By The New York Times
- Total Time
- 1 hour, plus chilling
- Rating
- 4(291)
- Notes
- Read community notes
This frozen dessert delivers cold, tart relief on a hot summer day. Pearl Byrd Foster served this pie on her menu at Mr. and Mrs. Foster’s Place, her 15-table restaurant on the Upper East Side. Ms. Foster opened the restaurant after a 30-year career in hotel, department store and food magazine kitchens. Raymond Sokolov, a former food editor of The New York Times, wrote about this recipe in 1971. The real secret to making this pie, he said, is in how you handle the egg yolks. Heat them too much and they scramble, or too little and they won’t thicken. When the yolks get too hot for your finger, around 165 degrees, they’re hot enough.
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Ingredients
Yield:8 servings
- 1¼cups graham cracker crumbs
- ¼cup superfine sugar
- Pinch of salt
- ¼cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 5eggs, separated
- ¾cup superfine sugar, divided
- ⅔cup fresh squeezed, strained lime juice
- 2teaspoons grated lime zest
- ⅛teaspoon salt
- 1½cups heavy cream, whipped
- Thin slices of lime or fresh strawberries
- Sugar
For the Graham Cracker Crust
For the Filling
For the Topping
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
387 calories; 27 grams fat; 15 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 34 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 28 grams sugars; 5 grams protein; 165 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Step
2
Make the crust: Place the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and salt in a bowl. Add the butter and work with a wooden spoon (or your fingers) to blend well. Press the mixture evenly into a 9-inch pie plate with your fingertips, or use an 8-inch pie plate to press down the mixture. Transfer to oven and bake 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
Step
3
Make the filling: Beat the yolks in the bowl of a stand mixer until very thick. Gradually beat in half the sugar until mixture is very pale and thick and forms a rope when dropped from the beater.
Step
4
Stir in the lime juice and zest and transfer to a double boiler. Heat over over simmering water, stirring until mixture coats the back of a spoon. Do not allow to boil. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool to room temperature.
Step
5
Once the yolk mixture reaches room temperature, beat the egg whites with the salt in a separate bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the remaining sugar until mixture is stiff and shiny. Stir a third of this meringue mixture into the cooled yolk mixture. Fold in remaining meringue mixture until evenly distributed.
Step
6
Turn the mixture out into the cooled graham cracker pie shell and bake 15 minutes, or until lightly tinged with brown. Let cool.
Step
7
Transfer the pie to the refrigerator and let chill thoroughly, uncovered, then transfer to the freezer. Freeze at least 8 hours or overnight. Once it is frozen, cover with plastic wrap and keep frozen until just before serving.
Step
8
Remove from the freezer 10 minutes before serving. Cover with the whipped cream and garnish with lime slices dipped in sugar or fresh strawberries.
Tip
- Pie will keep frozen two to three weeks. If a less tart pie is desired, cut down the lime juice to one-half cup. Extra pie can be refrozen. If desired, pie can be well chilled and served without freezing.
Ratings
4
out of 5
291
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Cooking Notes
Dave
When the pie cooled, it formed huge cracks. Is this normal? In the freezer, the cracks got even bigger. I followed every step exactly. What would have caused this?
whit
I did not realize how technical this recipe was going to be when I embarked on it. It is in the freezer now, I hope the hard work pays off!When you put the yolk mixture on the double boiler, waiting for it to stick to the back of a spoon was not a helpful indicator for me. The thick mixture stuck to my spoon from the beginning. I looked up the temperature other pie custards are cooked to in order to see where I was headed. I landed on 160 degrees. I hope that works.
Dave
It took about 2 large limes.
HSK
Mine has cracked too
Laura McDonald
Once upon a time I had a recipe for frozen key lime pie with a vanilla ice cream topping (instead of the whipped cream). I have lamented the loss of that recipe and haven't been able to find it online. This looks like the perfect replacement. Can't wait to give it a go!
Mara
This recipe is also in one of Maida Heatter's books. It is wonderful. Bring the yolk mixture to 175-180 degrees (check with a thermometer). It will look like there is too much fillng -- but pile it high in the center. As the pie cools, then freezes, the filling will condense a little. Because of the sugar content the pie can get brown too quickly in the oven -- keep an eye on it. Cracks are normal -- disguise with whipped cream!
Tom
I loved this pie and my friends did too! I couldn’t find superfine sugar but regular sugar worked fine, just make sure it’s fully dissolved in the custard and meringue stages.
Ellen
This is my favorite dessert of ALL TIME! It’s tart and cold and amazing. Please try it — you won’t be disappointed. Yes, it cracks, and the cracks are covered by the whipped cream (which is way better than meringue). I find I need 5-6 limes. This is the perfect frozen dessert after a rich meal.
Elena
This wasn’t as wonderful as I had anticipated. I followed the recipe with the exception of adding A LITTLE more lime juice. Meh.
whit
I did not realize how technical this recipe was going to be when I embarked on it. It is in the freezer now, I hope the hard work pays off!When you put the yolk mixture on the double boiler, waiting for it to stick to the back of a spoon was not a helpful indicator for me. The thick mixture stuck to my spoon from the beginning. I looked up the temperature other pie custards are cooked to in order to see where I was headed. I landed on 160 degrees. I hope that works.
mizhil
This was great beyond my expectations! The frozen texture was so wonderful with the tart sweet lime flavor. Crust was delicious too! A keeper. Mine cracked as it cooled too, but the whipped cream topping covered it nicely just like the picture!
HSK
Mine has cracked too
Karla Klay
In search forever for the perfect frozen Key Lime Pie. For that matter Key Lime Pie. I grew up in the Florida Keys and am super picky. And why the green dye?
I read this and substituted Key Lime. Hands down 11 people (although we were shut ins for Harvey in Galveston) thought it was the best Key Lime Pie they had ever had. Or maybe they thought I was an expert.
But I agreed. By the way I did nothing to my granulated sugar. I also messed up the order of the salt and a few other things.
Karla Klay
I substituted Key Lime! Best Key Lime Pie ever! I am from the Keys and it was incredible!
Dave
When the pie cooled, it formed huge cracks. Is this normal? In the freezer, the cracks got even bigger. I followed every step exactly. What would have caused this?
Abbey
how many limes do you need to make 2/3 cup?
Dave
It took about 2 large limes.
Marinette
Superfine sugar is a fine granulated sugar, unlike confectioner's, which is a powder. It will measure differently and dissolve differently. I think it's pretty commonly available at grocery stores.
Leigh
You can make your own superfine sugar by buzzing granulated sugar in a food processor.
Deborah White
I have twice as much filling as fits in my 9 inch pie plate. Maybe I just have a very shallow plate?
Mary Anne
I pulsed table sugar in the food processer to get finer crystals. Super easy. I read this years ago as an option and certainly less expensive than buying a box at the market
Edna josell
Is superfine sugar line confectioners sugar?
If not, where can I find it? I don't recall seeing it in the markets.
Francesca
Domino brand makes superfine sugar. Not same as confectioners.
Liz
I just put sugar in the blender and whirl it till it's fine. I've never seen it in a store either.
Doald Babb
When I can't find superfine sugar I process regular sugar in the food processor.
Laura McDonald
Once upon a time I had a recipe for frozen key lime pie with a vanilla ice cream topping (instead of the whipped cream). I have lamented the loss of that recipe and haven't been able to find it online. This looks like the perfect replacement. Can't wait to give it a go!
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