Buttery Graham Cracker Crust with a Sweet n Tangy Luscious Filling… this Classic Key Lime Pie is a Simple yet Flavorful Dessert, Perfect for any Occasions…!!
Celebrating 4 years of blogging @PepperDelight with a Sweet Treat!! And this year I’ve decided not to do a cake and instead I present to you one of my favorite desserts of all time – a Key Lime Pie!!
I was initially hesitant to publish this recipe post as it wasn’t the right time of the year for Key lime pies, nor did I happen to recently live or visit Florida where Key lime pie is the official pie of the state. But it’s my blog anniversary and I don’t need a better excuse to share one of my favorite desserts! Right?
2019 at a glimpse
2019 was indeed a special year for Pepper Delight; a lot of authentic Kerala recipes and a big step into photography as a business! The exposure & reach, sponsored posts work & photography kit upgrades, are a few to name among the year’s highlights… and on top of that I was able to stay true to my roots by publishing many authentic Kerala recipes too.
Indian food and its culture are so diverse. The endless varieties, especially vegetarian is something majority of the rest of the world is not even aware of. Its not just Butter Chicken, Naan or Chicken Tikka, each and every State and Union Territory of India has hundreds of dishes of their own, many of which we haven’t even heard about. I just hope to be able to continue doing my part of sharing as many authentic dishes from my small State Kerala, and a huge Thank You to all my wonderful followers who follow, appreciate, and inspire me to go on. Lots of love…!
Now Let’s talk about Key Lime Pie
It’s a delight! Sweet, Tangy, Light, and a pretty easy dessert which is equally refreshing to your taste buds. Key lime pie is a dish I crave and order often at restaurants. It’s equally sweet & tangy flavors are a reminiscent of my blog’s 4-year journey, the initial struggles to all the fun & excitement till date.
Key lime pie is considered as the official pie of Florida, primarily due to its main ingredient Key lime being grown in the state. This pie is the combination of a crunchy graham cracker crust with a luscious creamy tangy filling. And to complement the taste, it’s topped with some whipped cream – a balanced mix of three different textures & flavors! The traditional recipe is a no-bake dessert made with condensed milk, egg yolks and lime juice, but nowadays since consuming raw eggs is considered as a major health risk, we bake this pie to cook it through and also speed up the thickening process of its filling.
This recipe calls for a lot of Key limes as the lime juice extracted from them is the core ingredient of this pie. Unlike regular limes, Key limes are smaller, slightly yellow colored, aromatic, and is difficult to find in your daily grocery stores. But don’t worry, you can use bottled lime juice (Nellie & Joes Original Famous Key West Lime Juice is an excellent option) or even regular limes for this recipe.
This classic recipe is super simple and is creamy smooth, just perfect for any occasions. I am pretty sure from the first bite; you will be closing your eyes and humming “yummmmm” as it all melts inside!
Enjoy, Happy Baking…!
Don’t forget to check out my previous years Blog Anniversary special cakes:
• 2017 – Chocolate Hazelnut Semi Naked Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache
• 2018 – Matcha Cake with Buttercream Frosting and White Chocolate Matcha Drip
• 2019 – Neapolitan Ombre Cake
Follow me on Instagram, try out the recipes and tag #pepperdelightblog to all your pictures of Pepper Delight recipes you prepare. Rate us if you love it!
Buttery Graham Cracker Crust with a Sweet n Tangy Luscious Filling… this Classic Key Lime Pie is a Simple yet Flavorful Dessert, Perfect for any Occasions…!!
- 1¾ cup graham cracker crumbs
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter (melted)
- 2 cans of 14oz. sweetened condensed milk
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 cup key lime juice (from 10 limes)
- Zest of one key lime
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- Lime slices (garnish)
- Mint leaves (optional, garnish)
- Grated lime zest (garnish)
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Preheat oven to 350-degree F.
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In a large bowl, mix together graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter. Make sure all the crumbs are mixed well and moistened.
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Transfer the mix to a 9-inch pie plate and firmly press on it with the back of a spoon or a measuring cup over the base as well as around the edges to form an even layer of crumb base.
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Place the pie plate in the oven and bake the crust for 8-10 minutes, make sure not to brown or burn the crust. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool.
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In a large bowl, whisk together condensed milk, egg yolks, lime juice, and grated lime zest.
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Pour the mix slowly onto the pie plate and allow it to spread and evenly cover the crust. Place the pie plate in the oven and bake for 15-17 minutes until the center is set yet wobbly. Remove the plate from the oven and allow it to cool on a wire rack.
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Once cooled, refrigerate for 3-4 hrs. for the pie to set properly.
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In a large bowl, beat whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract together to make the frosting. Transfer it to a piping bag and decorate the pie as desired.
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Other optional garnishes are mint leaves, grated lime zest, and lime slices.
1. If graham cracker crumbs are not readily available, you can instead buy graham crackers and give it a quick blend in a food processor to make the crumbs.
2. Key limes are hard to get especially when off season, and an alternative would be to buy bottled key lime juice; Nellie & Joes Original Famous Key West Lime Juice is an excellent product for this recipe.
3. When baking the pie along with the filling, keep an eye not to overdo it otherwise you will start to see the filling curdle around the edges.
4. Leftovers can be refrigerated in an air tight container for up to 2-3 days.