Easy No Bake Key Lime Pie With Oreo Crust

My dad grew up in Miami. Key lime pie is his favorite food (not just dessert), and all he could tell me is that it shouldn’t be green. There’s a lot of misinformation out there. After a lot of research, I found that most recipes today are not correct. The original key lime pie was never baked.

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Key Lime Pie History

I know, why should you trust someone who pontificates the virtues of the one true key lime pie, only to turn around and smother it in Oreos? Well, it was delicious first of all. Also, it was quicker than making a traditional pastry pie crust, and it was so worth it.

Anyway, there are 2 origin stories to the humble key lime pie. The Key West legend is that it was invented in the late 1800s by a cook for local rich guy, William Curry. She’s known only as “Aunt Sally”. There is no definitive proof of her existence unfortunately.

The other theory centers around the first written recipe. In 1931, Borden (a dairy producer), published a “Magic Lemon Cream Pie” recipe. There is only 1 difference between that and the no bake key lime pie recipe. Switch the lemons for key limes.

Fast-forward to 1965, and a Florida congressman tried to make it illegal to make key lime pie without key limes. It failed. Finally, on July 1, 2006 (Senate Bill 676), it became the official state pie of Florida. Floridians north of Orlando were inconsolable, and continue to eat pecan pie in secret to this day.

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No Bake Key Lime Pie Ingredients

This is actually a really easy dessert to make. The only ingredients in this no bake key lime pie are: key limes, egg yolks, condensed sweetened milk, Oreos, and butter. If you want whipped cream, add heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar to that. It takes about 20 minutes to make, and then maybe 3 hours to set.

Key Limes

For the purists out there, if you aren’t using real key limes, it isn’t key lime pie. That thing on the right? That’s what you’re used to, the Persian lime. By comparison, the key lime is smaller and slightly more tart. Also, they are yellow. That’s why if you buy a green key lime pie, you got taken for a ride.

Where can you get key limes? Unfortunately, they aren’t widely sold commercially outside of Florida. Many grocery stores will have the concentrated version sold in bottles. I won’t judge if you have to substitute, lemons or regular limes will still make a tasty pie, but you might need to bake it.

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Oreo Pie Crust

I followed this Oreo crust recipe. Super easy, just crust 25 Oreos in a blender, and mix in 4 tbsp of melted butter (half a stick). No need to separate the cream. That helps it stick together. Then, spread it in your pie pan and put it in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes. This is supposed to be for a 9 inch pie pan, but I made it work with a 9.5 inch.

I had one problem with the pie crust. It was a little hard to get it to separate from my glass pie dish. I even rubbed the dish with butter ahead of time. If you put it in the freezer it will be nigh impossible. The fridge is easier, but the filling might be runnier.

Key Lime Pie Filling

This filling only has 3 ingredients: key lime juice, sweetened condensed milk, and egg yolks. What makes it solidify without baking? The acidity from the key limes curdles the proteins in the egg and milk, slightly cooking it. Ceviche uses the same concept.

I think it’s likely people started baking the pie due to fears of salmonella back in the day. However, eggs in the U.S. are now pasteurized, theoretically eliminating this risk. If you grow your own eggs, you’ll have to do that yourself.

Anyway, start your no bake key lime pie filling by separating your egg yolk from the whites. You can do this by cracking it in half and bouncing the egg from one side to the other over a bowl.

Add the yolks to a large mixing bowl. Beat them lightly, not too much or you’ll make bubbles. Add the sweetened condensed milk and mix them together. Note: evaporated milk is not sweetened.

Finally, pour in the key lime juice. Mix it thoroughly. Pour your filling into the pie shell of choice. Cover it, and put in the fridge or freezer until right before serving.

Optional: Toppings

You can keep it simple with no topping, but some whipped cream or meringue will make your pie much more Instagram worthy. For whipped cream, just beat some heavy whipping cream with a whisk until your arm falls off. Add your sugar towards the end or it will hamper the thickening.

You can make meringue with the leftover egg whites, but meringue is usually baked. So, I recommend whipped cream for this no bake key lime pie.

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More Dessert Recipes

• Cherry Cobbler (my grandma’s super easy recipe)
• Lemon Bars (also my grandma’s)
• Chinese Desserts (not my grandma’s)

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