Best Key Lime Recipe Pie in the Country?
Could this be the best Key lime pie recipe in America? I don’t know, but it might just be a contender. Our family loved it (it kind of reminded me of Fleming’s Steak House Key Lime Pie), and the American Pie Council awarded the recipe 1st place in the Citrus category of the National Pie Championships. So for those of you looking for a Key lime pie for Thanksgiving, this Cream of Coconut Key Lime Pie might be the one.
Cream Cheese
This is a Key Lime Pie recipe that calls for cream cheese. Cream cheese is not an unusual Key Lime Pie ingredient, as it helps with structure and adds more tartness. What is more unusual is the cream of coconut.
Cream of Coconut Key Lime Pie
Cream of coconut is not the same as coconut cream. Coconut cream is from coconut milk, but cream of coconut is a coconut cream product with sugar added. It's often found with mixers, as it is used in Pina Coladas. Two popular brands are Coco Real and Coco Lopez.
Lime Oil in Key Lime Pie
The original version was created by Amy Freeze, who used a Nilla Wafer crust and called her creation “Sittin’ on the Sandbar Key Lime Pie”. My version is a little different. I did not have the wafers so I used a graham cracker crust, and because my family really likes a tart pie, I added ¼ teaspoon of Boyajian lime oil. I highly recommend the addition of the lime oil or just a teaspoon of extra zest, but if you leave it out the pie will still be great. The cream cheese also adds some extra zip.
Recipe
Key Lime Pie with Cream of Coconut
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup butter melted
Filling
- 14 ounce can condensed milk
- ¾ cup cream of coconut (Coco Lopez or Coco Real)
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 large whole eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- ¾ cup key lime juice (Nellie & Joe's
- ¼ teaspoon lime oil Boyajian -- optional, or use 1 teaspoon lime zest (I use about 2 tablespoons!)
Sweetened Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Garnish
- Lime slices
Instructions
- Make the crust first. Mix together the crumbs, sugar and butter and press into a 9 inch deep dish pie pan. Bake the crust at 375 for 8 minutes. Let cool completely.
- Make the filling. In a large mixing bowl, beat the condensed milk and cream of coconut until smooth. Add the cream cheese and beat until smooth, then beat in the eggs and yolks. Add the lime juice and lime oil and beat until smooth. Pour into the pie shell and bake at 325 degrees F. for 30 minutes or until pie appears set.
- Let cool at room temperature for about an hour, then transfer to the refrigerator and chill for about 5 hours or until completely cold. Whip the cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form, then beat in the vanilla. Pipe the whipped cream around the edges of the pie. Garnish with limes.
- This pie can be served chilled or if you prefer, freeze it and cut while frozen.
Anna says
Hi Lisa,
Glad you tried it! We really like this one. I also like the one that calls for sour cream in place of eggs.
Lisa Keys says
Finally got around to baking a version of this pie. Instead of coco lopez I used the unsweetened Trader Joe's thick coconut cream (we like things less sweet here) and a all-ready made graham cracker crust.Except for having to bake it a bit longer (15 minutes) it came out great
Sue says
Everyone loved this and wanted the recipe. The Coco Real worked just fine. I will definitely make it again.
Sue says
I'm making this today for a dinner party tomorrow evening. My grocery store had only this brand of cream of coconut.
http://realingredients.com/coco-real/
I hope it turns out ok. I'm a bit nervous using a different brand. I'll let you know how it goes.
Gina says
The cream cheese and cream of coconut lured me in. The texture looks amazing. I've never made a Key Lime pie after the calendar flips past August and pumpkin recipes are calling, but there's an exception for every rule. 🙂 I'll be sure to report back after I make it.
Anna says
Gina, you'll have to let us know how this one compares. If you like yours better, it won't hurt my feelings ;). What's great about this one is the texture. I feel like the flavor was good too, but that can always be played with.
Gina says
I spent one summer devoted to creating what my family finally considered to be the best Key Lime pie. After seeing this, I'm anxious to try it. It definitely is a different twist on an old favorite. Looks delicious!
Gloria says
Where did the Summer go??? I can't believe it is just a month away from TG!!! My favorite standard is your browned butter pecan pie, but I may give this a try too. Key Lime is more refreshing after a large, heavy, salty turkey meal.
Darlene says
Fantastic suggestion for Thanksgiving dessert. It's got everything in it that is good - creamy cream cheese, tart lime juice, crispy graham crust (not to mention my favorite ingredient, sweetened condensed milk). Yum!
Stephanie @ Plain Chicken says
Must try this! We love key lime pie.