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Crunchy, Creamy Key Lime Pie Bites on Ice Cream

A bowl of vanilla ice cream topped with key lime cubes.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton

Basically, these little bites are like Key lime pie bars, but with opposite proportions of salty graham cracker crust and tangy lime custard. We put them on soft-serve when we opened Turkey and the Wolf and they’re awesome. A pint of your favorite ice cream works too.

Ingredients

Serves 2 to 8

For the Key lime pie bites

One 14.4-oz. box graham crackers (ground to fine breadcrumb-size)
2 sticks (16 Tbsp.) plus 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
½ cup white sugar
1 Tbsp. kosher salt (Diamond Crystal or about half as much Morton), or more if you like
¾ cup plus 2 Tbsp. sweetened condensed milk
¼ cup bottled Key lime juice (like Nellie and Joe’s)
2 egg yolks

For serving

2 pints vanilla, coconut, or Creole cream cheese (a Louisiana thing) ice cream 
Flaky sea salt
  1. Step 1

    To make the Key lime pie bites: Get your oven to 350°F. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar, and kosher salt and mix it with your hands until it’s all like wet sand.

    Step 2

    Line a loaf pan with parchment paper so the paper hangs over the sides by an inch or two. Put the graham sand in there and give it a firm press onto the bottom so you have an even packed layer that’s a smidge more than an inch. Bake, rotating the pan once, until the edges start to darken a shade but the center isn’t quite done, 12 to 15 minutes.

    Step 3

    While you’re waiting, whisk together the condensed milk, Key lime juice, and egg yolks so they’re well mixed. When the crust is done, pour on the lime mixture, give the pan a couple of taps on the counter so the lime stuff settles evenly, then bake again until the lime mixture is just barely set in the center, 10 to 12 minutes.

    Step 4

    Let this bad boy come to room temperature, then pop it in the fridge until it’s cold and it’s good to go. It keeps, covered, in the fridge for a week or the freezer for two.

    Step 5

    To serve: Run a knife along the edges of the pan, then use the parchment paper to lift out and cut the bars into roughly 1-inch crunchy Key lime pie babies. Scoop the ice cream into bowls (or just leave in the carton), top with the Key lime pie bites, and garnish with a pinch of flaky salt. Eat.

Image may contain: Burger, Food, and Sandwich
Reprinted with permission from Turkey and The Wolf by Mason Hereford with JJ Goode, copyright (c) 2022. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC. Buy the full book from Penguin Random House or Amazon.
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  • Sorry, this review is for an adjusted recipe and not as written. When I went to the store they were actually out of graham crackers. The next best thing I thought would work was a box of vanilla wafers. (The round ones that would go with banana pudding.) Also, I couldn't find lime juice, so I just squeezed a few normal limes. Those were the only changes I made. But man oh man, this is so good and so simple to make! You won't believe the flavor and texture that comes from the custard; especially for being so easy to make. I didn't get the "opposite proportions of salty graham cracker crust and tangy lime custard" because of my cookie substitute, but I did get amazing flavors of richly sweet crust and tangy lime custard. The vanilla and lime worked great together. And when it was with rich vanilla ice cream it all worked amazingly. I'd think the graham crackers would be just as good :)

    • Mark

    • Minnesota

    • 9/8/2022

  • The recipe looks great, but ditch the Nellie and Joes and instead juice fresh (any) limes. That bottled juice, named "Key West Lime Juice" is processed and bottled in California and doesn't contain one drop of key lime juice. Made from concentrated Persian limes. Who needs the preservatives? We should strive for freshness. Authenticity matters.

    • KeylimeSteve

    • Brooklyn, NY

    • 8/25/2022

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