Creamy Lime Pie

Overhead shot of whole key lime pie, sitting on a white cloth.

This delicious Creamy Lime Pie is irresistible and so simple to prepare. Based on a classic Key Lime Pie, it features a filling that is creamy and smooth, with the bright, zesty flavour of lime, balanced by the sweetness of condensed milk. The creaminess of the filling is offset by the crisp, buttery, biscuit-crumb crust. This is a vibrant, full-flavoured, make-ahead dessert that is sure to be a crowd pleaser.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 25

Cooling 2 15

Total Time 3

Servings people

Calories 466kcal

Author Alexandra Cook - It's Not Complicated Recipes

Ingredients

Pie Crust:

250 g (8.8 oz) plain sweet biscuits/cookies - I use Digestives See Note 1
100 g (3.5 oz) unsalted butter - melted

Pie Filling:

395 g (14 oz) can of sweetened condensed milk - full fat
4 large egg yolks See Note 2
½ cup (125 ml) lime juice - strained See Note 3
6 teaspoon (30 ml) lemon juice - strained

Topping:

½ cup (125 ml) thickened/heavy whipping cream See Note 4
1 teaspoon icing/powdered sugar
fresh lime slices - to garnish

Instructions

Pie Crust:

Preheat the oven to 180 Degrees C (355 F).
Place the biscuits in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until they resemble fine breadcrumbs.
Add the melted butter to the biscuit crumbs and process until well combined.
You will need a 23 cm (9 inch) pie plate. Our pie dish has a depth of about 5 cm (2 inches) and we take the biscuit crumb up to the 4 cm (1.5 inches) mark approximately.
Tip the biscuit and butter mixture into the pie plate. Using the back of a dessert spoon, or the base of a flat-bottomed glass, press the mixture over the base and up the side of the pie plate.
Place the pie crust into the pre-heated oven and bake until golden, about 8-10 minutes.
Remove the crust from the oven and set aside to cool completely. This will take about 15 minutes.

Pie Filling:

Whisk the condensed milk and the egg yolks together in a large bowl.
Add the lime and lemon juice and continue to whisk until they are well combined.
Carefully pour the filling into the cooled pie crust and bake until the centre of the pie is just set - about 15 minutes.
Set the pie aside and allow it to cool completely. This will take about 1 hour.
Cover the pie with cling wrap and place it in the refrigerator until cold; for at least one more hour.
Once chilled, add cream or decorations and serve. Like a lot of pies, the first slice is the hardest to remove. We recommend using a sharp knife for clean cuts, and a spatula to help remove the slices.

For the Topping:

Whisk the cream and icing/powdered sugar until it forms soft peaks.
Top the pie with the whipped cream or place it into a piping bag and pipe some rosettes around the edge of the pie. Decorate with lime slices or zest.

Video

Notes

Cookies/biscuits: most plain, sweet cookies are fine to use, but you may have to adjust the quantity of butter. Once the cookies and butter have been combined, you are looking for a consistency of wet sand.
Egg whites: don't throw these out! Try making my Almond Cookies, Meringues or Coconut Macaroons.
Lime and lemon juice: I only use freshly squeezed lime and lemon juice as I find the flavour is brighter and fresher.
Cream: you'll want to use thickened/heavy cream that has 35% milk fat.
Storage: cover with cling wrap and place in the fridge for up to three days. Try to keep the cling wrap off the top of the pie in case it sticks.
Freezing: you can freeze the Creamy Lime Pie for up to a month. It needs to be well covered to prevent freezer burn, so wrap first in cling wrap and then cover with aluminium foil. Defrost in the fridge.

Nutrition