Key Lime Pie Mojito

This summer cocktail is key lime pie in a glass, complete with fresh mint, a graham cracker rim, and a splash of cream. The only thing missing is the sunny day necessary to enjoy this Key Lime Pie Mojito!

Jump to:

• 🍈 What are key limes?
• ❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
• 🗒 Ingredients
• 🍹 How to make key lime pie mojitos
• 🎉 Variations on drink
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

(This recipe for Key Lime Pie Mojitos was originally published in August 2011, but the post has been updated with new photos and content.)

My life has been completely consumed by key limes over the past couple weeks. Please send help. I can't stop buying them...But more importantly, I can't stop juicing them.

Like, literally. Because can we talk about how freaking long it takes to juice a bag of key limes?? But it's worth it; so so worth it. Not only for the juice and the delicious drinks and baked goods they help create, but because I love the way my hands smell after I spend 30 minutes juicing key limes.

To me, key limes are one of the very best signs of summer.

I first made this Key Lime Pie Mojito recipe years ago and actually made lime mint ice cubes to put in it. They were fun, but not really worth the effort, considering you can get the same effect from muddling mint in the bottom of your cocktail shaker and aren't left with soggy mint leaves floating in your glass.

So, I refined the drink a bit and was left with a perfectly tart, slightly creamy and sweet cocktail that is pretty much summer in a glass.

🍈 What are key limes?

If asked to describe a key lime, I'd probably just tell you it's a more floral and delicious, smaller version of a conventional lime. Some people actually don't recognize much of a difference between the two types of limes, but I definitely do, especially in the fragrance.

I did a little bit of digging to learn more and found a few interesting facts.

• Despite the fact that I can only find key limes in my New England grocery stores in the summer months, key limes are actually much more prevalent around the world than the conventional limes we're used to. I can't decide if this is a good or bad thing.
  
  I think I'd get sick off juicing those little buggers whenever I need some lime juice and obviously key limes wouldn't feel so special to me if they were available year round. But I also get really sad when key limes disappear for the season.

• One of the main reasons key limes aren't as readily available in the U.S. as in other parts of the world is because Florida's key lime crops were all destroyed by a hurricane in the 1920s. Conventional (Tahitian or Persian) limes trees were planted in their place.

• Generally, the two types of limes can be used pretty interchangeably, though a slight difference may be noticed in taste. Cook's Illustrated testers could distinguish a difference and interestingly noted that key limes were a bit less acidic.
  
  Many sources will tell you they're more acidic, but personally, the key limes I've been using this year have actually had a sweet quality to them. You can indeed make a key lime pie with conventional limes, though I guess that would just make it lime pie, which doesn't have quite the same name appeal!

❤️ Why you'll love this recipe

Like I mentioned, the most difficult part of this cocktail recipe is squeezing the juice out of the tiny little key limes (especially if you happen to have an invisible cut on your finger).

I should mention that since they're made with vodka instead of rum, they're not technically mojitos, but you can easily substitute the vodka with rum (just be sure to add a splash of vanilla extract or vanilla simple syrup, too!).

But it's totally worth it for these delicious key lime pie mojitos. They really are just like key lime pie in drink form. They have all the summer citrus flavor with a touch of mint and vanilla and a little bit of creaminess.

They're a super unique cocktail to serve your guests this summer and everyone will be asking you for the drink recipe!

🗒 Ingredients

You don't need too many ingredients for these delicious cocktails. Here's everything required (be sure to view the recipe card at the bottom of this post for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions):

• Simple syrup: you can either make your own homemade syrup with the recipe provided in the recipe card or use a store-bought syrup
• Graham crackers: for glass rim
• Fresh mint leaves
• Key lime juice: I think fresh squeezed is best
• Vanilla vodka
• Heavy cream
• Soda water

🍹 How to make key lime pie mojitos

Of course you'll have to start by slicing, squeezing, and juicing those limes, until you have about 6 oz. of juice.

Remember, there will be a cocktail reward in your future!

Once your lime are all juiced, muddle the mint and simple syrup on the bottom of your cocktail shaker and then add the lime juice, vodka, heavy cream, and some ice. And shake away!

It's imperative that you use heavy cream in this cocktail instead of trying to go lighter with something like half and half or milk. I did the first time I made this drink and it was a disaster.

Since cream has a higher fat content, it shouldn't curdle or get gross when it comes into contact with the acid from the key limes. If you're anti-cream in your drinks, you don't have to add it. But it does add to the pie effect and I promise this isn't a creamy drink… It's only a tiny bit of cream!

You'll pour the cocktail into a crushed graham cracker rimmed glass and garnish it with some extra fresh mint and then sip away!

This honest to goodness tastes just like a key lime pie. With extra mint, of course. The graham cracker rim is a nice touch, but I mostly love the depth of flavor in this cocktail.

It's citrusy, while being slightly creamy and fresh and minty. The perfect combination! The fizz from the soda water gives it a more refreshing summery touch. Which all key lime pie should have.

I already pretty much considered the mojito my drink of summer (I had a really delicious watermelon cucumber mojito the other day that I can't stop thinking about!), but now I'm pretty sure I have to make the key lime pie mojito my official drink of summer.

It's 100% worth the arduous labor of juicing all those key limes... Though I admit it might be a bit too intense of an undertaking if you're serving this drink to a crowd.

Some grocers do sell key lime juice in bottles, but I recommend tasting it first to make sure it's up to your key lime standards. Or maybe it's just me who has key lime standards. Ahem.

But really, key lime juice in bottles really isn't quite the same as freshly squeezed.

🎉 Variations on drink

I love this key lime drink just the way it is, but there are lots of things you can do to it to make it your own! Here are some ideas:

• If you want to make this a traditional mojito with rum, you can replace the vanilla vodka with light rum, but I recommend either using vanilla simple syrup instead of plain or adding a little bit of vanilla extract. The vanilla flavor is essential for getting this drink to taste like pie!

• You can feel free to add the flavored syrups of your choice. Coconut syrup would give this even more of a tropical taste.

• You shouldn't replace the heavy cream with a lower fat option since it may curdle, but you can replace it with coconut cream for a deliciously creamy tropical drink.

• Add some jalapeño to the drink for a little bit of spice.

• Top the drink with a nice big dollop of whipped cream, just like you would a slice of key lime pie.

You might think a key lime pie mojito sounds like a dessert drink and only a dessert drink, but I really don't think that's true. Even though it looks super creamy, there really is so little cream in it and it's mostly packed with a citrus punch.

So, I say it's the perfect drink for sipping before dinner on the patio or deck. You definitely want a sunny day for this one!

You know what these cocktails would go perfectly with?? These Key Lime Cookies that I've been getting rave reviews on! I also want to try this No-Bake Key Lime Pie in a Jar from Thanksgiving & Co. Yup, I most definitely want all key limes, all the time!

Do you love key limes as much as I do? 

📖 Recipe