Mini Key Lime Pies
Ingredients
1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon fresh lime zest*
½ cup key lime juice**
4 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Steps
Melt 6 tablespoons of butter
Add 1 ½ cups of graham cracker crumbs and 2 tablespoons of sugar to the melted butter
Stir the sugar, crumbs, and melted butter until everything is combined and evenly moistened
Line a standard 12 count muffin pan with paper cups
Scoop a small tablespoonful of the graham cracker crumb mixture into each muffin cup
Take a flat round bottom glass and use the cup to press down on the crumbs until they are firmly packed and smooth forming the bottom crust of the mini pies
Bake the little crusts in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 7 minutes
Remove the graham cracker crust from the oven and allow to cool completely
Crack and separate 4 eggs and add the 4 egg yolks to a large bowl
Add in a 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk to the bowl, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, ½ cup of key lime juice, and 1 teaspoon of freshly grated lime zest
Whisk the ingredients together until smooth and combined
Scoop about a quarter of a cup of key lime filling into each prebaked and cooled graham cracker crumb crust
Bake the mini key lime pies in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 to 20 minutes
Remove the mini pies from the oven when the filling is no longer jiggly and fully set
Allow the mini key lime pies to cool completely and then chill for at least 4 hours before serving
Notes & Tips
Truly authentic Key Lime Pie uses freshly grated zest and freshly squeezed juice from key limes. Key limes having a short growing period and limited shelf life are not found in most grocery stores. When making Key Lime Pie, you can substitute and use regular limes that you may find in the produce section of your grocery store and grate the zest and squeeze the juice from. In a lot of grocery stores, you may also find bottled Key Lime juice (some brands include: Nellie & Joe’s, Mrs. Biddle’s, Floribbean) which you can use for your need of lime juice.