Sweet And Tart Berry Key Lime Pie Recipe

With a decadent creamy and zesty filling and a crunchy graham cracker crust, there's really no better summertime dessert than a sweet, tart, and tangy key lime pie. The bright taste of key limes and rich, fluffy whipped topping has become such an iconic pairing that it's hard to stray too far from the famous pie's formula for fear of losing its best qualities. But by adding super-sweet and tart raspberries for a punchy sweetness, the pie becomes next-level good: fun and berry-forward — complete with a pretty pink-ish hue.

In this sweet and tart berry key lime pie, we add homemade raspberry juice to the tart key lime filling, and then complete the custard with a compote of raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries for added fruity flavor. The resulting pie has a light pink tint and tastes as pretty as it looks; the raspberry juice adds just the right amount of tart sweetness to the lime. It's a dessert for berry-lovers and a particularly fun way to use up the best of summer's sweetest produce, while still being sure to appeal to fans of a classic key lime pie.

This recipe is made in several parts, starting with the raspberry juice. To make raspberry juice, you'll just need to pick up a container of raspberries and some sugar — but grab an extra container of raspberries to make the compote for topping, too. To make the crust, you'll need graham cracker crumbs, butter, and cinnamon, a secret ingredient that adds a subtle spiced flavor to balance the tart berries. For the filling, you'll need sweetened condensed milk, sour cream, key lime juice (which you can squeeze fresh or use bottled), and lime zest. Then, for the topping, you'll just need to pick up a container each of blackberries and blueberries and a little bit of cornstarch.

Add raspberries, sugar, and ½ cup water to a saucepan over medium heat.

Stir to dissolve the sugar, then simmer until raspberries are broken down, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

Mash the berries with a potato masher or fork, then strain through a fine mesh strainer to remove seeds. Set aside and let the raspberry juice cool completely.

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Make the crust: Add the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter to a bowl and stir to combine well.

Press the crust mixture into a pie pan, then bake for 8 minutes or until just browned. Set aside to cool.

Make the filling: Mix together the sweetened condensed milk, sour cream, key lime juice, cooled raspberry juice, and lime zest in a bowl.

Pour into the cooled graham cracker crust and smooth across the top. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until just set.

Let the pie cool completely at room temperature, then chill for 1 hour.

While the pie is chilling, make the topping. Add all the berries, sugar, and ¼ cup water to a saucepan over medium heat.

Stir to dissolve the sugar, then bring to a simmer.

Stir cornstarch together with ¼ cup water, then add to the skillet and stir to dissolve. Let the berries thicken into a compote, then remove from the heat and cool completely.

To serve, spoon the compote over the cooled and chilled pie.

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For the juice element of this pie, raspberry is a great berry to use because it is both a little bit tart and a little bit sweet, which complements the super-tart lime that typically flavors the filling. You can use almost any berry, though, and the recipe will be similar for many of the berries you can choose, particularly since the compote already calls for blackberries and blueberries. For some berries, you may even be able to buy store-bought juice, which helps shorten the recipe by a few steps.

To make the juice, blackberries can be substituted for raspberries without changing the recipe at all — simply simmer the blackberries to break them down, mash them to extract the juices further, then strain into a liquid juice. For berries like strawberries and blueberries, which have softer skins, you can actually use a blender to make the juice instead of simmering them over the stove. To do this, use the same ratio of ingredients and blend instead of simmering, then strain out any seeds or skins that stay intact. For the compote, you can use any mixture of berries, and you could swap in strawberries, huckleberries, or black raspberries for any of the berries listed.

Knowing when key lime pie is done baking is a bit like knowing when a quiche is done baking, because they both have similarly custardy fillings. When done, use the wiggle test to see if the filling will jiggle slightly without looking liquidy or wet. The best way to know when key lime pie is finished baking is when the edges (right next to the crust) are risen slightly, creating an almost bubble-like effect, and the middle is bouncy and light. 

While it's hard to tell when a key lime pie is cooked through, it is very easy to tell when the pie has been overcooked. An overcooked key lime pie will begin to crack, first showing some small lines and then eventually cracking all the way across. If you aren't sure if the pie is done, and you find your pie creating micro-cracks about ¼-inch long, don't worry — it's only very slightly overcooked and will still maintain a good texture. Keep in mind that the pie will continue cooking for a few minutes after you remove it from the oven, though, and remove it slightly before you think that the pie is ready for the best results.

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