The best Key Lime Pie recipe has a creamy, fresh, and flavorful 4-ingredient filling on top of a homemade graham cracker crust. It's so easy to make and great to make in advance!

An easy Key Lime Pie recipe with one slice being raised from the pie to serve.

The best Key Lime Pie and you only need 4 ingredients!

Key Lime Pie is one of my favorites because there's no easier pie (seriously, any beginner cook can make this and look like a pro doing it), and it's absolutely delicious! The base of the pie is a graham cracker crust–you can use store-bought but homemade is just 3 ingredients and tastes way better.

If you are feeding a large group, try my Key Lime Pie Bars!

If you want other quick pie recipes, try No-Bake Cheesecake, Peanut Butter Pie, Eggnog Pie, or Chess Pie.

How to make Key Lime Pie:

Make Crust and Filling: Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter in a small bowl then firmly press into pie pan. Bake for 10 minutes at 350°F (180°F) then let cool completely. Beat cream cheese with hand mixer until smooth then add sweetened condensed milk, lime juice, and lime zest, mixing until smooth.

Two images showing how to make key lime pie by making a graham cracker crust then the creamy filling whisked in a bowl with fresh lime zest.

Bake: Pour filling into graham cracker crust then bake for 10 minutes at 350°F (180°F). Let pie cool for 30 minutes then place in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours before serving. For whipped cream, beat heavy cream with hand mixer for one minute then slowly add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until stiff peaks. Spread or pipe whipped cream on top of key lime pie.

The best Key Lime Pie recipe in a pie plate with whipped cream piped around the edges then after a slice is on a plate with a fork taking a bite.

Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:

To Make Ahead: The graham cracker crust and filling can be made in advance and stored seperatly in the fridge until ready to assemble and bake. Leftover key lime pie will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.

To Freeze: Let key lime pie cool completely then place a piece of parchment paper on top then wrap in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before serving.

More Pie Recipes:

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Recipe

An easy Key Lime Pie recipe with one slice being raised from the pie to serve.
Prep 15 minutes
Cook 20 minutes
Total 35 minutes
Save Recipe

Ingredients
  

Graham Cracker Crust:*

  • cups ground graham crackers (150g), (about 12 full sheets, crushed)
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar (67g)
  • 6 Tablespoons butter (86g), melted

Key Lime Filling:

Whipped Cream Topping:

Instructions
 

  • Graham Cracker Crust: Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter in a small bowl. Pour crumb mixture into an 8" – 9.5" pie pan and press it firmly in the bottom of the pan and a little bit up the sides of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
  • Key Lime Filling: Add cream cheese to a mixing bowl and beat well with electric beaters until smooth. Add both cans of sweetened condensed milk, lime juice, and lime zest and mix again until smooth. Pour into prepared graham cracker crust.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Allow pie to cool for about 30 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours, before serving.
  • Whipped Cream Toppings: Add heavy cream to a mixing bowl and beat with electric mixers for 1 minute. Slowly add powdered sugar and vanilla and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Spread or pipe the whipped cream on top of the cooled pie.

Notes

Limes vs Key Lime Juice: I recommend using Nellie's Key Lime Juice (available at most grocery stores)! The most common limes in US grocery stores are Persian limes. Key Limes are much smaller, have more seeds and intense flavor, and you'll need to juice about 20. 
Gingersnap Cookie Crust: Assemble and bake the same as graham cracker crust but use 1 ½ cups crunchy gingersnap cookie crumbs, 2 tablespoons sugar and 5 tablespoons melted butter.
Make Ahead Instructions: The graham cracker crust and filling can be made in advance and stored seperatly in the fridge until ready to assemble and bake. Leftover key lime pie will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Freezing Instructions: Let key lime pie cool completely then place a piece of parchment paper on top then wrap in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Keep pie in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the refrigerator before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 190kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 2gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 157mgPotassium: 78mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 381IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 43mgIron: 0.5mg

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I originally shared this recipe August 2017. Updated November 2019, November 2022 and March 2025.

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Lauren Allen

Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos.

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Gail Heffelfinger
3 months ago

This key lime pie is absolutely delicious and indeed very easy to make. I make it often

7 months ago

Lauren, I plan to use fresh Key Limes to prepare your recipe yet I’m concerned there may be a typo in your “Notes”.

In the “Notes” you state to use the “juice about 20 small key limes” yet in the Key Lime Filling Ingredients you state to use “¾ cup key lime juice”.

In a Google search I learned that 1 Key Lime yields 2 Tablespoons of juice. 12 Tablespoons = ¾ Cups therefore only 6 Key Limes should be needed for your recipe. I’m I missing something?

Robert Brett
Olympia, WA

Josey
10 months ago

5 stars
I have a client who ask for keylime pie twice a year. I found this recipe and have been using this for the past two years. *Confession*Before that, I have never baked a keylime pie before nor have I ever tasted a keylime pie (even as I’m writing this review) Let me tell y’all THIS IS A FULL PROOF RECIPE!! MY Client and her family LOVE IT!! They said that this is thee best keylime pie they’ve ever eaten!
I tweaked it a little by using vanilla wafer cookies as I don’t like the gritt of gram crackers cookies. THATS IT!!! TRY IT YOU WONT BE DISAPPOINTED!!

Joanne
11 months ago

The family said this was the best key lime pie they’ve ever tasted. I agreed. It was easy to make and perfectly delicious. Thank you for sharing.

Isaac
1 year ago

3 stars
There’s not enough cream cheese in this recipe. It won’t set, even after three hours in the freezer. Just immediately falls apart. You need at least 8oz, not 4.

Other than that, great recipe.

Alexa
1 year ago

No, no, no. Key lime pie does NOT have cream cheese in it. It has separated eggs. And whipped cream just hides the delicate lime taste, completely unnecessary.

Vanessa
1 year ago

5 stars
I have made this several times for my three kids. It is my teenagers favorite! As soon as the weather warms up, he asks for this pie. Thank you for a delicious recipe!

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