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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.
This pie uses more limes than I am used to. But, WOW!! It tastes Great!!!
I’m so glad you liked it! Thank you for the star rating!
I made this for thanksgiving last year and again this year. It is sooooo delicious and I do not really like pumpkin so this is good.
Thank you, Scarlett! I’m so happy you like it!
I’ve made this many times and it’s great. Of course my brain is mush before Thanksgiving and I put the whole 4 eggs in instead of just the yolks. How bad is this going to turn out?😭
I’m not sure, I haven’t ever had that happen. Wishing you luck!
So good and easy.
Are the nutrition facts per serving or the whole pie?
The nutrition facts are for 1 slice of pie, if you cut the pie in 8 equal slices.
This recipe is amazing! It does have just the right amount of sweetness and tartness. So delicious! Our guest raved about it. I made the graham cracker crust and it tasted so much better to me then pre-bought. I did not. The recommended Keylime juice for the half cup, I highly recommend this recipe!
Absolutely delicious! Got raves from everyone! Very easy to make-I used key limes and added bottled key lime juice. The homemade crust makes a big difference, so take the time to do it!
Hi! I want to make this ahead of time to take on vacation. Can I freeze it ahead of time? How would suggest making in advance. Thanks!
I haven’t tried freezing key lime pie before. However, if I was going to try it, I would bake it in a foil dish instead of a glass dish. I would wrap the baked pie in a layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of tin foil. Let us know how it goes if you try it!
Can I just use the juice instead of the limes?
You can but the lime flavor won’t be as bright without the zest from the limes. I haven’t tried it without the lime zest so I can’t promise you it will turn out as good. Hope this helps!