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This authentic Key Lime Pie recipe comes straight from Savannah, Georgia. It is smooth and creamy with the perfect blend of tart and sweet.
The Best Key Lime Recipe from Savannah
This Key Lime Pie is smooth, creamy, and perfectly balanced between tart and sweet. I stumbled upon this Key Lime Pie Recipe in a small downtown shop when I was visiting Savannah, Georgia with my friend, Amie. Savannah has got to be one of the most beautiful and charming cities ever. We had so much fun touring the historic city squares, walking along the river, and eating delicious Southern food.
I made this pie for my family when I got home and we can’t get enough of it. It is the best key lime pie recipe! At family birthday parties, key lime pies are often requested over birthday cakes. Thanks to my trip to the Savannah, we now have another favorite family recipe!
Ingredients for Key Lime Pie
Graham Cracker Crust
- Graham crackers (crushed): For that classic, slightly sweet crust.
- Butter (melted): Holds the graham cracker crumbs together.
- Sugar: Adds a touch of sweetness to the crust.
Tip: Make the crust from scratch for the best texture and flavor, but a pre-made crust works in a pinch.
Key Lime Pie Filling
- Egg yolks: Creates a smooth, silky texture.
- Sweetened condensed milk: Adds sweetness and richness.
- Key limes: Fresh is best, but bottled juice (like Nellie and Joe’s Key Lime Juice) works great.
- Key lime zest: Enhances the tart, citrus flavor.
Optional Whipped Topping
- Fresh whipped cream, canned whipped topping, or meringue.
Tips for the Best Key Lime Pie
Use Fresh Key Limes: Use fresh key limes whenever possible for the most authentic and vibrant flavor. They have a distinct tartness that sets Key Lime Pie apart from regular lime pie.
Pre-Bake the Crust: This prevents a soggy crust and ensures a sturdy base.
Don’t Overbake: The filling should be set but still slightly jiggly when you remove it from the oven.
Serve Chilled: Allow the pie to cool to room temperature before refrigerating, then refrigerate for several hours or overnight before serving. This allows flavors to meld for the perfect taste.
Frequently Asked Questions
Key limes are smaller, more tart, and more fragrant than regular limes. If you can’t find fresh key limes, use Nellie and Joe’s Key Lime Juice or regular limes as a substitute.
Authentic Key Lime Pie is a pale yellow-green. Skip the green food coloring unless you want a brighter green for an occasion like St. Patrick’s Day.
Yes! A pre-made graham cracker crust saves some time and makes this recipe even easier.
Reader Reviews
We’ve had over 100 reviews from people who love this recipe as much as we do. Here are just a few:
I’ve made this multiple times and it is always a hit! Everyone who tries it wants the recipe. I use lime juice only because I can’t get key limes where I live (Newfoundland, Canada) and it’s still wonderful!
Keri
I have made this super easy key lime pie recipe so many times for friends and family. I always get rave reviews from everyone. Thank you so much for posting this recipe because I am a VIP when I make this for a party. I love all your recipes:)
Sandra
Absolutely perfect. I have tried many that did not set up or were too sweet. This is as good as the restaurant with the best key lime pie where I live. Thanks for sharing.
Lorelei
More Delicious Pie Recipes
If you love tangy citrus-infused desserts like this one, be sure to try our Homemade Lemon Meringue Pie, Cream Cheese Lemon Bars, Coconut Lime Cheesecake Bars, or our super easy Orange Pineapple Cake! Here are some more of our favorites:
How to Make Key Lime Pie
Key Lime Pie
Video
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1/3 cup butter melted
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
For the filling:
- 4 egg yolks
- 6 key limes for zesting and juicing
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- Nellie & Joe's Famous Key West Lime Juice (if needed)
- whipped topping to garnish (optional)
Instructions
For the crust:
- Combine melted butter and sugar in a medium bowl. Stir in crushed graham crackers.
- Spread evenly into 9-inch pie plate and press onto bottom and sides to form an even crust. The bottom of a measuring cup works great for pressing the crumbs firmly into the pie plate.Chill for an hour until firm OR bake at 375-degrees for 5 min and allow to cool before filling.
For the filling:
- Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Zest key limes until there are 2 teaspoons of zest, then juice them. Pour the fresh key lime juice into a ½ cup measuring cup.If the ½ cup isn't filled, add bottled key lime juice to fill it completely.
- Whisk the egg yolks until they are thick and turn to a light yellow. Use a stand mixer or an electric mixer. Slowly add sweetened condensed milk while mixing on a low speed.
- Gradually add the key lime juice and zest and continue to mix on a low speed just until blended.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared pie shell and bake 15 minutes.
- Remove and let it cool to room temperate then store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Serve with a garnish of whipped topping lime slices and little lime zest, if desired.
Notes
Substitutions
If key limes and/or key lime juice are not available, you can still make this pie!- Use Nellie & Joe’s Key Lime juice in place of fresh key limes.
- Substitute the juice of 1 lime in place of the 6 key limes. Make sure you have ½ cup of juice.
How do you add the meringue topping? Do you bake the key lime first then reduce the temp and add the top and then bake the extra 10 minutes or add the topping before baking the key lime?
Hey Gemma- Usually we don’t go meringue topping on the Key Lime pie but if you would like to, you can use these instructions from our lemon meringue pie: https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/moms-lemon-meringue-pie/ Hope this helps!
Absolutely perfect. I have tried many that did not set up or were too sweet. This is as good as the restaurant with the best key lime pie where I live. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for the compliment! I love this recipe. It turns out perfect every time. I’m also a fan of the tartness of the pie. I’m so glad you like it!
Excelent recipe !!! It was a hit !! Will make again !!!
Can this pie be frozen? How long will it keep frozen?
We haven’t tried freezing it before but it I’m sure it is possible. I wouldn’t keep it frozen than more than a couple weeks, if it were me. I don’t like the freezer flavor so the less time in the freezer (at least for me) the better!
Love this recipe, I use 1/2 cup of freshly squeezed key lime right from my tree! Perfect pie everytime!
Love that you have a lime tree. Now I want one! 😀
Sounds very delicious, as I live in Brazil, can you tell
me what the crackers are and what can I use as a substitute.?
We have wonderful limes here in Bahia , can I use all this juice etc.
Thank you so much.
Hugo Skucek
Hi Hugo– Graham crackers might be tricky to find in Brazil. If you can’t find them, you can use Nilla Wafers, ginger snaps, or any kind of plain vanilla cookie. Even animal crackers. Hope this helps!
How far in advance can you make this? This looks like a good recipe and I can’t wait to try it.
You can make this probably 2 days in advance … I wouldn’t do much longer than that. Hope this helps!
I can’t find key limes in my local store, can I use regular lime juice?
Yes you can, they just won’t have that key lime tangy-ness. Hope this helps!
I am not huge fan of Key Lime pie but husband loves it. I made this recipe a couple of weeks ago and he said it was the best ever. I tried it and I really liked it. I am making it again today. Thank you.
So glad you and your husband liked it! This is our favorite recipe for Key Lime Pie hands-down (and we are big fans too)!
Do you have to refrigerate the pie to firm it.I put it in the oven at 350 degrees and it rose up some but still had a lot liquid.so I put it in refrigerator.
That should be totally fine. If it was still liquid-y I would but it in the refrigerator to firm. Hope this helps!
This may be a silly question but would it be okay to just use a 1/2 cup of fresh squeezed lime juice?
Yes, you can definitely do that. The key lime juice has a slightly different flavor, but either will taste great!
Can we use lemon instead?
Yes, it will absolutely work with lemon. We also have these lemon pie recipes you can try:
https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/creamy-lemon-pie/
https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/sour-cream-lemon-pie/
https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/moms-lemon-meringue-pie/
Can we use lemon instead??
Yes, it will absolutely work with lemon. We also have these lemon pie recipes you can try:
https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/creamy-lemon-pie/
https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/sour-cream-lemon-pie/
https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/moms-lemon-meringue-pie/
This was delicious, and so easy. Thank you for helping me find my go to key lime pie recipe!
Thank you for taking the time to comment! Glad you liked it 🙂
all one has to do is remember the color of the inside of the lime….it is never bright green. Take it from there.
I’m so excited to make this! This may sound like a dumb question, but in your ingredients you say you need 1/4 cup lime juice but in the method it says you put half a cup in. Is this on the basis that you’d be getting 1/4 cup from the actual lime but then you must add another 1/4 cup of lime juice? Sorry, it’s probably a silly question but I don’t want to accidentally make the most sour pie in the world haha. Thanks x
That is right, you use 1/4 c. fresh and 1/4 c. of the key lime– making 1/2 c total
In this particular recipe for the key lime pie….notice the canned milk used, it is very sweet, and believe me condensed milk takes
it to another level of sweetness. So go ahead and use what the recipe indicates. No fear!
There are many recipes out there for this pie, and i have tried them all……
I had the same question!
you use 1/4 c. fresh and 1/4 c. of the key lime– making 1/2 c total. Hope this helps!
What if I live in Missouri & it’s January & I can’t use Key limes?!
hmm… if you are in desperate need of key limes you could probably find a place that will ship them to you!
If you live in St.Louis Dierbergs market carries key limes. But it is not necessary..I use the liquid from Nellies & Joes and it tastes fine. I have made at least 5 of these pies this month. It has been so cold and this just screams…warmth and sand and sun!!!
Couldn’t agree more!
that is easy….ever heard of Roses lime? Used
in making margaritas…..it works in a pinch…
And it is tasty.
Sel, with all due respect, as the owner/operator of a chain of nightclubs, we use Rose’s in mixed drinks, but my opinion is that it has a twinge of bitterness after taste to it, which might not translate well into this recipe. Same as grocery store bottled lime juice (ReaLime brand), which is not nearly as clean and bright in flavor as real squeezed limes. Although, its companion brand “ReaLemon” is totally satisfactory to use in place of real squeezed lemons, and does not have that “off” after taste that Rose’s and ReaLime has. Note, that I have not tried your suggestion in this recipe so I could stand corrected. Just a cautionary.
You can make this with regular limes. Key limes are preferred, but if you can’t get them, just use regular limes. Also, most markets sell key lime juice. That is another great option. But don’t sweat this – it will still taste great either way. 🙂
I have made this pie on 3 different occasions and it has been a crowd pleaser. As others have noted, this is a very easy recipe to follow to achieve a well balance of flavor and creamy textured pie.
I made this key lime pie for Sunday dinner and my family said it was the best key lime pie ever. I loved that it was so easy to make.
I love, love, love Key Lime Pie!!!www.lifeofamodernhousewife.com
Easy and delicious
I've been looking for a good Key Lime Pie recipe…think I just found it! Thanks!
I have never had success with my key lime getting firm With any recipe