How to Make Key Lime Pie with Nut Crust

March 7, 2021. Beautiful sunny winter day. Key Lime Pie with Nut Crust.

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I wanted to make a classic key lime pie today. Unfortunately the graham crackers in the pantry smelled stale, so I improvised and made a lovely nut and cracker crust instead! The pie tastes even better than expected!

Every time I eat key lime pie, it reminds me of warm summer days, and transports me to the time we vacationed in the beautiful Florida Keys. I love that this recipe is so simple, yet so fabulously delish.

This is very different from the Easy Walnut Pie and the Bourbon Pumpkin Pie I made over the holidays because the toasted nut pie crust really adds something to this recipe! To make this Key Lime Pie, I first made the crust, and then the filling. I used the nuts I have in my fridge – walnuts and pecans, but I should think you can easily use any of your favorite nuts. Also, I used regular limes (from Costco) since Key Limes are not easily available in my neck of the woods. The rest of the stuff is mostly pantry ingredients. It just goes to show that making something delish doesn’t have to be overly complicated.

Let’s get baking!

Ingredients for Key Lime Pie with Nut Crust

Nut Crust
1/2 cup (50g) shelled walnuts
1/2 cup (65g) shelled pecans
1 sleeve Ritz crackers (or your favorite butter crackers), 1 sleeve equals approx 35 crackers
1/4 cup (55g) brown sugar, packed
5 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
pinch of salt

Pie Filling
2 cans sweetened condensed milk (14 oz./396g can size)
1 cup (285g) plain Greek or Indian yogurt
3/4 cup (172g) fresh squeezed lime juice
zest from 3 to 5 limes (grate the zest before juicing the lime)

Topping (optional)
whipped cream
lime zest or thinly slice lime

You will also need a food processor to make the nutty crust, a grater for the limes, and a 9 inch Round Pie Pan.

Preparing the Nut Crust

Gather all the ingredients. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
Place walnuts and pecans into the food processor and blitz a few times. Add in crackers and process till they resemble coarse crumbs. Add in sugar, melted butter and pinch of salt. Mix to combine. You should end up with about 1 and a half to three-quarter cups of mixture.

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Pour mixture into a pie pan. The moistened mixture should clump together when pressed. Press and pat the mixture firmly into the pan till about 1/4 inch (~6mm) thick. Work on the sides first.

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Bake the crust in the preheated oven for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the crust is lightly toasted. Remove and set aside to cool. Lower the oven to 350°F (177°C) and start putting together the filling.

Assembling and Baking Key Lime Pie with Nut Crust

In a large bowl, prepare and put in all the ingredients – lime juice, zest, condensed milk, yogurt and mix to combine thoroughly. Next, pour the filling mixture into the pie crust. Tap the pan gently a few times to settle the filling.

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Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes, until the filling is a bit wobbly but set. Set on rack to cool. Then refrigerate to chill the pie thoroughly before garnishing and serving.

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Chilling, Garnishing & Serving

When it has completely cooled down, slice and serve. I love to eat mine without any topping. Optionally, for a prettier slice of pie, you can garnish with whipped cream, a sprinkle of lime zest or thinly sliced pieces of lime. Let’s dig in!

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Notes:

The pie tastes best on the day it’s assembled to prevent soggy crust. You can make the crust ahead (make till step 4 of recipe). All you have to do is assemble and bake before eating.

I have eaten many slices of Key Lime Pies, but never really paused to think of its origins. I have always assumed these lime are from the Florida Keys. Upon a short search, I was astonished to learn that the Key Lime trees originated from Malaysia, my home country. These trees supposedly arrived to the Florida Keys in the 1500s with the Spanish.  They are also know as Mexican or West Indian lime trees. In Malaysia, we call Key Lime limau nipis.

Here are 2 short article about Key Lime Pies & Key Lime

https://whatscookingamerica.net/History/PieHistory/KeyLimePie.htm

http://www.foodreference.com/html/artkeylimes.html

Pie filling recipe lightly adapted from Once Upon a Chef.

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Feeling adventurous and want to try something awesome? Check out these Cruffins => How to Make Butter Cruffins (Croissant + Muffin)

If you have a hankering for something crunchy AND spicy, check out my Korean inspired Marinated Cucumber => How to make Spicy Korean Marinated Cucumber (Oi Muchim)!