Can you use regular limes instead of Key limes?

Yes, you can use Persian limes in place of Key limes in Key lime pie. However, Persian limes are more tart and lack the floral aroma of Key limes. They'll still make a perfectly delicious lime pie. It just might be a bit different than what you're expecting.

What is special about Key lime pie?

Key limes are tiny, about half the size of Persian limes. It takes a baker a lot of work to get enough juice for a Key lime pie. All that work and love means the Key lime pie is a special treat, one to be treasured when you get a slice. Also, the flavor of a Key lime is more floral and sweeter than regular limes, which makes for a pie that is more refreshing and unique.

What is Key lime pie so popular in Florida?

Key limes only grow in subtropical environments like Southeast Asia—and the Florida Keys! While most Key limes sold in the U.S. today are grown in Mexico or Central America, it's still a prized crop to the growers in Florida who dedicate part of the grove to the petite citrus fruit.

What is Key lime pie filling made of?

Classic Key lime pie filling is made of four simple ingredients: sweetened condensed milk, Key lime juice, egg yolks, and lime zest. The filling is added to a graham cracker crust, then baked. Once cooled, it's topped with whipped cream and served.

Heavenly Key Lime Pie Recipe

Name: Heavenly Key Lime Pie
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 150 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk; 3 egg yolks; 2 teaspoons Key lime zest*; .5 cup Key lime juice; 1 (9-inch) graham cracker piecrust; 1 cup whipping cream; 3 tablespoons powdered sugar; Garnish: fresh Key lime slices*

Prep Time:

15 mins

Bake Time:

15 mins

Cool Time:

1 hr

Chill Time:

1 hr

Total Time:

2 hrs 30 mins

Servings:

6 to 8

Refreshingly cool and silky, Key lime pie is welcome on all summer picnic tables—and all holiday tables, dinner tables, or birthday tables, for that matter.

The combination of Key lime juice, zest, condensed milk, and egg yolks yields a pie filling that is rich and tart without being cloyingly sweet. The perfect crust companion—graham cracker crust—lends sweetness and a bit of nutty flavor, but it really is a vessel to hold the unforgettable filling.

We call this Key lime pie recipe heavenly because it's precisely where you'll think you've been transported after one bite. We've perfected this recipe over decades of making Key lime-flavored recipes, so we've really got the balance of the sweet-tart Key lime juice and the sweetened condensed milk just right.

Here, learn how to make key lime pie step by step. Plus, find out where this favorite citrus pie really originated.

Heavenly Key Lime Pie — Credit:
Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Editor's Note: This recipe was developed by the Southern Living Test Kitchen; the recipe tips were written by Kimberly Holland.

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Ingredients

1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
3 egg yolks
2 tsp. Key lime zest*
1/2 cup Key lime juice
1 (9-inch) graham cracker piecrust
1 cup whipping cream
3 Tbsp. powdered sugar
Garnish: fresh Key lime slices*

Directions

Make filling:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk together condensed milk and next 3 ingredients until well blended.

Credit:
Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Pour mixture into piecrust.

Credit:
Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox
Bake pie, then chill:

Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes or until pie is set. Cool completely on a wire rack (about 1 hour). Chill 1 hour before serving.

Credit:
Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox
Top with whipped cream and garnishes:

Beat whipping cream at high speed with an electric mixer 2 to 3 minutes or until soft peaks form, gradually adding powdered sugar.

Credit:
Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Top pie with whipped cream. Garnish, if desired.

Credit:
Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Where Did Key Lime Pie Originate?

You're thinking Florida, right? There's hardly a restaurant menu in the Sunshine State without this dessert.

Turns out, the origins of the Key lime pie are a little murky. Some Florida historians believe the pie was invented in the Florida Keys in the late 1800s, but what can be proven is another story: A researcher found that the pie likely originated with a condensed milk manufacturer in New York City—except it was a lemon and condensed milk pie in this earliest iteration. Then, savvy Florida bakers swapped lemons for local Key limes, and Florida's favorite pie was born.

Key Lime Pie Ingredients

This Key lime pie really is simple. We've kept the ingredient list short and sweet so it's ultimately an easy key lime pie. Here, the things you'll need to gather to make this pie:

A graham cracker crust: We prefer a homemade one if you have the time, but a store-bought shortcut is always appreciated.
Sweetened condensed milk: This ingredient creates the base of the rich, luscious pie filling. It's sweet and creamy, which is precisely what this pie needs.
Key lime juice and zest: Key limes can be hard to find when they're not in season (which is June through September in Florida but year-round in other places). But bottled Key lime juice is usually always available.
Egg yolks: This helps set the filling so it doesn't run when you slice into the pie.
Whipped cream: Here's another place where we think homemade is so much better that we encourage you to do it if you have time (it's part of the recipe below). But store-bought whipped topping is also acceptable in a pinch.

ingredients for Heavenly Key Lime Pie — Credit:
Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox

How To Store Key Lime Pie

The pie needs to be served chilled, so keep it in the fridge until you're ready to slice and plate. Whipped cream will hold for a while, but if you're making this pie ahead of time, wait to whip the cream and top the pie until you're ready to present it.

Have leftovers? Cover the pie plate in plastic wrap, and keep it in the fridge up to three days.

Can You Freeze Key Lime Pie?

Yes, you can freeze Key lime pie. But if you're planning to do that, bake it in a foil pan instead of your glass or metal one. And don't add the whipped cream. It won't make it through the freeze and thaw cycles.

Once baked, let the freezer-bound pie cool completely. Wrap the entire pan in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. Label the pie with the food's name and the date you're putting it in the freezer. It can stay in the freezer up to three months.

When you're ready to enjoy it, take the pie out of the freezer, and let it thaw overnight in the fridge. Make the whipped cream topping just before serving.

Test Kitchen Tips

*Regular lime zest and slices may be substituted.

Chef's Note: We tested with Nellie & Joe's Famous Key West Lime Juice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you use regular limes instead of Key limes?

Yes, you can use Persian limes in place of Key limes in Key lime pie. However, Persian limes are more tart and lack the floral aroma of Key limes. They'll still make a perfectly delicious lime pie. It just might be a bit different than what you're expecting.
What is special about Key lime pie?

Key limes are tiny, about half the size of Persian limes. It takes a baker a lot of work to get enough juice for a Key lime pie. All that work and love means the Key lime pie is a special treat, one to be treasured when you get a slice.

Also, the flavor of a Key lime is more floral and sweeter than regular limes, which makes for a pie that is more refreshing and unique.
What is Key lime pie so popular in Florida?

Key limes only grow in subtropical environments like Southeast Asia—and the Florida Keys! While most Key limes sold in the U.S. today are grown in Mexico or Central America, it's still a prized crop to the growers in Florida who dedicate part of the grove to the petite citrus fruit.
What is Key lime pie filling made of?

Classic Key lime pie filling is made of four simple ingredients: sweetened condensed milk, Key lime juice, egg yolks, and lime zest. The filling is added to a graham cracker crust, then baked. Once cooled, it's topped with whipped cream and served.