Classic Key Lime Pie Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Where is the original key lime pie? ›

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.

Plenty of people like a dessert with a bit of bite and will appreciate the extra acidity that comes from Persian limes. The main difference is that it requires more aromatic Key lime juice to make the famous pie sing.

A widely reported story claims that William Curry's cook Aunt Sally invented it in the late 19th century.

The only other ingredients you need are sweetened condensed milk and a pie shell to pour the mixture into. 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.

In the 1800's a ship salvager named William Curry, Florida's first self-made millionaire had a cook known as Aunt Sally. Historians believe that Aunt Sally did not create the pie but instead perfected the pie created by area fishermen. William Curry has a mansion in Key West that is still standing today.

Key lime pie is synonymous with the Florida Keys. This citrus pie is the official state pie of Florida. Plus, there is an annual summertime Key Lime Festival in Key West, Florida. One bite of this pie is a true taste of the Florida Keys, a 120-mile island chain off Florida's southernmost tip.

Aunt Sally is said to have created the iconic dessert in the kitchen of the historic Curry Mansion Inn in Key West, but opinion is split as to whether she got the idea from local sponge fishermen (whose rations included canned milk and citrus fruit), or whether she simply swapped the lemons in her lemon icebox pie ...

The Key lime pie has been traced back to the early 20th century in the Key West, Florida area. Its exact origins are unknown, but the first formal mention of Key lime pie as a recipe may have been made by William Curry and Key West's first millionaire; his cook, "Aunt Sally", made the pie for him.

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.

Rather, the key to perfecting the Publix key lime pie is a simple ingredient added to the graham cracker crust. It's not the graham crackers themselves that make the crust special, but rather the unique addition of crushed toasted almonds.

Is Key lime pie a Southern thing? ›

Key lime pie, the state pie of Florida, may have originated in NYC. Miami Herald.

They say key lime pie originated in Key West some time toward the end of the 1800s. As the story goes, one William Curry, a prominent Key West resident and Bahamian-born immigrant who became Florida's first millionaire, had a cook called “Aunt Sally” who concocted the first pie from key limes.

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.

If over cooked, even by a few minutes, it will result in a thicker undesired texture. After the 10 minutes you will begin to see little bubbles forming at the surface of the pie. Gently tap the pie filling, if your finger leaves a little print on the surface, you know the pie is done.

Key Lime Pie is a Florida staple, with restaurants throughout the state serving their own variations of the iconic dessert. The origins of Key Lime Pie are debated, as there is no written recipe of the pie until the 1930s.

They say key lime pie originated in Key West some time toward the end of the 1800s. As the story goes, one William Curry, a prominent Key West resident and Bahamian-born immigrant who became Florida's first millionaire, had a cook called “Aunt Sally” who concocted the first pie from key limes.

Rather, the key to perfecting the Publix key lime pie is a simple ingredient added to the graham cracker crust. It's not the graham crackers themselves that make the crust special, but rather the unique addition of crushed toasted almonds.

Today true Florida key limes are available on a very small scale in home gardens in the Florida Keys and through farms in Dade County, Florida, but these limes make up less than ten percent of key lime sales in the United States.