Baked Key Lime Pie (and How To Squeeze a Lime the Right Way!)
Sneak Preview: This easy Baked Key Lime Pie Recipe contains sweetened condensed milk, key limes, egg yolks, and whipped egg whites. Bonus: This post discusses using a hand-held citrus squeezer correctly.
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Key lime pie makes me think about vacations on the beach or close to the coast. Uncooked Key Lime Pie is popular, but have you ever tried a baked version? I like the baked pie better because it seems lighter in texture and not so rich.
My sister Kay was here from Alabama for a brief visit. She’s a good southern cook, so I’m always keen on her recipes. This time, I coerced her into making her Baked Key Lime Pie while I took pictures.
Before getting the pie into the crust, we discussed using a citrus squeezer correctly. Do you know which way is right? Keep reading.
What is the correct way to use a citrus squeezer?
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 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?”
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 the juicer?
The cut side goes 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 figuring out how to squeeze a lime with a citrus squeezer. Thanks for straightening me out, Sis.
FAQ about Baked Key Lime Pie
When properly baked through, the pie will slightly jiggle, like Jello. Remember that the pie will continue to bake for a few minutes after you remove it from the oven. If you overbake it, the texture may curdle. Not good.
Yes. It takes 4-5 key limes for every regular or Persian lime.
Key limes, or Mexican or West Indian limes, are more aromatic, with tarter and more floral juice. They are slightly yellow in color and contain more seeds.—TastingTable
When refrigerated, a key lime pie will stay fresh for 2-3 days.
Yes. According to Leaf.TV, You can freeze limes whole, wedged, or sliced, or you can freeze the juice. You can even freeze the lime zest.
Perhaps. I’ve never tried it. A graham cracker crust is traditionally used with a key lime pie. I can’t imagine it any other way.
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Parting Thoughts: Thanks to my sister Kay for sharing this recipe. The graham cracker crust comes from Helen Corbitt’s Cookbook.
If you have questions or suggestions, email me privately for a quick answer: Paula at saladinajar.com. Hope to see you again soon!
Baked Key Lime Pie Recipe
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Ingredients
Crust:
- 1-1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs - about 20 squares
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ cup butter - melted
Filling:
- 4 large eggs - separated
- 1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
- ⅓ 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:
- Crush crackers using food processor or blender. Add sugar and melted butter. Pulse until mixed.
- Press into 9-inch pie shell.
- Bake at 300˚F for 8 minutes.
Filling:
- Beat 3 egg whites in a small bowl until stiff. Set aside.
- 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.
- Add milk to egg yolks and mix well. Add juice and continue to beat until thick.
- 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.
- Bake at 325˚ for 10-15 minutes.
- When cooled, refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
- Garnish with whipped cream when serving.
Paula Rhodes, author
I’m a retired home economist, wife, mother, grandmother, and creator of Saladinajar.com. I believe you don’t have to be a chef to find joy in creating homemade food worth sharing. Here you’ll find time-saving tips, troubleshooting advice, and confidence-inspiring recipes to make life in the kitchen more fun, appetizing, and satisfying.