Easy Homemade Key Lime Pie

Celebrate the warm weather and sunshine with this deliciously vibrant key lime pie made from scratch! Each bite has buttery graham cracker crust topped with a creamy, sweet, and tart filling and tons of lime flavor. Top yours with whipped cream and extra lime for added presentation!

Key lime pie is a simple classic pie recipe that never gets old. It’s sweet and citrusy, rich, and creamy, and perfect for spring picnics and summer BBQs.

We’re using a homemade graham cracker crust which gives it a sweet, crumbly texture and the creamy filling is made with sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, fresh lime zest, and fresh lime juice.

The beauty of this key lime pie recipe is you don’t actually need to use key limes!

It works just as well with regular limes, which is great because key limes are hard to find. Plus, they’re much smaller, so you’d need more of them.

Key lime juice from a bottle can be used, but again, it’s not at all necessary to make the best key lime pie you’ve ever had.

Much like a coconut cream pie or fresh strawberry pie, this classic pie recipe never disappoints, so it’s sure to be a hit at your house too!

Ingredients

• Large egg yolks – Separate the yolks from the whites (keep the whites refrigerated and use them for breakfast!). It’s a good idea to bring them to room temperature, so that they blend nicely, and all ingredients bake evenly.
• Grated lime zest and fresh lime juice – You can use freshly squeezed lime juice or juice from a bottle. I say fresh is best and to use the juice from the limes you’re zesting.
• Sweetened condensed milk – This is evaporated milk that has had sugar added to it. It’s thick and creamy and gives the filling its body as well as its sweetness.
• Salt – For balance of flavor.
• For the crust – Graham crackers, unsalted butter, sugar, and salt. Melt and cool the butter beforehand, and break apart the graham crackers into pieces to fit in the food processor.

How to make an Easy Key Lime Pie

1. Step One: Zest the limes just until you reach the bitter white part. Don’t go any further, you just want the green zest! Juice those same limes, plus more if needed to get the right amount.

1. Step Two: In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks and lime zest together for a couple of minutes until the mixture is yellow-green and frothy. Then, whisk in the condensed milk until smooth and pour in the lime juice and a pinch of salt. Mix to fully combine and set it aside.

3. Step Three: Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor to a fine crumb. Pour in the melted butter, sugar, and salt and continue pulsing until the mixture comes together to form wet sand. Transfer it to a 9-inch pie plate and press it into an even layer.

4. Step Four: Bake the crust for 10-12 minutes until just golden. Remove it from the oven and pour in the filling. Bake the key lime pie for an additional 15-18 minutes until firm but slightly jiggly.

5. Step Five: Take it out of the oven and let it cool on the counter for an hour before covering it and moving it into the fridge to chill for another 2-3 hours. Overnight is even better, if you have the time. Once it has fully set, add your homemade Cool Whip and lime slices, and enjoy!

Storage

How to store leftovers

Fresh key lime pie can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. I have a feeling you won’t have any left long before then!

Can you freeze key lime pie?

Sure can. Let it cool completely, wrap it tight, and freeze either by the slice or the pie for up to 2-3 months.

5 from 1 vote

Easy Homemade Key Lime Pie

Created by Melissa Williams

Servings: 8 slices

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 25 minutes mins

Chill Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time: 2 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

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This homemade key lime pie is the perfect balance of sweet and tart, with a buttery graham cracker crust and a creamy lime-infused filling. A refreshing dessert for warm weather, best served with whipped cream and fresh lime slices.

Ingredients

 

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For the filling

• ▢ 4 large egg yolks
• ▢ 1 heaping Tablespoon grated lime zest
• ▢ 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
• ▢ ½ cup fresh lime juice
• ▢ 1 pinch salt

For the crust

• ▢ 8 graham crackers broken into pieces
• ▢ 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled
• ▢ 3 Tablespoons granulated white sugar
• ▢ 1 pinch salt

Instructions

To make the key lime filling

• Zest the limes (make sure you only take the green and don't go down to the white, that part is bitter). It took 5 small limes for me to get a heaping tablespoon.
• Juice those same limes you just zested to get a 1/2 cup of lime juice. That took 6 small limes for me.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks and lime zest together for about 2 minutes. The mixture should be yellow-green and frothy.
  4 large egg yolks, 1 heaping Tablespoon grated lime zest
• Whisk in the condensed milk until smooth then whisk in the lime juice and pinch of salt until fully incorporated. Set aside.
  14 ounces sweetened condensed milk, ½ cup fresh lime juice, 1 pinch salt

To make the graham cracker crust

• Preheat the oven to 325°F.
• Break up the graham crackers and use a food processor to pulse until you have a fine crumb. Alternatively, you can use a large zip top bag with a rolling pin to crush into a fine crumb.
  8 graham crackers
• To the food processor with the crumbs, pour in the melted butter, sugar, and pinch of salt. Pulse about 6 times until it comes together and the mixture looks like wet sand.
  5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, 3 Tablespoons granulated white sugar, 1 pinch salt
• Pour the graham cracker mixture into a 9″ pie plate and press into an even layer. I used the bottom of a measuring cup to help press it down evenly.
• Bake the crust for 10-12 minutes or just golden and then remove.
• Pour the lime filling into the warm crust and bake for an additional 15-18 minutes. The filling should be firm but slightly jiggly.
• Remove from the oven and let cool on the counter for about an hour before covering and move it to the fridge. Let it chill in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours to fully set. I prefer to let it set overnight, if time allows.
• When ready to serve, garnish with fresh whipped cream or Redi-Whip and lime slices.

Notes

• When zesting the limes, make sure you only take the green and don’t go down to the white, that part is bitter. 
• A heaping Tablespoon of lime zest took 5 limes for me and 1/2 cup of lime juice took 6 limes for me. This will depend on the size of your limes.
• Bottled lime juice can be used but fresh is worth the effort.
• You can use graham cracker sheets or buy graham cracker crumbs. You’ll need about 8 sheets of crackers or about a cup of crumbs.
• A premade pie crust can also be used.
• Pie will serve 6-8 depending on size of slices.
• Store covered in the fridge for up to a week.

Recipe from Pook’s Pantry

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Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 330kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 127mg | Sodium: 170mg | Potassium: 238mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 481IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 167mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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Originally published May 29, 2013; photos and text updated March 26, 2025