Key Lime Slab Pie With Strawberry Whipped Cream Recipe

Active Time:

30 mins

Cool Time:

1 hr 30 mins

Chill Time:

3 hrs

Total Time:

6 hrs 10 mins

Servings:

Your summer gatherings will be even more special when you make this showstopper of a dessert. Iconic Key lime pie gets the slab pie treatment, and a rosy-hued topping of strawberry-infused whipped cream. Make memories with a cool, creamy pie that will feed a crowd with style.

Summer weddings, showers, and garden parties call for desserts with Southern flair, and this one delivers. With a crisp, golden crust, a pale chartreuse filling, and clouds of pink whipped cream on top, your Key lime slab pie will be breathtaking to behold.

Key Lime Slab Pie with Strawberry Whipped Cream — Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen

What's so Special About Key Limes?

Key limes are a beloved fruit in the South. Key lime pie was made the official pie of Florida in 2006. So any way you can enjoy Key limes, we're here for it.

Key limes differ from the more common Persian limes, by being smaller, tarter, and having a distinctive floral aroma. You'll have to put in a little elbow grease to zest and juice these precious limes, but it’s completely worth it.

If you're wondering why they are called "Key" limes, it's because they were grown commercially in the Florida Keys, until hurricanes wiped out most of the groves in the 1920s. The limes originated in Southeast Asia.

The Ingredients for Key Lime Slab Pie with Strawberry Whipped Cream

First and foremost are Key limes. Because they are small, you'll need about a pound of them. Florida-grown Key limes are available June through September, but imported Key limes can be found year round.

In a pinch, you can make this pie with common Persian Limes; it will still be delicious, just not quite as fragrant.

Just as important is the sweetened condensed milk. Key lime pie was invented in a time before ice or refrigeration came to the Florida Keys, and the recipe is credited to the cook of a shipping magnate who brought the shelf stable milk to the Keys in the 1850s.

Once you have those, all you need are egg yolks to whisk up the filling.

Test Kitchen Tip

This recipe can be made up to one day in advance, except for the Strawberry Whipped Cream, which should be prepared and spooned onto the pie just before serving with fresh strawberries and lime zest.

How To Serve Key Lime Slab Pie with Strawberry Whipped Cream

Once your slab pie is baked and completely cold, you are ready to party! Simply wait until serving time to prepare the Strawberry Whipped Cream. Dollop and spread the pink cream over the lime filling, and garnish with more lime zest, for a real pop of color and tart lime flavor.

Editorial contributions b: Robin Asbell.

Ingredients

Slab Pastry Crust
All-purpose flour, for work surface
2 (14-oz.) cans sweetened condensed milk
6 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons Key lime zest plus 1 cup fresh juice (from about 1 lb. Key limes), plus additional zest for garnish
7 fresh strawberries, halved lengthwise, plus more for garnish
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons powdered sugar
Soft pink food coloring gel (optional)

Directions

Parbake the crust:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Unwrap the larger Slab Pastry Crust disk; roll dough out on a lightly floured work surface into an 18- x 13-inch rectangle. Wrap dough around rolling pin; gently fit inside a 15- x 10-inch jelly-roll pan. Turn dough edges under; crimp. Prick bottom and sides of dough with a fork. Line with parchment paper, leaving a 3- to 4-inch overhang around pan edges. Fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake 10 minutes. Remove parchment paper and pie weights. Return crust to oven; bake at 375°F until lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; cool completely, about 30 minutes. (Reserve remaining smaller Slab Pastry Crust disk for another use.)
Bake the pie:

Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Whisk together condensed milk, yolks, lime zest, and lime juice in a large bowl. Gently pour into prepared crust. Return to oven, and bake until center is almost set, 11 to 13 minutes. (The center will not be firm but will set up as it chills.) Transfer to a wire rack; cool completely, about 1 hour. Cover and chill at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours.
Make strawberry puree:

Process strawberries in a food processor or blender until completely smooth, about 30 seconds. Pour through a fine mesh strainer into a small bowl; discard solids.
Make whipped cream:

Beat heavy cream, vanilla, and 3 tablespoons of the strained strawberry mixture in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment on medium-high speed until foamy, about 30 seconds. Gradually add powdered sugar and, if desired, food coloring gel, beating until soft peaks form, about 1 minute. (Reserve any remaining strained strawberry mixture for another use.)
Finish pie:

Spoon whipped cream mixture over pie filling, gently swirling to cover and leaving some of the filling showing underneath. Garnish the pie with additional lime zest and strawberries.

Key Lime Slab Pie With Strawberry Whipped Cream

What's so Special About Key Limes?

The Ingredients for Key Lime Slab Pie with Strawberry Whipped Cream

Test Kitchen Tip

How To Serve Key Lime Slab Pie with Strawberry Whipped Cream

Ingredients

Directions

Parbake the crust:

Bake the pie:

Make strawberry puree:

Make whipped cream:

Finish pie:

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