{"id":163127,"title":"Authentic Key Lime Pie","modified":"2026-08-17T19:35:18+02:00","plain":"A Key West pie with a creamy, tangy lime filling on a Graham cracker crust, topped with golden meringue.\n\n\n\nKey lime makes itself known from the very first bite : bright and tangy, layered over a smooth, cool filling. The Graham cracker crust gives a crisp crack under the fork, while the golden meringue melts on the tongue with a hint of toasted sugar. The pie seems simple enough, but its balance relies on a few precise steps. Here, in the style of Key West’s Aunt Sally, the filling thickens before it even reaches the oven : the baking is mainly there to brown the meringue.\n\n\n\nAnother chilled dessert that slices beautifully : New York cheesecake\n\n\n\nWhat makes a \u201c Key \u201d pie ?\n\n\n\nKey lime pie takes its name from the Key lime, the small citrus fruit native to the Florida Keys. In American cuisine, what sets it apart is one essential choice : genuine Key lime juice rather than a generic substitute. It rests on three elements: a Graham cracker crust, a citrus filling, and meringue.\n\n\n\nThe filling thickens quickly thanks to the combination of egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk, and lime juice : the acidity sets the condensed milk, creating a tangy cream that slices cleanly. The crust adds a sandy crunch, while the meringue brings an airy, lightly caramelized finish, much like other indulgent desserts.\n\n\n\nKey West origins and Aunt Sally’s recipe\n\n\n\nKey lime pie is deeply tied to the Florida Keys : local lime juice, sweetened condensed milk, a Graham cracker crust, and meringue. The reference recipe is attributed to Aunt Sally of the Curry Mansion Inn in Key West and is often presented as the original version. The formula is simple : four separated eggs, Key lime juice, sweetened condensed milk, a Graham cracker crust, and a meringue baked until golden.\n\n\n\nThe key point : the filling does not set through prolonged baking. It thickens before it goes into the oven thanks to the reaction between the lime juice and the sweetened condensed milk, which keeps the citrus flavor bright and pronounced. The oven, set to about 180 \u00b0C, is used mainly to color the meringue.\n\n\n\nThe pie’s main ingredients\n\n\n\nKey lime juice is the defining element : it brings the characteristic acidity and, with sweetened condensed milk, creates a filling that slices cleanly.\n\n\n\nSweetened condensed milk provides the sweetness, dairy richness, and silky texture that balance the acidity. The egg yolks, whisked until pale and thick before the juice and condensed milk are added, create a smooth, cohesive filling. The Graham cracker crust forms the crumbly base, its mellow sweetness balancing the tartness.\n\n\n\nThe reserved egg whites become the meringue : whipped with a little cream of tartar, sweetened gradually, spread over the entire pie right to the edges, then browned in the oven.\n\n\n\nAnother dessert crowned with golden meringue : banana pudding\n\n\n\nHallmarks of authenticity\n\n\n\nFor that classic \u201c Key \u201d character, Aunt Sally’s version relies on real Key lime juice, a filling that sets through acidity rather than prolonged baking, and a meringue finish. The finished pie is chilled before serving so it holds its shape in neat slices, with the golden meringue as its signature touch.\n\n\n\n\n\n\tAuthentic Key Lime Pie\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\tFilling4 eggs (separated)120 ml Key lime juice1 can sweetened condensed milk (397 g)Crust1 20 cm Graham cracker pie crustMeringue4 egg whites (reserved)65 g sugar0.25 teaspoon cream of tartar\t\n\t\n\t\tFillingBeat the egg yolks until pale and thick.Whisk in the Key lime juice, then the sweetened condensed milk, and stir until thickened.Pour the filling into the pie crust.MeringueWhip the egg whites with the cream of tartar until stiff peaks form.Add the sugar gradually, beating until glossy peaks form.Spread the meringue over the entire pie, sealing it to the edges of the crust.Bake at 180\u00b0C for about 20 minutes, until the meringue is golden brown.Chill before serving.\t\n\t\n\t\tAunt Sally's recipe from the Curry Mansion Inn in Key West is often cited as the original version of Key lime pie.\nThe filling is not baked: the lime juice and sweetened condensed milk thicken through an acid reaction, and the pie goes into the oven only to brown the meringue.\nUse true Key limes for the most authentic flavor.\n\t\n\t\n\t\tDessertAm\u00e9ricaine","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/163127","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=163127"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/163127\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/159478"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=163127"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=163127"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=163127"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}