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!
The best Key Lime Pie and you only need 4 ingredients!
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.
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.
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:
- Lemon Cream Pie
- Coconut Cream Pie
- Apple Pie
- Chocolate Cream Pie
- Banana Cream Pie
- Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake
- Lemon Meringue Pie
- Blueberry Pie
- German Chocolate Pie
Follow me for more great recipes
Recipe
Key Lime Pie
Equipment
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust:*
- 1½ cups ground graham crackers (150g), (about 12 full sheets, crushed)
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar (67g)
- 6 Tablespoons butter (86g), melted
Key Lime Filling:
- 2 14 ounce cans sweetened condensed milk
- 4 ounces cream cheese , softened (full fat)
- ¾ cup key lime juice* (170g)
- zest from 2 regular limes , or 4 key limes
Whipped Cream Topping:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream (227g)
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar (30g)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
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
Nutrition
Create a FREE Account to save your favorite recipes and create meal plans
Follow Me
I originally shared this recipe August 2017. Updated November 2019, November 2022 and March 2025.
This post contains affiliate links.
This key lime pie is absolutely delicious and indeed very easy to make. I make it often
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
Yes, use 3/4 cup. Apparently your Key Limes are extra-large, most are tiny.
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!!
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.
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.
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.
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!
Thanks Vanessa–Happy you all love it as much as we do!