Super Easy No Bake Key Lime Pie Recipe - Family Focus Blog (2024)

FAQs

Can I use regular lime juice instead of key lime juice for a key lime pie? ›

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.

Rather, the key to perfecting the Publix key lime pie is a simple ingredient added to the graham cracker crust. It's not the graham crackers themselves that make the crust special, but rather the unique addition of crushed toasted almonds.

The only other ingredients you need are sweetened condensed milk and a pie shell to pour the mixture into. Here's the science: The acid in the key lime juice reacts with the proteins in the milk to thicken the mixture. That's why you don't need to bake it.

Persian limes are more acidic than Key limes and thus often have a more tart flavor. Key limes, which are known for being particularly aromatic, are typically sweeter in taste, making them a perfect ingredient for the refreshing pie they're most known for (or for these fun Key lime pie-inspired s'mores).

What is the difference between concentrate and not from concentrate lime juice? Lime juice concentrate is made by pressing fresh limes and juicing the pulp. This is then heated, so the liquid evaporates. This leaves a thick solution, which ends up being 6 times stronger than normal lime juice.

Although it seems like a simple swap, you need to be careful when substituting bottled lime juice for fresh. Check the label to be sure it is pure juice; some varieties, such as the popular Rose's label, are sweetened with high fructose corn syrup.

Trader Joe's Key Lime Pie

That's why the key lime pie from Trader Joe's is so sought-after during the summer when this seasonal pie returns. It's yellow, it's made with sweetened condensed milk and real key lime juice (as it should be!), it's $5.49 — and it's perfection in a pie.

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.

And for most people, it's a great excuse to eat a slice of their favorite pie or order a pizza for dinner. Online photo book company Mixbook took a survey asking how far people are willing to travel to try each state's signature pie and Florida's Key lime pie ranked in the top 10 most desirable.

As it turns out, undercooking and overcooking can both cause weeping meringue and unwanted moisture on top of your pie (aka beading). Overcooking meringue causes those little sugary drops of moisture on top of baked meringues.

Why isn t my Key lime pie green? ›

People expected their authentic Key lime pies to be green, matching the bright green lime color of the Persian limes they saw in their grocery stores. Key lime pie filling, however, takes its yellow color from the egg yolks used in its production.

In the 1800's a ship salvager named William Curry, Florida's first self-made millionaire had a cook known as Aunt Sally. Historians believe that Aunt Sally did not create the pie but instead perfected the pie created by area fishermen. William Curry has a mansion in Key West that is still standing today.

You may substitute the key lime juice with a mixture of 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice and 1/4 cup fresh lime juice.

Recipe Notes

Key Lime Juice: If you cannot get fresh key limes, use bottled key lime juice for this pie. The recommended brand is Nellie & Joe's (available at most grocery stores). While the flavor will be significantly different, you can also use regular limes or a combination of lime and lemon juice.

Key limes tend to be small and seedy, with a distinctive lime flavor that is tart but not too acidic. They also have a distinct aroma, far more aromatic than common limes. 2 Grocery store limes, generally speaking, are Persian limes, the most widely commercially cultivated variety of lime.

Key lime juice is prized for being tart and super-aromatic. You can use them in place of regular limes in any recipe, but they're an ideal choice for sweetened-up desserts like Key lime pie, cupcakes or thumbprint cookies.

Sampled plain, the Key lime juice tasted slightly less tart and bracing than its Persian counterpart, and a quick lab test confirmed that impression (the juice from the conventional limes had a lower pH than the Key lime juice, indicating higher acidity).

When baking, lemon and lime juice can often be used interchangeably in recipes, especially if the purpose of the juice is mainly to add a little freshness or tang.