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.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword key lime pie, pastry
Prep Time 30 minutesminutes
Cook Time 20 minutesminutes
Total Time 50 minutesminutes
Servings 183-inch pastries
Calories 150kcal
Author Camila Hurst
Ingredients
Puff pastry
2puff pastry sheetsthawed
1egg
1/2cupgraham cracker crumbs
No-bake Key Lime Pie Filling
4oz.cream cheesesoftened (1/2 cup, 113 grams)
1/2cupsweetened condensed milk152 grams
1/4cuplime juice
1tbsplime zest
Marshmallow Frosting
1egg white
1/4cupgranulated sugar50 grams
1/8tspcream of tartar
1/8tspfine sea salt
1/2tspvanilla 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.