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Published: 3/20/24
Searching for Perfect Key Lime Pie in Key West
When I headed to Key West, Florida in December 2023 I set a personal challenge to eat as much key lime pie as humanly possible.
This slightly tart, green-hued citrus pie been my favorite dessert since childhood. While I definitely knew I liked (correction: love) this pie, I wasn’t sure I’d ever had key lime pie made with actual key limes.
On this delicious pie-filled adventure, I discovered some shocking facts that might change the way you look at key lime pie forever. For starters, pies made with key lime juice are more yellow than green!
I’ll share where I think you’ll find Key West’s best slice of key lime pie. (Surprisingly: Lime and Pies on Duval Street!) I’ll also let you know where others would have you head for Key West’s best pie. (Old Town Bakery) Looking for key lime pie on a stick or deep-fried key lime pie? I’ll let you know where to go for that too.
By the end of this post, you’re going to know key lime pie inside and out. In fact, you could even go home for your Key West vacation knowing how to make your own key lime pie. Key West Key Lime Pie Company offers classes for groups of up to 10. The island offers lots of other key lime pie activites as well.
So come join me on a delicious journey through Key West searching for the best key lime pie on the island.
What’s with Key West and Key Lime Pie?
You’ll find key lime pie everywhere in Key West. Basically, if a Key West restaurant has a dessert menu, they have key lime pie. Like Boston’s cannoli or Cincinnati’s chili, key lime pie is part of Key West’s identity.
I always assumed key lime pie originated in Key West (after all, the word “key” is right in the name), but the pie likely originated in Miami in the early 20th century. While one particular Key West B&B claims to have invented key lime pie in the 19th century, all indicators point to the pie being developed in the 1930s.
While it’s easy to associate key lime pie with Key West, the pie’s a common dessert offering all over the state of Florida as well as in the Caribbean.
The real shocker for me is that key limes aren’t even grown commercially on the Keys. The plant is native to Malaysia and probably came to Florida with Spanish explorers. After a devasting hurricane in the 1920s, the Keys simply don’t have the habitat to grow key limes commercially. If you do find a key lime tree in Key West, it’ll be in someone’s backyard.
It’s a fair bet that 99% of the key lime juice used in Key West key lime pies hails from Mexico or Central America.
What is Key Lime Pie?
At its heart, key lime pie is simplicity. It’s a lime-flavored custard made with sweetened condensed milk, eggs, lime juice, and, if you’re feeling fancy, a little lime zest. Pour that over a pie crust of your choice (or go crustless!) and bake until firm. Finish it off with whipped cream or meringue.
Key lime pie is very, very similar to a lemon pie recipe marketed by Borden, a sweetened condensed milk producer, in the 1930s. I’ve made key lime pie many times using the Fine Cooking magazine recipe (RIP) and it really couldn’t be easier.
Despite its simplicity, there are no hard, fast rules about key lime pie recipes. (This is much to the disappointment of a Florida state representative who, in 1965, wanted to imposed a fine on any baker who dared to make a pie with regular lime juice and call it “key lime pie.”)
While I think the pie is most often associated with graham cracker crust, it can be made with regular pie crust or no crust at all. The pie is almost always topped with some sort of pillowy fluff, but whether that’s whipped cream, Chantilly cream, or meringue is up to the baker’s discretion. Sometimes it’s also topped with berries or a berry syrup. Heck, it doesn’t even need to be baked!
Personally, I prefer my key lime pie baked to a firm set with a hefty dose of whipped cream.
Top Key Lime Pies to Taste in Key West
These are the pies I tried and enjoyed in Key West. To sample all the key lime pies in Key West, I think you’d need to spend an entire year on the island. Even then, you’d probably still miss some!
At any rate, take these recommendations with a grain of salt and definitely feel free to venture off my list. After all, the best key lime pie in Key West is the one sitting in front of you with a fork.
#1 Limes and Pies
I definitely didn’t expect to enjoy this slice of key lime pie as much as I did. Limes and Pies sits about halfway down Duval Street. When I popped into this bright lime green store after dinner to grab a slice of pre-packaged pie, I expected a low-quality slice of pie like what you’d get from a grocery store bakery.
What a pleasant surprise to bite into a luscious, smooth, and ever so slightly tart key lime pie when I returned to our rental. I think some people might find the Limes and Pies key lime pie a little too sweet, but it was just right for me. I also liked the nice thin graham cracker crust. My one criticism is that it definitely needed more whipped cream.
If you’re staying at vacation rental, I would recommend picking up a whole pie to enjoy during your Key West stay. Just grab a can of whipped cream at the grocery store to top it!
#2 Moondog Café
This pie almost converted me into being a lover of meringue on key lime pie. Almost . . . .
It’s no secret that I prefer whipped cream (and lots of it!) topping my key lime pie, so when I peeped in the bakery box holding my slice of to-go pie from Moondog, I was a little disappointed to spy a heap of toasted meringue. That is, until I bit into it.
Oh my! The toasted Italian meringue that Moondog tops their key lime pie with is truly sublime. Satiny and sweet, it gave strong marshmallow vibes. I loved that it didn’t taste eggy at all and was almost complete devoid of air bubbles. It’s also very nicely proportioned to compliment the lime filling and crust.
Beside the magical marshmallowy meringue topping, this is an all-around solid pie. I think any lover of key lime pie is going to be very happy at Moondog. That’s true even for vegans. For their vegan key lime pie, Moondog uses aquafaba for their signature toasted meringue topping.
While it wasn’t my very favorite key lime pie of the trip, Moondog was one of my very favorite places that we ate in Key West. We loved it so much we ate here twice.
#3 Kermit’s Key Lime Shop
When you think of key lime pie in Key West, Kermit’s Key Lime Shop might be the first place that comes to mind. This key lime colored shop near the marina has been slinging pie and assorted other key lime treats for more than 30 years. There are also Kermit locations on Duval Street and also in Charleston, SC.
In the end, this slice of pie was good, but not exceptional. There was a nice amount of whipped cream, the filling was smooth and firm, and the crust wasn’t too thick. They also offer a strawberry key lime pie and a coconut key lime pie.
This is a great pie for folks who have never sampled key lime pie before to cut their teeth on. True key lime pie aficionados may find it a little sweet.
#4 Blue Heaven
Blue Heaven serves up probably the most photographed pie of key lime pie in Key West. (So naturally I forgot to photograph it. I blame jetlag!)
What makes Blue Heaven’s key lime pie so notable is that it’s topped with an absolute mound of meringue. I’m not even joking when I say there’s a good six inches of meringue sitting on a thin layer lime of filling.
While the lime filling was delicious, the meringue was too much for me. I love eggs, but I really don’t want my desserts to taste like them. Egg flavor overpowered the foamy, floppy mess that Blue Heaven tops their key lime pies with. Now, if they’d brought out a slice of pie covered with the same amount of whipped cream, then we’d be talking.
While this definitely wasn’t my favorite slice of pie on the trip, you don’t want to miss Blue Heaven. Their outdoor dining in a grove of trees where the docile Key West chickens run wild makes for one of the most unique dining experiences I’ve ever had. They also almost always have live music.
#5 Sarabeth’s
I hate to say it, but I fear, this was the dreaded no bake key lime pie. To be fair, Sarabeth’s doesn’t market this pie as a true key lime pie. It’s more of a chiffon pie flavored with key lime.
So while I wasn’t expecting quintessential key lime pie, I was hoping for something a little more exciting. The fluffy texture was delightful, but it just wasn’t very flavorful. With a too thick graham cracker crust, this key lime dessert was rather claggy and dull. The fresh berries and drizzle of berry syrup were nice though.
There certainly wasn’t anything wrong with this pie, but in the wise words of the Great British Bake Off’s Prue Leith, it’s simply “wasn’t worth the calories.” I mean, of course I did eat it all.
Other Places To Enjoy Key West Key Lime Pie
Here are some other Key Lime restaurants and bakeries to consider adding to your key lime pie crawl through town.
Old Town Bakery
Voted the best key lime pie in the Florida Keys by the Miami NewTimes, I had high hopes of sampling this pie. However, this bakery, located on Eaton Street, closes at 3 p.m. and I just never made the ½ mile hike over to it before closing.
Pepe’s Café
Pepe’s often tops “best key lime pie in Key West” lists. This waterfront café has been a Key West fixture for over a century. Come for their classic American fare and stay for the key lime pie!
Key West Key Lime Pie Company
I think it’s fairly easy to confuse this shop with Kermit’s or Limes and Pies. All of the shops centered around key lime pie in Key West are painted lime green (ironically, key lime juice is actually a yellowish chartreuse ) and all tend to sell a dizzying array of key lime products from juice concentrate to candles.
In recent years, Key West Key Lime Pie Company on Greene Street have focused on making their pie front and center of their business. They even offer pie making classes!
Fun Key Lime Pie Products to try in Key West
While I could happily eat a slice of key lime pie every day for the rest of my life, maybe plain ol’ key lime pie just doesn’t make your heart sing. Never fear, Key West has plenty of other key lime pie inspired treats to sample.
Chocolate covered Key Lime Pie
I’m a key lime pie purist, so I didn’t indulge in this treat, but it’s definitely a fun, convenient way to enjoy your key lime pie on the go. You can find this fun treat at Kermit’s, Limes and Pies, and Key West key Lime Pie Company. Kermit’s also offers a white chocolate covered key lime pie slice.
Key Lime Glazed Donuts
Pop into Glazed Donuts on Eaton Street for a key lime pie donut extravaganza. This impressive donut is crowned with a ring of meringue and filled with a key lime filling. I didn’t get a chance to try these, but I can tell you that the key lime pie donuts from Wake N’ Bake donuts in Wilmington, NC are delicious and I would expect nothing less from Glazed Donuts.
Deep fried key lime pie
If you head north on the Overseas Highways, you can find a deep-fried key lime pie at Porky’s Bayside Restaurant in Marathon. I wasn’t very motivated to try this – I mean, what is this, Edinburgh?! – but it would definitely be a fun Key West road trip destination.
Key Lime Juice
If you took a key lime pie making class at the Key West Key Lime Pie Company or have a key lime lover at home, a bottle of key lime juice makes a great Key West souvenir. I picked up a bottle at Kermit’s on Duval Street.
Key Lime Pie Activities in Key West
A key lime pie crawl is a great way to fill a rainy day in Key West. And that’s not the only Key West activity that features the island’s favorite pie!
Conclusion: The Best Key Lime Pie in Key West
As you can tell, Key West is paradise for a key lime pie lover. Whether you like your key lime pie frozen or baked, with meringue or whipped cream, with graham cracker or crustless, there’s a perfect key lime pie waiting for you at the southernmost point of the United States.
Even if you don’t think you like key lime pie, I definitely recommend sampling at least a few of the plentiful key lime products offered in Key West.
I hope this round up of the best restaurants and bakeries in Key West to hit up for key lime pie inspires you to go on your own Key West key lime pie crawl.
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If you enjoyed this round-up of the best key lime pies in Key West, Florida, check out the rest of my Florida posts.
