Key Lime Pie

The Key Lime Pie cocktail is a vodka cocktail that takes its name, and its flavor inspiration, from the iconic Floridian dessert. Made with vodka, pineapple juice, lime cordial, and fresh lime juice, it’s a sweet, tangy, fruit-forward cocktail that’s shaken with ice and strained into a chilled cocktail glass.

There are many versions of this cocktail out there – some use vanilla vodka for a creamier, more indulgent character, others use rum or even gin as the base spirit – but this vodka-based version keeps things clean and citrusy.

Sweet, tangy, and unmistakably lime-forward. The fresh lime juice and lime cordial work together to deliver a bright, citrusy tartness that’s the heart of the drink, while the pineapple juice adds a tropical sweetness that softens the edges and rounds everything out.

The vodka provides a clean backbone that lets all the fruit flavors shine. It’s citrusy without being too sharp and a cocktail that genuinely tastes like its dessert inspiration.

he exact origin of the Key Lime Pie cocktail is unknown, and with so many variations out there – some made with rum, some with vanilla vodka, others with cream of coconut – it’s difficult to pin down a single recipe as the definitive original.

What most versions share, however, is their inspiration: the iconic Floridian dessert that dates back to the 1890s in the Florida Keys. In any case, the Key Lime Pie cocktail was most likely invented and popularized in the early 2000s, part of a wider trend of dessert-inspired martinis that swept cocktail culture at the time.

• Use fresh lime juice
  Nothing can match the quality of fresh lime juice and this is especially true when mixed alongside the lime cordial. The combination of fresh citrus and cordial gives the drink its distinctive sweet-tart character – don’t skip either one.
• Use fresh pineapple juice
  Just as fresh lime juice makes a noticeable difference, so does fresh pineapple juice. Store-bought versions often contain added sugar, preservatives, and other additives that can affect the overall balance of the drink. Wherever possible, juice fresh – your cocktail will thank you for it.
• Chill your cocktail glass
  Place your cocktail glassware in the freezer for about 30 minutes before serving. A chilled cocktail glass it the perfect final touch.
• Double strain for a smoother drink
  We highly recommend fine straining your Key Lime Pie cocktail for the smoothest sipping experience. Place a Hawthorne strainer over the opening of the shaker, then hold a fine mesh strainer over your pre-chilled cocktail glass with your other hand as you pour the cocktail into your glass. Check out this article on how to double strain your cocktail.

• Vanilla Key Lime Pie
  Swap original Absolut Vodka for Absolut Vanilia (vanilla-flavored vodka) for a richer, more indulgent take on the classic that leans into the creamy, dessert-like character of the original pie. A graham cracker rim takes it even further!
• Lemon Key Lime Pie
  Use Absolut Citron (lemon-flavored vodka) in place of regular vodka to add an extra citrus dimension that brightens the drink and gives it a slightly sharper, more complex flavor profile.
• Key Lime Pie with lime-flavored vodka
  Swap regular vodka for Absolut Lime and you’ve got a triple hit of lime: lime-flavored vodka, fresh lime juice, and lime cordial all working together in one seriously citrusy cocktail. Simply follow the recipe on this page but use Absolut Lime.
• Key Lime Colada
  A personal favorite around here, this creamy, citrusy colada-style twist on the Key Lime Pie flavor profile. Made with Absolut Lime, fresh lime juice, simple syrup, and coconut milk, served in a biscuit crumb-rimmed glass and garnished with a lime wheel – indulgent, tropical, and seriously good. Discover how to make a Key Lime Colada.
• Spooky Colada
  A delicious and unexpected take on the colada format that combines Malibu, Absolut Lime, pineapple juice, coconut cream, fresh lime juice, and a few dashes of aromatic bitters for a drink that’s tropical, complex, and unlike anything else on this list. Check out the recipe for a Spooky Colada.
• Creamy Key Lime Pie
  Add a small measure of coconut cream to the shaker for a richer, more tropical version that brings the drink even closer to its dessert inspiration.

• Serve the Key Lime Pie cocktail in a chilled cocktail glass or martini glass.
• While our recipe doesn’t call for a specific garnish, a popular and highly recommended option is to rim the glass with crushed graham crackers – run a lime wedge around the rim and dip it into finely crushed graham crackers for a finishing touch that nods directly to the pie’s iconic crust. This works particularly well with the vanilla-flavored vodka variation (see ‘Variations’ section above).
• A thin lime wheel balanced on the rim adds a simple, fresh visual element that hints at the citrus inside.
• If you really want to transform your Key Lime Pie cocktail into a dessert cocktail, add a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream to the glass.

Our drink recipe for a Key Lime Pie cocktail uses original Absolut Vodka. However, there are many variations and recipes for the Key Lime Pie, including some made with vanilla-flavored vodka,  emon-flavored vodka, rum, and even gin.

Making your own pineapple juice will almost certainly result in a better-tasting Key Lime Pie cocktail. All you need is a blender or juicer, a sharp knife, and a fine mesh strainer. Here’s how:

1. Select a fresh pineapple with a sweet aroma and firm skin.
2. Lay the pineapple on its side and slice off the top and bottom with a sharp knife, then stand it upright and slice off the skin from top to bottom, cutting deep enough to remove the eyes.
3. Cut the pineapple into quarters lengthwise and slice out the tough core from each quarter.
4. Chop the remaining flesh into rough chunks and add them to a blender.
5. Blend on high until completely smooth (around 30 to 60 seconds should do it).
6. Pour the blended mixture through a fine mesh strainer or sieve into a jug, pressing the pulp firmly to extract as much juice as possible.
7. Store the fresh pineapple juice in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.  Best used within two days for maximum freshness.

Absolutely! And we have a few recommendations. Absolut Vanilia adds a warm, creamy vanilla depth that leans into the dessert character of the drink. Absolut Lime gives your drink three-times the lime: lime-flavored vodka, fresh lime juice, and lime cordial – all working together for a lime forward version of an already lime-forward drink! And Absolut Citron brings a bright, zesty lemon note that adds a new citrus dimension to the drink.