Key Lime Puff Pastry

Key Lime Puff Pastry is an easy and delicious way to enjoy a variation of Key Lime Pie! Puff pastry baked to golden perfection, with a no-bake key lime pie filling, and marshmallow frosting.

This recipe is so easy to make and so delectable. Using store-bought puff pastry makes things even easier.

When summer arrives, it’s time to make key lime desserts! And while I love key lime pie, and it’s certainly one of my favorite desserts, this twist on a classic is a fun way to enjoy key limes while they are in season.

You can certainly make this recipe with limes or lemons too. I live in Florida where key limes are abundant this time of year, and I can’t resist but grab a bag when I see them at the store. So I have to get creative with key lime recipes.

How to make Key Lime Puff Pastry

You need a few ingredients to make this Key Lime Puff Pastry. For the puff pastry part you will need:

• puff pastry sheets
• egg
• graham cracker crumbs

For the key lime pie filling, you will need:

• cream cheese
• sweetened condensed milk
• key lime juice (or lime, or lemon)
• key lime zest (or lime, or lemon)

And for the marshmallow frosting, you will need:

• egg whites
• sugar
• cream of tartar
• salt
• vanilla

Baking the puff pastry

You will need to thaw the puff pastry before baking it.

To thaw the puff pastry, simply remove it from the freezer about 40 minutes before baking. Thawing time will depend on how warm the environment is.

You can also wrap the pastry in paper towel and microwave for 15 seconds. Then flip it over and microwave for 15 more seconds. You should be able to easily unfold the pastry. If it’s still frozen solid, microwave for another 5 or 10 seconds.

Unroll the puff pastry, use a round cutter to cut out circles of dough. My cutter measured 3 inches, you can make it any size you want. The diameter of the pastry will shrink a bit when it bakes, so you don’t want to use a really small cutter, unless you are going for mini pastries.

Place the pastry rounds on a baking sheet, 2 inches apart from each other. Then use a smaller cutter to form a dent in the center of the pastry, but don’t cut all the way through.

Whisk an egg and brush over the pastry circles. Then sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs or sugar. Using sanding sugar, or raw sugar will give the pastry more of a crunch and texture because the sugar crystals are larger.

Bake the puff pastry in the pre-heated 425ºF oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown and puffed up.

Key Lime Pie Filling

The Key Lime Pie Filling comes together in just a few minutes.

Simply beat the cream cheese for a couple of minutes until creamy. Add the sweetened condensed milk, key lime juice, and zest, and mix to combine.

Marshmallow Frosting

Anytime I think about Key Lime Pie, I think about Marshmallow Frosting, preferably toasted. Even though this recipe for Marshmallow Frosting is not extremely hard to make, it does involve making a syrup over the double boiler and it can be intimidating for beginner bakers, or for people who want to keep the recipe as simple as possible.

The pastry and filling portions of the recipe are super easy and take less than 5 minutes to put together, but the Marshmallow Frosting will need a bit more dedication. Which is why I recommend that you substitute it with whipped cream if you want to simplify things, and you can do even store-bought whipped cream, or simply whip your own.

To make the Marshmallow Frosting, place the egg white, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt in a bowl, whisk over a double boiler until the temperature reads 140ºF.

Remove from the double boiler and whip with a mixer for about 5 minutes until stiff peaks form. Whipping time can be longer depending on the speed of the mixer, or how potent the mixer is.

When making the Marshmallow Frosting using the measurements from the recipe below, you want to use a hand mixer. The amount it makes with just one egg white is very small and the whisk of the stand mixer won’t be able to reach the bottom of the bowl in order to whip the meringue properly.

To make the frosting in the stand mixer like the pictures above, I tripled the recipe, and used the leftovers in my Key Lime Pie Macarons, which I make every year.

Assembling the Key Lime Puff Pastry

To assemble the Key Lime Puff Pastry, you will need to first use a pestle or the handle of spoon, but preferably something thick, to push through the dent you created before baking.

If the center isn’t pushing down, you can use a knife to cut around where the crease is. This will make room for the filling.

Spoon the filling in the center of the pastry. Then top with the Marshmallow Frosting.

You can toast the frosting to make this dessert even more delicious, and to give it a special touch.

Key Lime Puff Pastry variations

Here are some ways you can change up the recipe:

• Use lime, or lemons instead of key lime.
• Use whipped cream instead of Marshmallow Frosting.
• Top the pastries with sanding sugar or raw sugar before baking instead of graham cracker crumbs.

If you like this Key Lime Puff Pastry recipe, you may also like these recipes:

• Key Lime Pie Macarons
• Key Lime Pie Cake
• Lime Frosted Coconut Bars
• Lime Thumbprint Cookies
• White Chocolate Lime Cupcakes
• Key Lime Brigadeiros
• Mascarpone Puff Pastry
• Boston Cream Puff Pastry
• Cherry Turnovers
• Pecan Pie Pastry

If you make this recipe I would really appreciate a review below! Or tag me on instagram! I love to see your creations!

Key Lime Puff Pastry

Camila Hurst

Key Lime Puff Pastry is an easy and delicious way to enjoy a variation of Key Lime Pie! We turn Key Lime Pie into a delicious pastry using store-bought puff pastry, no-bake key lime pie filling, and graham cracker crumbs.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 18 3-inch pastries

Calories 150 kcal

Ingredients

  

Puff pastry

• 2 puff pastry sheets thawed
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

No-bake Key Lime Pie Filling

• 4 oz. cream cheese softened (1/2 cup, 113 grams)
• 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk 152 grams
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1 tbsp lime zest

Marshmallow Frosting

• 1 egg white
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar 50 grams
• 1/8 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

 

Puff pastry

• Pre-heat the oven to 425 Fahrenheit.
• Unroll the puff pastry, use a round cutter to cut out circles of dough. My cutter measured 3 inches, you can literally make any size you want. The diameter of the pastry will shrink a bit when it bakes, so you don’t want to use a really small cutter, unless you are going for mini pastries.
• Place each circle in a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, 2 inches apart from each other.
• Use a smaller cutter to dent the top of the pastries, in the center, but don't cut all the way through. This will make it easier to push through after the pastry is baked, so you can place the filling in the center.

Egg wash

• Whisk the egg until well whisked. Dip a brush in the egg and brush the top of the dough circles until they are entirely covered, but not drenched, in the egg wash.
• Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs on top.
• Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes in the pre-heated oven, until the pastry is puffed up and golden.
• As soon as you remove the pastry from the oven, use something such as a spoon handle, or preferably a pestle, which is thicker in diameter, and push down the center of the pastry, where you made the indent before. If it’s not going through, you can use a small pairing knife to cut through the circle.
• Your pastry should have the tall edges and the sunken center at this point. Set it aside to cool.

No-bake Key Lime Pie Filling

• Beat the cream cheese with a mixer for just a minute. Add the sweetened condensed milk, lime juice, and zest to the bowl and mix to combine. Scrape the bowl to ensure there are no chunks of cream cheese left unincorporated.
• Spoon the filling in the center of the cooled pastries.

Marshmallow Frosting

• Mix all the ingredients, except for the vanilla extract together in a bowl.
• Set the bowl over a pot of simmering water over medium heat, not letting the water from the pot touch the bottom of the bowl.
• Whisk the mixture non-stop while it sits in the double boiler.
• Keep whisking over simmering water until it reaches 140Fº.
• That way the egg whites will be in a safe temperature to be consumed.
• Whip the syrup with an electric mixer for about 5 minutes on high speed, until stiff peaks form, and the meringue is glossy. A hand mixer will work better because there isn’t a lot of volume here, since we are using only one egg white. So if you use a stand mixer, the whisk won’t reach the bottom of the bowl, and won’t whip the marshmallow properly. In case you do want to use a stand mixer, I recommend tripling the recipe.
• Add the vanilla and mix to combine.
• The meringue frosting has to be piped immediately after being made. It will last for quite a bit of time once piped and it will hold a nice shape, however, if not piped it will start to flatten and lose air as it sits, and you will have a hard time piping it later.
• Use a torch to toast the marshmallow.

Storage and Serving

• Store the pastries in the fridge for up to 2 days. Let them come to room temperature before serving.
• The pastries are best served on the day they are made.

Notes

Thawing puff pastry: I often forget to get it out of the freezer to thaw it before making a recipe. It only takes about 40 minutes sitting on the counter to thaw, but if you are pressed for time, remove the puff pastry from the package, wrap it around paper towel, and place it in the microwave for 15 seconds. Turn the pastry over and microwave for another 15 seconds. The pastry should be cold still, but unfolding easily.

Egg wash alternative: you can mix the egg for the egg wash with a splash of milk, you can use just a yolk mixed with milk, you can even use just the white whisked by itself or milk.

Marshmallow Frosting: you could also use whipped cream instead of marshmallow frosting to top the pastries.

Keyword key lime pie, pastry