Key Lime Cream Pie
I am very proud of this luscious no-bake beauty. It's so cool and refreshing—perfect for any summer potluck or get-together. Wherever I take this pie, it quickly disappears, with everyone asking for the recipe. —Shirley Rickis, Lady Lake, Florida
Reviews
This basic recipe is as old as me....and that's old. The cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, and lemon juice can be blended and then fancied up so many ways. You can add the whipped cream, or if you are lazy, whipped topping to make it more fluffy, then top it with any kind of pie filling. My family's favorite is Cherries for a "Cherry Cream Pie"....crust is up to you. I've used cookies, graham crackers, or pastry crust. I have added crushed pineapple that has been drained and then dried between paper towels to the base, and topped with a crushed pineapple cooked with brown sugar and a little water to make a delicious topping, or just no topping at all. What I'm saying is this is a recipe that you can turn into a dozen great desserts....just keep the three basic ingredients and you are ready for anything.
Oh, OUTSTANDING. I did have my reservations, and I did have my mistakes ;-) I wasn't sure about the pecam shortbread cookies, but the Keebler Pecan Sandies, chopped fine in the food processor and blended well with the softened (not melted) butter was fantastic. I ate two cookies ahead of time, thinking I surely didn't need the entire 11.3 oz. Well, yes, I did, so don't eat any cookies ahead of time... I accidentally added the coconut extract to the cream cheese/condensed milk/lime juice, and it was a GREAT erreur change-up, just a hint of coconut with the lime. I cut the extract to a 1/2 teaspoon for the whipped cream to compensate. And I accidentally added three cups of whip cream to the cream cheese blend, so the distinction between the pie filling and the topping was almost imperceptible. I may well blend it all together next time. See, back in the late 80's, there was a diner on US Hwy 52 and Indiana 28 that served a peanut butter pie made by a lady who lived down the road. The pie was easily 6 inches thick, and flavorful from top to bottom, and I now think I know how she did it... This key lime pie method has opened a door to other cream pies in the same fashion as that peanut butter pie from 30 years ago. The diner is closed but the memory lives forever :-) Thank you Shirley!
To lseibling: Just omit the extract and toasted coconut.
The reason I used so much whip cream, is that when I originally created this recipe, I thickly spread the whipped cream all over the top with a spatula and then filled the rest in a pastry bag with an x- large decorated tip. I put big round swirls of the whipped cream all around the edges and one in the center. I like decorating it with a cherry in each swirl or the piece of lime works too. So this uses up all that luscious cream which everyone loves. This pie just melts in you mouth. My husband gives it 5 stars. I love sharing my recipes and am so happy everyone enjoyed it.
I made this the yesterday to take to dinner at friends. It was a big hit and perfect light dessert, especially on a warm evening when we were dining outside. I will say I forgot to purchase the pecan shortbread cookies, but I did have a graham cracker crust and it worked out well. Like a reviewer before me, I had some left over and turned it into a parfait.
Can I use Nellie
This was delicious, even with my adaptations to lessen the whipped cream and lessen the calories! For the filling, I used 2 cups of non-dairy whipped topping instead of whipped cream (adding the coconut flavoring into the filling) and I used only one cup of heavy cream to whip for the topping (adding the same amount of sugar and flavoring). Even with these changes, it still filled a 10-inch pie plate and looked lovely. It was a hit!
Instead of a pie, can you use a 9 x 9 square pan?
I loved the flavor and texture of this pie. But it makes a LOT of filling, far more than my deep dish pie plate could hold. I ended up with filling and whipped cream left over so I made parfaits as well.
To cbhamann: You would use 4 cups UN-whipped heavy cream.