Anthony’s Key Lime Pie is one of the most popular desserts at the restaurant. You can easily make this creamy and tart key lime pie with graham cracker crust at home.
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Why This Recipe Works
The secret to recreating Anthony’s iconic key lime pie lies in ingredients and technique. Their signature dessert perfectly balances tart and sweet by using just the right ratio of lime juice to sweetened condensed milk. The egg yolks add richness while helping the filling set to that ideal silky-smooth consistency. The crust’s combination of graham cracker crumbs and brown sugar (rather than white sugar) creates a more complex, slightly caramelized base that perfectly complements the tangy filling. The generous chilling time allows the flavors to meld and develop, resulting in that distinctive restaurant-quality taste and texture that’s impossible to achieve with shortcuts.
Tips for the Best Key Lime Pie
- Save a lot of time by using a pre-made graham cracker crust. Just remember that this recipe is for a 10-inch wide and a 2-deep pie and most pre-made graham cracker crusts are much smaller than that. Therefore, you will need to buy more than one to use up all the filling.
- Keep a covered key lime pie in the fridge for two to three days. If you want to store it for up to two months, wrap it loosely with plastic wrap and put it in a large freezer bag. Allow the pie to thaw in the fridge or serve while still semi-frozen.
- Garnish with whipped cream and lime twist.
Check out some of our other great pie recipes on Youtube.
Anthony’s Key Lime Pie Recipe Ingredients
For the Graham Cracker Crust:
- Graham cracker crumbs – Form the foundation of the perfect crust with their honey-sweet flavor
- Light brown sugar – Adds depth and a subtle molasses note that enhances the crust
- Butter – Binds the crust ingredients and provides rich flavor and crisp texture
For the Key Lime Filling:
- Sweetened condensed milk – Creates the luxuriously smooth, creamy texture and balances the tartness
- Egg yolks – Add richness and help the filling set properly
- Lime juice – Provides the signature tart flavor and helps the filling thicken
For Garnish:
- Whipped cream – Adds a light, creamy contrast to the tart filling
- Lime slices – Provide visual appeal and hint at the flavor within
- Mint sprigs – Add a touch of color and freshness (optional)
Equipment Needed
Please note: This is not your standard key lime pie. It is much larger and requires a 10-inch fluted pie plate with a removable bottom. If you do not have one of these, you can use a 9×13-inch baking pan for this pie.
- 10-inch fluted pie plate (preferably with removable bottom)
- Large mixing bowl
- Electric mixer or stand mixer
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Microwave-safe bowl for melting butter
- Flat-bottomed measuring cup for pressing crust
- Citrus juicer (if using fresh limes)
- Zester (optional, for garnish)
- Whisk
How to Make Anthony’s Key Lime Pie
- In a bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and melted butter.
- Press the mixture onto the bottom and sides of a 10-inch fluted pie plate.
- In another bowl, mix condensed milk, egg yolks, and lime juice on low speed of the mixer until well-blended.
- Pour the pie filling into the prepared pie crust.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 18 to 24 minutes.
- Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool to room temperature.
- Refrigerate the pie for 6 to 8 hours before serving.
- Garnish with whipped cream.
- Place fresh lime slices and mint sprigs on top if desired for decorating the pie.
Recipe Notes
This key lime pie is made in a fluted 10-inch pie pan with a removable bottom. If you can’t find one, use a deep-dish pie pan or a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan.
You will be happy with this rich and luscious pie.
Do you love homemade pies? Try these recipes!
- Blueberry Cheesecake Pie
- Cherry Cream Cheese Pie
- Eggnog Pie Recipe
- Fried Apple Pie
- Kool Aid Pie
- Old Fashioned Apple Pie
- Shoney’s Strawberry Pie
- Toll House Pie Recipe
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Check out my easy pie recipes and the best family dessert recipes here on CopyKat!
A fellow viewer found this recipe from one of Houston’s most famous restaurants in the Houston Chronicle.
Anthony’s Famous Key Lime Pie
Ingredients
- ¾ pound graham cracker crumbs
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup melted butter plus 1 tablespoon
- 42 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 5 egg yolks
- 2 cups lime juice fresh or bottled
- 2 pints whipped cream
- lime slices and mint sprigs for decorations
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a bowl, combine crumbs, brown sugar, and melted butter.
- Press the mixture ¼ to ½ inch thick on the bottom and sides of a 10 x 2-inch fluted pie pan.Â
- In another bowl, mix condensed milk, egg yolks and lime juice on low speed of mixer until well-blended (it should be creamy color and slightly thickened) about 2 minutes.
- Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 18 to 24 minutes (pressing the surface lightly with a finger should leave a mark).
- Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool to room temperature.
- Refrigerate the pie for 6 to 8 hours before serving.
- Garnish with whipped cream, fresh lime slices, and mint sprigs.
I did make the key lime dessert this weekend Janet for a dinner party and it was a huge hit! Love the flavours, texture and presentation.
I was wondering, I had to add more melted butter to make the crust hold. Was the crust supposed to be very loose?
Otherwise, great! I especially appreciated the tip about not over crunching the graham crackers to give a crunchier crust! Very nice indeed!
Patricia
Some additional butter could have helped, but also pressing it down into the pan is also helpful. I am glad you enjoyed how it tasted. I know it’s hard to get pie out when the crust is crumbly.
Delicious! I used this recipe for the custard and substituted 1/2 C full fat yogurt for sour cream. For the crust, I used a recipe that @Kopykats the crust that “Houston’s” restaurant used. I substituted 1/2 C packed brown suger, added pecans (or macadamia nuts), sea salt, cinnamon. It came out delicious and the tip of no sugar in the whipped cream (just Vanilla)worked well as the pie and crust were sweet enough!
Why say the recipe is delicious when you have made so many changes to make it your own recipe?
Good point. I hope to make this recipe this weekend, following the recipe.
Having eaten this a lot we tend to detect the presence of pecans in the crust. If we wanted to add them how would you recommend we do so?
I would add about 1/4 cup of pecans, and add an additional 2 teaspoons of melted butter to the crust.
How many cups is 3/4 th of a pound, and is this for a 9 inch deep dish or the 9×13 version
It would be 12 fluid ounces.
How many cups is 34ths of a pound,
Is there a chance that I get that recipe with german units of measurements? That would be perfect! =)
And is there a video about that key lime pie?
This pie was absolutely wonderful I made it for a dinner party and everyone loved it!
How many cups is 3/4 th of a pound, and is this for a 9 inch deep dish or the 9×13 version