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Kay’s Baked Key Lime Pie Recipe (and How to Squeeze a Lime the Right Way!)

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This Kay’s Baked Key Lime Pie Recipe contains not only sweetened condensed milk and key limes, but also egg yolks and whipped egg whites.

This means two things. First, It must be baked. Second, the pie will be lighter in texture. Allow time for the pie to chill.

Key Lime Pie--Ready to eat

My sister Kay was just here from Alabama for a brief visit. She’s a good southern cook, so I’m always keen for her recipes. This time I coerced her into making her Key Lime Pie while I took pictures.

What is the correct way to use a lemon press?

Kay: “I’m not sure how would be the best way to juice these key limes.”

Me: “I’ve got one of those metal squeezy things…. or a reamer… or even a glass dish with a built-in reamer. Here, let’s try this metal lemon juicer.” (I pull it out of the drawer and proceed to try it.)

Me: “See? It works perfectly.”

Kay: “I see that, even though you’re doing it upside-down.”

Me: “What?!?! That’s not upside down. What do you mean? So how would you do it?”

Baked Key LIme Pie - slice on a plate

Kay: “The other way, with the lime-half flipped over.”

Me: “Hm-m-m. I don’t know about that, but I have an idea. Why don’t we ask my readers?”

Does the lime (or lemon) go up or down in a metal juicer?

The cut side goes down.

how to squeeze a lime correctly? cut side up or down?

The verdict is in…

Looks like I was wrong on this one. Although a few people agreed with me, many more went with my sister. (Her way is shown on the left in the picture above–cut side down.)

I am generally an early-adopter. But on this one, it looks like I’m a little late learning how to squeeze a lime correctly. Thanks for straightening me out, Sis.

demonstrating how to mix up the filling for a Key Lime pie
My sister Kay mixes up her Baked Key Lime Pie

Credits for Baked Key Lime Pie:

Thanks to my sister Kay for sharing this recipe.  The graham cracker crust comes from Helen Corbitt’s Cookbook.

If you make this recipe and enjoy it, consider helping other readers and me by returning to this post. Leave a rating on the recipe card itself underneath the picture. Although always appreciated, comments aren’t required. Thank you for visiting! Paula

Kay's Key Lime Pie Recipe

Kay's Key Lime Pie Recipe

Yield: 1 9-inch pie
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 13 minutes
Total Time: 28 minutes

A baked dessert made with sweetened condensed milk and key limes.

Ingredients

  • 1-1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 20 squares)
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 4 eggs, separated
  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1/3 cup fresh-squeezed key lime juice
  • 9-inch graham cracker pie crust (purchased or homemade)
  • 1 cup heavy cream, whipped with 1/3 cup powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Crust:

  1. Crush crackers using food processor or blender. Add sugar and melted butter. Pulse until mixed.
  2. Press into 9-inch pie shell.
  3. Bake at 300 degrees for 8 minutes.

Filling:

  1. Beat 3 egg whites in a small bowl until stiff. Set aside.
  2. You can use the same beaters to beat 4 egg yolks and 1 egg white in a separate medium-sized bowl until thick and light-colored.
  3. Add milk to egg yolks and mix well. Add juice and continue to beat until thick.
  4. Add beaten egg whites to egg-yolk mixture and mix gently just until evenly distributed. Don't over mix. Stop when there are no more obvious lumps of egg whites. Carefully pour into baked pie shell.
  5. Bake at 325 degrees for 10-15 minutes.
  6. When cooled, refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
  7. Garnish with whipped cream when serving.

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 485Total Fat: 32gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 159mgSodium: 321mgCarbohydrates: 43gFiber: 1gSugar: 23gProtein: 7g
© Paula of saladinajar.com
Cuisine: American / Category: Desserts
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Reader Interactions

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  1. Suemillerbuckley

    This Recipe is awesome!! This is same original recipe for key lime pie found on the the Carnation Sweetened Condensed milk can for over 40 years!! Will not find a better key lime pie recipe!!! 🙂

    Reply

  2. Pennie

    Can’t wait to try the recipe but was surprised to see that I’ve been using my citrus press incorrectly. The cut side should be facing down so the juice goes out the holes and doesn’t squirt upwards. Plus, it turns the peel inside out, extracting every bit of juice. Youtube doesn’t lie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAlelDEfkUw

    Reply

  3. Henrietta Lala (Granny Lala)

    I adore cooking, but detest cleaning up, so the less mess I make the better. I clean as I cook so that by the time it’s in the oven or on the stove the kitchen looks like I just started. If I don’t do it that way, I get depressed. That’s why I try to get cooking in as early in the day as possible. By 6PM, I’m ready to call it quits, so everything gets set up and cleaned up before then. I specialize in methods and recipes that require very little kitchen disruption.

    Reply

  4. Henrietta Lala (Granny Lala)

    I vote for cut-side down because if you do it the other way it blocks the holes which are there for a reason-to let the juice drain out. Sometimes, depending on the size of the fruit, I will do it one way, flip it and do it again the other way just to get more juice. I even quarter grapefruit and squeeze it rather than drag out my electric juicer which would make me have an entire machine to wash.

    Reply

  5. Elle

    As for the lime, I’ve always done it with the face up like on the right but on food network I’ve always seen them place them face down like on the left.

    Reply

  6. Sarah

    I agree with the lime facing down, picture on the left. Mine works really well and leaves the lime turned inside out. Strangely enough, it doesn’t work on lemons or tangerines even though they are the same size.

    Reply

  9. [email protected]

    So funny! I’ve had this same conversation with my husband about a year ago. I conceded that he was right, the lime half needed to be facing downwards when you squeeze it That way the juice goes directly out the holes more easily, hopefully giving you more juice. I was doing it face up and squeezing and the unfortunate side affect is that the lime now sticks (suctions?) to the squeezer making it a touch more difficult to remove.

    I love my squeezer so much, I bought them for all my sisters! One decided she hated it and gave it to my neice. She went back to a reamer (!!!)- which I think it just crazy. It’s funny people can be so passionate about squeezing citrus, though it is pretty much the best stuff on Earth!

    Reply

  18. Natasha

    Thank you both for this delicious looking recipe. I wish we could get key limes over here.
    Oh and your way is the right way of course Paula 🙂

    Reply

  19. Debra Schramm

    The picture on the left is correct for a key lime. Because the key lime is so small it is inverted when squeezed so you can get most of the juice out; however, for a regular size lime the picture on the right is correct. You turn the juicer sideways and the juice comes out the side instead of the holes.

    Reply

  21. Renata

    Now that I read all other comments, I agree with Velda, it turns the lime inside out for maximum juice extraction, that’s what happens to mine as well. I’m very curious to know which of you is right hehe
    The lime pie looks fantastic, I love lime/lemon desserts!

    Reply

  22. Renata

    I have a gadget like that, much smaller, but I guess the same functionality, I use it like the pic on the left. Yes, I know it makes us think the opposite…

    Reply

  23. Paula

    However way you squeezed the limes, it worked! This pie looks wonderful.

    By the way, I squeeze my limes, lemons and oranges with the peel side facing me.

    Reply

  24. bonnie

    Mmmm, great-looking pie. I have a two similar juicers–one for oranges and one for smaller citrus, like limes. The instructions say squeeze cut side down (left photo). If you don’t, juice goes everywhere b/c it squirts out of the top part, too. (This has happened to a few unsuspecting kitchen helpers when it’s mojito time!)

    Reply

  25. Debbie

    Absolutely one of my favorite desserts if chocolate is not available. Will have to try this! Thanks Kay! And I vote for the picture on the left.

    Reply

  28. The Café Sucré Farine

    Hello Paula, I love sister time, I never get quite enough! I would put the lime half upside down but I can see the reasoning with the other way too! The pie looks fabulous, I would be nibbling on it all day and it would never last till tomorrow!

    Reply

  30. Sandy

    I vote for the one on the left. I’ve actually never had Key Lime pie, but this looks amazing. I’m going to have to try it out.

    Reply

  31. Velda

    Correct answer is the one on the left. That is what the directions with mine said, and what the site said, when I looked it up. It sort of turns the fruit inside out and gets the most juice out. I deem it true, also, because I have tried it each way.

    Reply

  32. Jen Y

    I say the pic on the right – I can’t believe how divided the comments are! I never would have thought about doing it any other way. LOL

    Reply

  33. [email protected]

    Without thinking about I’d probably use the way on the right, but now that you show the picture I’m thinking the one on the left just might give out more juice. Either way, I’d sure like a piece of that pie!!

    Reply

  35. Jennifer

    The picture with cut side up is correct. Which is the same way you’d use the older juicers. so the built in reamer goes into the cut area or pulp area of the lime or lemon

    Reply

  39. Lorraine

    Without thinking, I would do it like the photo on the right simply because the lime mimics the shape of the metal squeezy thing. Either way, that is an amazing looking pie!

    Reply

  40. Katrina

    Mmmm, key lime! I would do it like the picture on the right. (Doesn’t mean that’s the correct way. A chef told me once that with key limes, since they are so small, you just cut it about 2/3 of the way, so there is more to juice in one half of it. If you cut a key lime right in half, you’re not getting much juice out of either one. Make sense?

    Reply

  42. Danielle

    According to all the food network chefs that use these, the lime peel is facing up with the cut side facing down.

    Reply

  45. Der

    Fun! Looks yummy! I think the inside of the lime should be facing up like the picture on the right. I also like the way you mentioned the grandbaby on the way:+)

    Reply