Creamy and luscious with just the perfect amount of tartness, this is the best gluten free key lime pie!
I have always loved key lime pie! It’s one of those desserts that is so unassuming, but every time it was on a menu I’d order it. Of course, that was in my BC (before Celiac) days. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a gluten free key lime pie offered anywhere.
Sometimes I really wonder why in the world people can’t make some of their stuff gluten free, don’t you? I’m not even a pastry chef and if I can make tasty gf food, why can’t someone make a pie that is as easy to make as this one?!?! Or, for instance, why can’t sushi restaurants just switch to gluten free tamari instead of soy sauce. Then we’d ALL be able to enjoy fresh sushi everywhere!!
I have to look at the glass half full side of things, though, and say to myself that at least I can make these incredible renditions of my former favorites. I don’t have to miss out on things anymore, and because of this, neither do you! As long as I don’t give up you will always have access to my successes. When it comes to baking, I NEVER give up!!
How Easy Is It To Make Gluten Free Key Lime Pie?
If you want to buy one of those ready-made gluten free graham cracker crusts, this pie will take you literally 5 minutes to make. And I think those crusts are actually pretty decent. But in my BC days, I wouldn’t buy the ready-made crusts. I like a pretty thick and crunchy graham cracker crust. So if I didn’t do it then, I’m not going to do it now.
Now, I will, however, buy the gf graham crackers if I don’t want to make them from scratch. And there are some good ones out there on the market. Schar gluten free graham crackers (affiliate link) work great for a crumb crust.
But I just recently released my own homemade gluten free graham crackers and they work a TREAT for making a perfect crunchy crust! Aaaaannnd, they take all of 5 minutes to make. So instead of hightailing it to the store to buy those gluten free graham crackers, you can whip these up in no time!
Then it’s just a matter of crushing the crackers. This can be done either in a ziploc bag with a rolling pin or in a food processor. Mix the crumbs with a little sugar and melted butter, press in a pie pan, and bake for 10 minutes. So simple, right?
The Filling
If you think making the crust is easy, the filling is even easier! Egg yolks, a can of sweetened condensed milk (my favorite ingredient on the planet!), and key lime juice.
If you can find fresh key limes in your area, you can always buy them and juice them. If you live in Florida, then I suppose juicing your own key limes makes sense. But they’re so tiny that to me it’s not worth it. And I only see them randomly in our stores here anyway.
But I can always find Nellie & Joe’s Key West Lime Juice (affiliate link), which is just bottled key lime juice. It’s the taste of a key lime in a bottle, not like a normal bottled lime juice that, in my opinion, is nothing like fresh lime juice.
If you don’t want to buy bottled key lime juice or can’t get it in your area, you can use fresh lime juice in a pinch. The finished pie may be a little more tart than if you used key lime juice, but it’ll still be good!
Topped with sweetened freshly whipped cream for the perfect balance of sweet and tart, this is the best gluten free key lime pie ever!
The Best Gluten Free Key Lime Pie
Ingredients
CRUST:
- 2 cups (170 g) homemade gluten free graham crackers (or one 5.6-ounce box of store bought gluten free graham crackers)
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp butter, melted
FILLING:
- 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 4 large egg yolks
- ½ cup (150 ml) key lime juice, fresh or bottled (can substitute regular Persian lime juice)
TOPPING:
- 1 cups(240 ml) heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
Instructions
FOR THE CRUST:
- In the bowl of a food processor, crush the graham crackers until coarse crumbs (or in a ziploc bag using a rolling pin). Place in another bowl and add melted butter and sugar. Stir to combine and press into bottom and up sides of 8-inch pie plate.
- Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. Remove and cool on wire rack until filling is ready.
FOR THE FILLING:
- In medium bowl, add egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk, and Key lime juice and whisk to combine.
- Pour into pie crust and bake for another 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and cool on wire rack for about 1/2 hour. Chill, uncovered, at least eight hours.
FOR THE TOPPING:
- In bowl of stand mixer (or hand held mixer), whip cream on medium speed and slowly add powdered sugar and vanilla. Increase speed to high and whip until stiff peaks form. Dollop on top of pie, or fill into pastry bag fitted with large open star tip and pipe onto top of pie.
I haven’t made this yet but it is my husband’s favorite dessert. My dilemma is that while he can eat anything, I need both GF and dairy free. Have you ever tried making this dairy free? I can’t figure out what to switch out the sweetened condensed milk for. Any thoughts?
Yes–sweetened condensed COCONUT milk!! I’ve seen it at Walmart, but you can also make your own if you can’t find it in the stores. Google sweetened condensed coconut milk and you should see several recipes for it. And you can even make sweetened whipped coconut milk instead of the whipped cream on top. Google whipped coconut cream 🙂
Hi Kim, please help I have followed your recipe for this key lime pie three times, and every time I put the filling in the oven to bake the top turns brown. Can you please tell me what adjustment I need to make? I can’t wait to try your key lime pie.
Thank you.
I’m not sure, Winnie. I can’t think of what would make the filling turn brown. It’s basically the same filling from any other key lime pie or even lemon meringue pie. However, I think if it does start turning brown you can tent it with a piece of foil until it’s done baking.
Hope that helps 🙂
Kim, I will try doing that and/or do you think I need to set the temperature lower and leave it in for less time?
Thank you
I don’t think that will work as you would end up with more of a soupy pie. Make sure your oven rack is set in the middle of the oven and I would just cover it loosely with tin foil and I think that will work 🙂
uum well i tried every thing 1 cup more and it did not work
Seriously. I get compliments galore when making this. Always successful and very easy. Can’t believe I always bought them. Thank you!!
Thanks so much, Kerri! I’m so glad you like it 🙂
This pie has to be the best Key Lime Pie I’ve ever tasted! I don’t even have to eat gluten free!
Wow! Thanks for saying that!! I’m thrilled 🙂 🙂 🙂