The contrast of a crunchy Saltine cracker crust with creamy, sweet-tart lemon-lime citrus filling topped with a mound of sweetened whipped cream makes this Atlantic Beach Pie an instant favorite.
This revelation of a pie comes from the Crook’s Corner restaurant and Chef Bill Smith of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. I think it is best described as a cross between key lime pie and a lemon meringue or lemon cream pie. It is so light and bright, with a wonderfully sharp citrus flavor and good balance of salty and sweet that we love in a dessert.
Citrus pies topped with clouds of meringue have been a staple dessert at seafood restaurants in North Carolina for years, served as a finish to meals of fried fish , hush puppies , and coleslaw . This version with both lemon and lime flavors and sweetened whipped cream is an excellent modernization of the classic lemon pie. Everybody loves it!
What You’ll Need
This is a brief overview of what goes into this pie. For ingredient amounts and full instructions, scroll to the printable recipe card below.
- Saltine Crackers: A defining characteristic of this pie that adds a crunchy saltiness that pairs perfectly with the other flavors.
- Salted Butter: Adds richness and flavor while helping to bind the crust together.
- Sugar: A bit of granulated sugar goes into the crust for sweetness and binding, while a little powdered sugar sweetens the whipped cream.
- Lemons & Limes: You need ½ cup of fresh juice for this recipe and it really does make a difference if it is fresh versus bottled. I like the combo of both fruit, but you can use all lemons or all limes, if you like.
- Egg Yolks: These add richness and a creaminess to the citrus filling.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk: Helps create a velvety smooth texture to the filling.
How to Make Atlantic Beach Pie
- Make the crust. Finely crush the saltine crackers in a food processor (affiliate link) or a large ziploc bag with a rolling pin (affiliate link) . Add the sugar and butter, then mix everything together until evenly moistened. Press the crust mixture into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate (affiliate link) . If it doesn’t seem to hold together, try crushing the crackers smaller. Freeze for 10-15 minutes to help set the crust before baking for 16-20 minutes until golden brown.
- Make the filling. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk together until combined. Then add the lemon and lime juice and whisk again until smooth. Pour the filling into the crust, then bake for another 15 minutes until just set. Let cool at room temperature for an hour, then transfer to the fridge to chill for 2 hours (or longer).
- Top with whipped cream. Beat the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl with an electric mixer until thick and medium-stiff peaks form. Pile this on top of the chilled pie and sprinkle with fresh lime zest just before serving.
Pro Tip: If you want to play on the saltiness factor of the Saltines, try sprinkling a little flaky sea salt over the whipped cream like they do at Crook’s Corner in North Carolina where this pie comes from.
Recipe Tips
- Try it with a meringue! We think the whipped cream is perfection with this pie, but you could also make my marshmallow meringue from my sweet potato pie and use that instead for a wonderful finish.
- Don’t skip chilling the crust. It helps the crust hold together when you put it in the oven. Baking does the rest of the work by melting the sugar and locking the crust together so it holds when filled.
- Leftovers are great! But just know that the crust will soften after the first day. It will still taste delicious for a few days when stored in the fridge though.
- Don’t substitute the crust. You could certainly make this pie with a graham cracker crust, but not only will you miss out on the unique flavor contrast and experience, but that would actually be a much sweeter crust that might not work as well with the sweet-yet-tart filling here.
More Pie Recipes
- Fresh Strawberry Pie
- Homemade Razzleberry Pie
- Kentucky Chocolate Walnut Pie
Atlantic Beach Pie
IngredientsUS CustomaryMetric123
Crust
- ▢ 1 1/2 sleeves saltine crackers (about 60 crackers or 6 ounces)
- ▢ 1/2 cup salted butter melted
- ▢ 1/4 cup granulated sugar
Filling
- ▢ 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- ▢ 4 large egg yolks
- ▢ 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 2 large limes)
- ▢ 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 1-2 lemons)
Topping
- ▢ 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
- ▢ 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- ▢ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ▢ Lime or lemon zest, for decoration
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃).
- Finely crush the saltine crackers in a food processor (affiliate link) or with a heavy duty ziploc bag and a rolling pin (affiliate link) . Add the melted butter and sugar, mixing until evenly moistened. 1 ½ sleeves saltine crackers, ½ cup salted butter, ¼ cup granulated sugar
- Firmly press the crust mixture into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate (affiliate link) . It makes a thick crust and may be crumbly, but should hold. Freeze the crust for 10 minutes.
- Bake for 16-20 minutes until lightly golden brown. This will help set the crust and give it a nice toasty flavor and crunch. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk and egg yolks until smooth. Add the lime juice and lemon juice, whisking again until combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared crust. 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk, 4 large egg yolks, ¼ cup fresh lime juice, ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- Bake for 15 minutes until just set. Transfer the pie to a cooling rack and cool at room temperature for 1 hour, then transfer to the fridge to chill for 2 hours.
- Just before serving, beat the cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until medium-stiff peaks form. 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream, ¼ cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pile the whipped cream on top of the chilled pie leaving a small border visible underneath to show the filling and sprinkle with lime zest, lemon zest, or both. Slice and serve cold. Lime or lemon zest,
Notes
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days. The crust will soften, but the pie will still taste good.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: You can make the crust and filling up to 4 days in advance. Store covered in the fridge without the whipped cream.
- Substitutions: You can use either ½ cup of all lime juice or ½ cup of all lemon juice instead of a combination of both, if preferred. Ritz crackers would also make a good substitution for the Saltines.
Nutrition
Atlantic Beach Pie
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 1/2 sleeves saltine crackers (about 60 crackers or 6 ounces)
- 1/2 cup salted butter melted
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
Filling
- 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 2 large limes)
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 1-2 lemons)
Topping
- 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Lime or lemon zest, for decoration
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃).
- Finely crush the saltine crackers in a food processor or with a heavy duty ziploc bag and a rolling pin. Add the melted butter and sugar, mixing until evenly moistened. 1 1/2 sleeves saltine crackers, 1/2 cup salted butter, 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- Firmly press the crust mixture into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate. It makes a thick crust and may be crumbly, but should hold. Freeze the crust for 10 minutes.
- Bake for 16-20 minutes until lightly golden brown. This will help set the crust and give it a nice toasty flavor and crunch. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk and egg yolks until smooth. Add the lime juice and lemon juice, whisking again until combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared crust. 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk, 4 large egg yolks, 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- Bake for 15 minutes until just set. Transfer the pie to a cooling rack and cool at room temperature for 1 hour, then transfer to the fridge to chill for 2 hours.
- Just before serving, beat the cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until medium-stiff peaks form. 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream, 1/4 cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pile the whipped cream on top of the chilled pie leaving a small border visible underneath to show the filling and sprinkle with lime zest, lemon zest, or both. Slice and serve cold. Lime or lemon zest,
Notes
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days. The crust will soften, but the pie will still taste good.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: You can make the crust and filling up to 4 days in advance. Store covered in the fridge without the whipped cream.
- Substitutions: You can use either 1/2 cup of all lime juice or 1/2 cup of all lemon juice instead of a combination of both, if preferred. Ritz crackers would also make a good substitution for the Saltines.
Nutrition
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