I’m so lucky to have so many wonderful cooks in my family.  When they share a recipe, I know it’s worthy trying.  My Aunt gave me this recipe for “Key Lime Pie” and I have been making it ever since.

This recipe calls for regular limes, not key limes.  You can certainly use key lime juice but I don’t think it’s necessary.  See my note below.

I have made this so many times that I don’t even need to pull out the recipe anymore.  It’s that easy and simple but oh so delicious!  I love it served with homemade whipped cream.

Key Lime Pie

1 can (14 oz) Sweetened Condensed Milk

4 Egg Yolks

1/2 Cup Lime Juice (approximately 5 limes) 

Graham Cracker Crust (You can make your own or use a Keebler store bought crust)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Pour sweetened condensed milk into a mixing bowl.  Add egg yolks and beat to mix well.

Add lime juice and beat until mixture is thoroughly mixed.  It is important to completely combine these ingredients.

Pour into the pie shell and bake for 15 minutes until the filling has set.

The pie needs to be completely chilled to be sliced.  Leave on counter to cool; then refrigerate for several hours.

Serve with whipped cream and a sprinkling of sea salt if you wish.

There you have it.  Three ingredients that go into a graham cracker pie shell.  My kind of baking.

Homemade Whipped Cream

I like a simple whipped cream for this dessert.  No vanilla or other flavorings to interfere with the wonderful tart taste from the limes.

1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream

2 Tablespoons Sugar

Place a metal mixing bowl in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes.

Add the sugar and whipping cream to the cold bowl.  Beat with your electric mixer until the cream reaches stiff peaks.  Store in an airtight container.

This can be made up to 10 hours in advance.

Regular Limes vs. Key Limes

Note:  I am not alone to think there isn’t much of a difference between regular lime juice and key lime juice.  I found an interesting article by Becky Campbell in one of my favorite cooking magazines, Fine Cooking.  She did a taste test to see if her guests could tell the difference between regular limes and key limes.  Click on the link and read about her taste test experiment. She also explains what to look for when choosing limes.