Atlantic Beach Pie

Recipe from Bill Smith

Adapted by Margaux Laskey

Updated July 23, 2021

Atlantic Beach Pie
Julia Gartland for The New York Times
Total Time
55 minutes, plus 4 hours' chilling
Rating
4(4,276)
Comments
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Like a dreamy mash-up between a key lime and lemon meringue pie, this surprisingly fast and easy dessert is adapted from Bill Smith, who retired in 2019 after 25 years as the chef at Crook’s Corner, a Chapel Hill, N.C. restaurant that closed in June 2021. He was inspired by the lemon pies he ate at seafood restaurants in Atlantic Beach, N.C., while vacationing there as a child. While a food processor makes quick work of the saltine cracker crust, you don’t really need any special equipment — you can just as easily make it with your hands. Top it with whipped cream just before serving, and if you’re feeling flush, sprinkle it with flaky sea salt as they did at Crook's Corner, and citrus zest as we do: a lazy summer’s day in pie form. —Margaux Laskey

Featured in: A Pie to Cut Through Summer’s Heat

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Ingredients

Yield:One 9-inch pie

    For the Crust

    • 1½sleeves saltine (with salt) crackers (about 60 crackers/200 grams)
    • 3tablespoons granulated sugar
    • ½cup/113 grams unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature

    For the Filling

    • 4egg yolks
    • 1(14-ounce/396-gram) can sweetened condensed milk
    • ½cup/120 milliliters lemon or lime juice, or a mix of the two
    • Pinch of kosher salt
    • Fresh whipped cream, lemon or lime zest and flaky sea salt, for garnish (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Make the crust: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Using a food processor or your hands, pulse or crush the crackers finely. (Stop before all the crackers turn to dust; it’s O.K. if you have some little pieces.) Add sugar, then butter.

  2. Step 2

    Pulse to combine or work the butter in with your hands until the crumbs hold together like dough. Press into and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Freeze for 15 minutes, then bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the crust gets a little color.

  3. Step 3

    Make the filling: While the crust is cooling (it doesn't need to be cold), in a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks into condensed milk, then whisk in the lemon or lime juice (or both), and salt, making sure to combine them completely.

  4. Step 4

    Pour into the shell, and bake for 14 to 16 minutes until the filling has set. Refrigerate until completely cold, 4 hours up to overnight. Serve with fresh whipped cream, lemon or lime zest and a sprinkling of flaky sea salt, if desired.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
4,276 user ratings
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Comments

Ross

First time makin' a note! Made this dozens of times for a while now and people love it. It's a great pie. I have always wound up using 2 sticks of butter for the crust otherwise I find it too crumbly. Makes the baking time of the crust more like 30-35 mins. but it's worth it in my opinion. 16 mins. to cook the filling is always perfect (though I've never added salt to it). I don't even test to see if it's set at this point no matter the oven. Salt flakes on the whipped cream is a must.

Rie

For all those that feel it should have a graham cracker crust & a meringue topping.... That's just a lemon meringue pie or key lime pie!!! This is called Atlantic Beach Pie for a reason.... because it has the added saltiness (Atlantic Ocean is salt water!) And the combination of salt and sweet is great! So the idea is to make something Different!!! Not the same old thing!!

Jean Miller

I am the daughter and granddaughter of Southern ladies and this recipe is the Real Deal. That said, true confession: l like this better with a graham cracker crust, which is how l made it this afternoon. I also used, and recommend, a blend of lemons and limes both for the juice in the filling and the zest on the whipped cream topping—lovely color and flavor. This is a perfect recipe: maximum deliciousness with minimal fuss. It was worth 18 minutes of oven-on time in Austin on a 103 degree day.

ElIne

I made the pie according to the recipe and thought it was terrible. The cracker crust was very thick and the taste of the saltines over whelmed the citrus taste of the lemon/lime filling. We ended up scraping the filling from the crust and eating it as a pudding topped with the whipped cream. It was delicious.

Little too sweet for my taste

I followed the recipe exactly as written. I thought the crust was really good and unique. The sea salt flakes on top were nice too. I didn't care for the filling because it was very sweet for my taste. I think I would maybe try again but substitute about 1/3 of the sweet condensed milk with some evaporated milk or unsweetened coconut cream.

Julia C

Put it in the freezer for 1 hour before serving. Amazing on a hot summer night!

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Credits

Adapted from Bill Smith, Crook's Corner, Chapel Hill, N.C.

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