Frozen Key Lime Pie

This Frozen Key Lime Pie is amazing! A simple graham cracker crust filled with a perfectly sweetened and perfectly tart lime filling then topped with whipped cream. It might just be my favorite frozen dessert ever! Perfect for a Cinco de Mayo party.

I have been making this Frozen Key Lime Pie for years and I can’t believe I’ve never posted it.

I wasn’t planning on posting it for several more weeks because I just posted this Creamsicle Pie last week. But with Cinco de Mayo just a few days away, now is the perfect time to finally share this delicious pie with you. So my apologies for two very similar pie posts within a week of each other.

If you live in SLC, then you’ve probably heard of the Dodo restaurant. It’s one of my most favorite restaurants. Their food is delicious, but they’re kind of known for their desserts. They have a key lime pie that is fabulous! It’s topped with a browned meringue topping and stands about a foot tall (ok, maybe not quite that high). It’s just plain ridiculous! So if you live in Utah, go to the Dodo and have their key lime pie. You will be so glad you did.

While this frozen key lime pie doesn’t stand nearly as tall as the Dodo’s, it is still fabulous and I could eat a slice every single day and never get tired of it.

It’s cool, refreshing, sweet (but not too sweet) and tart (but not too tart). The graham cracker crust is the bomb because well, it’s a graham cracker crust.

This pie is simple to make. The filling has only four ingredients in it, with one of them being sweetened condensed milk (be still my heart 😋). The graham cracker crust is thick and pairs perfectly with the lime filling.

Seriously, this pie is the bomb!

HOW LONG DO I NEED TO FREEZE THIS PIE? The longer this pie is in the freezer, the better it gets. I always make it the day before I need it. After I fill the crust with the key lime filling, I freeze it for a couple hours. Then I spread the whipped cream on it and freeze it overnight.  You want the whipped cream to also have time to freeze because then it’s even better.

IF I AM WORRIED ABOUT THE RAW EGGS, WHAT CAN I DO? If you have concerns about raw eggs, combine the egg yolks with the 1/2 cup of the lime juice and heat in a double boiler, whisking constantly over medium heat until the mixtures reaches 140 degrees. Let the mixture cool then whisk in the sweetened condensed milk, lime zest and remaining 1/4 cup lime juice.CAN I USE A STORE BOUGHT GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST? Graham cracker crusts are really simple to make and taste so much better than store bought. But, if you find yourself in a pinch or just don’t want to make your own, you could certainly use a store bought crust.

SHOULD THE LIMES BE COLD OR ROOM TEMPERATURE TO ZEST AND JUICE?  Cold limes are easier to zest and room temperature limes will give you more juice. I zest my limes as soon as I take them out of the fridge and set the zest aside. Then I let them sit out for an hour or so until they come to room temperature. Once they’ve come to room temperature I juice them.

You guys are going to love this pie! It’s the perfect dessert for a Cinco de Mayo party or really for any occasion.

Let me know if you make it, I’d love to hear what you think.

SIMILAR RECIPES PERFECT FOR CINCO DE MAYO:

KEY LIME BARS

KEY LIME CHIFFON PIE WITH BISCOFF CRUST

TRES LECHES CAKE

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Frozen Key Lime Pie

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Total Time

35 mins

 

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: key lime pie, pie

Servings: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

Crust:

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (10 crackers)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:

• 6 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 can (14-ounce) sweetened condensed milk
• 2 tablespoons grated lime zest
• 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (4 to 5 limes)

Topping:

• 1 cup cold heavy cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Thin lime wedges

Garnish (optional):

• thin lime wedges

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

For the crust:

1. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter in a bowl. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely.

For the filling:

1. Beat the egg yolks and sugar on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until thick (should take about 5 minutes). 

2. With the mixer on medium speed, add the condensed milk, lime zest, and lime juice. Pour into the cooled, baked pie shell and freeze for a couple hours before adding the whipped cream on top.

For the topping:

1. Beat the heavy cream on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat until firm. Spoon or pipe decoratively onto the pie and decorate with lime. Freeze for several hours or overnight.

Recipe Notes

The majority of the times I've made this pie I've just had large eggs in my fridge and not extra large and the pie turns out just fine. So if you only have large eggs, don't feel like you have to go out and buy extra large eggs.

 

Make sure you give this pie plenty of time in the freezer. Like I mentioned in my post, the longer this is in the freezer, the better. I always make it the day before so it can freeze overnight.

Recipe Source: Barefoot Contessa Family Style Cookbook