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Key Lime Pie is high on my list of favorite desserts. That’s one of the reasons I love this Key Lime Pie Fudge. It puts all the flavor and texture of key lime pie into rich and creamy bite-size pieces!
Happy Monday, friends. How have you been? I know it has nothing to do with Key Lime Pie Fudge, but I have to tell you that the past few months have been the strangest of my life. (Some of my previous experiences may have been odder, but these last few months stand out because I’m still in the midst of them.)
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2 How to Make Key Lime Pie Fudge:
3 Key Lime Pie Fudge Recipe:
Key Lime Pie Fudge:
The best way I can explain this period of my life is to relate it to the weather. I’m on the verge of a beautiful spring after a long and snowy winter.
It’s the weirdest feeling in the world as I’m so filled with hope and excitement for what’s to come, yet it’s also a stressful and emotional process. I don’t even know what or how to feel. (If you have no idea what I’m talking about … I sorta-recently relocated, sold my home of 10 years, and have been house hunting for 5 months.) It’s as if I have all the pieces to a puzzle and just need to figure out how to put them in the right place.
I want to put all of these thoughts into a dedicated post but felt the need to share them today. So there you go. Also, speaking of weather, where the heck is spring!? So far, it’s snowed every day this month here in Pittsburgh.
I say all of this because, as you know, when life is feeling weird, I often turn to food – eating it and creating it. That’s why there has been so much food chat on IBC lately. (Don’t worry my home decorating and design lovers, more of your kind of posts are on the horizon, especially when I find my new home! Thanks for climbing up Recipe Mountain with me for the past year or so.)
How to Make Key Lime Pie Fudge:
Now back to the recipe. This Key Lime Pie Fudge is the bomb dot com. Not only is it simple to make, but it packs a bright, fresh flavor, making it perfect for spring and summer. If you’re a fan of lemon and lime, you’ll be in taste heaven.
I also think the graham cracker crust is great. Although fudge is awesome on its own, this crust adds a unique crunch that tastes as good as it looks. It works beautifully with all the creamy fudginess.
Tips for making fudge:
When you’re preparing your Key Lime Pie Fudge, I have two quick notes:
First, be sure to use fresh lime juice and lime zest. In fact, let’s just never used bottled citrus juice. Ever.
Second, keep a close eye on the melting chocolate. Set the temperature on medium and constantly stir, and you’ll be fine. (I say this because I was impatient. I turned the heat up, looked away for a second, and burned the bottom of my first batch. No good!)
With those couple of notes out of the way, you’re ready to make (and eat!) this amazing Key Lime Pie Fudge.
Looking for more citrus-inspired recipes? Try these:
- Key Lime Cactus Cookies
- Lemon Yogurt Cake
- Blackberry Lemon Shortcake Cake
- Lemon Curd Cheesecake Tarts
- Ginger and Mint Lime Floats
As always, thank you bunches for following my journey, sharing in my joys (and disappointments), and joining me as each of us creates our own happy place. Have a great week!
Key Lime Pie Fudge Recipe:
Key Lime Pie
Key Lime Pie is high on my list of favorite desserts. That's one of the reasons I love this Key Lime Pie Fudge. It puts all the flavor and texture of key lime pie into rich and creamy bite-size pieces!
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Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: fudge, key lime pie
Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
Servings: 32 pieces
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 package (11 ounces) white chocolate chips
- 1 bar (4 ounces) white chocolate, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated lime zest
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two of the sides. Spray the sides and bottom with cooking spray.
In a bowl, stir together the butter, sugar, and graham cracker crumbs. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Bake until the edges are just starting to brown, about 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool for at least 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan over medium heat, stir together the condensed milk, white chocolate chips, and chopped white chocolate until the chocolate is melted. Constantly stir the mixture to avoid burning. Remove the pan from the heat and then stir in the lime zest, lime juice, and vanilla extract. Pour the mixture over the cooled graham cracker crust. Chill for 4 hours or overnight.
Lift the fudge from the pan using the parchment paper. Then cut the fudge into bite-size pieces. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.
FAQs
You have to control two temperatures to make successful fudge: the cooking temperature AND the temperature at which the mixture cools before stirring to make it crystallize. Confectionery experiments have shown that the ideal cooking temperature for fudge is around 114 to 115 °C (237 to 239 °F).
Can I use regular lime juice instead of key lime juice for a key lime pie? ›
Unless you live in the Florida Keys, key limes are near impossible to find. Furthermore, they're so tiny that you'd need to juice at least twenty of them for this recipe. No thank you! Ordinary limes make an exceptional Key lime pie, and they are a much better alternative to bracingly tart bottled Key lime juice.
What is key lime fudge made of? ›
How do you make Key Lime Fudge? Evaporated milk, sugar and salt are heated together in a saucepan and boiled for 8 minutes. Once that mixture has boiled for several minutes, it'll be piping hot. At that point, you'll pull the pan off the stove and stir in marshmallows, white chocolate, lime zest and lime juice.
What not to do when making fudge? ›
7 Common Mistakes to Avoid for Candy Shop-Worthy Fudge and Caramels
- Using the Wrong Pan. All candy and confections start by melting sugar. ...
- Stirring the Sugar. ...
- Not Using a Candy Thermometer. ...
- Leaving Out the Parchment Paper Lining. ...
- Skipping the Cooking Spray. ...
- Scraping the Pot. ...
- Using a Cold Knife to Slice.
Once a seed crystal forms, it grows bigger and bigger as the fudge cools. A lot of big crystals in fudge makes it grainy. By letting the fudge cool without stirring, you avoid creating seed crystals.
What is the most popular flavor of fudge? ›
After years of testing recipes, we're pretty sure we have a handle on the most popular fudge flavors, but chocolate and cherry will always rank high on the list.
Why shouldn't you stir fudge after it reaches the correct temperature? ›
Sugar Crystals Formed
It's important to beat the fudge ingredients to develop the right texture, but you won't get smooth, creamy fudge if you beat it when it's too hot. Beating fudge when it's still over heat creates sugar crystals, aka the grittiness you feel in the fudge.
Is semi sweet or milk chocolate better for fudge? ›
Chocolate: you may use semi-sweet chocolate or dark chocolate. If you want milk chocolate fudge, I suggest using a combination of milk and semi-sweet, so that it's not overly sweet. But this is up to you! You could also use semi-sweet chocolate chips, but I suggest sticking to high-quality chocolate if possible.
Why is Key lime pie so fattening? ›
Like most desserts, a traditional key lime pie is not particularly healthy. It's loaded with plenty of sugar and its key ingredient (besides lime) is cream.
What is the difference between a Key lime pie and a Florida Key lime pie? ›
The main difference is that it requires more aromatic Key lime juice to make the famous pie sing. It is worth the elbow grease to get that authentic floral Key lime flavor—unless you can't find Key limes. Then swap them out for whatever you see at the grocery store and dig in.
Combining the lime juice with the egg yolks and condensed milk creates a chemical reaction that causes the mixture to thicken all on its own (the acid causes the proteins in the yolks and milk to bond together).
Why is Publix key lime pie so good? ›
Rather, the key to perfecting the Publix key lime pie is a simple ingredient added to the graham cracker crust. It's not the graham crackers themselves that make the crust special, but rather the unique addition of crushed toasted almonds.
Is key lime pie a Southern thing? ›
Key lime pie, the state pie of Florida, may have originated in NYC. Miami Herald.
Is key lime pie a Florida thing? ›
key lime pie, an American dessert that consists of a graham-cracker or pastry crust, a yellow custard (primarily egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk, and key lime juice), and a topping of either whipped cream or meringue. The sweet and tart pie reportedly originated in Key West, Florida, in the late 19th century.
Should I stir my fudge while boiling? ›
Brush the sides of the pan with a wet brush at the beginning of cooking to dissolve sugar crystals stuck to the sides. Never stir the mixture during cooking or sugar could crystallize again. The mixture may seize and become grainy. Use a candy thermometer or conduct a cold water test to check if the fudge is done.
Why is fudge difficult to make? ›
Cooking and Evaporation
The length of the cooking time directly impacts the firmness of the fudge[1][3]. If the fudge is cooked for too long, excessive evaporation can result in a hard, dry texture, while insufficient cooking can lead to fudge that is too soft.
What keeps fudge from getting hard? ›
Too little time and the water won't evaporate, causing the fudge to be soft. Conversely, cook it too long and fudge won't contain enough water, making it hard with a dry, crumbly texture.
Can you beat fudge in a stand mixer? ›
Pour the mixture over the chocolate, being sure to shake, not scrape, the mixture from the pot. Set aside to cool for 10 to 12 minutes. (This prevents a grainy consistency.) Using the clean wooden spoon or a standing mixer on low speed, stir or beat the mixture until the chocolate is completely melted and incorporated.
