Tangy Key Lime Pie

If you want the tang of citrus without drowning in sugar, try this delicious Tangy Key Lime Pie recipe. Simple to make, each serving contains only 280 calories.

A Tangy Key Lime Pie Requires the Right Limes

It’s “key” to use the right kind of limes for this recipe. Most stores in the US now carry both Persian limes and Key or Mexican limes. You can easily tell the difference just by size – Persian limes are much bigger. Persian limes also have a much thicker skin and are usually more solid green than Key limes. See this article on the differences between Key and Persian limes.

Frankly, I never buy Persian limes anymore, as Mexican limes are generally cheaper and juicier. This recipe calls for 1/2 cup of fresh lime juice, which is about 5 or 6 golf-ball-sized limes. Select limes that are partially yellow, with a little “give” to the touch.

Baking Tips for the Perfect Tangy Key Lime Pie

The Shell

You’ll blind bake the pie shell separately from the whole pie, so start there. You can prepare the filling while the shell is baking.

Place the white chocolate in the freezer while you prepare the crumbs and it will be just right for chopping finely.

A typical box of graham crackers comes divided into three separate packages. To prepare 1 cup of graham cracker crumbs, I use one package. Crumble into a large zip lock baggie, squeezing out all the air, and then roll the bag with a pastry roller until the crumbs are fairly uniform.

Retrieve the white chocolate and chop finely with a knife until uniform. They don’t have to be super-tiny, as they’ll melt in the oven. (If you want, you can use a food processor, but I’ve found that to be rather a mess.)

Grease a pie pan. I use about 1/2 tsp of lard, but you can use a good cooking spray. I’ve found cooking spray just doesn’t work as well at releasing cakes and pies, however.

After mixing the shell ingredients, I press it into the pan with the outside of a measuring cup, making the thickness uniform all around the pan.

Bake the shell until the top edge starts to brown – around 12 minutes at 350° F

The Filling

Zest your limes first – it’s a lot easier doing it before they are squeezed! I zest them all, even though that will produce more than required. I save some for garnish. (If you’ve never zested citrus before, check out the really simple video below:

The recipe calls for fat-free sweetened condensed milk, but the regular kind works as well – your pie will have a bit more fat per serving, however.

Be sure to mix the filling for the full 2 minutes. You need to get those egg yolks fully incorporated.

And that’s it! With a little whipped cream or some berries on top, it’s the perfect simple dessert you can make quickly and easily.

Speaking of berries, check out my recipe for All-Natural Lemon Blueberry Cake. It’s a family favorite.

The Right Tools Make the Job Easier

Having the right tools on hand will make all of your cooking and baking easier. For example, Click here for a good citrus zester/grater to consider for your kitchen:

And if you’re looking for the perfect hand mixer, I recommend this one from Kitchenaid: