom of a tall drinking glass.

Bake, bake, bake. Just for a little bit. It toasts up the crust every so slightly, and gives it an almost nutty flavor.

Next is the filling. It’s is SO EASY. You really just need a whisk and a bowl. That’s it. You’ll only need 4 ingredients: sweetened condensed milk, sour cream, key lime juice, and key limes. Yep, that’s it. But we’ve already talked about how fun those key limes are ;). Stir it up, pour it in, and bake it for just a tad to set.

Let it cool on your stove or counter until it reaches room temperature, then let it set in the fridge for at least a couple hours.

Top with homemade whipped cream (homemade whipped cream is so easy to make, and you will never go back to the store-bought stuff) in whatever pattern you decide. I used a Wilton 1M piping tip to make this braid pattern, and then topped it off with more lime zest.

Here’s a quick video to show how I did the braid pattern:

 

Aaaaaand that’s it! You’re done! Wasn’t too bad, was it? Now get to work and prepare to always, always, always have someone request for you to bring it with you to every gathering you have ahead.

Happy Baking! xo, Mandy 

Get the Recipe: Key Lime Pie

The BEST Key Lime Pie ever – decadent key lime filling using fresh key limes, graham cracker crust, and a gorgeous whipped cream braid on top.
Servings: 12 slices
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Ingredients
 

Graham Cracker Crust

  • 2 Sleeves (18 Rectangles) Graham Crackers
  • 2 Tablespoons Sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

Key Lime Filling

  • zest from 5-6 Key Limes
  • 1/2 cup key lime juice (from fresh key limes or pre-squeezed key lime juice)
  • 1/4 cup lime juice (fresh limes or pre-squeezed)
  • 28oz (or 2 14oz cans) sweetened condensed milk
  • 1/2 cup sour cream

Whipped Cream

  • 3 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Equipment

  • Pie Tin/Dish
  • food processor
  • Wilton 1M piping tip

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  • To make the crust, pulse the graham crackers and sugar in a food processor until a fine crumble forms, then pour in the melted butter and mix again until it's uniform. Press crust firmly into a pie dish using the bottom of a measuring cup or glass. Bake for 5 minutes, then let cool completely.
  • While the crust is baking, make the filling by whisking together all the ingredients. Pour into the cooled crust and use a smoothing tool (like an offset icing spatula or knife) to flatten the surface. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool completely.
  • Make the whipped cream by putting the metal whisk and bowl into the freezer for 5 minutes to chill. Next, whip up the heavy cream starting on low speed for 1 minute, medium speed for 1 minute, then high speed for 1 minute to bring the heavy cream to stiff peaks. Add in the vanilla and powdered sugar and whip up again. Add to a piping bag with a 1M piping tip. Pipe the braid border and add on a little key lime zest if you wish. Enjoy!