Key Lime Pie
Also: Key lime pie
A tart custard pie of Key lime juice and sweetened condensed milk set in a graham-cracker crust, topped with meringue or whipped cream.
Identity criteria
- 1Filling of Key lime juice (small, aromatic, tart limes)
- 2Sweetened condensed milk thickens and sweetens the custard
- 3Egg yolks set the filling without long baking
- 4Graham-cracker crust is the canonical base
- 5Pale yellow, not green — natural Key lime juice is not green
Components
Graham-cracker crustessential
Key lime juiceessentialKey limes are tarter and more aromatic than Persian limes
Sweetened condensed milkessentialProvides sweetness and body; historic to the no-refrigeration Keys
Egg yolksessentialSet the filling via the reaction with acid and milk
Meringue or whipped cream, lime zestoptional
Technique
- Acid-set custard
- Lime acid thickens the condensed-milk-and-yolk mixture, the original method needing little or no baking
- Pre-baked crumb crust
- Firms the graham base to hold the soft tart filling
Form & serving
- Served
- Sliced wedges
- Temperature
- chilled
- Portion
- individual
- Pairs with
- whipped cream · meringue · coffee
Character
Flavour
Texture
smooth dense custard over a crisp crumbly crust
Eaten
An American dessert iconic to Florida, served chilled in slices at diners, seafood houses and home tables.
When
summer · all-year
Variations & related
Regional variations
- Meringue-topped · Florida Keys
Traditional finish with baked meringue
- Whipped-cream-topped · United States
Common modern alternative topping
Related dishes
- sibling Lemon meringue pie
Related citrus-custard pie tradition
- pairs-with Whipped cream
Standard topping
Substitutions
Key limes → Persian (regular) limesadmissible
Acceptable when Key limes are unavailable, slightly less aromatic
Lime juice → Lemon or other citrusinadmissible
It is then a different citrus pie, not Key lime pie
Common mistakes
- Dyeing the filling green — authentic Key lime filling is pale yellow
- Using too little lime so the custard never tartens or sets
- Substituting fresh milk for condensed milk and breaking the set
- Overbaking until the custard cracks and weeps
Provenance
Key lime pie originated in the Florida Keys, where canned sweetened condensed milk and local Key limes made a no-bake custard practical before refrigeration; its origin is settled.
References
- 1.Florida Keys culinary history
Confidence: high