While my love for all things Key Lime is legendary, some folks like a toned down version without the lip-curling-pucker of straight lime juice. This pie is just that and is oh-so-delicious!
This version is a slightly modified Atlantic Beach Pie with what I think is a better crust and a hint of orange in the citrusy lemon/lime mix. It’s easy to make, though you do need to allot for a few hours setting time in the fridge.
The crust is a blend of the traditional all-Saltine crust of the Atlantic Beach and a graham cracker crust found in most key lime pies. The blend has a more interesting texture than graham-only and stays together better than straight Saltine. I even added a bit if island flair with the coconut and it adds taste and texture to what is an amazing but relatively delicate crust. So be gentle with it 😉
You get salt and crunch from the crust, smooth and sour from the filling and a touch of sweet from the airy whipped cream. It really is the perfect summer pie!
A few notes: this recipe is for a 10″ pie plate. If you only have a 9″, you can probably get away with just one can (14oz) of condensed milk and slightly less juice, maybe a TBSP less.
Equipment
- 1 10" pie plate
- stand mixer
Ingredients
Crust
- 120 grams Graham cracker crust
- 120 grams Saltine cracker crumbs
- 40 grams Sweetened coconut flakes
- 20 grams sugar
- 120 grams Melted butter
- 1 pinch salt
Filling
- 21 oz sweetened condensed milk - 1.5 cans
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice - 2 lemons
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice - or Nellie & Joe's
- 2 TBSP Cointreau - or Grand Marnier
Topping
- 1.5 cups Heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup confectioner sugar
- 1/4 tsp coconut extract
Garnish
- Lemon and lime zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F
- In medium bowl, mix all dry ingredients until uniform. Add melted butter and using a fork, mix thoroughly until you have the consistency of damp sand.
- Build a nice thick crust evenly around the pie plate and bottom. Use a tamper or measuring cup to press crust firmly and evenly. You’ll have extra crust mix! Pour remaining crust mix onto sheet tray into flat layer. Bake crust 350F for 12-13 min with extra mix in tray alongside crust. Remove both and set aside to cool 10-15 min.Â
- You can use the excess crust as garnish or to sprinkle over ice cream if you serve your pie with that.
- Mix filling ingredients in stand mixer until completely blended. Pour into cooled crust. Bake on center rack, 350F for 14-15 minutes until center still jiggles slightly. Remove and place on wire rack to cool one hour. Place in fridge for a few hours or overnight.
- Just before serving, mix whipped cream ingredients on High speed in stand mixer with whisk attachment until fluffy. 2-3 min. Spread carefully on pie to not disturb your crust!
- Garnish with zested lemons and limes. Now good luck not eating it all yourself!
