Key Lime Pie vs Lemon Meringue Pie

Key Lime Pie

The recipes for Key Lime Pie & Lemon Meringue Pie are very different, and yet both are refreshing summer pies made with citrus fruits – lemons and limes. Would you choose Graham Cracker Crust, or Flaky Pie Crust? Meringue or Whipped Cream topping?

Key Lime Pie Recipe

The refreshing taste-of-the-islands Key Lime Pie is made by mixing all the ingredients together, pouring it in a Graham Cracker Crust, and baking it to set up. The "secret" ingredient in Key Lime Pie is sweetened condensed milk (I've also heard of recipes made completely by scratch). The condensed milk not only helps it set up, but gives it its unique flavor as well. The Key Lime Pie is usually topped with meringue, with whipped topping becoming more popular as time goes on.

Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe

The classic, and old-fashioned Lemon Meringue Pie that Grandma used to make, is made with homemade cooked lemon pudding made on top of the stove, poured in a baked flaky pie crust, which then sets up in the fridge. It can be made with canned lemon filling if you're in a hurry, but why bother if you're going through all that trouble to make a classic pie in the first place? The Lemon Merigue Pie is then topped with a slightly sweetend meringue that gets put back in the oven to brown.

Variations on a Theme

There are variations of both, so let's consider them. The purists say Key Lime Pie has to be made with Key Limes from Florida for the best taste, and yet my Key Lime Pie is just as good as their pies. Graham Cracker Crust is the favorite crust for this pie but why not a Flaky Pie Crust, or a vanilla cookie crust? Or how about a Graham Cracker Crust with coconut in it?

The Grandmas and pastry chefs in the bunch would say Lemon Meringue Pie has to be made in the flakiest of pie crusts. To be considered a true Lemon Meringue Pie, it has to be made with fresh-squeezed lemons, never the yellow squeeze bottle lemon! Some say Meyer's Lemons are the best, and then again, who has access to Meyer's Lemons all year? The meringue has to be just right, never weepy, and has to be the Mile-High Pie version, usually made with up to 8-10 egg whites!

Key Lime vs Lemon Meringue:

• Could you throw Grandma's traditional recipe out the window and eat your Lemon Meringue Pie in a Graham Cracker Crust?
• Would you consider decorating your Lemon Meringue Pie with whipped cream to save time or for something new?
• Fresh-squeezed store bought lemons, Meyer's Lemons or Real Lemon out of a bottle?
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• Instead of making Key Lime Pie in a Graham Cracker Crust, would you consider making it in a Flaky Pie Crust?
• Are you a homemade meringue kind of baker, or would you prefer whipped cream on your Key Lime Pie?
• Are Key Limes the way to go, or would you be OK with using fresh limes or a good bottled Key Lime juice?
• And finally, what would you prefer? Key Lime Pie or Classic Lemon Meringue Pie?

Send me your comments. Tell me what your favorites are!