September 23, 2022

Key Lime Pie with Pecan Graham Cracker Crust

Article by:

Photos by:

article & photos by:

Allie Albanese

Article by:

Photos by:

article & photos by:

Allie Albanese

Tart, sweet, creamy, crunchy -- this is everything you could want in a perfect key lime pie!

A whole key lime pie with pecan graham cracker crust and whipped cream topping that has a single slice cut out from it sitting on a plate beside it with a fork propped on the edge of the plate

Bake a Key Lime Pie ✔

 

I'm making my way through my list of “what to make with my first ever crop of key limes” and naturally a Key Lime Pie is a must! However, when it comes to this southern treat, I have very high standards. I've eaten lots of very good and lots of very bad Key Lime Pie in my life, and have specific criteria for what makes a tasty one:

1)      A creamy, more tart than sweet filling

2)      A killer, not too thick and not too thin, graham cracker crust

3)      A lightly sweet whipped topping (traditional style key lime pie is topped with meringue, but I prefer the more modern whipped cream style)

 

My mom is an even tougher Key Lime Pie critic than me, so when she requested a “Key Lime Pie with a pecan graham cracker crust like they make at Houston's Restaurant” (her very favorite), I knew I had my work cut out for me.

 

After reading about a million crust and pie recipes, I put together bits and pieces of different ones to come up with a pie to meet both of our stringent standards. And I must say, the result is DANG good! Tart, sweet, creamy, crunchy – this traditional Key Lime Pie recipe passes allllll the tests! And for those of you who don't have access to key limes/key lime juice, have no fear! Simply swap it out with regular lime juice and enjoy it just the same.

 

Fun Fact: Key Lime Pie was first made in Key West, Florida in the late 1800s. At the time, modern refrigeration wasn't a thing, so fresh milk wasn't common. That's why condensed milk was used instead! And next to key limes, it's honestly what makes Key Lime Pie, Key Lime Pie.

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A whole key lime pie with a single slice cut out from it

Key Lime Pie with Pecan Graham Cracker Crust

Tart, sweet, creamy, crunchy -- this is everything you could want in a perfect key lime pie!

Yields:

8 Slices

Ingredients:

FOR THE CRUST:

1 ¾ cups ground graham cracker crumbs (about 13-14 full cracker sheets)

½ cup chopped pecans

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

8 tablespoons butter, melted

FOR THE FILLING:

1 ½ tablespoons lime zest

4 large egg yolks

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

⅔ cup fresh key lime or lime juice (squeezed from about 1 dozen key limes or 4 regular limes)

 

FOR THE TOPPING:

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2-3 tablespoons powdered sugar, to taste

Lime zest to garnish (optional)

Instructions:

FOR THE CRUST:

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine graham cracker crumbs, chopped pecans, dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Stir until mixed well and no sugar clumps remain.

Add melted butter and mix until crumbs/pecans are evenly coated.

Press mixture evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie dish. I use a deep dish pie plate, but a standard one works just as well – you may just end up with a bit extra graham cracker mixture depending on your pie dish.

Bake crust on the middle rack about 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Set on a cooling rack while you prepare the filling. Leave the oven on.

FOR THE FILLING:

Zest limes into the bottom of a medium bowl until youhave 1 ½ tablespoons.

Add egg yolks to the zest and beat with an electric mixer until thick and pale in color, about 6 minutes.

Add sweetened condensed milk and beat again until thickened, about 4 more minutes.

Whisk key lime or lime juice into the mixture until combined.

Pour into the graham cracker crust and bake pie until set, about 11 minutes. Keep an eye on it, though, because you don't want it to get browned on top at all.

Let pie cool completely before adding topping.

FOR THE TOPPING:

Add heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar to a medium bowl and beat until soft peaks form.

Spread cream over the top of the chilled pie leaving about an inch margin between the topping and the crust so that the color of the pie filling shows.

Garnish with a bit of lime zest (optional).

Chill pie 2-3 hours to fully set before slicing.

A whole key lime pie with a single slice cut out from it

Key Lime Pie with Pecan Graham Cracker Crust

Tart, sweet, creamy, crunchy -- this is everything you could want in a perfect key lime pie!

Yields:

8 Slices

Ingredients:

FOR THE CRUST:

1 ¾ cups ground graham cracker crumbs (about 13-14 full cracker sheets)

½ cup chopped pecans

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

8 tablespoons butter, melted

FOR THE FILLING:

1 ½ tablespoons lime zest

4 large egg yolks

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

⅔ cup fresh key lime or lime juice (squeezed from about 1 dozen key limes or 4 regular limes)

 

FOR THE TOPPING:

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2-3 tablespoons powdered sugar, to taste

Lime zest to garnish (optional)

Instructions:

FOR THE CRUST:

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine graham cracker crumbs, chopped pecans, dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Stir until mixed well and no sugar clumps remain.

Add melted butter and mix until crumbs/pecans are evenly coated.

Press mixture evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie dish. I use a deep dish pie plate, but a standard one works just as well – you may just end up with a bit extra graham cracker mixture depending on your pie dish.

Bake crust on the middle rack about 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Set on a cooling rack while you prepare the filling. Leave the oven on.

FOR THE FILLING:

Zest limes into the bottom of a medium bowl until youhave 1 ½ tablespoons.

Add egg yolks to the zest and beat with an electric mixer until thick and pale in color, about 6 minutes.

Add sweetened condensed milk and beat again until thickened, about 4 more minutes.

Whisk key lime or lime juice into the mixture until combined.

Pour into the graham cracker crust and bake pie until set, about 11 minutes. Keep an eye on it, though, because you don't want it to get browned on top at all.

Let pie cool completely before adding topping.

FOR THE TOPPING:

Add heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar to a medium bowl and beat until soft peaks form.

Spread cream over the top of the chilled pie leaving about an inch margin between the topping and the crust so that the color of the pie filling shows.

Garnish with a bit of lime zest (optional).

Chill pie 2-3 hours to fully set before slicing.

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July 13, 2023
Jude
I've made this pie two times in the past 2 months to serve dinner guests. It's delicious and got rave reviews. I was suspicious of the beating times for the eggs and obviously prep takes longer than the recipe on the bottle of key lime juice, but the results are worth it. I've been putting toasted pecans into my graham cracker crusts for ages to get more texture and your recipe popped up when I searched for a KLP with a pecan graham cracker crust. This is one of my favorite desserts. Thanks for the recipe!
Reply from
Allie
I can’t thank you enough for this wonderful comment, Jude! It put such a smile on my face not only to know that you’re enjoying this recipe, but that you love pecans in your crust the way that I do! Great minds. 😁 I take my Key Lime Pie very seriously and totally agree that the extra bit of work is TOTALLY worth it in the end! 😋 Your message is also quite timely because I’m planning to make this pie next week for a friend’s birthday and will be updating the post with new pictures and proper information. I’m not changing the recipe because I like it the way it is, I’ll just be giving this recipe post a total revamp soon. Thanks again for your kind words and for taking the time to leave a comment, it means more to me than you know!
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