Easy Eggless Key Lime Pie Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Does Key lime pie contain eggs? ›

Key lime pie is an American dessert pie. It is made of lime juice, egg yolks, and sweetened condensed milk. It may be served with no topping, or with a meringue topping made from egg whites, or with whipped cream. It may be cooked in a pie crust, graham cracker crust, or no crust.

Combining the lime juice with the egg yolks and condensed milk creates a chemical reaction that causes the mixture to thicken all on its own (the acid causes the proteins in the yolks and milk to bond together).

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.

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.

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.

ARROWROOT POWDER OR CORNSTARCH

Replace each egg with 2 tablespoons of arrowroot powder or cornstarch combined with 3 tablespoons of water.

Despite the slight flavor difference, swapping out Persian limes for Key limes is a pretty common substitution. Taste of Home even notes that, when baked into a dessert, it can be hard to tell the difference between the two taste-wise.

The most pivotal part of the pie is the filling. The “sweet spot” between the tart key lime, and the creamy condensed milk is crucial for the pie's quality. Here at Teak we understand that balancing these two ingredients is an art and take this concoction seriously. Our guests love our Killer Key Lime Pie.

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.

What happens when you put lime juice in milk? ›

When lime and milk are combined, the milk tends to curdle and form solid chunks. Citric acid, which is present in limes, can denature and coagulate milk proteins, causing curdled milk to form.

The thickening action is result of the high acidity of the lime juice and the unique properties of sweetened condensed milk. The acidity of the lime juice causes the protein in the egg yolks and the condensed milk to coil up and bond together. If this was done with normal milk, it would simply curdle.

This can vary depending on the ripeness, size, and juiciness of your fruit, but as a general rule, you will need approximately 18-20 key limes for 1 cup of juice.

What Are Key Limes? Key limes—also known as Mexican limes or West Indies limes—are small, spherical limes that grow in tropical and subtropical regions. They're light yellow (not green) when ripe and contain more seeds than regular limes. Their skin is also very thin, which means they don't store well.

The Key lime has thinner rind and is smaller, seedier, more acidic and more aromatic than the Persian lime (Citrus × latifolia). It is valued for its characteristic flavor. The name comes from its association with the Florida Keys, where it is best known as the flavoring ingredient in 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.

However, some well-regarded brands known for producing quality key lime juice include Nellie & Joe's, Lakewood Organic, and Santa Cruz Organic. It's important to consider factors like taste, whether it's from concentrate or fresh, and any additives.