There is a little more to it than that.

It is the official dessert of Florida Keys and Key West. Restaurants around the country serve Key Lime Pie in many forms, some true to the original and some truly bizarre variations. Everyone has their favorite restaurant version, and usually their own favorite home version. Key limes are very sour, and Key lime juice can be used to make a perfect custard-like filling for pies.

Because of the Florida Keys isolation before the railroad was opened in 1912, fresh milk was hard to come by. So Gail Borden's invention of sweetened condensed (canned) milk in 1859 came in handy. It also meant that you could make a custard pie without the necessity of cooking it. The Key lime juice by itself was enough to curdle the condensed milk and egg yolks. No one knows who made the first one. They were probably made with pie crusts at first, but soon the Graham cracker crust became the standard.

Following you will find several different recipies.

Key Lime Pie by GourmetSleuth

i n g r e d i e n t s (crust)
16 graham crackers, crushed
3 tablespoons sugar
1 cube (1/4 lb) margerine or butter

d i r e c t i o n s (crust)
Mix the ingredients and press them into a 9" pie plate. Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 10 - 12 minutes until lightly browned. Place on a rack to cool.

i n g r e d i e n t s (pie)
4 large or extra large egg yolks
1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh key lime juice
(approximately 12 Key limes)
2 teaspoons grated lime peel, green portion only
Whipping cream for garnish (optional)

d i r e c t i o n s (pie)
Use an electric mixer and beat the egg yolks until they are thick and turn to a light yellow, don't over mix. Turn the mixer off and add the sweetened condensed milk. Turn speed to low and mix in half of the lime juice. Once the juice is incorporated add the other half of the juice and the zest, continue to mix until blended (just a few seconds). Pour the mixture into the pie shell and bake at 350F for 12 minutes to set the yolks and kill any salmonella in the eggs.

s e r v i n g
If you are using the whipping cream garnish, prepare the cream. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

Servings: 8

Key Lime Pie Supreme

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cream the butter and 4 cups of sugar. Add 12 whole eggs and 12 egg yolks, 1 at a time. beat until smooth. Add the lime juice. place mixture in pie shells. Bake 30-35 minutes until filling is firm.

To make meringue, beat 12 room temperature egg whites with 2 table spoons of sugar until stiff peaks form. Heap on pies and return to oven until brown.

Key West--no egg--Key Lime Pie

Blend milk and cream cheese until smooth. Add lime juice and mix thoroughly. Add thawed cool whip. Pour into two pie shells. Garnish with grated lime rind. Refrigerate 6 hours

More Key Lime Dessert Recipes