American Key Lime Pie with Graham Cracker Crust
Classic American key lime pie with a buttered graham cracker crust, sweetened condensed milk filling, fresh lime juice, and topped with whipped cream. Bake at 180°C for a perfectly balanced, tangy-sweet dessert with a light, creamy texture that melts on the palate.
Ingredients
- 5 ½ oz graham crackers or graham crackers, crushed into crumbs
- ¼ cups sugar, granulated
- 1 pinch salt
- 4 tbsp butter, melted
- 3 ½ cups sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cups key lime juice or regular lime juiceregular lime juice1:1none
source indicates common limes acceptable
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream, cold
- ⅛ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 350°F.
- 2
Crush graham crackers into crumbs and combine with sugar, salt, and melted butter. Mix thoroughly.
- 3
Transfer mixture to a 8 ⅔" springform pan, press firmly into base.
- 4
Bake for 10 minutes, then cool completely.
- 5
In a large bowl, combine condensed milk, lime juice, and eggs. Beat well.
- 6
Pour filling over cooled crust, level the surface.
- 7
Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes, then cool completely.
- 8
Whip cream with powdered sugar using an electric mixer until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes.
- 9
Distribute whipped cream topping over pie.
- 10
Serve garnished with lime slices or candied zest.
Tips
Cool crust completely before adding filling to prevent premature cooking of eggs.
Cool filling completely before adding whipped cream topping to prevent melting.
Use fresh lime juice for best flavor; bottled juice is acceptable but less vibrant.
Good to Know
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 3-4 days. Freeze up to 3-4 months; thaw at room temperature before serving.
Prepare crust and bake up to 1 day ahead. Filling can be mixed and baked up to 1 day ahead. Add whipped cream topping just before serving.
Slice and serve chilled, topped with whipped cream or meringue. Garnish with lime slices or candied zest. Meringue topping requires broiling for a few minutes until golden.
Common Mistakes
Do not skip cooling the crust completely to avoid a partially cooked or separated filling.
Do not overbake the filling to avoid cracks and a dense texture.
Do not add whipped cream to warm pie to avoid melting.
Substitutions
source indicates common limes acceptable