Key lime pie with graham cracker crust

Sweet n' tart & easy-peasy

When you taste this pie, you might give me side-eye and say "This is an easy pie?" with one raised eyebrow. It's just that tasty. When my awesome-sauce coworker Blythe told me a few weeks back that key lime pie is her absolute weakness, I knew she had to have one for her birthday this week. I googled a bunch of recipes — some super involved and vegan, others calling for egg yolks — but when I found a simple one with rave reviews on All Recipes, the search was over. 

The All Recipes version even calls for a pre-made graham cracker crust, upping the easy factor even more. But graham cracker crusts are simple to make from scratch, so that's exactly what I did (thank you Sally's Baking Addiction!). I also topped off the pie with makeshift piped cream and a sprinkling of lime zest. I love whipped cream so much, I'd like to slather the entire top of the pie with it next time — though Adam says the dolloped way is "more elegant." I don't know about that, but I do know any amount of cream is a must! 

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KEY LIME PIE

WHAT YOU'LL NEED
GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST
1 and 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (or 10 full cracker sheets) 
6 TBS butter, melted
1/3 cup sugar

KEY LIME PIE
Homemade or pre-made graham cracker crust (9-inch)
3 cups sweetened condensed milk 
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup key lime juice 
1 TBS lime zest, plus extra for garnish

*Note: Make sure to buy more than 3 cups worth of condensed milk — it's sticky and stubborn, and it's a pain trying to scrape it all out of the can. I used regular — not light — sour cream. I found key lime juice in the non-refrigerated juice aisle. I used 4 limes total — 3 in the pie, 1 for the garnish. The number you need will depend on the size of the limes. 

SWEETENED WHIPPED CREAM
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 and 1/2 TBS sugar

WHAT YOU'LL DO 
1. For the crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If you're starting with full sheets of graham crackers, crush them either in a food processor or in a ziplock bag with a rolling pin.

2. In a bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar with a fork and/or rubber spatula until it's all combined and sandy. Press mixture firmly into the bottom and sides of a 9- or 10-inch glass pie dish, making sure it's compact. Bake for 7 minutes, then allow to cool. (I baked my crust the day before — worked great!) 

3. For the pie filling: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine condensed milk, sour cream, lime juice, and 1 TBS lime zest. Mix well (I used a whisk, then spatula) until creamy and smooth. 

4. Pour the filling into the cooled graham cracker crust. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes (I baked for 5). Do not brown! Chill thoroughly before serving and topping with whipped cream.

5. For the whipped cream: With an electric mixer on high, beat 1 cup heavy whipping cream and 1 and 1/2 TBS sugar until stiff peaks form. This will go faster if you first pop the bowl and beaters in the fridge or freezer for a bit before you start. Store cream in the fridge in an airtight container. 

6. To decorate, either slather a layer of cream on top of the chilled pie or make dollops: Spoon whipped cream into a plastic baggie and use a scissors to trim one of the bottom corners. Pipe dollops of cream along the rim and center of the pie. Sprinkle with lime zest. 

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While your center dollop of cream might be way off like mine, this pie overcomes looks with heaps of yumminess. My coworkers (birthday girl included — phew!) went back for seconds and kept thanking me profusely. Yep, they sure are lucky — lucky I can follow a recipe! With a pie this easy and delicious, I'm convinced anyone can become a baker. Why not give it a whirl?