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This easy key lime pie is a simple no-bake dessert with a graham cracker crust and 4-ingredient creamy filling! It’s has a refreshing sweet taste that’s perfect for summer.

If you love pie recipes that are easy plus no-bake try this homemade Oreo peanut butter pie, lemon icebox pie or no-bake cheesecake.

Key lime pie with a slice taken out.
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Best Key Lime Pie Recipe

This key lime pie is SO easy to make and has an amazing tart, sweet and creamy taste. It only requires 5 simple ingredients and pairs perfectly my homemade graham cracker crust

The filling is super creamy and delicious, plus it has the perfect amount of sweet and tart taste. The key to getting such great flavor is to use key limes instead of regular limes. They are smaller than regular limes and pack a sweeter punch.

Although key lime pie is typically a summer time favorite, it’s fun to serve for St. Patrick’s Day as well and can even be in your pie line up for Thanksgiving! Enjoy this year round!

Recipe Ingredients

This recipe only requires 5 simple ingredients and turns out so delicious! I like to make my own crust, however feel free to use store-bought to make it even more simple.

Bag of key limes on counter.
  • Crust: I love my homemade graham cracker crust but store-bought makes it even more simple and works great!
  • Sweetened condensed milk: This thickens and sweetens the filling.
  • Cream cheese: Or sour cream, both of these add stability to the filling.
  • Key lime juice: If the thought of squeezing limes makes you run, just purchase it!
  • Lime zest: If you purchased the key lime juice, regular lime zest works.
  • Garnish: For topping, we love add fresh lime zest, a lime slice and some dollops of whipped cream. Yum!

Difference Between Key Lime and Regular Lime

It’s so important to use KEY LIMES (not regular limes) for this pie recipe. They are smaller than regular limes (pictured above) and tend to have more seeds.

They have a stronger floral and tart taste, making them perfect to use in desserts. The tartness of the limes paired with the sugar or cream makes for an award winning combo!

How to Make Key Lime Pie

This recipe comes together so easily! Just follow the simple steps below to get started.

Pouring key lime pie filling into graham cracker crust.
  1. Filling. Whisk together condensed milk, sour cream, lime juice and zest in a medium bowl. Taste and add more zest if you prefer more tart flavor.
  2. Bake. Pour mixture into prepared pie crust and bake at 350°F for 6 to 8 minutes, or until pinhole bubbles burst on top of pie. Don’t let the pie brown.
  3. Chill. Chill pie before serving and keep stored in fridge. If desired, garnish with whipped cream and lime slices or zest.
Key lime pie on a counter.

5 star review

“Served this for Father’s Day and it disappeared! My dad said it was great!”

– Taryn

Helpful Tips

  • Use a citrus press to easily and quickly squeeze the juice out of your fresh limes.
  • To make things easier buy Key lime juice.
  • For a softer/tarter filling, use sour cream. For a creamier/firmer filling, use cream cheese.
  • Taste the filling after you mix it together and add more lime juice or zest if you like a flavor that’s more tart.
  • Don’t let the pie brown. Remove it from the oven as soon as you see pinhole bubbles burst on top.
  • For a holiday twist, use a gingersnap crust. Or use a pretzel pie crust for a sweet and salty flavor.
  • Let the pie cool completely before placing it in the fridge to chill.
Piece of key lime pie on a white plate.

Storing + Freezing

To store: To store, simply cover with saran wrap or foil and keep in fridge for up to 3 days. Try not to keep the pie out too long when serving, so that it doesn’t go bad. I wouldn’t leave it out at room temperature for longer than an hour.

To freeze: Wrap with saran wrap or foil, then slide into a zip top freezer bag and place in freezer. Make sure the pie is laying flat in the freezer on an even surface. You can store this dessert in the freezer for about a month or two. To thaw, place in fridge overnight or let set at room temp until filling is no longer frozen.

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key lime pie with a slice taken out

Key Lime Pie Recipe

5 from 16 votes
↑ Click stars to rate now!
Author: Jamielyn Nye
This easy key lime pie is a simple no-bake dessert with a graham cracker crust and 4-ingredient creamy filling! It's has a refreshing sweet taste that's perfect for summer.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 6 minutes
Chill: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 16 minutes
Servings: 10

Ingredients 

For serving: whipped cream, lime slice, lime zest

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, whisk together the condensed milk, sour cream, lime juice and lime zest. Taste and add more lime zest if you'd like more tart. 
    • Pour mixture into prepared pie crust. Bake in preheated oven for 6-8 minutes, or until pinhole bubbles burst on the top of the pie. Be careful to not let it brown. 
    • Chill pie before serving. Store in the refrigerator. Garnish with whipped cream and lime slices or zest if desired. 

    Notes

    Note: For a softer/tarter filling, use sour cream. For a creamier/firmer filling, use cream cheese. 
    To make things easier buy Key lime juice. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1slice | Calories: 406kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 206mg | Potassium: 395mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 54g | Vitamin A: 325IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 281mg | Iron: 1mg

    Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.

    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American

    Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!

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