Perfect for the warm summer months ahead, this fresh, beautiful, cool and creamy sour cream lime tart {or pie} needs to be part of your life!

For a girl that loves chocolate (and I mean, seriously, I take the female + chocolate stereotype beyond reality), this sour cream lime tart has no business taking a top spot in my favorite desserts of all-time. No business whatsoever.

But facts are facts.

Top view of a slice of sour cream lime tart on a white plate with a slice of lime on top.

And the fact is: I adore this lime tart (ok, it’s really a pie but if you actually make it in a tart pan then you can go ahead and call it a tart and no one will sue you). Like, really adore it.

My friend-made-through-blogging, Charlotte D., emailed it to me a few weeks ago and I kept leaving the recipe out in a very conspicuous place (read: taped to Brian’s steering wheel) to hint that I’d like it for Mother’s Day.

It just kind of spoke to me when I read through the recipe in Charlotte’s email and I knew based on her description (“super gourmet version of a key lime pie type, my Mom found in a Mexican cookbook for a culture night years ago”) that I needed it in my life.

Because Brian is a really smart guy, he took the hint and made it for me. What a guy!

A slice of sour cream lime tart with a graham cracker crust on a white plate with the rest of the pie behind it.

I think he was cursing my name and his steering wheel the night before Mother’s Day when he kinda, sorta burned the first batch of lime custard as I sat lounging 2 1/2 feet away in the living room (we have a small house remember) watching Once Upon a Time on Netflix and trying to ignore the scorching smell and the inclination to bolt into the kitchen and fix it (he doesn’t like my help or advice when he’s cooking). But forge on he did!

And we were able to enjoy this ethereally light and creamy tart the next day.

It has the perfect balance of sweetness to counter the bright lime flavor and tart sour cream, and the graham cracker crust is like the icing on the cake. Except not really because it’s crust, but you know what I mean.

Buttery graham cracker crusts make almost any dessert better.

Perfect for the warm summer months ahead, this fresh, beautiful, cool and creamy tart needs to be part of your life, too.

Trust me. It’s a good one; totally and completely good enough to trump that chocolate dessert you’ve had your eye on (although, you could just make both…).

A slice of sour cream lime tart on a white plate, with a slice of lime on top.

One Year Ago: Ginger Crinkle Cookies
Two Years Ago: Grilled Teriyaki Chicken
Three Years Ago: Coconut Tres Leches Cake

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Sour Cream Lime Tart {Or Pie!}

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 4 hours 25 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours 40 minutes
4.79 stars (23 ratings)
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Ingredients

Crust:

  • 1 ½ cups (150 g) graham cracker crumbs
  • ¼ cup (53 g) granulated sugar
  • 6 tablespoons (85 g) butter, melted

Filling:

  • 1 cup (212 g) granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • ⅓ cup fresh lime juice, 4-6 limes
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated lime peel
  • ¼ cup (57 g) 1/2 stick butter, cut into small pieces
  • 1 cup (227 g) sour cream, light or regular

Topping:

  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • ¼ cup (29 g) powdered sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
  • ¼ cup (57 g) sour cream, light or regular
  • Fresh lime slices for garnish, optional

Instructions 

  • For the crust, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine all the ingredients until the crumbs are evenly moistened and press them into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan or pie plate. Bake the crust 10-12 minutes until lightly browned and fragrant (don’t overbake or the crust will become crumbly). Cool completely on a wire rack while the filling is prepared.
  • For the filling, mix the sugar and cornstarch together in a medium saucepan. Gradually whisk in the cream, lime juice, and lime peel. Stir in the butter pieces. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. Reduce the heat to a simmer and whisk constantly until the mixture is thick and bubbly, about the consistency of pudding, 5-7 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and cool the mixture to room temperature, stirring occasionally to avoid a skin forming over the top. If you need to speed things up, fill a bowl with ice and water and place the bottom of the pot in the ice water (taking care not to let water spill into the pot) and stir until cooled. Fold the sour cream into the cooled lime mixture. Spread evenly in the cooled crust.
  • For the topping, whip the cream, sugar and vanilla together until soft peaks form. Gently fold in the 1/4 cup sour cream. Spread over filling. Chill the tart/pie for at least 4 hours before serving and up to 24 hours. Serve with fresh lime slices, twisted, if desired.
Serving: 1 Serving, Calories: 619kcal, Carbohydrates: 53g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 45g, Saturated Fat: 27g, Cholesterol: 138mg, Sodium: 282mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 40g

Recommended Products

9-inch Pie Plate
Cookware
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Follow @MelsKitchenCafe on Instagram and show me the recipes you are making from my blog using the hashtag #melskitchencafe. I love seeing all the goodness you are whipping up in your kitchens!

Recipe Source: adapted slightly from Charlotte D. (thanks, friend!)

Other Recipes Like This:

Little Toasted Coconut Lime Bars

Key Lime White Chocolate Cheesecake Pie

Amazing Key Lime Cheesecake

Strawberry-Lime Cream Cake