I turned one of my very favorite pies into a portable, poppable, creamy little treat!
The first time I made Key Lime Pie, I squeezed 22 little key limes by hand, with my fingers cramping by the end of it.
Then I crushed graham crackers by hand again, into a fine crumb, made it into a crust, and baked it in a hot oven. All the effort was worth it, but this time, my Key Lime Pie Fudge Squares hardly require any hard work.
Sure, they kinda look like tofu which might turn off some people (not me though, I love the little black dress of proteins) but I promise you these are not breaded tofu squares.
But first, a confession: I couldn’t find Key limes, so I just used regular limes. It’s just that Lime Pie doesn’t have the same ring to it as Key Lime Pie so we’re sticking to calling it that. But if you have Key limes on hand though, go ahead and use those. The measurements below would stay the same.
Also, take note that these babies are No Bake! No need to turn on the oven in this sweltering summer heat, with weather that makes me think that I’m back in the Philippines, hot and humid and cranky. Nope, the oven stays OFF for these sweet treats.
These fudge squares are a riff on my tried and tested fudge recipe. You guys know I love fudge (Rocky Road Fudge with Boozy Cherries, anyone?) and condensed milk. And white chocolate. Yum.
When I made these Boozy S’mores Truffles a few months ago and rolled them in graham cracker crumbs, I wanted to make another bite-size dessert that I can roll in crushed grahams. So instead of making a crust for key lime pie, which will require turning on the portal to hell/my oven during the summer, I rolled the finished fudge in crumbs. And it was perfect.
Speaking of portals, have you guys seen Stranger Things on Netflix?? If you haven’t yet, you must! If you grew up in the eighties / love science fiction and supernatural stories / like the X-files, Stand By Me, Steven Spielberg, and wood-paneled station wagons, then please block off 8 hours this week and watch the entire season. It’s fantastic.
I’m a huge fan of Netflix shows, particularly House of Cards, Orange is the New Black, Daredevil, and Jessica Jones, but Stranger Things has captivated me like no other. Matt and I binged watched the entire season, and I still can’t stop obsessing about it.
I also can’t stop obsessing about this Key Lime Pie Fudge. I made it two weekends in a row – my first attempt was too soft and gloopy so I tweaked the measurements and perfected the recipe for you guys. By “you guys” I mean myself because I can’t keep my hands off the tupperware I used to store these. Soft, creamy, sweet, and citrusy. They’re like little squares of sunshine, so perfect for the summer. And no need to open portals to hell.
Key Lime Pie Fudge Squares
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
Ingredients
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
16 oz white chocolate (I used Ghirardelli baking bar)
3 tablespoons butter (plus a little more for buttering the pan)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon lime zest
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
Directions
- In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine condensed milk, white chocolate, butter, lime juice, zest, and salt. Heat on full power for 1 minute, then remove and stir. Everything would have started to melt but you’ll still have some lumps. Heat again in 30-second intervals and stir until the mixture turns smooth. I heated everything for a total of 2 minutes.
- Scrape the mixture onto a foil-lined and buttered 8x8 inch baking pan. Chill in the freezer for 4 hours, then cut into 1-inch squares.
- Roll each square in graham cracker crumbs. Enjoy!
Best served chilled.
Have a sweet but not sweaty week!