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Key Lime Pie

This easy Key Lime Pie from scratch has only 3 ingredients in the satiny smooth filling. Because the filling doesn't contain eggs, there's no need to bake it, giving it an awesome texture and retaining the taste of fresh limes.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American, Best
Level Intermediate
Main Ingredient Dairy, Fruit
Diet Pescatarian, Vegetarian
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings 1 pie

Ingredients

For Crust

  • 130 grams graham crackers
  • 3 tablespoons evaporated cane sugar
  • 70 grams cultured unsalted butter melted

For Filling

  • 2 cups heavy cream 45% butterfat
  • 110 grams evaporated cane sugar about ½ cup
  • 4 grams lime zest zest of 1 lime
  • ⅓ cup lime juice see note below

For Topping

  • 1 cup whipping cream 35% butterfat
  • 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

  • Move your oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 325 degrees F (160 C).
  • Crumble the graham crackers into the bowl of a food processor and add 3 tablespoons of sugar. Pulse until they're fine crumbs (but not so long they turn into powder).
  • Add the melted butter and pulse until combined.
    Graham cracker crumbs for crust.
  • Dump the mixture into a pie plate and press the crumbs into an even layer along the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate. Using a heavy flat-bottomed object such as a glass helps ensure the bottom is packed tightly.
    Pressing graham cracker crumbs into pie dish for key lime pie.
  • Bake the crust in the preheated oven until fragrant (about 15 minutes). Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack.
    Graham cracker crust for key lime pie.
  • Add the heavy cream and sugar to a pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cook, stirring constantly for 5 minutes.
    Boiling cream for making key lime pie filling.
  • Turn off the heat and stir in the lime zest and lime juice. 
    An easy delicious Key Lime filling for key lime pie.
  • Let the mixture cool to room temperature, and then strain it into the pie crust through a sieve to remove the lime zest. Cover the key lime pie and refrigerate until the custard is fully set (2-3 hours).
    Filling the Key Lime Pie.
  • Whip the whipping cream until soft mounds form, Add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Continue whipping until the cream forms well defined peaks, but not until it's hard.
  • Add the cream a piping bag fitted with your favorite tip and pipe the cream onto the pie. You can also just mound the cream onto the pie.

Notes

I know some of you are looking at the ingredients list and thinking that it's not a key lime pie if it doesn't include key limes, but I'd be willing to wager you couldn't tell the difference between a pie made with the juice and zest of regular limes vs key limes. If you're not convinced, feel free to substitute key lime juice and zest.