Today I made key lime pie for Pi Day! I felt like I needed a little Florida sunshine to brighten the very snowy day here in Ohio so I baked one of my favorites. It’s also one of the easiest with only 8 ingredients total and takes less than 1 hour start to finish plus time to chill in the fridge. The pie is tangy but sweet, simple but has complex flavor, and it’s smooth and creamy on the inside, but has a crunchy and nutty crust. This pie has it all!
If you read my bio, you know I lived in Florida when I was a kid, so there was plenty of key lime pie! The first time I had it was on a trip to The Florida Keys http://www.thefloridakeys.com/ In the Keys (aka the Florida Keys, aka Key West) they take their key lime pie very seriously – almost as seriously as their rum runners! Every restaurant has their own version. Some have frozen key lime pie or key lime pie pops dipped in chocolate, key lime pie mousse, and of course traditional key lime pie which is piled high with meringue or topped with whipped cream. The debate of the topping is a whole different topic almost as much as the debate over where the pie originated https://www.southernliving.com/news/key-lime-pie-history
I have been making key lime pie ever since that trip. Even though key limes are pretty easy to find in most groceries in Florida, not everyone lives in Florida. I have always relied on the famous Nellie and Joe’s key lime juice, it’s terrific and easy to find in most groceries. If you can’t find it, you can use limes, but it won’t taste exactly the same. For many years, I made the recipe that’s on the back of the bottle, and it’s a really good recipe.
My new recipe is adapted from Nellie and Joe’s and not as traditional because of the nuts in the crust and vanilla in the filling. I wanted to lighten it up so I tried using low fat condensed milk. It worked great and you couldn’t tell a difference so why not cut the calories where you can? I also added a splash of vanilla paste which compliments the lime and mellows it a bit which I like a lot. Then I added roasted pecans to the crust and it was just what it needed. Finally I topped it with homemade creamy and delicious almond scented whipped cream. The result – perfection.
I have a real soft spot in my heart for this pie because while my husband and I were dating, instead of cake for his birthday I baked him this pie and that night he asked me to marry him! So all you single ladies out there, get baking, this pie (aka engagement pie, aka will you marry me pie) could just do the trick! Happy Pi Day everyone and as always… Enjoy!
filling
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons Nellie and Joe’s Key lime juice* (or juice from fresh key limes)
1 can low-fat sweetened condensed milk
4 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla paste (or you can use extract)
crust
I package Graham crackers (approx. 8 or 9 full sheets)
1 cup roasted unsalted pecans
1/3 cup unsalted butter melted
2 tablespoons sugar
whipped cream
1 cup whipping cream
3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract.
Position the oven rack into the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Recipe makes 1 – 9″ pie and serves 8 to 10
Start with the pie crust. In food processor pulse grahams until sandy in texture. If you don’t have a food processor, place cookies in a Ziploc bag and crush with a rolling pin. Add pecans, sugar and butter pulse just till blended. It’s okay to have pieces of pecan – that’s what we want. Press the mixture firmly into a 9″ pie pan and bake 10 minutes on 350 degrees.
While that’s baking put together the filling. Whisk the egg yolks with condensed milk until smooth and incorporated. Add vanilla and key lime juice and whisk until smooth. Pour into the cooled baked crust. Place the pie in the oven and bake 15 minutes on 350. Let the pie cool about 30 minutes on the counter, then refrigerate at least 2 to 3 hours. Top with whipped cream.
To make the whipped cream: in a tall cold bowl add whipping cream, confectioners’ sugar and almond extract. Using a hand held mixer, whip until stiff peaks form. This happens very quickly so be careful not to over whip, you’ll have butter. You could also use a large whisk and do it by hand if you don’t have a mixer. Put the whipped cream on after it cools.
*if you can’t find key lime juice, go ahead and use limes. It won’t taste exactly the same, but will still be good.
