It can chill you out on a summer day or take your tastebuds to a warm oasis on a cold winter night. Key Lime Pie has it all when it comes to the world of blissful pies. And when you make the Easiest Key Lime Pie recipe, you don’t even need to stress about making a mess in the kitchen.
What you might stress about, however, if you’re a trivia buff and especially if you’re in Florida, is the origin of this delightful dessert. As of 2006, the Key Lime Pie is the official state pie of Florida. And while many believe the pie was created in the Florida Keys, some argue that it comes from…. New York City!
One of the key ingredients of the pie is sweetened condensed milk. One story goes that the preponderance of Key Limes, along with difficulty getting fresh milk on the islands, led crafty cooks to create the pie with the signature flavors of Key Lime and canned milk.
Another story argues that the pie was created by the Borden Condensed Milk Company in an effort to sell more of the canned sweetened condensed milk.
That’s not the only controversy around this pie. Some cooks swear by a graham cracker crust, while others prefer a pastry pie crust. You might find the pie topped with meringue or whipped cream. I’ve had it made with and without eggs, cooked, and chilled rather than cooked. In fact, there may only be two things that are consistent across the many recipes: there are two key (badda bing!) ingredients: sweetened condensed milk and key limes (although even the lime is subject to availability).
Here’s one thing I can say for sure. Of all the recipes, I really do believe this is the Easiest Key Lime Pie recipe I’ve ever made. There are no eggs, so you don’t even have to cook this in the oven! Just mix it all together and give it time to set in the refrigerator. It doesn’t get much easier than that!
PrintEasiest Key Lime Pie
With just six main ingredients, the traditional no-bake recipe comes together in just 15 minutes. Chilled to perfection, this pie is the ideal balance between tart and sweet. And it really is the Easiest Key Lime Pie recipe ever!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Chill Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 pie; serves 6 to 8 1x
- Category: Desserts
Ingredients
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup nonfat vanilla Greek yogurt
- 1/2 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1/3 cup key lime juice (see Note)
- Green food coloring (optional)
- store-bought (or homemade) graham cracker crust
- Whipped topping for serving
- Key limes for garnish, zested and sliced
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, combine the cream cheese, yogurt, condensed milk, and lime juice. Mix well until smooth. Add a drop of green food coloring if desired.
- Pour the key lime mixture into the crust and chill the pie for 1 hour.
- Top with whipped topping and garnish with lime zest and slices of lime. Serve immediately.
Notes
- If you can’t find key limes, don’t worry; use regular limes, they taste just as amazing.
How do you like to make your Key Lime Pie?