Limes are so pricey right now in Vancouver! I have a hard time shelling out $1 for a single lime, especially since there’s a good chance it’ll turn out dry when sliced open. So I was surprised to see key limes in my local grocery store, sitting right beside the limes, at about $5 for 40 of them. Needless to say I grabbed a bag!
Key limes are smaller than regular limes and are tarter in flavour. If you haven’t had key lime pie before, don’t worry, it’s not bitter like a regular lime at all. Rather, the custard/curd-like filling is tart yet sweet and very citrusy.
I had no idea how simple key lime pie is to make! I remember having it in some restaurant years ago when I was younger, loving it, and then never seeing it again. It’s not a dessert you see every day here in BC, so I always thought of it as a decadent, rare treat. I forgot how much I loved it, until I came across a frozen key lime pie in the grocery store. That just didn’t seem right… I mean surely a pie that’s meant to taste so fresh can’t be as good when frozen?
So instead of buying a frozen one I made my own instead. And what a surprise, it was incredibly simple and took no time at all to make. Well, except for squeezing all those key limes! I had finger cramps for hours after, but it was so worth it. (I later read a tip suggesting the use of a garlic press to juice key limes… try it out and let me know how it works!)
What really makes this pie special is the toasted coconut graham cracker crust. The coconut pairs so well with the graham crackers and citrus filling.
In my search for a key lime pie recipe I was shocked to see that most used up to 6 egg yolks to make the filling! I guess that’s usually how you make such a custard-like filling, but I found a recipe on allrecipes.com that uses sour cream instead and it turned out just as tasty as a classic key lime pie.
It may seem like a fancy pie but it’s super easy to make and perfect as a nice, light dessert on a hot summer night!
| Key Lime Pie with a Coconut Graham Cracker Crust | Print |
- Crust:
- 9 graham crackers, crushed (about 1¼ cups)
- 5 Tbsp shredded coconut
- 6 Tbsp butter, melted
- .
- Filling:
- 2 cans sweetened condensed milk (about 3 cups)
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¾ cup key lime juice (about 40 key limes)
- 1 Tbsp lime zest
- To prepare crust: Preheat oven to 325°. Thoroughly mix together graham cracker crumbs, coconut and butter. Press mixture into an even layer in a 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 15 minutes, then set aside to cool. Increase oven temperature to 350°.
- To make filling: Combine milk, sour cream, lime juice and lime zest. Bake for 13-15 minutes, being careful not to brown on top. Chill completely before serving.
love the coconut crust. yum!
Can anyone tell me if they used sweetened or unsweetened coconut flakes or was it actual fresh coconut?
This…I’m making for sure! 🙂 An all time favorite pie of mine and I can’t wait to try it, and probably eat the whole thing in one sitting! lol
And what an awesome twist with the coconut…and sour cream! 🙂 I wish computer screens had a ‘scratch and sniff’ over all your amazing recipes, although it’s not hard to love them all. You make them look so real that I swear I can just reach into my computer and sample everything! 😀
Thank you! It’s a pretty great pie for summer! It smells (and tastes) amazing and is relatively cheap to make for such yummy results!
This looks so good. I am planning to make this for this upcoming holiday weekend. It will be for a large group and would love to do this in a bar style. Will this crust hold up to be made into bars? Maybe if I just made it thicker?
Thanks April! Great idea making individual bars. I’d suggest perhaps doubling the crust recipe so it would be a bit thicker and more sturdy. Make sure to really pack it down into the pan. Let me know how they turn out!