The Ultimate Atlantic Beach Pie Recipe
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Atlantic beach pie has the perfect balance of tart, sweet, creamy and a little salty. The lemon-lime filling sits in a saltine cracker crust and gets topped with a homemade whipped cream. This make ahead pie is a crowd pleaser!
Table of Contents
- What is Atlantic Beach Pie?
- Ingredients Needed
- In Photos: How To Make Beach Pie
- Tips & Tricks
- Helpful Tools & Equipment
- FAQ
- More Pie Recipes
Easy Atlantic beach pie is super creamy, tart and sweet. This pie recipe is quick and easy to make. The hardest part is the wait time while it chills and sets up! It’s a refreshing pie for summer or anytime you are craving a citrus dessert.
The combination of sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks and lemon and lime juices work to thicken the filling into a creamy, silky and magical dessert. While this pie recipe is quick and easy to make, it does require some time to chill and set up in the refrigerator, making it the perfect make-ahead pie!
What is Atlantic Beach Pie?
Beach pie was created in North Carolina by chef Bill Smith. It has a similar texture to key lime pie, but is made with a combination of lemon and lime. Then instead of a graham cracker crust, saltine crackers are used. This creates a fantastic sweet and salty combo!
Ingredients Needed
- Saltine crackers: to save you from having to measure the crackers after you have crushed them, the recipe card tells you how many to use. I tested the crust with Original Premium Saltine Crackers and Market Pantry Original Saltine Crackers.
- Sugar: granulated sugar adds a little sweetness to the crust and whipped cream.
- Unsalted butter: melted to help hold the crust together.
- Sweetened condensed milk: provides the silky and creamy texture.
- Sour cream: use full-fat sour cream to help thicken the citrus filling.
- Egg yolks: also help to thicken the lemon-lime filling.
- Lemons and limes: wash, dry and zest them before juicing. The recipe uses a little more lemon juice than lime, but you can use whatever ratio you prefer. It wasn’t tested, but I bet it would be fantastic with a grapefruit and lime combo!
- Whipping cream: used for the homemade whipped cream. I recommend a whipping cream with at least 36% fat.
In Photos: How To Make Beach Pie
The full printable recipe is outlined below, this pie recipe is quick and easy to make. The hardest part is the wait time while it chills and sets up. It’s a refreshing pie for summer.
Step 1: Melt butter and set aside. Crush saltine crackers in a zip-top bag with your hands or a rolling pin until all are similar sized; you don’t want to crush them to dust.
Add in sugar and mix until blended, pour in butter and stir with fork or or your hands until the crumbs hold together.
Step 2: Pour crust mixture into 9″ deep dish pie dish and using your hands, press into bottom and up sides, doing your best to make an even layer. Freeze for 10 minutes, then bake for 12-14 minutes or until just lightly golden, not browned. Remove from the oven and cool while you make the filling.
Step 3: Pour the sweetened condensed milk, lemon and lime juice, sour cream, lemon and lime zest, and egg yolks into the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment and mix on low until combined.
Step 4: Stop and scrape the bowl, then increase to medium-high for 3-4 minutes, until the filling has gotten thicker.
Step 5: Pour the filling into the par-baked saltine crust and bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until the filling is set, but still jiggles a little when you shake the pan. You don’t want the top to brown.
Allow the pie to cool on a wire cooling rack for 30 minutes, then place in the refrigerator for 4 hours (and up to 12) to fully cool and set.
Step 6: After the beach pie has fully cooled and set, make the whipped cream. Pipe or spread the whipped cream on top of the pie. I used a Wilton 1M. Garnish with lemon and lime slices, extra zest and flaky sea salt, if desired.
Tips & Tricks
I developed the recipe for this refreshing pie using a 9-inch deep dish pie pan with a minimum depth of 2 inches. If your pie pan is more shallow, you will want to half the recipe.
My testers preferred the more rustic and chunky saltine crust. You can crush the crackers a bit more if you would like a more fine-textured crust.
Don’t skimp on the mixing time for the filling, we want to thicken it before pouring it into the saltine crust.
Use cold heavy cream or heavy whipping cream for the best homemade whipped cream.
For the ultimate salty and sweet combo, sprinkle some flaky sea salt over the whipped cream before serving.
Helpful Tools & Equipment
- Stand mixer
- Deep dish pie pan
- Citrus juicer
- Zester
FAQ
Yes, once the pie is baked, cool it briefly on the counter and then chill it for several hours in the refrigerator to set up and cool completely. Refrigerate any leftovers as well.
I would recommend against it. You are already zesting fresh lemons and limes, so squeezing them is an easy way to get fresh citrus juice. Bottled juice is usually a little less bright in flavor so go with the fresh squeezed!
More Pie Recipes
Beach Pie
Ingredients
Crust
- 60 (180 g) salted saltine crackers, (about 1 1/2 sleeves)
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (113.5 g) unsalted butter, melted
Filling
- 28 ounces (793.79 g) sweetened condensed milk, (two 14-ounce cans)
- ½ cup (122 g) lemon juice, (from approx. 2-4 medium lemons)
- ¼ cup (60.5 g) lime juice, (from approx. 2 limes)
- ½ cup (115 g) full-fat sour cream
- 1 tablespoon (6 g) lemon zest, (from approx. 1 lemon)
- 1 tablespoon (6 g) lime zest, (from approx. 1 lime)
- 2 (36 g) egg yolks, large
Whipped cream
- 1 cup (238 g) whipping cream, cold
- 2 tablespoons (24 g) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon (2 g) vanilla extract
Garnishes
- Lemon and lime slices and zest
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
Make the Saltine Crust
- Make sure you have a 9-inch deep dish pie plate (should be at least 2 inches deep). If you don’t have a deep dish pan, use half of the amounts listed above.
- Melt butter and set aside. Crush saltine crackers in a zip-top bag with your hands or a rolling pin until all are similar sized; you don’t want to crush them to dust. Add in sugar and mix until blended, pour in butter and stir with fork or or your hands until the crumbs hold together.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Pour crust mixture into 9″ deep dish pie dish and using your hands, press into bottom and up sides, doing your best to make an even layer. Freeze for 10 minutes, then bake for 12-14 minutes or until just lightly golden, not browned. Remove from the oven and cool while you make the filling.
Make the Citrus Filling
- Pour the sweetened condensed milk, lemon and lime juice, sour cream, lemon and lime zest, and egg yolks into the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment and mix on low until combined. Stop and scrape the bowl, then increase to medium-high for 3-4 minutes, until the filling has gotten thicker. Scraping the sides again, if needed.
- Pour the filling into the par-baked saltine crust and bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until the filling is set, but still jiggles a little when you shake the pan. You don’t want the top to brown. Allow the pie to cool on a wire cooling rack for 30 minutes, then place in the refrigerator for 4 hours (and up to 12) to fully cool and set.
Make the Homemade Whipped Cream
- After the beach pie has fully cooled and set, make the whipped cream. Using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla on medium-high until stiff peaks form, about 2-4 minutes. Pipe or spread the whipped cream on top. I used a Wilton 1M. Garnish with lemon and lime slices, extra zest and flaky sea salt, if desired.
Notes
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