Classic Key Lime Pie Recipe

Key Lime Pie

Key lime pie is a dessert dish that is typically made with a crust made from crushed graham crackers or pastry, and a filling made from lime juice, egg yolks, and sweetened condensed milk. The filling is then baked in the crust and served chilled. It is a traditional dessert in the Florida Keys, where key limes, which are smaller and more tart than regular limes, are abundant.

Ingredients

The traditional ingredients for key lime pie are:

• Crust: Crushed graham crackers or pastry, butter, and sugar.

• Filling: Lime juice (typically from key limes), sweetened condensed milk, and egg yolks.

• Topping: Whipped cream or meringue

However, depending on recipe variations, ingredient can change as as using cream cheese, sour cream, or other ingredients to change the texture and flavor of the filling.

It's important to notice that key limes are the traditional limes used on this recipe, but regular lime or bottled lime juice can be used as well.

Instructions

There are several methods for making key lime pie. A traditional method is as follows:

1. Prepare the crust: In a mixing bowl, combine crushed graham crackers or pastry, melted butter, and sugar. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie dish.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius).

3. Make the filling: In another mixing bowl, whisk together lime juice, sweetened condensed milk, and egg yolks. Pour the mixture into the crust.

4. Bake the pie for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the filling is set.

5. Take out from the oven, let cool completely before refrigerating the pie for at least 2 hours.

6. After refrigerating, you can add whipped cream or meringue on top of the pie before serving.

Another popular method is no-bake key lime pie, which the filling is not baked, it just chilled in the fridge until it's firm. This recipe might include ingredients like cream cheese, sour cream, or other ingredients to change the texture and flavor of the filling.

Finally, some variations might include a graham cracker or cookie crumb crust, others use a pastry crust and some variations use a blend of different kinds of crust. It is also possible to make a gluten-free crust using almond flour or coconut flour among other options.

FAQ

Q. How long to bake a key lime pie?

When baking a key lime pie, the baking time will depend on the recipe you're using and the depth of the crust and filling. Generally, key lime pies are baked at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius) and it typically takes between 15 to 20 minutes to fully bake the pie.

It's important to keep an eye on the filling while it's baking, you want to see when the filling is set and jiggles just slightly when the pie dish is gently shaken. Overbaking the pie will cause the filling to crack.

Once it is baked, take the pie out from the oven and let it cool down before refrigerating it for at least 2 hours to allow the filling to set properly.

Q. How to make lime filling?

The traditional method for making the filling for a key lime pie includes the following steps:

1. Squeeze the lime juice: Start by squeezing the limes to extract the juice, this should yield about 1/2 cup to 1 cup of lime juice, depending on the size of the limes and the recipe you're using. You can use key limes, which are small and more tart, or regular limes.

2. Whisk together the ingredients: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the lime juice, sweetened condensed milk, and egg yolks. Mix until well combined and smooth.

3. Pour the filling into the crust: Pour the lime filling into the pre-baked and cooled pie crust.

4. Bake: Place the pie in the preheated oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the filling is set and jiggles slightly when the pie dish is gently shaken.

5. Let it cool down: Once the pie is baked, take it out of the oven and let it cool down. Once it is cool, refrigerate the pie for at least 2 hours to allow the filling to set properly before serving.

It is important to note that other variations of key lime pie might have slightly different ingredients, for example, some recipes include cream cheese, sour cream, or other ingredients to change the texture and flavor of the filling.