Ingredients
For the crust
Make the crust:
Step 1
In a bowl combine well the crumbs, the almonds, the butter, and the sugar, press the mixture onto the bottom and side of a 10-inch pie plate, and bake the shell in the middle of a preheated 350°F. oven for 10 minutes, or until it is browned lightly. Let the shell cool on a rack.
Step 2
In a large bowl beat the yolks with the condensed milk and stir in the lime juice, a little at a time, stirring to combine the filling well. Spoon the filling into the shell and chill the pie for 1 hour. In a bowl beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they hold soft peaks, add the sugar, beating, 1 tablespoon at a time, and beat the meringue until it holds stiff peaks. Spread the meringue over the filling and bake the pie in the middle of a preheated 350°F. oven for 15 minutes, or until the meringue is just golden. Chill the pie for 2 hours.
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Reviews (108)
Back to TopI have been making this pie to rave reviews for years. One time I left out the egg yolks but the pie still hardened and tasted even better. I have cut out the eggs ever since. I usually use 3 cans if condensed milk and extra lime juice and make two pies at a time. If it is for a dinner party there is never anything left over
carioca2004
Texas
8/6/2015
This is a wonderful pie, creamy and not overly sweet. I make this dessert many times a year. My only change is to use a bit more lime zest!
maude07
Sherbrooke, Qc
2/28/2014
To make this gluten free I use Trader Joes gluten free ginger snaps instead of the graham cracker crumbs, and delete the sugar in the crust recipe. Yum! The ginger flavor worked well with the lime and meringue.
clively1
5/15/2012
I don't know if I should really be reviewing this recipe, because I used a reviewer's alterations, which almost has completely changed the recipe. I hate meringue on top of key lime pie, and completely ommited it. As for the rest of the pie, I used the alterations from A Cook from Boulder, CO. Chopping the almonds instead of finely grinding them really makes the pie special. And the pie filling recipe in the review tastes so much better as well. So follow that recipe and you will definitely have the best key lime pie ever!
claristotle
Denver, CO
12/27/2010
我做了这个与上面的酥皮配方specified, but I think next time I will fold the beaten egg whites into the pie filling without adding to lighten the pie. I used fresh key limes and might have used a couple too many, so we found the pie filling quite intense (both too tart and too sweet, just from the condensed milk). I might also try mixing in whipping cream next time. If you're going to do the meringue on top, I recommended looking beyond this recipe for how to make good meringue, because it's pretty tricky, especially in humid climates. The crust was amazing though. I actually got a store-bought gram cracker pie crust, crumbled it up, added 1/4 c of melted butter and some golden brown sugar to taste in addition to the almond powder. I melted the brown sugar into the butter and pour it over the dry ingredients, then worked the whole thing evenly with my fingers and pressed it into a 10" pie pan. Baked it for 5 minutes, and it held together perfectly. Will definitely use this crust for other pies.
Anonymous
Seattle, WA
8/22/2010
Dated a fellow who had a second home on Maui, surfed, gardened, built green and had a particular attraction to key-lime pie, which he claimed can't be found anywhere other than the islands that was worth a damn. Challenge on! This pie is amazing & perfect. I doubled the non-crust ingredients but otherwise followed the directions exactly as written. After doing the crust and pouring in one portion, it just wasn't enough. Everyone loved it and Mr Wonderful said it was the BEST key lime pie he'd ever had in his life. Success! I'm making it next week for Mr. Marin...
yubalover
Austin, San Francisco, Nevada City
4/23/2010
OMG. This pie is amazing & perfect. I made it precisely according to the directions, although I doubled the non-crust ingredients. After doing the crust and pouring in one portion, it just wasn't enough. several people said it was the BEST key lime pie they'd ever had in their life. I was, like, 'no way' and they were, like, 'oh, most definitely way.'
magster518
12/14/2009
So I changed this recipe a bit...For the crust I did not add any sugar, I felt that the graham crackers made the crust sweet enough. Second I added 2/3 cup (5 limes) of fresh lime juice ( I couldn't find Key Limes let alone want to pay for them). Then after making the filling I made the meringue seperately and then folded that into the lime filling. I wanted something light and fluffy and this definitely did the trick! I figured since it already had raw egg yolks in it raw egg whites weren't going to matter. I added all the meringue to the filling and ended up with extra filling. Next time I may just add 3/4 of meringue instead.
devedev
Chicago
2/19/2009
I recently moved to Amsterdam and had a hard time finding all the ingredients I needed. Still this Key lime pie turned out better than any key lime pie I've ever made. I used a apple crumb crust cookie and put it together with the toasted almonds in a food processor. (I no longer needed the butter or sugar for the crust, which probably saved on some carbs and fat). For the filling, I added 2 tblsp apple sauce in place of 1 egg yolk. For the meringue, I added a 1/2 tsp of vanilla sugar. To add more tartness, i added lime zest to the batter and the meringue. This key lime pie is so good, I will only use this recipe in my cooking!!!
jmagsombol
Amsterdam, NL
9/28/2008
Made this for a die- hard key lime pie fanatic's birthday, although I skipped going down the meringue road. She loved it, but I had to come back to thank the cook in Boulder for the idea of using a garlic press to juice key limes. My garlic press has become the single most unnecessary kitchen utensil in my possession given that the time spent digging garlic pieces out of the thing is roughly equivalent to chopping it yourself... but key limes are a perfect fit. Absolutely BRILLIANT.
Anonymous
Lincoln, NE
7/12/2008
Oh my. This is absolutely the best pie I have ever tasted (and my husband agrees). I cannot believe that I made it. The combination of creamy, tart, and crunchy is amazing. Next time I will double the lime filling (although I cant imagine how long it will take me to squeeze all of the limes).
tishaslyon
denver
6/19/2008
A tip when using real key limes: cut the key limes in half and sqeeze the juice using a galic press. I previously reviewed the recipe but came up with process to avoid sqeezing the tiny key limes.
Anonymous
Boulder, CO
6/14/2008
This is the best key lime pie recipe. Ever. Period. Though it seems weird, the toasted rough-chopped almonds are a must. Hand-squeezing an entire bag of TJ's key limes is tiresome, but absolutely worth it (I use slightly more juice, and zest, for a more vibrant filling). Do chill the crust before filling, and do use more melted butter if you find the crust mix too crumbly. Even people who say they hate key lime pie are left begging for a second slice. Top with some homemade whipped cream and you're golden. I've made this six or seven times and am always being asked to make it for my friends' birthdays, etc. If you choose another recipe over this one, you're missing out.
gloriousday
new york city
4/28/2008
神奇的馅饼!我使它为一个宴会having and EVERYONE raved about it. The best key lime pie they've had, I was told. The added almonds in the crust are a definite. And I put the crust in the freezer right before baking it to harden the butter again helping to ensure the crust cohesiveness. I used the filling recipe (I think from Joe's) suggested by someone else that just about doubled the filling and added lime zest. I also chose to skip the meringue and substituted freshly whipped cream with some coconut extract, about 1 teaspoon per 1 cup whipping cream, and piped that onto the pie with some toasted coconut sprinkled on top. Delicious!
stephane11
Northern Virginia
3/16/2008
Loved this key lime pie! I did not grind the almonds, just chopped them by hand and left them a bit larger than called for.
chowmama
asheville, nc
8/12/2007