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Recipe name Category Cuisine Dietary

Vegan Vegetarian Gluten-free Dairy-free

Total prep time, including cooking/baking time Servings

Ingredients (one per line) Instructions

Part 1: Start with making the crust (pre-baking keeps the crust crisp, not soggy):

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Mix graham crumbs, sugar, salt, and melted butter until it feels like wet sand.

Press firmly into a 9-in pie dish (bottom + sides).

Bake 8 minutes.

Let cool slightly.

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Part 2: Make the filling (this is the magic part):

Whisk egg yolks for about 1 minute until slightly thickened and lighter in color.

Add sweetened condensed milk and whisk until smooth.

Stir in lime juice and zest.

⚠️ Don’Tbsp. worry — it thickens naturally from the acid reacting with the milk.

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Part 3: It's time to bake!

Pour filling into crust.

Bake 15 minutes — just until set but still slightly jiggly in the center.  It should NOT brown.

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Part 4: Now it needs to chill (very important if you want clean slices!)

Cool at room temp 30 minutes.

Refrigerate at least 4 hours (overnight is best).

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Part 5: Complete with an indulgent whipped-cream topping:

Whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until soft peaks form.

Spread or pipe onto pie right before serving.

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⭐ Why this recipe is fool-proof

Sweetened condensed milk stabilizes the filling.

Short bake prevents curdling.

Minimal ingredients = fewer ways to mess up.

Sets reliably every time.

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🔥 Pro tips (makes it taste bakery-level)

Use regular limes if key limes are hard to find — nobody can tell.

Add a tiny pinch of salt to the filling to boost flavor.

Chill overnight if possible — flavor improves a LOT.

Story or memory

Submitted by Bartel & Danelle Van Oostendorp - who a recipe is credited to can only be changed by an admin, so it isn't editable here.