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
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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
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I originally shared this recipe August 2017. Updated November 2019, November 2022 and March 2025.
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This pie is delicious! When I make it. People rave about it! Thank you!
I want to make this for many people to sample. Would it work to make it in a mini muffin tin?
Sure! Cook time would be less–maybe 6-8 minutes.
Best key lime pie I’ve ever had. Family loves it. Made it exact to recipe. Don’t deviate from it!!
I find recipes a lot that dont taste as good as they say or you just dont get whats advertised. But this….this was the BOMB! This was so great, they at it ALL right after dinner, and its a pretty big pie, even with an 8 inch store bought crust. Please, tell me this can somehow be made with bananna?
I’ve made this twice for family parties and it’s now my daughter’s favorite. It’s now her special birthday request. The cream cheese adds a nice balance to the sweet/tartness. I use light brown sugar in the graham cracker crust.
Can I just use one can of condensed milk?
You’d need to make up for that, or you wont have enough volume of batter, and the pie wont set up the same…
Perfect recipe, the pie was amazing! Everyone loved it. I had to use regular limes instead of key limes, they don’t even have the juice where I live, but the zest from an extra lime added a little extra flavor that almost made up for it!
Absolutely wonderful. I made it for my daughter’s 24th birthday. I started with squeezing a bag of key lines but soon went to the store and bought Nelly and Joe’s . Loved this recipe!
This pie is delicious!! My family loved it!
This pie is amazing. Everyone raves when I make it. Is it possible to make the filling and refrigerate it overnight? I won’t have the crust ready until tomorrow.
Yes, the filling can be made 2-3 days ahead, and then poured in the crust and baked.
Best key lime pie we’ve ever eaten!