I love key lime pie. But it has to be really, really limy key lime pie, the type that makes your mouth pucker with the sourness. This is that recipe: tangy, sour, and just sweet enough to complement the lime. So let me be clear: if you don’t like limes, this recipe is not for you. For those of you who do like the limiest of key lime pies, this is the key lime pie for you. Adapted from Smitten Kitchen’s recipe, this is originally from Joe’s Crab Shack in Miami – where I have never been but very much wish to go. This key lime pie makes you wish that we could all be sitting in the Caribbean watching the sun set over the ocean. 

I’ve chosen to focus on limes for this post. (How could I not? They are the star of the show.) There are two main types of limes sold in the US, both of which can be used for this recipe: Persian limes and key limes. Persian limes are larger, while key limes tend to be smaller, slightly less tart, and contain more seeds. Although the pie is named after the key lime, I tend to use Persian limes for this recipe for one reason and one reason only: Persian limes are easier and faster to juice. But there’s no right or wrong way here, so I’ll leave it up to you to decide which to use.