Salted Key Lime Pie with an Easy Pretzel Crust

Did we make you a Salted Key Lime Pie!? YOU BETCHA!! And it has an easy pretzel / graham cracker crust that is going to blow your mind.

 

One of my best friends Adam, you will for sure recognize him from my IG, is the king of ALL THINGS PIE. It's just the way the world works. He makes incredible pies for all occasions. Any dinner party. Any holiday. Any birthday... it's his specialty. He got me into the strawberry peach pie all that time ago. He's also just an incredible cook and baker in general so all of his food is spectacular, not to mention gorgeous because he's a food stylist, but I'm really into his pies at the moment!! We came up with this Salted Key Lime Pie for you guys because honestly, it feels right for summer.

Let me just tell you why it's so amazing! It doesn't require too much time in the oven - so that's a win. It's tart and sweet and salty and all the things you want in a summer pie! It's easy to make ahead of time for a dinner party - just save the whipped cream topping until right before you're ready to serve. And the crust - omg the crust. It's a pretzel and graham cracker mixture which is truly out of this world and you'll be obsessed. It really amps up the salty/sweet situation!!

What you'll need to make Key Lime Pie:

For the Crust

• Crushed pretzels
• Graham cracker crumbs
• Brown sugar
• Unsalted butter

For the Filling

• Egg yolks
• Lime zest
• Fresh key lime juice
• Sweetened condensed milk
• Vanilla extract

Salted Whipped Cream

• Heavy cream
• Powdered sugar
• Vanilla extract
• Sea salt

How to make Key Lime Pie:

Start by preheating your oven to 325º F.

Next start on the crust. In a food processor pulse the pretzels until they resemble a sand like texture. You’ll need ¾ cup for the crust and set aside 2-3 tablespoons for the garnish. Add in graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar and melted butter and pulse until combined. Then dump the key lime pretzel pie crust mixture into a 9-inch pie dish. Use the bottom of a drinking glass or measuring cup to press the crumb mixture evenly over the bottom and up the sides, keeping it as uniform as possible. Bake the pie crust for 15-20 mins until  lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack to cool for about 30 min while you make the filling.

To make the filling, combine the egg yolks and the lime zest in a stand mixer and beat with the whisk attachment for 2-3 min on medium low, until light in color. Mix in the condensed milk followed by the lime juice and the vanilla, set the filling aside until the crust has completely cooled.

Once the crust has cooled, pour the filling into the crust and pop it into the oven for 17-20 mins, the filling will puff slightly and might get a very pale golden color, you want the filling to still have a little wiggle as it will continue to set after removing it from oven. Let the Key Lime Pie cool for an hour, and then refrigerate it for about 4 hours.

Shortly before serving make the whipped cream by combining the cold heavy cream, a pinch of salt and the vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Starting on a low speed slowly add in the powered sugar and then crank the speed to medium high and continue to beat until soft peaks form.

When ready to serve, dollop salted whipped cream around the edges of the pie and top with pretzel crumbs and a sprinkle of flaked salt!

Variations and Substitutions:

• Can you substitute something else for key lime juice? Yes - key lime juice can be made with ¼ cup fresh lemon juice and ¼ cup fresh lime juice.

Tips & Tricks:

• If you don't have a food processor you can totally make the crust by hand in a plastic bag. Just roll the pretzels out into sand like consistency with a rolling pin.

• If you don't have a stand mixer you can absolutely use a hand mixer.

FAQ's:

If you like this Key Lime Pie recipe here are some other recipes you should try:

• Banoffee Pie Trifles
• Banana Pudding Pie
• Strawberry Peach Pie
• S’more Pudding Pie