This recipe for a no-bake key lime, aka a frozen key lime pie, is so easy, foolproof and delicious. Make it with regular limes! Instead of using key limes (expensive, tiny, dry, finicky) I highly recommend you use regular limes (juicy, abundant, relatively cheap). If you live near a citrus growing population, tree-ripened limes are best! This pie is refreshing, no-bake, and easy to make.
why you should make a no-bake, frozen key lime pie
Making custard is annoying and baking a jiggy thing in a bain-marie is WAY TOO MUCH WORK. Especially when it's hot out -- just don't even OPEN the oven. No-bake, frozen key lime pie is delicious, easy, and doesn't require any oven heat at all.
how to make a frozen key lime pie
First, make -- or buy! -- a graham cracker crust. Store-bought its totally fine here! If you want to go DIY, mix 1 ½ cups of graham crust, ⅓ cup of granulated sugar, 6 tablespoons of butter, and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. stir to combine until it looks like wet sand, then pat into a 9" pie plate. Bake in an oven at 350F for 10-15 minutes, until it's firmer to the touch. let it cool.
Next, mix 2 14-oz cans condensed milk, ½ cup of fresh lime juice, 1 tablespoon of lime zest, and 6 large egg yolks with a hand mixer or in the bowl of a KitchenAid for 3 minutes.
Pour the filling inside the pie crust and place Saran wrap on top -- put in the freezer and freeze for at least 3 hours.
Take the pie out about 5 minutes before you want to eat it, and top with whipped cream, additional lime zest, and slices of fresh lime if you want to make it pretty.
No-Bake Frozen Key Lime Pie
Ingredients
- Graham Cracker Crust
- 1 ½ cups of graham cracker crumbs
- ⅓ cup of granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons of butter
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
- Pie Filling
- 2 14-0 z cans of condensed milk
- ½ cup of fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon of lime zest
- 6 egg yolks
- Whipped Cream
- 2 cups of heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Instructions
- First, make -- or buy! -- a graham cracker crust. Store-bought its totally fine here! If you want to go DIY, mix 1 ½ cups of graham cracker crumbs, ⅓ cup of granulated sugar, 6 tablespoons of butter, and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon in a medium bowl. Stir to combine until it looks like wet sand, then pat into a 9" pie plate. Bake in an oven at 350F for 10-15 minutes, until it's firmer to the touch. Let it cool.
- Next, mix 2 14-oz cans condensed milk, ½ cup of fresh lime juice, 1 tablespoon of lime zest, and 6 large egg yolks with a hand mixer or in the bowl of a KitchenAid for 3 minutes.
- Pour the filling inside the pie crust and place Saran wrap on top -- put in the freezer and freeze for at least 3 hours.
- Take the pie out about 5 minutes before you want to eat it, and top with whipped cream, additional lime zest, and slices of fresh lime if you want to make it pretty.