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Creamy tart and tangy lemon-lime Atlantic Beach Pie!
The perfect anytime summer pie!
I first read about Atlantic Beach Pie in Southern Living Magazine. According to the article, Chef Bill Smith resurrected this memorable pie from his childhood for a catered event showcasing local specialties.
Bill’s simple and delicious pie was a hit! He often called it “that pie” but after some encouragement he finally named it after a nearby beach town.
Bill put this wonderful pie on the permanent menu at the now closed, Crook’s Corner Restaurant in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The rest is history!
What is Atlantic Beach Pie?
The idea is simple: the filling is made with just a few pantry ingredients and loads of fresh lemon and lime juice. The crust is made with crushed saltine crackers, a little sugar, melted butter and one egg white to hold it all together.
I’ve tweaked Bill’s recipe just a bit creating a thicker filling which requires using a deep dish pie plate. I started with our Lemon Icebox Pie recipe as the base, making the recipe incredibly easy to develop.
Anybody can make this simple and delicious pie. You don’t need to be a chef or have exemplary culinary skills. All you need is a hungry bunch of folks who love a great pie!
Ingredients needed to make Atlantic Beach Pie
For the crust:
- crushed saltine crackers
- granulated sugar
- melted unsalted butter
- one egg white
For the filling:
- granulated sugar
- lemon zest
- egg yolks
- lime zest
- sweetened condensed milk
- fresh lemon juice
- fresh lime juice
For the topping:
- heavy whipping cream
- powdered sugar
- vanilla extract
- lemon and lime zest for garnish
- lemon and lime slices for garnish
How to make Atlantic Beach Pie
To prepare the crust:
Combine the crushed saltine crackers, butter, sugar and egg white. Press into a deep-dish pie plate and freeze while preheating the oven.
Bake the crust until lightly browned then set aside to cool while preparing the filling.
To prepare the filling:
In a small processor combine granulated sugar and lemon zest. Process until the sugar is bright yellow and the zest is broken down into tiny pieces.
Beat the lemon sugar and egg yolks together until thickened and lightened in color.
Add the lime zest, sweetened condensed milk, lemon and lime juices. Blend until combined and pour into the prepared cracker crust.
Bake until the center jiggles slightly and the edges are set. Cool completely and either freeze or refrigerate until needed.
To serve:
When ready to serve prepare the whipped cream topping. Dollop on top of the pie and decorate with thin sliced lemons and limes and plenty of fresh zest.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
Can you freeze Atlantic Beach Pie?
Absolutely! If you’re not serving the pie within 24 hours, I highly recommend freezing until needed.
This pie is best made at least one day ahead so it has time to chill properly.
Once cooled to room temperature you can freeze the pie well wrapped for up to 2 months. Move the pie to the refrigerator 4 or 5 hours before serving.
To slice a frozen pie easily, wrap a warm, damp kitchen towel around the bottom and sides of the pie plate to release the crust.
Run a large thin knife under hot water, then dry carefully. Repeat warming the knife for clean, pretty slices!
Freeze leftover pie slices on a baking sheet until firm. Separate with pieces of wax paper and store in an airtight container.
Use a deep-dish 9-inch pie plate for this recipe.
Our Atlantic Beach Pie recipe was created using a Pyrex deep-dish, straight sided 9.5-inch pie plate. As you may know, pie plates vary greatly in size. A standard pie plate with sloping sides is not deep enough to hold all the filling in this recipe.
If all the filling doesn’t fit into your pie pan, bake any leftover in a lightly greased small oven-proof dish or ramekin.
You can also use a springform pan for this pie.
An 8 or 9-inch springform pan works well for a tart-like pie. Press the crust mixture about 1-1/2 inches up the sides of the pan, freeze and bake according to directions.
Another quick and easy option:
Pick up two pre-made store-bought graham or cookie crusts and divide the filling between the two. Reduce the baking time to 15 minutes. The pie will be thinner like a traditional Key Lime Pie.
Tips for making Atlantic Beach Pie:
- Use regular saltine crackers, not low-salt.
- Plan ahead so the pie has time to come to room temperature, then chill properly before serving.
- For the best flavor and color, don’t skip processing the lemon zest with granulated sugar. This gives the pie filling a nice lemony hue and great flavor.
- Don’t process both the lemon and lime zests as the color will be off.
Shortcuts:
- Use pre-made store-bought crusts and divide the filling between the two.
- Top the pie with Cool Whip in place of homemade sweetened whipped cream if desired.
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Atlantic Beach Pie
Equipment
- 9-inch deep dish pie plate, food processor
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1 ½ cups finely crushed saltine crackers (about 40)
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 egg white
For the filling:
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- zest of 2 lemons
- 6 large egg yolks
- zest of 1 lime
- 2 (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice, strained of seeds and pulp
- ½ cup fresh lime juice, strained
For the topping:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- lemon zest, for garnish
- lime zest, for garnish
- thin sliced lemons and limes, for garnish
Instructions
To prepare the crust:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Combine the crackers, butter, sugar and egg white in a medium bowl. Pour the crumbs into a deep 9½ inch pie plate. See NOTES below if you don’t have a deep straight-sided pie plate. Using a measuring cup press the mixture evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan.½
- Freeze the crust for 15 minutes then bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned, about 20 minutes. If the crust slumps down into the pie plate use the back of a large spoon and press it back into place. Cool completely before filling.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.
To prepare the filling:
- In a small food processor combine 2 tablespoons granulated sugar with the lemon zest. Process until the sugar is bright yellow and the zest is broken down into tiny pieces.
- Pour the lemon sugar into a large mixing bowl. Add the egg yolks and beat using an electric mixer until the yolks are thickened and lighter in color.
- Next add the lime zest, sweetened condensed milk and the lemon and lime juices. Blend on low until all ingredients are combined. Place the baked crust on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour the filling into the prepared crust.
- Bake the pie at 325°F for 20 to 25 minutes or until the center jiggles slightly and the edges are set. The pie filling should not be browned. Transfer to a rack and cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze for 8 hours or overnight.
To prepare the whipped topping:
- In a large cold mixing bowl using an electric mixer, beat the cream on medium speed until soft peaks form. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and beat on high until firm (not dry) peaks form. Dollop the whipped cream on top of the pie and swirl decoratively. Garnish with zest and lemon and lime slices.
Recipe Notes
- If all the filling doesn’t fit your pie pan, bake leftovers in a lightly greased small oven-proof dish or ramekin.
- You can also make this pie in an 8 or 9-inch springform pan. Press the crust about 1 to 1-1/2 inches up the sides of the pan, freeze and bake according to directions.
- Another option is to use 2 pre-made store-bought graham cracker crusts and divide the filling evenly between the two. Reduce the baking time to 15 minutes. The pie will be thin like a traditional Key Lime Pie.
- Place the sugar and lemon zest in a small bowl. Crush the mixture using a fork or spoon, pressing the zest up against the side of the bowl. You can also do this using your fingers. The idea is to release the lemon oils into the sugar until it becomes yellow in color and moistened. You can also skip processing the lemon sugar and simply add the lemon zest and sugar to the eggs and beat.
- This pie is best made a day ahead so it has time to chill properly.
- Once cooled, you can also freeze the pie then wrap in plastic wrap and foil to seal. The pie can be made ahead and frozen for up to 2 months. Move the pie to the refrigerator 4 to 5 hours before serving.
- To slice a slightly frozen pie wrap a warm, damp kitchen towel around the bottom and sides of the pie plate to release the crust. Run a large thin knife under hot water, then carefully dry. Slice and serve topped with sweetened whipped cream.
Larry says
What a great summer dessert. It looks absolutely outstanding.
Tricia Buice says
Thanks Larry! Hope you and Bev are having a great summer.