Key Lime Pie Recipe | Carnation (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between a Key lime pie and a Florida Key lime pie? ›

The main difference is that it requires more aromatic Key lime juice to make the famous pie sing. It is worth the elbow grease to get that authentic floral Key lime flavor—unless you can't find Key limes.

It's not the graham crackers themselves that make the crust special, but rather the unique addition of crushed toasted almonds. The salty, earthy almonds compliment the strongly sweet flavors present in the velvety-smooth pie, elevating the overall experience of eating this dessert.

Unless you live in the Florida Keys, key limes are near impossible to find. Furthermore, they're so tiny that you'd need to juice at least twenty of them for this recipe. No thank you! Ordinary limes make an exceptional Key lime pie, and they are a much better alternative to bracingly tart bottled Key lime juice.

There is a slight flavor difference between Persian limes and Key limes. But when baked into a dessert like Key lime blondies, it's hard to tell the difference. So if you can't find Key limes, go ahead and use Persian limes. You'll still wind up with a delicious summer pie.

(Some residents of the Florida Keys and true Key lime pie aficionados will only use Key limes from the Keys.) If you can't find them anywhere, however, you can substitute a combination of regular fresh lime juice and fresh lemon juice in equal proportions.

The biggest culprit of a runny key lime pie is not letting it chill for long enough. Since this is one of those summer pie recipes that's not baked, chilling the pie helps it set and prevents it from being runny. Be sure to chill it for at least 12 hours!

Chill Your Pie Shell

Chill the pie shell until firm before placing it in the oven, whether it's empty or filled. Cold pastry going into a hot oven is key to a flaky crust, and a chilled empty pie shell is less likely to slip down as it bakes.

The sweet and tart pie reportedly originated in Key West, Florida, in the late 19th century. The use of sweetened condensed milk, an essential ingredient, is probably because fresh milk and refrigeration were uncommon in the isolated Florida Keys until the 1930s.

Its no surprise key lime is the favorite in Florida. This pie originated in Key West, Florida during the 19th century. In Key West, you can buy a chocolate-dipped slice of key lime pie on a stick. Other Southern states have the meringue-topped pie as the favorite as well.

Some of this is due to natural causes. Lime growers are still reeling from 2020 droughts and severe flooding in early 2021, according to the Produce Bluebook. This year has brought an uncharacteristically cold growing season which literally freezes the growth of limes, making them ineligible for sale.

What is the real color of Key lime pie? ›

When preparing an authentic Key lime pie, either a graham cracker crust or a pastry crust is acceptable. As are both meringue and whipped cream for topping. The color, however, is not a matter of choice. Genuine Key lime pies are yellow.

The Key lime pie has been traced back to the early 20th century in the Key West, Florida area. Its exact origins are unknown, but the first formal mention of Key lime pie as a recipe may have been made by William Curry and Key West's first millionaire; his cook, "Aunt Sally", made the pie for him.

Harvested in Florida June through September, with some available all year. Description: Typical size is 1 to 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Pulp is light green to yellow, juicy and acid tasting.

The sweet and tart pie reportedly originated in Key West, Florida, in the late 19th century. The use of sweetened condensed milk, an essential ingredient, is probably because fresh milk and refrigeration were uncommon in the isolated Florida Keys until the 1930s.

They say key lime pie originated in Key West some time toward the end of the 1800s. As the story goes, one William Curry, a prominent Key West resident and Bahamian-born immigrant who became Florida's first millionaire, had a cook called “Aunt Sally” who concocted the first pie from key limes.

When explorer Juan Ponce de Leon charted the islands of the Keys in 1513, he called them Los Martires (meaning “the martyrs”) because he thought they resembled men in distress. The more popular name, simply the Keys, is derived from the Spanish word Cayo (“small island”).

The Florida State Legislature made the key lime pie the official state pie of Florida on July 1, 2006. This was after many years of debate between pecan pie and key lime pie.