More citrus desserts you are going to love!
Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram I almost cried again this afternoon, but it wasn’t hormones this time. Valentine is two and has decided that naps are not her thing anymore. The new toddler bed is not helping. (Where is the baby jail/crib when you need it??) She was very quiet for two hours, leading me to think she was asleep, but OH NO. She was busy silently emptying every single drawer of the dresser in her closet where we store our craft and office supplies. At least it’s not as bad as an old friend of mine who had twin baby girls. She put them down for a nap in their new toddler beds, and she thought they were asleep but really they were busy dumping 20 gallons of water on the floor from the water bottles they had stored in the closet. They had to replace the flooring. See? It could always be worse! (These are Persian limes. A microplane grater is your best friend when making a key lime pie recipe! We’re using a TON of zest!) The “Key” limes you buy today (in the US) are usually from Mexico or Central America. They are tiny, seedy, rather bitter, and a pain in the neck to juice (and are NOT the same as the Key limes that became famous 100 years ago. So much for authentic key lime pie!) Key limes are uncommon in most grocery stores and usually very expensive (and don’t even get me started on bottled Key lime juice. Don’t buy it! It’s overpriced and not fresh and no pie of yours should deign to it!) To read more about Key Lime history, read this article from Serious Eats called Key Limes? More like Key LIES. (Long live the Persian lime. An electric juicer is your other best friend when juicing this many limes. More than a cup of juice is no joke.) This is a dangerously quick pie to make. Once you see how fast you can throw it together, it may be appearing on your dessert plate more often than you planned. You’re welcome.
Why is it called key lime pie?
Key lime pie is named after the fruit of the same name, key limes, grown in the Florida Keys. If you’re not familiar with that part of the country, the Florida Keys are a string of islands off the coast of Florida. They’re tropical, so they’re an ideal place for growing citrus fruit. Key lime pie isn’t just any lime pie–it’s made with lime juice, lime zest, and sweetened condensed milk. Throughout the late 1800s and early 1900s, fresh dairy wasn’t as readily available in the Florida Keys. Sweetened condensed milk was a shelf-stable ingredient that made a perfect substitute for traditional custard pie ingredients in desserts. Voila – key lime pie.
- there is not enough lime flavor (when I eat a citrus dessert, I want to have to pucker up my face. I want it TART) and
- Many key lime pie recipes don’t have enough of the actual lime custard part. The custard often only goes up halfway to the top of the graham crust (like 1 inch or so), and then the rest is filled with whipped cream. No thank you. I want double the amount of tart and tangy limey custard, all the way to the tippy top of the graham cracker crust, and THEN add copious amounts of whipped cream on top. YES! So that’s exactly what I’ve created here: the best key lime pie recipe. It’s actually really easy to make. A super tall, custardy layer of lime that fills the pie pan, that is so tart it will knock your socks off, and covered with generous lime whipped cream. 1 – We’re starting off with a graham cracker crust that has a half cup of ground toasted almonds in it. I LOVE the nutty, tropical flavor this adds to the finished pie, but it is optional. You can use all graham cracker crumbs no prob. 2 – On the left are 6 egg yolks beaten for 5 minutes. They turn a nice pale yellow color from all the air whipped into them. 3 – On the right is how much sweetened condensed milk you need from a second can (the recipe calls for one full can plus 2/3 cup from a second can. Yes, I know this is annoying, but I was really committed to having more volume in the recipe to get a taller custard, and 2 cans made it too sweet. Use the other half can to make these Buried Cherry Cookies!) 4 – Fill that custard all the way to the top! Go SLOW. You might need to discard (or eat) a tablespoon or so of custard, depending on how tall you made your crust. I was able to fit all of mine. 5 – Here is the pie just after baking. You can see just a few tiny bubbles that are about to pop, and that’s how you know your pie is done. 6 – Add the juice of one lime to your cream while you’re whipping it to give it a little bit of a kick, and then pipe it all over your chilled pie! 7 – Then try not to eat the whole thing. My brother Nate spread sour cream all over the top of his pie and sprinkled it with powdered sugar. Then he added the lime whipped cream. The pie is great on it’s own, but I tried it that way and it was SO good! Sour cream: never a bad idea.
How to store a Key Lime Pie Recipe with Condensed Milk
Can you freeze key lime pie?
Yes! You can freeze key lime pie with or without the whipped cream. It will last for 1-2 months. When you’re ready to serve it, you can put it in the fridge, and it’ll be ready in 4 hours. If you want it to thaw faster, put it on the counter and you’re good to slice it in about half an hour. Pig Pickin Cake (Sunshine Cake) » one of the easiest layered cakes you’ve ever made, with a light and creamy mandarin orange and pineapple twist! Creamy Lime Bars « this is an oldie but a goodie! Meyer Lemon Tart « If you’ve never tried Meyer lemons, do it! Such a great flavor. The Best Lemon Bars « Lemon Bars are probably my favorite dessert. This is the BEST recipe!! Blackberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars « Cheesecake ftw. These are very pretty, great for serving guests. Lemon Crinkle Cookies with Lemon Frosting « The most delicious lemon cookies sandwiched with super tart lemon frosting! Blueberry Lime Oatmeal Muffins « an unexpected and delicious flavor combo! Lemon Curd Sugar Cookie Sandwiches « I love this combo!! Fresh Blackberry Glace Pie « this is like a Strawberry Glace Pie, but with blackberries instead. SO good! My mom’s Lemon Meringue Pie « I should update this soon! Love this pie! Impossible Lemon Pie from Southern Plate Orange Pie Bars from Back for Seconds Grapefruit Cream Pie from A Spicy Perspective
