Classic key lime pie with a twist – tequila! The key lime juice marries perfectly with the liquor and a hint of sea salt. Margarita in a pie!
Margarita in a pie, anyone?
That was the idea here. Since it’s almost Cinco de Mayo, I decided to put a little spin on a house favorite – key lime pie. Tequila gives this JUST the right amount of kick. You’re going to love how the flavors marry, but don’t worry, it’s not too overpowering.
Jared loves key lime pie. Any sort of citrus or cream based pie with whipped cream, he’s in. Really any vehicle to get homemade whipped cream into his belly – that’s his jam.
And I can’t say I blame this man. The key lime custard filling here pairs perfectly with a classic graham cracker crust and lime infused whipped cream! Not too sweet, not too boozy – just right. It’s a lot like my lemon cream pie, just with key lime and tequila.
What’s the difference between key limes and limes?
Key limes are a lot smaller than the limes you normally find at the store. They’re a bit more tart and pungent which makes them excellent for baking.
They’re found a good bit in the Florida Keys, hence the name – key lime!
How do you make a graham cracker crust?
A graham cracker crust is super simple. It’s great for the beginner pie maker.
All you have to do is combine crushed graham crackers, brown sugar and butter and press it into a pan. No chilling or rolling required. In the recipe, you do pre-bake the crust a bit, but that’s as simple as popping the pie plate into the oven while you make the filling.
What’s the best way to serve this pie?
You can use a standard,
I always serve pie with homemade whipped cream. The recipe calls for a slightly sweetened version with lime zest. SO GOOD.
Lez do this thing.
Love cream-filled pies? This Chocolate Cream Pie has your name written all over it.
PrintTequila Key Lime Pie
Classic key lime pie with a twist – tequila! The key lime juice marries perfectly with the liquor and a hint of sea salt. Top with whipped cream for dessert.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes + 3 hours of chill time
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours + 50 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Pie
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 8 graham cracker sheets
- 1/4 cup brown or coconut sugar
- 6 Tbsp. melted butter
- 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened, condensed milk
- 3 egg yolks
- 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. key lime juice (I use Nellie & Joe’s Key Lime Juice)*
- 2 Tbsp. tequila
- 2 tsp. lime zest, divided
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 8 oz. whipping cream
- 3 Tbsp. powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. You’ll need a standard 9-inch pie or tart plate.*
- Break the graham cracker sheets into fine crumbs by using a food processor, or by placing the sheets in a plastic bag and pounding them with a rolling pin.
- Mix the crumbs with the melted butter and brown sugar. If you’re using a food processor, you can use that to incorporate.
- Dump the crust mixture into the pie plate and press down firmly, pushing the crumbs up the sides to create a packed crust.
- Bake the crust for 12-15 minutes, until just golden and fragrant.
- While the crust bakes, whisk together the condensed milk, egg yolks, key lime juice tequila, 1 teaspoon of the lime zest, and salt.
- When the crust has prebaked, pour the filling into the crust and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the filling looks set.
- Cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes, before chilling in the fridge for 3-4 hours.
- When the pie is cold, make the lime whipped cream.
- Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and remaining lime zest. Whip until stiff peaks form.
- Slice the pie when it’s cold and top with the lime whipped cream!
Notes
- Key limes are SUPER tiny and a pain to juice. Totally recommend getting this Key Lime Juice Concentrate, it lasts a while! Trust me, I know from experience.
- I find that graham cracker crust pies plate up more beautifully when you use a tart pan.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
Reading this makes me crave! I know key lime pies are the best, but with tequila??? Gonna try this at home.
Thanks, Clare!! You’ve got to give it a try! It’s just a kiss of flavor, not too overpowering!