Have you ever needed to take a dessert to a party or a potluck?

The Best Key Lime Pie Recipe is my go-to, easy, no-fuss, always turns out perfectly dessert.

You should definitely make it this season, even if you’re just hosting a party of two 😉.      

“My recipe,” which is printed on the back of Nellie and Joe’s Key Lime Juice requires a 9-inch graham cracker pie crust and just three ingredients: a 14-ounce can of condensed milk, three egg yolks and a half cup of key lime juice. 

I gild the lily by using a microplane zester to incorporate fresh lime zest into the pie filling but it’s not necessary. 

That’s an affiliate link to the zester. I only recommend products that I’ve used and think are crucial to your kitchen. See my disclosure policy.

Easiest Best Key Lime Pie Recipe

Key Lime Pie Recipe Notes

Is a homemade graham cracker crust necessary for key lime pie? 

No. While I adore a homemade graham cracker crust probably even more than the next person, 9 times out of ten I use a store-bought graham cracker crust.

You can’t go wrong with a Keebler graham cracker crust.

When you make the filling, it’s important to first blend the egg yolks and the condensed milk together until thick.

This will take at least two minutes. 

Once the egg yolk and condensed milk has thickened, then add the key lime juice and stir to combine.

Easiest, Best Key Lime Pie Recipe

Yield: 8

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Creamy and tart, make this three-ingredient key lime pie to dazzle your next party guests or your family. If you're not an experienced pie baker, you won't believe how easy it is to make key lime pie.

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Ingredients

• 1 9-inch graham cracker pie crust
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 14-ounce can of condensed milk
• 1/2 cup Nellie and Joe's Key Lime Pie juice
• zest of one lime-about 1 teaspoon
• whipped cream to serve

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a medium size bowl with an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks and the condensed milk for three minutes or until the mixture has thickened. The mix will turn a pale yellow when finished.
3. Add 1/2 cup key lime juice and beat for another minute.
4. Zest one lime over the top of the mixture and stir to combine
5. Pour into prepared graham cracker crust.
6. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until center of pie is no longer wobbly.
7. Let rest and cool on counter for an hour.
8. Refrigerate for at least three hours before serving.
9. Slice into eight wedges and serve with whipped cream.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 436Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 114mgSodium: 245mgCarbohydrates: 64gFiber: 1gSugar: 51gProtein: 9g

Frequently Asked Questions about Key Lime Pie

Does Key Lime Pie need to baked? 

Yes, bake your key lime pie or it isn’t going to set up enough for you to slice it without running all over your dessert plate.

There is a ton of debate about this on the interwebs, including over at Chowhound.

If you’re going to bake a key lime pie using egg yolks, condensed milk and key lime juice, the pie must be baked for at least 15 minutes at 350 F. I usually bake my pie for 20 minutes because I like a firmer filling.

Also, I have uncooked egg paranoia. 

But yes, this pie, using the ingredients listed above, needs to baked or it isn’t going to set up enough for you to slice it.

There are a few no-bake recipes floating around today but they require cream cheese as well as other ingredients. 

There’s a recipe on Food and Wine that I’m not linking to here that uses all of these same ingredients as mine plus an egg that’s supposed to chill overnight in the fridge instead of being baked. However, the reviews are atrocious. 

I like the Nellie and Joe’s recipe for its simplicity.

Have you seen key limes? They are teeny tiny. You have to squeeze about a dozen key limes to get a half up of juice needed for this pie. 

Nellie and Joe’s key lime juice tastes great and it’s available everywhere, even Walmart and Target. 

And, there’s no squeezing of limes to make the pie.

Where do I find Nellie and Joe’s Key Lime Juice?

Many stores keep Nellie and Joe’s Key Lime Juice in the liquor aisle with the mixers. 

Other stores stock Nellie and Joe’s in the produce section.

Can I use regular lime juice instead of key lime juice?

Yes, you can substitute regular lime juice 

Your Turn:

What’s your favorite pie?