Key Lime Pie

A tart and citrusy pie with a smooth, not too sweet key lime custard an a crunchy graham cracker crust. This almost-no-bake dessert is a slice of sunshine on a plate.

I know I’m not alone when I wonder what the H-E-double toothpicks happened to the first half of summer?? Faster than a five year old running for a slip-n-slide, here we are already in the middle of July. I for one am a little {okay, a lot} saddened by this fact and I plan to take full advantage of the second half of summertime’s free and easy feelin’. Less to-do list and more bucket list. Fewer oven-baked dinners and more beachside picnics. I’m going to say no to uber long gym workouts and yes to extra long evening walks. Pool days and hammock naps and that second margarita….yaaassss please! It’s summertime friends and if the livin’ ain’t easy now, it won’t be again until a year from now.

So in the spirit of spending less time doing and more time enjoying, I bring you an almost-no-bake dessert that is the perfect pairing for a hot summer night. If reading this blog post is getting in the way of your summer fun-day, feel free to skip ahead to the key lime pie recipe if that’s what you’re after. I totally won’t notice the difference.

Okay, back to PIE!!! This gem is tart and citrusy, with a smooth, not too sweet key lime custard that will have your taste buds in a tizzy. In a good way. The tartness of the key lime is complimented by the sweet, crunchy texture of the graham cracker crust. The crust is seriously the easiest thing ever to make from scratch so please don’t be seduced by the store bought stuff….the flavor of homemade just can’t be beat. Oh, and it probably goes without saying but pie is always best when topped with a healthy dollop of freshly whipped cream.

This key lime pie just so happens to be my non-cake-eating hubby’s favorite dessert of all time. I’m like, “where’s the chocolate” but he’s all about the citrus flavors. It helps a bit that he has a key lime tree growing out in the orchard….his pride and joy. Around here, key lime season is better known as key lime PIE season and you can bet there is plenty of this pie in the fridge right about now.

Speaking of seasons, before one more minute of summer sneaks by I’m going to sign off and go catch the sunset. I hope you’ll treat yourself soon to a slice {or two} of pie, and as always, leave me some love in the comments if you do.  I’ll see you back here next week with another summertime favorite.

Key Lime Pie

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• Author: Browned Butter Blondie
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 18 mins
• Total Time: 33 mins
• Yield: 1 1x
• Category: Pies & Tarts

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Description

A tart and citrusy pie with a smooth, not too sweet key lime custard an a crunchy graham cracker crust. This almost-no-bake dessert is a slice of sunshine on a plate.

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Ingredients

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For Crust

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs, finely crushed
• 5 TBSP unsalted butter, melted
• 1/3 cup sugar
• pinch of salt

For Filling

• 3 egg yolks
• 2 tsp fresh lime zest (14 ounce can) sweetened condensed milk
• 2/3 cup freshly squeezed key lime juice (or store bought)

For Whipped Cream Topping

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 TBSP confectioner’s sugar
• lime zest for garnish if desired

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Instructions

For Crust

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place graham crackers in a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse 10-12 times or until crackers are a fine crumb.
3. Add sugar and melted butter.
4. Pulse until crumbs are evenly coated.
5. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of 9 inch pie pan or tart shell, forming a clean border around the edges.
6. Bake until golden brown and fragrant, about 8 minutes.
7. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.

For Filling

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg yolks and lime zest on high until light and fluffy. About 4 minutes.
2. Slowly add the sweetened condensed milk and continue to beat on medium low speed until thickened, about 3 minutes.
3. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add the lime juice. Mix until just combined.
4. Do not over mix.
5. Pour the filling into the crust and place the pie pan on a cookie sheet.
6. Place the cookie sheet with the pie in the oven for 10 minutes or until the filing is just barely set.
7. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes.
8. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.
9. For clean slices, freeze the pie for 15 minutes before cutting.
10. Serve with a dollop of freshly whipped cream and a sprinkle of lime zest.

For Topping

1. Add the heavy cream and confectioners sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on low speed until combined and then increase the speed to medium high until soft peaks form.
2. Remove the bowl from the mixer and whisk the rest of the way with a hand held whisk until stiff peaks form.

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If you like this almost no bake dessert, you may like these recipes:

Mini Key Lime Cheesecakes

Meyer Lemon Bar Tart

Maple Mascarpone Fig Tart