Did we make you a Salted Key Lime Pie!? YOU BETCHA!! And it has an easy pretzel graham cracker crust that is going to boggle your mind.
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
One of my best friends Adam, you will surely recognize him from my instagram, 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 and S’more Pudding Pie many moons ago. He's also just an incredible cook and baker in general so all of his food is spectacular, and gorgeous as he's the food stylist to end all food stylists. We mind melded on this Salted Key Lime Pie for you guys because honestly, it feels right for spring, summer and all upcoming holiday celebrations.
The crust is a salty-sweet dream thanks to crushed pretzels and graham crackers, and the filling is zingy and bright with plenty of fresh key lime juice and zest. And then there's the salted whipped cream (!!) that ties it all together. It's the kind of dessert you make once and then immediately start planning when you can make it again. Whether you're hosting friends or just need a little sunshine in dessert form, this pie delivers.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Pretzels
- Graham crackers
- Brown sugar
- Unsalted butter
- Eggs
- Fresh key limes (or bottled lime juice if you're in a pinch!)
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Vanilla extract
- Heavy cream
- Powdered sugar
- Sea salt
How to Make
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!
Tips & Tricks
Don't skip the pretzels — they add the perfect salty crunch and balance all the sweetness.
Use a food processor to get your crust super fine — you want a sandy texture so it holds together.
Press your crust firmly and evenly — use the bottom of a measuring cup or glass to get it into all the corners.
Chill time is key — let the pie cool completely before serving so the filling sets up properly.
Make the whipped cream right before serving so it stays light and fluffy.
Want to prep ahead? Bake the crust and make the filling the day before, then top with whipped cream right before serving.
FAQ's
What's the difference between limes and key limes?
Key limes are more aromatic, a bit more tarter and more floral.
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.
How long does this pie keep?
Up to 3 days in the fridge — just hold off on topping with whipped cream until you're ready to serve.
Can I make this gluten-free?
Yes! Just use gluten-free pretzels and graham crackers for the crust.
Do I have to use a stand mixer?
Nope! A hand mixer will get the job done just fine.
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If you tried this recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today
Salted Key Lime Pie
Ingredients
For the Crust
- ¾ cup crushed pretzels plus more for garnish (about 6 ounces)
- ½ cup graham cracker crumbs
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
For the Filling
- 4 egg yolks
- 4 teaspoons fresh lime zest
- ½ cup fresh key lime juice
- 14 ounces canned sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Salted Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of sea salt
- crushed pretzels and lime twists for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- In a food processor, pulse pretzels into a fine, sand-like crumb. Measure out ¾ cup for the crust, and set aside 2–3 tablespoons for garnish.
- Add the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and melted butter to the food processor and pulse until combined.
- Press the crumb mixture evenly into a 9-inch pie dish using the bottom of a glass or measuring cup. Press firmly and evenly across the bottom and up the sides.
- Bake for 15–20 minutes, until lightly golden. Remove and let cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes.
- While the crust cools, use a stand mixer with the whisk attachment to beat the egg yolks and lime zest on medium-low for 2–3 minutes, until lightened in color.
- Mix in the sweetened condensed milk, then add the lime juice and vanilla extract. Set aside until the crust has fully cooled.
- Pour the filling into the cooled crust and bake for 17–20 minutes. The filling will puff slightly and may take on a light golden color — it should still have a little wiggle when done.
- Cool at room temp for 1 hour, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or overnight).
- Right before serving, make the whipped cream: Combine cold heavy cream, a pinch of sea salt, and vanilla in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Slowly add in the powdered sugar while mixing on low. Then increase to medium-high and whip until soft peaks form.
- Dollop whipped cream around the edges of the pie and top with pretzel crumbs and lime twists. Sprinkle with flaked sea salt if desired.
Notes
- Don't skip the pretzels — they add the perfect salty crunch and balance all the sweetness.
- Use a food processor to get your crust super fine — you want a sandy texture so it holds together.
- Press your crust firmly and evenly — use the bottom of a measuring cup or glass to get it into all the corners.
- Chill time is key — let the pie cool completely before serving so the filling sets up properly.
- Make the whipped cream right before serving so it stays light and fluffy.
- Want to prep ahead? Bake the crust and make the filling the day before, then top with whipped cream right before serving.
I made this for our Easter family dinner. It disappeared very quickly and was the perfect tart sweet and salty indulgence.
Making it again next week for a birthday event.
Love it, thanks for sharing
The crust was fabulous! Everyone raved about it. The filling was delicious as well but was not enough to fill the crust. I ended up making 1 1/2 of the filling. Might just be my personal preference for a fuller pie. But totally delicious!
This was A+++! I was concerned that the crust would crumble and/or the filling wouldn't set, but it all came together like a dream and tasted delicious. I used half limes and half meyer lemons (because that's what I had). So good.
Made this for Easter dinner, and it was EXCELLENT! So quick and easy to put together, and the crust was great. I made it 24 hours in advance (added whipped cream at the last minute) and had no problems.
I just made this for Easter dinner. My husband said it was the best dessert I have EVER made - and we've been married 23 years. He has already ordered one for his birthday which isn't til December. Can't recommend enough. I did take others' advice and added more butter and the crust was perfect. Also, I used the bottled Nellie & Joe's Key Lime Juice along with the zest from regular limes and it worked out great.
This recipe is wonderful! The steps I found easy to follow and the end result delicious! Everyone loved it. Will definitely be a recipe we use over and over.
I have made this several times, so easy and everyone loves it!! It’s now my go to dessert to WOW my friends.
I struggled with the crust-way too much of it for a 9" pie pan and just kind of a sandy mess. I measured the pretzels by weight and guessed on the weight of the graham crackers (half cup=4 ozs). Maybe that was my mistake. Even though I added an extra T of butter the crust didn't really come together and even pressing it with a glass just made it shift around and not compress. Filling was perfection however and even the finger cramps from zesting and squeezing all those tiny limes was well worth it!
If I do not have a food processor, any advise on what to use?
you can do it by hand in a plastic bag and roll them out into sand consistency with a rolling pin
Without a doubt our family’s go to summer desert! My son now asks for this instead of a birthday cake. Best key lime pie I’ve tried!
Turned this pie into bars using a 9x9 baking dish to serve friends at a get together. 5 stars from everyone!!
I just made 2 of these at the same time and they were a hit for both parties! A few things I wish I knew going into it:
- Key Limes are small, so account for the time it will take to juice them
- It is ideal to have 12-24 hours to let the pie set/refrigerate, need more than 4 hours recipe calls for
- Buy extra limes!! The recipe doesn't specify "Key Limes" for the zest, so I used regular limes for the zest. This worked out for me since I found that 1 lime roughly yielded 1 TSP of zest and it would've taken forever to zest the small key limes.
I just used cool whip for the topping which saved time.
The amount of crust the recipe yields provides a PERFECT border! I couldn't really taste the pretzels in the crust so if you are in a pinch a store-bought crust will do. The pretzel dust is a beautiful garnish on top of the whipped cream!
I will make this again as written, that's how good it is! But I do wish it was a bit more tart, not sure if that is due to not using the Key Lime zest. Maybe Gaby or her team can specify that for us here!
Hi!
The recipe calls for brown sugar - is that light or dark?
Thanks!
Monica
either or! I use light
I do t have a stand mixer. Will this work with hand mixer?
Thanks!
Denise
yes of course
My daughter is not a fan of fruit pies. She’s a salty and sweet kid and recently enjoyed making lemon curd. This pie hit all the right flavor notes,! We love it.