Key lime pie
Zesty Key lime pie with a crunchy digestive base, silky lime-curd filling and softly whipped cream — bright, zingy and utterly moreish.
This Key lime pie is all bright citrus and buttery crunch — a proper sunshiny dessert that punches above its weight. It’s perfect for a dinner party or when you want a no-fuss, high-reward pud.
The filling is luxuriously smooth thanks to sweetened condensed milk and egg yolks, while the digestive crumb base gives that classic crunchy contrast. Make it a day ahead and it’ll slice beautifully.
Ingredients
- 250 g digestive biscuits
- 100 g unsalted butter — melted
- 25 g golden caster sugar
- 395 g tinned sweetened condensed milk — one standard tin
- 4 egg yolks — large
- 8 key limes — you need about 120 ml lime juice and a little zest (reserve some zest for garnish)
- 200 ml double cream
- 25 g icing sugar
- 5 ml fine sea salt — a pinch in the crust sharpens the flavour
Equipment
- 23 cm loose-bottom flan tin
- food processor or rolling pin and sturdy food bag
- wire rack
- electric whisk (optional)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 160°C fan/180°C conventional. Grease a 23 cm loose-bottom flan tin lightly, then line the base with baking paper.
Put the digestive biscuits and golden caster sugar in a food processor and blitz to fine crumbs. If you don't have a processor, seal the biscuits in a sturdy food bag and bash with a rolling pin until fine. Stir in the melted unsalted butter until the crumbs are evenly moist.
Tip the crumb mixture into the prepared tin and press firmly and evenly across the base and a little way up the sides to form a compact crust.
Blind-bake the pressed crust for 10 minutes at 160°C fan/180°C conventional. Remove from the oven and set aside while you make the filling.
Zest the key limes, reserving about 1 tsp of zest for garnish, then juice them until you have roughly 120 ml of juice. In a bowl whisk the egg yolks briefly, then whisk in the tinned sweetened condensed milk, the lime juice and most of the lime zest until smooth and pale.
Pour the filling into the warm crust and return to the oven. Bake for 12 minutes or until the filling is just set — the centre should still have a slight wobble.
Transfer the pie to a wire rack and leave to cool for 30 minutes to room temperature.
Chill the pie, uncovered, in the fridge for at least 150 minutes until fully set.
Whip the double cream with the icing sugar to soft peaks, then either spoon or pipe onto the chilled pie and sprinkle the reserved lime zest over the top.
To slice cleanly, run a sharp knife under hot water, dry it, then slice the pie, wiping the blade between cuts.
Tips
- If you don’t have a loose-bottom tin, line the base well with baking paper and slide the pie out using the paper.
- Reserve a little lime zest before juicing for garnish — zest becomes bitter if overworked with the juice.
- For the firmest slices chill the pie overnight; it will keep its shape best when fully cold.
- Use room-temperature egg yolks so they blend smoothly into the condensed milk without seizing.
- Run a sharp knife under hot water and dry it between slices for neat, clean portions.
Substitutions
digestive biscuits → rich tea biscuits, same quantity
Stays closekey limes → regular Persian limes, 4–5 (you still need about 120 ml juice)
Noticeably differentdouble cream → coconut cream, chilled and whipped, same quantity (for a dairy-free topping)
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 570
- Calories
- 8 g
- Protein
- 54 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 38 g
- Sugar
- 180 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I use bottled lime juice?
Fresh juice is strongly recommended — bottled juice lacks the bright aromatics of fresh key limes and will make the filling flatter.
Do I have to bake the filling?
A brief bake helps the filling to set and improves texture. Some recipes skip baking, but the quick bake here gives a silkier, more stable finish.
How long will the pie keep?
Stored covered in the fridge it will keep well for up to 3 days. The topping’s texture is best on day one or two.
Can I freeze the pie?
You can freeze the baked and un-topped pie (wrap tightly) for up to 1 month. Defrost in the fridge overnight and add the whipped cream just before serving.
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