Low Fat Yogurt Key Lime Pie

A Three-Ingredient Key Lime Pie That Skips the Sweetened Condensed Milk

Classic key lime pie is built on sweetened condensed milk and egg yolks. This radically simplified version skips both. Instead, it leans on yogurt cheese (a thick, tangy, tofu-textured strained yogurt that acts almost identically to mascarpone) sweetened with powdered sugar and brightened with fresh key lime juice. Three ingredients. No eggs. No baking. No fail.

The overnight straining is the technique that makes everything work. As the yogurt drains through cheesecloth or a yogurt funnel, the whey separates out and what remains is dense, creamy, and rich enough to slice cleanly when chilled. The texture is genuinely close to a real key lime pie filling, with a fraction of the fat and almost half the calories.

Use a graham cracker crust for the most pie-like presentation, or skip it entirely and serve the filling in glasses as a chilled lime mousse.

Pro Tips

• Use full-fat or low-fat plain yogurt, not Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt is already strained and won’t drain enough to give the right thick texture.
• Drain the yogurt for the full 24 hours if you want the firmest pie. Less drain time gives a softer mousse-like texture.
• Use real key lime juice if you can find it (Nellie & Joe’s is a common brand). Regular Persian limes work, but the flavor is slightly less floral and more sharp.
• Sift the powdered sugar before mixing. Lumps of powdered sugar in the filling are nearly impossible to whisk out smooth.
• Chill for the full 24 hours before serving. Anything less and the filling won’t slice cleanly.

Variations

• Add 1 teaspoon of lime zest along with the juice for extra punch and flecks of green color.
• Top with sweetened whipped cream and lime wheels just before serving.
• Stir in 1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh mint or basil for an herby twist.