With its outstanding macadamia nut crust, creamy yet thick key lime filling, and sweet whipped cream on top, this is truly the best key lime pie I’ve ever had. And after 1 bite, I think you will agree. You need 4 ingredients for the crust, and only 3 ingredients for the filling.
Key lime pie will forever be one of my favorite desserts, and I know I’m not alone! This Florida specialty has been winning over millions for years. Between the buttery crunchy crust, fresh and tangy custard filling, and the essential creamy topping—no dessert can rival this one!
But can we make a good thing even better? Yes.
One reader, Valerie, commented: “I have made this recipe multiple times and it is always a huge hit! The macadamia nuts in the crust really give it that extra ‘something’ that people love but can’t quite pinpoint. One of my favorite recipes from your site… ★★★★★“
What Makes This the Best Key Lime Pie?
- Extra thick and nutty crust
- 3-ingredient filling
- Easy to make
- Totally refreshing
- Major key lime flavor
- Topped with homemade whipped cream
- Sweet, salty, citrus-y, buttery, creamy, and tangy all in one
One reader, Ellen, commented: “My son and I made this pie together for Thanksgiving. It is the first time we have ever made a key lime pie before. We followed the recipe exactly! Sally, it was the BEST PIE EVER! Absolutely delicious. Everybody loved it and we will without a doubt make this again. Today I am thankful for leftovers! ★★★★★“
Here’s How You Make This Key Lime Pie
This pie requires a few simple steps. Most of the “work” is hands-off as the key lime pie sets up in the refrigerator, so it’s perfect in the summertime. (A lot of readers make this easy pie for Memorial Day weekend, Father’s Day, 4th of July, summer birthday parties, and Labor Day gatherings.)
- Make the Crust: Use a food processor to combine the macadamia nuts and graham cracker crumbs. Combine with melted butter and sugar, then press tightly into a pie dish.
- Pre-Bake the Crust: Pre-bake the crust for about 8 minutes before pouring in the key lime filling. Pre-baking solidifies the crust and allows for easy slicing once the pie is ready to serve.
- Make the Filling: Whisk together the 3 filling ingredients—it will be thick! Pour into the warm crust.
- Bake the Pie: It usually only takes about 18–20 minutes in the oven. Let it cool completely, then cover and refrigerate the pie for at least 1 hour prior to serving.
- Garnish and Serve: This is extra delicious with fresh whipped cream on top. By the way, if you’re looking for an alternative way to serve it, try my individual upside down key lime pies. Basically the same filling as this pie.
Graham Cracker Macadamia Nut Crust
Key lime pie is traditionally made with graham cracker crust. It’s the most wonderful crunchy, sweet, and buttery bed for the fresh key lime filling. But you won’t believe the difference macadamia nuts make. I use about 1/2 cup of macadamia nuts in place of some of the graham cracker crumbs and the result is pure pie bliss. Macadamia nuts are often overlooked in the baking world, in favor of other nuts. Why, though? They’re so good!
You need 4 ingredients for this crust:
- Macadamia Nuts (I recommend salted)
- Graham Crackers
- Melted Butter
- Sugar
Pulse the macadamia nuts with graham crackers, then mix with melted butter and sugar. Because key limes are a little sweeter than regular limes, you will love the sweet/tangy key lime filling with the salty graham cracker macadamia nut crust.
Or you could use a Biscoff pie crust instead if you’d like.
3-Ingredient Filling
Yes, you need just 3 ingredients. (!!!) If you’ve tried my key lime pie bars or mini key lime pies, you’ll notice that today’s filling is a little different. I typically add a little cream cheese to those recipes for stability and structure. However, for a classic and custard-y pie, we’ll skip it. You just need egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk, and key limes.
My success tip: Do yourself a favor and buy a bottle of key lime juice from the store. There’s a brand of bottled key lime juice that I love called Nellie & Joe’s in most major grocery stores next to the bottled lemon juice. Otherwise you will spend 100 years juicing 500 tiny key limes yourself. LOL. You need 1 cup (240ml) of key lime juice. (Fresh lime zest is optional for this pie.)
How to Tell Key Lime Pie Is Done
One of the most common and easily remedied key lime pie problems is over-baked pie. It’s tricky to know when the pie is done, but here’s my secret: bake the pie until the filling is only slightly jiggly in the center (about 18–20 minutes). It should be firm to the touch, but not totally solid. The pie will continue to set as it cools.
Cool the pie completely on a wire rack, then cover and chill for at least 1 hour before garnishing, slicing, and serving.
How to Decorate Key Lime Pie
Let the refreshing citrus flavor stand out, and keep the garnishes simple.
- Homemade whipped cream
- Since you’ll have leftover egg whites, make a meringue topping like the one on this bourbon sweet potato pie—you’ll have time to kill while the pie chills anyway 🙂
- Quartered lime slices
- Lime zest
- Whole macadamia nuts
- Graham cracker crumbs
I’ve sampled many key lime pies and I can confidently say this is the best one I’ve ever had.
Refreshing Dessert Ideas
When the temperatures rise, the last thing you want to do is spend time in a hot kitchen. You’ll appreciate these simple, delicious, and totally refreshing desserts:
- Creamy Lemon Pie
- No-Bake Cheesecake
- Lemon Berry Trifle
- Peanut Butter Pie
- Dirt Pudding Dessert (so fun for kids!)
- Strawberry Shortcake
7-Ingredient Key Lime Pie
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours, 35 minutes
- Yield: 10-12 servings
- Category: Pie
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This tangy-sweet key lime pie is deliciously simple with an extra thick and nutty crust. You need just 3 ingredients for the filling, and be sure to refrigerate the pie for at least an hour before slicing and serving.
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Macadamia Crust
- 11 (about 160g) full-sheet graham crackers
- 1/2 cup (62g) salted macadamia nuts (I use roasted)
- 2 Tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar
- 5 Tablespoons (71g) unsalted butter, melted
Filling + Topping
- 28 ounces (two 14-ounce cans/793g) full-fat sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup (240ml) key lime juice
- 4 large egg yolks*
- 1 teaspoon key lime zest
- garnish: lime zest, quartered lime slices, macadamia nuts, whipped cream, or meringue topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Make the crust: Using a food processor, pulse the graham crackers and macadamia nuts together into coarse crumbs. A few larger pieces of nuts is OK. Pour into a medium bowl and stir in the sugar. Add the melted butter and stir until combined. The mixture will be thick, coarse, and sandy. Try to smash/break up any large chunks. Pour the mixture into an ungreased 9-inch pie dish. Use your hand to pat down the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides to make a crust. Use medium pressure—simply pat down until the mixture is no longer crumbly. Tips: You can use a small flat-bottomed measuring cup to help press down the bottom crust and smooth out the surface, but do not pack down too hard. And run a spoon around the bottom “corner” where the edge and bottom meet to help make a rounded crust—this helps prevent the crust from falling apart when you slice into the pie. For more shaping technique tips, see the graham cracker crust recipe page.
- Pre-bake crust for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave the oven on.
- Make the filling: Whisk the sweetened condensed milk, lime juice, and egg yolks together (or use an electric mixer). Whisk in the lime zest. Pour into warm crust.
- Bake the pie for 18–20 minutes or until only *slightly* jiggly in the center. You want it mostly set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Once cool, cover and chill for at least 1 hour (and up to 3 days) before serving.
- Garnish as desired.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can prepare and pre-bake the crust up to 2–3 days in advance. Cover and store at room temperature. Likewise, you can mix up the filling up to 2–3 days in advance. Cover and refrigerate, then assemble and bake. Baked and cooled pie freezes well up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Food Processor or Chopper | Glass Mixing Bowl | 9-inch Pie Dish | Citrus Zester | Citrus Juicer | Whisk
- Graham Cracker Crust: If you purchase graham cracker crumbs, you need 1 and 1/3 cups (160g) for this recipe. Even though they are already crumbs, you can still pulse with the nuts. If you want to skip the nuts, use this graham cracker crust recipe instead and pre-bake for 8 minutes.
- Can I Use Regular Limes Instead? Yes, you can make this pie with regular lime juice and lime zest.
- Store-bought Key Lime Juice: If you don’t want to juice dozens of small key limes to yield 1 cup (240ml) juice, store-bought key lime juice works too. I really like a brand called Nellie & Joe’s, and you can find it at the grocery store near the bottled lemon juice.
- Leftover Egg Whites: Here are all my recipes using just egg whites, or you can make a meringue topping for the pie.
- Key Lime Bars: Here is my recipe for key lime pie bars. I add some cream cheese to that filling so the bars hold their shape well.
- Non-US Readers: Don’t have graham crackers where you live? Use 180g ground digestive biscuits instead (about 12 biscuits), with the same amount of nuts and butter, and add an extra Tablespoon (12g) of sugar. Pre-bake for 10 minutes.
Can cream cheese be added to this recipe like you have in the key lime pie square recipe?
Sue
Hi Sue, you can simply use the recipe for mini key lime pies but make it as a full size pie. See recipe notes there for more details!
Favorite recipe. Can you make these into individual pies without the cream cheese? I love this recipe but want individual servings.
Hi Egla, so glad you love this key lime pie recipe! Yes, you can use this recipe for mini key lime pies — the same way you use it for these mini key lime pies. This filling will work just as well as that one!
Delicious and easy! I turned to this recipe after the one from Cook’s Country (America’s Test Kitchen) let me down. Just remember to let it cool down completely at room temp and let it chill uncovered in the fridge for an hour or so before covering it. Otherwise you’ll end up with a little condensation.
This is a fantastic recipe and I always get great feedback when I make it. I struggle with the crust though. Even with a pre-bake, it is a battle for me to get the pie out. Slices are always pretty wonky and broken up. Any idea what I could be doing wrong? Thanks for your wonderful recipe!
Hi Meghan, if you’re having troubles removing the crust, it might be just slightly over baked. For next time, try reducing the pre-bake by just a minute. Make sure it is tightly packed in the pan and that your graham cracker / nuts are sufficiently ground up (although a few large pieces of nuts is fine). Hope this helps and we’re so glad you’ve been enjoying this pie!
I used a classic graham cracker crust (no nuts) and this filling. Fantastic. I topped it with the not-so-sweet whipped frosting (really a whipped cream). What a great combination.
I absolutely love this recipe. The keylime was tangy and sweet- an absolute hit. I usually use your graham cracker crust recipe without the nuts, but I’d like to try something different this go around. My nieces love pecans. Can I use any nut for this recipe? Thank you!
Hi Kim, you can absolutely use pecans or any other nut in place of the macadamia nuts. So glad you enjoy this recipe!
I made it with crushed cashews. So good!!!
This Key Lime Pie is amazing! Very easy to make and it was delicious. A big hit with the family. It tasted even better on the next day! The crust is easy and so delicious, much better than buying the ready made at the supermarket. All homemade! Love it!!!
I love this recipe! I’ve made it so many times and it’s always a favorite at holidays. I was wondering if this recipe could be made in bar form instead of in a pie pan?
Hi Chloe! We recommend following our key lime pie bars recipe instead. Enjoy!
This recipe is dangerously simple (I could have delicious key lime pie with this little effort??)
I baked this to take to my kids’ school for Pi Day and got so many compliments about how delicious it is! Winning!!!
I made this for the first time today. Absolutely delicious!!!!! I followed the directions for a 9 inch pie, and it seemed like there was going to be too much filling, so I didn’t put all of it in the shell, so my question is can I cook the remaining filling in the microwave and chill it just to eat as is. The next time I make it, I will put it in a bigger pie plate. Thank you!
Hi Jean! We recommend making some mini key lime pies with the leftover filling! You can bake it on a graham cracker crust in a mini muffin tin (like in this mini key lime pies recipe) or use this method for upside down key lime pies.
I have made this recipe multiple times and it is always a huge hit! The macadamia nuts in the crust really give it that extra ‘something’ that people love but can’t quite pinpoint. One of my favorite recipes from your site, Sally!
If I use graham cracker crumbs, how much should I use? Thanks
Hi Ellen! You can use this graham cracker crust recipe – enjoy!
Please send beginning recipes that are easy because I haven’t cooked in 40 years thank you
Hi there! This got rave reviews and was absolutely the best key lime pie that everyone had ever had!
This time I need to make them in a muffin tin…I know you have a recipe for mini key lime pies but this recipe was my mom’s very favorite and I was reallly hoping to make this one. Could you please council me on approximately how long to bake it in muffin tins? Would it be about 15 minutes like the mini pie recipe or does the lack of cream cheese mean less time?
Thank you in advance for making our late Mother’s Day extra special!!
Hi Gillian! You can absolutely make these in muffin tins — follow the bake time and directions for mini key lime pies, but use this filling instead. So glad to hear you enjoy this one!
This pie is sooo delicious and is incredibly easy to make. It’s the perfect combination of tart and creamy. It’s perfect for a hot summer day. I always use the recommended key lime juice and the flavour is incredible.
Can I use a 9” springform pan instead of a 9” pie pan?
Yes, that should be fine, Deborah. Enjoy!
I love this recipe so much! Is there a way I can use this recipe but use a few small (tart) pans?
Hi Lillie! Yes, you can use this recipe for mini key lime pies — the same way you use it for these mini key lime pies. This filling will work just as well as that one!
I’ve yet to use a recipe from here that didn’t turn out well. I decided to make a key lime pie for Christmas with a recipe from another site. The result was mortifying. In desperate need of redemption, I came to Sally. This pie is amazing. The flavor is wonderful and the the directions were spot on. Sally came through again.
Should the ingredients be cold?
Hi Sean! Temperature doesn’t matter too much for this recipe since the crust is made with melted butter and the filling is baked.
Can I use a regular pie crust that you use for your apple pie?
Hi Sean, Yes you could! You will want to par-bake the crust first.
My son and I made this pie together for Thanksgiving. It is the first time we have ever made a key lime pie before. We followed the recipe exactly! Sally, it was the BEST PIE EVER! Absolutely delicious. Everybody loved it and we will without a doubt make this again. Today I am thankful for leftovers!
I have made this pie 5 times and follow the recipe as written and it always comes out perfect. So easy, can’t understand how anyone would have a problem with it.
I cannot believe people could be so rude when someone is giving you SOMETHING FOR FREE. and on top of it, to insult the recipe when you substitute DIGESTIVE CRACKERS for graham crackers and use lime juice instead of key lime juice. Unbelievable. This is the best key lime recipe I’ve made (and the only!), huge hit with my coworker who requested it. I usually stick to cakes but ventured to Sally per usual for this pie and was not disappointed, PER USUAL. THANK YOU SALLY <3
Alex, I am based in the UK so cannot find graham crackers or key lime juice. I very highly doubt these subs changed the recipe. I believe it is the cooking advice of cooking until ‘slightly jiggly’ that does not work, and you will note that I was not the only reader with this issue. A recipe will not work always work for everyone and I am just sharing my experience to help out others. If it worked for you, fantastic, but there is no need for you to make snide remarks about my own experience with this recipe.
What happened? I have relied on this website for so many success bakes and was completely disappointed when this ‘pie’ turned into a curdled inedible mess. My husband was craving key lime pie and I thought who better to turn to than Sally! Well, look for another recipe guys. This isn’t it if you’re looking for key lime pie. The recipe says bake for only 15-20 minutes at 177 degrees Celsius or until the pie is only ‘slightly jiggly’ in the centre. Well, at 20 minutes the pie was still liquid – ‘slightly jiggly’ took me over 40 minutes. I had to ask my husband to check as it took so long I had to leave the house to pick up my child from daycare! We cooled the pie and placed it in the fridge for one hour before serving. When we tasted it, we both recoiled – it was not edible and went straight into the trashcan. Please revisit this recipe and edit it, as after reading all the comments, it seems I am not the only one with this problem…
Hi Charlotte, thank you for giving this key lime pie a try! Did you make any ingredient substitutions? Make sure you are using sweetened condensed milk, not evaporated milk.
Hi Trina,
Yes I followed the recipe to the letter and only subbed digestive biscuits over graham crackers and regular lime juice as I am based in the UK. I really would like this recipe to work. Please look into this recipe again, there are other readers who faced problems with the cooking time.
I have double strength key lime juice from a shop in Key West. Will it be too tart and if so, how would you suggest I adjust the recipe?
Thank you
Hi Pam! That sounds delicious! We haven’t had the pleasure of testing this pie with that double strength key lime juice, so can’t say for certain. Perhaps you could dilute it before using? Are there instructions on the bottle? Let us know what you try!
I made it using the full cup and it was too tart. Hubby looked further on the bottle and it says to use 1/2 of what the recipe calls for. Oops!
Will try it again soon. The macadamia crust was awesome
Greetings from Australia!
This pie came out text book perfect. Adding the macadamias to the crust was a stroke of genius. I had to use digestive biscuits, so added a dash of coarse pink salt and a little more butter – ridiculously more-ish.
So delicious, thanks for another fantastic recipe.
Hi! How do I make the pie look smooth after pouring it on top of the crust, or how do I get rid of the bubbles on top? Thank you!
Hi Juls, Some bubbles are completely normal. It’s the air from the eggs rising to the surface. Some batches have it, some don’t. Regardless, the pie filling should taste the same and if you add a garnish (some ideas are lime zest, lime slices, macadamia nuts, whipped cream, or even a dusting of confectioners’ sugar) it covers it right up!
This is my new favorite key lime pie recipe! I added 2 tsp of key lime zest to the filling mixture other than that I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out amazing!
Hey Sally! I have to say your recipes are THE BEST 🙂 You have become my sister’s and my go-to source for baking ideas. I just made your huge choc chip cookies for my nephew’s birthday (yup at 22, he’s still a choc chip addict LOL). And I obtained some Key Lime juice (not easy in ON) and want to cool the summer heat with a pie!
My question is… I like the idea of the Mini Key Lime Pies, but wanted to check on the difference of:
PIE – 2 cans of Cond Milk vs. MINIs – 1 can, plus 4 oz cream cheese
and PIE has a full cup of juice vs. MINIs – just a 1/2 cup
It would seem to me that the PIE would be zestier/tarter with the full cup of juice?
(However, I really like the idea of the cream cheese making the MINI’s partly cheezecakey… so the only thing I can think is that the MINIs pack a little less flavour punch?
Thanks so much for any advice! I’m off to shop for ingredients…
K
Hi Kim, thank you so much for your kind note and for making and trusting many of our recipes! In regards to the key lime pie, you can use this recipe for mini key lime pies — the same way you use it for these mini key lime pies. This filling will work just as well as that one! Both have the same great flavor, the mini key lime pies just have a slight tang and texture of cheesecake with the addition of the cream cheese. Hope this helps and that you enjoy the key lime pie!
Hi Sally,
Can I replace the macadamia nuts with walnuts? Or any other kind of nut, for that matter?
Thanks for your fantastic recipes!
Hi Jackie, You can replace the macadamia nut with any other nut including walnuts. Or you can use this graham cracker crust recipe.
I made this and it was super simple and tasty. Do you have any suggestions on how to make it a little more tart?
I’ve made this recipe several times before and I just made again today after a few years. So easy and delicious but I forgot that I prefer adding some lime zest to give it even more zing (I like tart!) Also I always make this in a 10” pie plate because for some reason I have 3 of them and no standard size and it works fine, just not as deep dish as intended.
I made this recipe this week at my husband’s request …his birthday pie. I couldn’t find key limes or even key lime juice where I live (Saskatchewan, Canada) so I used regular limes. I had never tasted key lime pie before let alone made one. It turned out amazingly delicious. So creamy and citrusy. My husband loved it! I love your recipes, Sally. You are my go to when I need a new recipe and many of yours are now part of my own collection. Thank you!
I made this for my mom’s birthday. The macadamia nuts in the crust are what puts it over the top! I did increase yolks to six based on previous comments. It was baked perfectly in just under 20 minutes.