Weight Watchers Key Lime Pie - Recipe Diaries (2024)

FAQs

Can I use regular lime juice instead of key lime juice for a key lime pie? ›

While the flavor will be significantly different, you can also use regular limes or a combination of lime and lemon juice. Key Lime Zest: If you cannot get fresh key limes, you can substitute regular lime zest. Make-Ahea​​​​d: This pie can be made up to 2 days in advance.

Here's the science: The acid in the key lime juice reacts with the proteins in the milk to thicken the mixture. That's why you don't need to bake it. To be fair, there are lots of fancier key lime pie recipes out there.

The filling in a Key lime pie is typically yellow because of the egg yolks. The filling is made similarly to a Magic Lemon cream pie, by simply mixing the ingredients without cooking: the proteins of the egg yolks and condensed milk and the acidic lime juice curdle, thickening the mixture without baking.

Key lime pie ingredients are simple: sweetened condensed milk, lots of lime zest and juice (preferably from key limes), and just enough egg to give it a good set. Pour the filling into a pre-baked graham cracker crust, bake briefly until the pie is set, and let it chill. Top the pie with whipped cream and serve.

(Some residents of the Florida Keys and true Key lime pie aficionados will only use Key limes from the Keys.) If you can't find them anywhere, however, you can substitute a combination of regular fresh lime juice and fresh lemon juice in equal proportions.

Pasteurized and lacking in oomph, bottled juice is usually best avoided. In a pinch, however, look for 100 percent, undiluted lime juice.

As it turns out, undercooking and overcooking can both cause weeping meringue and unwanted moisture on top of your pie (aka beading). Overcooking meringue causes those little sugary drops of moisture on top of baked meringues.

People expected their authentic Key lime pies to be green, matching the bright green lime color of the Persian limes they saw in their grocery stores. Key lime pie filling, however, takes its yellow color from the egg yolks used in its production.

The sweet and tart pie reportedly originated in Key West, Florida, in the late 19th century. The use of sweetened condensed milk, an essential ingredient, is probably because fresh milk and refrigeration were uncommon in the isolated Florida Keys until the 1930s.

The main difference is that it requires more aromatic Key lime juice to make the famous pie sing. It is worth the elbow grease to get that authentic floral Key lime flavor—unless you can't find Key limes. Then swap them out for whatever you see at the grocery store and dig in.

What state is known for key lime pie? ›

It's generally accepted common knowledge that the Key lime pie was invented in Key West, Florida, where the key limes needed to achieve its signature tart taste grow in abundance.

Unless you live in the Florida Keys, key limes are near impossible to find. Furthermore, they're so tiny that you'd need to juice at least twenty of them for this recipe. No thank you! Ordinary limes make an exceptional Key lime pie, and they are a much better alternative to bracingly tart bottled Key lime juice.

Yes! You can freeze Key lime pie for up to three months (but make sure you don't add whipped cream or toppings until after it's thawed). If you plan to freeze the pie, bake it in a foil pan. Wrap the cooled pie in at least one layer of storage wrap, then follow it up with at least one layer of foil.

Homemade Key Lime Pie: If you've prepared a homemade key lime pie, it will typically last around 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator. The freshness and quality of the ingredients, as well as the hygiene of the preparation process, play a significant role in determining its shelf life.

Unless you live in the Florida Keys, key limes are near impossible to find. Furthermore, they're so tiny that you'd need to juice at least twenty of them for this recipe. No thank you! Ordinary limes make an exceptional Key lime pie, and they are a much better alternative to bracingly tart bottled Key lime juice.

Key limes tend to be small and seedy, with a distinctive lime flavor that is tart but not too acidic. They also have a distinct aroma, far more aromatic than common limes. 2 Grocery store limes, generally speaking, are Persian limes, the most widely commercially cultivated variety of lime.

Key limes have a flavor that is different from regular limes. They are more acidic and have a more intense, tangy taste – more “lime-y,” if you will. Some people describe the flavor of key limes as slightly sweet with a hint of bitterness. They also have a floral aroma that is more noticeable than regular limes.

When baking, lemon and lime juice can often be used interchangeably in recipes, especially if the purpose of the juice is mainly to add a little freshness or tang.