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Prep time
1 hour 20 minutes
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Cook time
20 minutes
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Serves
12
Author Notes
More often than not when I ask people what their favorite pie is, it’s almost always key lime pie. Surprising? Not really. It’s easy and fun to make, and it has a perfect balance of sweet and sour, crumbly and creamy, buttery and salty. Although I love a classic, graham cracker crust, I chose gingersnaps here for their subtle but gingery flavor that pairs nicely with the lime. Now I don’t know if I can ever go back. (Curious to hear if you agree!)
Before you dive into this recipe, though, you should know that I don’t call for any type of key lime, juiced or whole. The fact of the matter is, quality key limes are fairly difficult to get a hold of, and if you find them, good luck getting enough juice out of them. And since we can probably agree that fresh citrus juice is much better than store-bought, this recipe has you make a key lime juice substitute using juice from fresh regular limes and lemon juice. (Some say it’s a 1:1 ratio, some say it’s a 2:1 ratio; I’ve just done what I thought tasted best).
Tips & Tricks
• Although you could get away with only chilling the pie for 30 minutes, the longer it sits, the more set it will be. I recommend at least 1 to 2 hours.
• The pie can be made in advance. Store it in the fridge without the whipped cream for up to 3 days, or freeze it for up 2 months. Decorate with whipped cream right before serving.
• Although the pie tastes best with fresh citrus juice, you can swap out the lime and lemon juice for store-bought key lime juice if you prefer.
• You can easily swap out the gingersnap cookies for the same amount of graham crackers.
—Nea Arentzen
Watch This Recipe
Gingersnap “Key Lime” Pie
Ingredients
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FOR THE GINGERSNAP CRUST:
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1
box (180 grams) gingersnap cookies
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1/4 cup
granulated sugar
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4 tablespoons
unsalted butter, melted
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1/2 teaspoon
kosher salt
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FOR THE FILLING:
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1
can sweetened condensed milk
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5
egg yolks
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3 tablespoons
lime zest plus more for garnish
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2/3 cup
freshly squeezed lime juice (about 6 limes)
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Juice of 1 lemon
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1/4 heaping teaspoons
kosher salt
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FOR THE TOPPING:
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1 cup
heavy cream
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1/4 cup
creme fraiche
Directions
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Preheat the oven to 350ºF/175ºC with a rack in the middle position.
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Place the gingersnap cookies in a large ziplock bag and use a rolling pin or meat mallet to smash them into coarse crumbs (alternatively, pulse them in a food processor). Transfer the crumbs to a medium bowl. Add the sugar, melted butter, and salt; mix with a fork until the butter is evenly incorporated and the crumbs hold together when pinched.
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Transfer the mixture to a 9-inch pie tin. Start by pressing the crumbs up along the sides into an even ¼-inch thickness, then press the remaining crumbs into an even layer on the bottom (using a straight-edged glass or measuring cup can help). Bake the crust until mostly set, about 8 to 10 minutes.
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While the crust is baking, combine the sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, lime zest, lime juice, lemon juice, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix until well combined, being careful not to overmix to avoid incorporating air bubbles.
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Pour the mixture over the gingersnap crust. Bake until the custard is mostly set in the middle and only jiggles slightly, about 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let the pie cool completely, then chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
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In a medium bowl with an electric mixer, whip the heavy cream until it just starting to thicken, about 3 minutes. Add the creme fraiche and continue whipping until very soft peaks form, being cautious not to over whisk, another 1 to 2 minutes. We don’t want stiff peaks yet because the whipped cream will continue to stiffen as it’s worked with. If we start with stiff peaks, it will separate and taste buttery once we start to pipe.
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Transfer the creme fraiche whip to a piping bag; holding the bag at a 45º angle, make a straight 90º cut 1½ inches away from the very tip (you’re looking to make a teardrop shape). Hold the piping bag so that the cut is perpendicular to the pie and pipe the whipped cream in waved motions all around the pie (alternatively, dollop the whipped cream onto the pie and spread it out with a spoon or spatula, or decorate with another preferred method).
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Garnish with additional lime zest and serve.
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