Key lime pie
This egg-free lime pie combines a biscuit crust with a sweet-tart condensed-milk filling. Bake briefly and chill until firm enough to slice, then add whipped cream and thin lime slices before serving.
Additional 4 h 30 min — cooling and chilling
How to make it
Prepared 0 of 6 steps
Prepare the crumbs
Heat the oven to 175 °C. Grind biscuits finely and mix with brown sugar and melted butter. It should resemble damp sand and clump when pressed, not swim in butter.
Bake the base
Press crumbs firmly over the base and sides of a 23 cm tin with the bottom of a glass. Bake for 10 minutes, then cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Do not fill the fragile base while hot.
Mix the lime filling
Mix condensed milk, yogurt, strained juice and finely grated zest without white pith until completely smooth. Do not whip fluffy. This version uses no eggs or yolks.
Bake briefly
Pour into the crust and level. Bake for 15–18 minutes until the edges begin to set and the centre wobbles gently. Do not wait for a dry cake-like top; chilling finishes setting the filling.
Cool and chill
Cool on a rack for about 30 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Cover only after active steaming stops to avoid water collecting on the surface.
Add cream and lime
Whip cold cream with icing sugar to stable soft peaks. Pipe small rosettes around the edge. Slice the lime very thinly, remove seeds and arrange between them. Do not add mint, colouring or other decorations.
Little hint
Natural lime filling is pale cream with a slight green tint, not bright green. Use sweetened condensed milk; unsweetened evaporated milk produces a different texture.
Frequently asked questions
What should I watch out for when cooking?
Natural lime filling is pale cream with a slight green tint, not bright green. Use sweetened condensed milk; unsweetened evaporated milk produces a different texture.
How should I prepare the ingredients?
Heat the oven to 175 °C. Grind biscuits finely and mix with brown sugar and melted butter. It should resemble damp sand and clump when pressed, not swim in butter.
