Martha Stewart’s key lime pie sets a tart filling of condensed milk, egg yolks, and fresh key lime juice in a graham cracker crust. About 30 minutes of oven time, plus cooling, and you choose whipped cream or meringue on top.
The recipe is an exact match from marthastewart.com, where she publishes it with both topping options built into one recipe. Nothing below is swapped or scaled, and the two-stage bake, crust first and filling second, comes straight from her published method.
Pull the pie when the center still wobbles like set gelatin, because residual heat finishes the job on the cooling rack. Wait for a fully firm center in the oven and the yolks overcook, leaving a grainy, cracked filling instead of a creamy one.
Martha Stewart Key Lime Pie
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy8
servings30
minutes30
minutes520
kcal2
hoursA Florida-style dessert where sharp citrus cuts through a sweet, dense custard. Two toppings, one pie, so the table decides between billowy cream and torched meringue.
Ingredients
- For the crust:
1½ cups (150g) graham cracker crumbs
6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 tablespoons (38g) sugar
- For the filling:
1 can (14 oz / 396g) sweetened condensed milk
4 large egg yolks
½ cup (120ml) freshly squeezed key lime juice (about 17 limes)
1 tablespoon grated key lime zest, plus more for garnish (about 8 limes)
- For the whipped cream topping:
1½ cups (360ml) heavy cream, chilled
3 tablespoons (38g) sugar
- For the meringue topping:
8 large egg whites
⅔ cup (135g) sugar
¼ teaspoon coarse salt
Directions
- Bake the crust. Heat oven to 375F (190C). Mix the crumbs, butter, and sugar well, then press into a 9-inch (23cm) pie plate. Bake until lightly browned, about 12 minutes, and cool completely on a wire rack.
- Mix the filling. Lower the oven to 325F (165C). In a medium bowl, gently whisk the condensed milk, yolks, key lime juice, and zest.
- Bake the filling. Pour into the cooled crust and bake until the center is set but still quivers when the pan is nudged, 15 to 17 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.
- For whipped cream. Whip the chilled cream and sugar on medium speed until soft peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Spoon over the pie and serve immediately.
- For meringue. Beat the whites, sugar, and salt on medium-high until stiff peaks form. Pipe or spread it so it touches the crust all around, then brown all over with a kitchen blowtorch.
FAQs
Can I use regular limes instead of key limes?
Yes, and your zesting hand will thank you. Regular Persian limes are bigger and juicier, so 4 to 5 replace the 17 key limes here.
Key limes taste more floral and a touch more bitter, which fans consider the real flavor. Bottled key lime juice also works for the juice, though you still need fresh limes for the zest. The pie will taste slightly brighter and less complex, but nobody sends it back.
Why does the filling set without flour or cornstarch?
The lime juice does the thickening chemically. Its acid tightens the proteins in the condensed milk and yolks, so the filling starts firming up in the bowl before it ever sees heat. You can watch it happen as you whisk.
The short, low bake just finishes the job and makes the yolks food-safe. That’s why the filling gets a gentle whisk, not a beating, since whipped-in air would bake into a pocked surface.
Why must the meringue touch the crust all around?
Anchoring the meringue to the crust seals the filling underneath. Any gap lets steam escape at the edge, which makes the meringue shrink back and weep liquid as it sits.
The blowtorch matters for the same reason. A pass under the broiler would reheat the just-set filling, while a torch browns only the surface. Start with room-temperature whites, since cold ones whip slower and smaller, and the sealed swirls hold for hours.
Why bake the graham cracker crust before filling it?
The pre-bake melts the sugar and sets the butter, turning loose crumbs into a crisp shell. Skip it and the wet filling soaks in, so slices collapse into a sandy puddle.
A crumb crust is also far more forgiving than pastry. Unlike her all-butter pie crust, which needs chilling, rolling, and pie weights, this one presses in with your fingers and never shrinks.
How long does key lime pie keep in the fridge?
Untopped, the pie holds 3 days covered in the fridge, and the flavor is arguably better on day two. Add either topping only when the pie hits the table.
Whipped cream weeps within hours and meringue turns rubbery overnight, so leftovers keep best plain. The bare pie also freezes for up to a month wrapped tight, and it slices cleanest straight from the fridge, like her cheesecake.
