Key Lime Pie Martini

Our goal when creating this Key lime pie martini was to have a feeling of eating a slice of Key lime pie—but in a purely sippable form. So this cocktail is lime forward, with a creamy mouthfeel thanks to whipping cream and a finish with vanilla. It is quite fun to drink—perhaps too fun (you decide!).

The graham cracker crumb over top is a lovely touch that really sells the flavor of a Key lime pie. The crumbs add that baked crust element not only to the texture of the drink but on the nose too.

Learn how to make a Key lime pie martini, and a take a trip to Florida with your first sip—even if only in your dreams.

Ingredients for a Key Lime Pie Martini

You may not have everything you need to make a Key lime pie martini in the fridge or bar cart, but everything is easy to find. Here's what you should grab or buy:

• Fresh Key lime juice: Key limes are not always available and not sold everywhere, so we also tested with Nellie and Joe's Key West lime juice, and the results were still delicious.
• Granulated sugar: For sweetness to balance the tart limes.
• Vodka: Use your favorite vodka brand, and it doesn't need to be the expensive one. We tasted with coconut rum and vanilla vodka, too, but we liked the cleaner taste of regular vodka so that the other flavors of the drink were able to shine.
• Heavy whipping cream: The cream adds that touch of richness and decadent mouthfeel that really make this martini feel like a slice of pie.
• Pineapple juice: The juice is essential for enhancing the full tropical flavors of the martini.
• Vanilla extract: A small bit of vanilla really sells the flavor as the full Key lime pie experience.
• Key lime slice: For garnish. If you use bottled juice, you can garnish with a Persian lime slice.
• Graham cracker crumbs: For garnish and to put the "baked" flavor of the pie into the drink.

How To Make a Key Lime Pie Martini

Break out the juicer and the cocktail shaker. This drink comes together in minutes, which is great because you'll want to make a few of these for yourself and your friends. Here's a brief guide to the process:

• Step 1. Dissolve sugar: Stir the Key lime juice and sugar in a cocktail shaker until most of the sugar is dissolved.
• Step 2. Shake it up: Fill the shaker with ice, followed by vodka, cream, pineapple juice, and vanilla. Shake until the drink is well chilled.
• Step 3. Strain the cocktail: Catch any remaining granules of sugar by pouring the cocktail through the shaker's strainer into a martini glass.
• Step 4. Garnish: Finish the cocktail with a Key lime wheel and a sprinkle of graham cracker crumbs if using.
  

How To Make a Large Batch of Key Lime Pie Martinis

Want to make a large batch of these martinis? This is a great drink for just that. To get ahead, juice the Key limes, and make the Key lime simple syrup with equal parts Key lime juice and sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Keep the mixture in the fridge for up to a week, and then shake up cocktails one at a time with the syrup.

You could try stirring all the ingredients together in a large pitcher, but the shaking really is necessary to aerate the drink and get that luscious mouthfeel.

Variations for Key Lime Pie Martinis

Try a few of these variations to see which you like better:

• Creamy swap: Use coconut cream instead of whipping cream.
• Add color: Use KeKe Beach Key Lime Liquor instead of cream for a drink with greener hues.
• Hit the rim: Instead of floating the graham crackers on top of the martini, you could use them to make a rim on the glass itself.

More Delicious Martinis

Whether you're looking for something for your personal happy hour or have friends coming over for drinks, here are a few of our favorite martini recipes to try:

• Chocolate Martini
• Bourbon Espresso Martini
• White Chocolate Martini
• Southern Pickletini
• The Grasshopper