With summer fast approaching, there is nothing more refreshing than a delicious simple and easy key lime tart! What makes it even more appealing is that it can be made one day in advance. It’s the perfect dessert to bring to a barbecue to impress your friends! Furthermore, this recipe is pretty much foolproof!
PRO TIPS FOR MAKING THIS RECIPE
Using cookies for the crust: I like to use a combination of Biscoff cookies and graham crackers for this dessert. The combination makes the crust perfectly sweet. If you prefer using just one or the other for your crust, that will work too. You just need to replace with the same amount of cookies or graham crackers.
Making the crust – If you do not have a food processor or blender, you can put the cookies and crackers into a sealed bag and crush them finely. That will work just as well.
Whipping the cream – Make sure your heavy cream is cold and fresh out of the fridge right before whipping it. It should be whipped until stiff for best pipping results and storage. However, if the cream gets overbeaten, it will become a cottage cheese-like texture. If you have a stand mixer, do not leave it unattended! The perfectly stiff to overbeaten stage only takes a few seconds. Unfortunately, you can not go back once it reaches that cottage cheese texture stage and have to start over. And yes, I learned it the hard way….
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can I use regular limes in this recipe? Key limes are smaller limes that are more tart and may be harder to come by. If you choose to use regular limes instead of key limes, you will need about 10-12 key limes to make the same amount of juice required in this recipe as well as about 5-6 limes for its zest.
Do I need to rest the tart? Yes. This tart needs to be cooled down at room temperature first, then chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours for the filling to set.
How to start the lime tart? The tart can stored in the refrigerator up to 5 days (if it lasts that long!).
Equipment
- Pie tart
- Blender or food processor
- Mixing bowl
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
Ingredients
For the crust
- 8 (140g) full graham cracker sheets (1 pack)
- 16 (125g) Biscoff cookies (half a pack)
- 6 Tbsp (84g) unsalted butter melted
For the filling
- 4 large egg yolks room temperature
- Zest of 8-10 limes
- 2/3 cup (160ml) lime juice about 18-20 key limes
- 10.5 oz (300 ml) condensed milk
- 1 tsp (5ml) vanilla extract
For the toppings
- ¾ cup (180ml) heavy whipping cream cold
- 2 Tbsp (16g) confectioner's sugar
- 1 tsp (5ml) vanilla extract
- Zest of 1 lime
Instructions
To make the crust:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- With a blender or food processor, add graham crackers and Biscoff cookies. Pulse until they become a sandy texture, about 30 seconds. It will yield about 2.5 cups of ground cookie crust.
- Drizzle melted butter while pulsing so the cookies are coated with butter.
- Pour the crust into a 10 inch tart pan. Spread the crust into the tart pan and onto the sides evenly by pressing with your fingers or with the help of a measuring cup.
- Bake in the oven for 10 minutes.
To make the filling:
- Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed or hand mixer on medium-high speed, cream egg yolks and lime zest until it becomes lighter in color, about two to three minutes.
- Add lime juice, condensed milk and vanilla extract. Mix until all combined.
To assemble the tart:
- Pour the lime filling into the tart pan and bake at 350°F for 10 minutes. Let it cool at room temperature for 30 minutes and rest in the fridge for at least four hours.
- Once the tart is rested and ready to serve: whip heavy whipping cream, confectioner’s sugar and vanilla extract until stiff. With a pipping tip, pipe small dollops on and around the lime tart. Garnish with lime zest.
Notes
Nutrition
* Nutrition disclosures and disclaimer
