Key Lime

This easy key lime pie recipe is a fusion of our best versions. The secret is a touch of lemon juice to balance the lime and a pinch of cinnamon in the crust.

My parents lived in Florida for decades and they vacationed there for decades before that. I don’t think there was ever a time when we kids were young that they didn’t come back with boxes of chocolate-coated coconut patties. I’m sure the coconut filling was supposed to be soft and chewy, as in a Mounds bar, but it was always a little dry (sorry to tell you now, Mom). Yet the candies still hold a sweet spot in my memory, and I thought of them when I started to make a Key lime pie.

The texture is delightfully soft, almost cake-like, and sweetened with a quick-and-easy lime glaze. These cookies make great holiday gifts.

Serve with anything and everything—it will get better, spicier, and more Vietnamese-approved over time.

This simple, four-ingredient pie has a bright and tangy yet sweet and creamy filling.

不想分享你的酸橙派吗?与这些mini versions of the creamy, tangy dessert, you don't have to!

Good thing this cake serves a crowd—the creamy key lime topping will have everyone back for seconds.

Squeezing a half-cup of fresh Key lime juice is quite the upper-arm workout, but the hard labor is worth it. In this recipe the traditional graham cracker crust gets a dose of lightly toasted ground almonds. If you don’t have a food processor, purchased almond flour works just as well. Go with the meringue topping, or replace it with whipped cream for a silky bite.

Chef Kris Wessel of Florida Cookery in Miami Beach, Florida, shared this recipe as part of aPalm Tree Christmas menuhe created exclusively for Epicurious. Look for firm fish with bright eyes and red gills, Wessel says. It should smell sweet, not fishy. If you prefer to grill the snapper, see the Cooks' note for cooking times.

With a dish this simple, you need the freshest possible fish—and good technique. Score the flesh down to the bone to encourage even cooking, and be patient when making the first turn: If you oil the grill grate well and give the fish time to cook through, the skin won't stick.

In the winter months, there's nothing like the bewitching, slightly exotic flavor of Key limes or the larger regular limes (a.k.a. Persian) to transport you mentally to some warm tropical spot, preferably an island with an endless beach. This cake, with its tart lime filling offset by billowy drifts of sweet, marshmallow-like frosting, should do the trick. Key limes are smaller than Persian limes and often come packed in a net bag, but don't despair if you can't find them. Persian limes make an excellent substitute (see Cooks' Notes, below, for more details on buying limes). Another helpful hint: Because there's grated zest in both the cake and the filling, grate all the zest you need first, before you start juicing.

This fairly classic recipe for Key lime pie comes fromPepe's Cafein Key West, Florida, and is a favorite of lime pie aficionado and author David L. Sloan. The addition of whipped egg whites, says Sloan, makes for a filling that's fluffier than those in more traditional versions. For more on Sloan and the story behind Key lime pie, see Molly O'Neill's feature,"The Curious Case of Key Lime Pie."

This unusual pie was inspired by a version made by Fern Butters, who ran a small boardinghouse and dining room in the Florida Keys. According to David L. Sloan, a Key lime pie expert, President Truman used to travel to Key West just to enjoy Mrs. Butters' pie. The recipe contains vanilla ice cream, and is baked and then frozen. The end result is a pie with a soft and delicate filling reminiscent of Italian semifreddo. Most graham cracker pie shells are baked briefly before they're filled, but because this pie is frozen after it's baked, we recommend skipping the usual pre-bake for a tender, easily cuttable crust. For more on Sloan and the story behind Key lime pie, see Molly O'Neill's feature,"The Curious Case of Key Lime Pie."

This recipe is based on the famous Key Lime pie from Joe’s Stone Crab restaurant in Miami Beach. If you can’t find Key limes, use regular fresh lime juice. The bars will keep, wrapped in plastic, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

This creamy, sweet, tangy pie is a southern staple. In the shop, we use only fresh key limes (they’re an essential part of this masterpiece), which are imported from Mexico and Central America and are available year-round. Squeezing them does take some extra effort and determination, but it’s worth all the trouble when you’re rewarded with that first bite of fresh Key Lime Pie.

We’ve reinvented the classic Key lime pie as a tart made with a homemade graham cracker crust. Key limes are smaller, rounder, and have a yellower cast than regular limes; look for them in gourmet shops and some supermarkets. Otherwise, substitute regular limes; six limes should yield 1/2 cup juice.

If you don’t like the texture of lime zest in an otherwise smooth and silky filling, feel free to leave it out. Although it isn’t really a Key lime pie without Key lime juice, regular lime juice is just as delicious in this pie. For those who like a wonderfully tart pie, serve it plain, or you can top it with a dollop of whipped cream. If the pie sticks to the pan when you’re scooping it out, try dipping the bottom of the pan into a bowl of warm water to loosen it.

Martha loves Key lime pie, especially the one served at Joe’s Stone Crab restaurant in Miami. Small, round, and yellow-green, Key limes pack a lot of punch, with a more pronounced flavor than more widely available, greener Persian limes. They are worth seeking out for the authentic flavor of the Florida Keys, but if you can’t find them, you may substitute bottled Key-lime or fresh Persian-lime juice instead. Depending on your preference, you can top the pie with meringue or sweetened whipped cream (page 340).