Atlantic Beach Pie Recipe
Atlantic beach pie is a lesser known yet still delicious relative of the classic key lime pie. Originating in North Carolina, the pie features a saltine cracker crust and a bright citrus filling made with a blend of lemon and lime juice. The combination creates a smooth, rich, sweet-and-salty pie that is especially refreshing on warm summer afternoons or evenings.
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What is Atlantic Beach Pie
Atlantic Beach Pie is a citrus custard pie that closely resembles a classic key lime pie. More specifically, it’s a specific variation of Carolina Lemon Pie, a regional North Carolina dessert that appears under several different names. Atlantic Beach Pie refers to a very specific version created and popularized by a North Carolina chef.
The defining characteristic of an Atlantic Beach pie is a crumb crust made with crushed saltine crackers. The filling is a thick, rich baked custard made with sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, and a blend of lemon and lime juice. The pie is most often topped with freshly whipped cream, though it can also be finished with toasted meringue, similar to key lime pie.
The Origin of Atlantic Beach Pie
Unlike many historic pies with murky or contested beginnings, Atlantic Beach Pie has a clear and relatively recent origin. It is sometimes referred to as Bill Smith’s Atlantic Beach Pie to give credit to the chef who created and popularized it. Bill Smith, the longtime chef at Crook’s Corner in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, is widely recognized for bringing Carolina lemon pies out of obscurity and onto the national stage through his restaurant’s version of Atlantic Beach Pie.
Bill Smith developed Atlantic Beach Pie in an attempt to recreate the Carolina lemon pies of his childhood. According to Bill Smith himself, seafood restaurants along the North Carolina coast seemed to always serve lemon pie for dessert, becoming something of a Carolina coastal tradition. While typical Carolina lemon pies tend to use only lemon juice rather than the lemon and lime blend found in Atlantic Beach Pie, many of the other elements remain the same, including the signature saltine cracker crust.
In 2014, NPR featured Bill Smith in an interview discussing the story behind Atlantic Beach Pie. In the interview, he explains both the inspiration for the pie and its connection to coastal North Carolina lemon pie traditions. You can listen to the interview or read the full transcript here.
Atlantic Beach Pie Recipe
Saltine Cracker Pie Crust:
Atlantic Beach pie, along with its cousin Carolina lemon pie, both use a saltine cracker pie crust. Apart from these two pies, I haven’t come across any others that regularly rely on a saltine cracker crust as part of the recipe. Company’s Comin’ Pie from Arkansas does mix crushed saltines into its crust, but that’s a very different style of crust that’s closer to an angel pie than a true crumb crust.
The saltine cracker crust lends a mild, salty flavor that helps balance the extremely sweet citrus filling. That sweet-and-salty contrast is part of what makes this pie so special. Because of that, a saltine cracker crust can also be a delicious alternative to a graham cracker crust in homemade key lime pies.
I’d guess that saltine cracker crusts became popular for Carolina lemon pies, and later Atlantic Beach pies, because the dessert is so closely tied to seafood restaurants along the Carolina coast. Saltines would have been something every seafood restaurant already had on hand. They may have simply been a convenient ingredient, or an easy way to use up extra, broken, or crushed crackers.
Saltine cracker pie crusts are also one of the easiest crusts to make at home, similar to other crumb crusts like homemade graham cracker crusts. While this filling would taste great in almost any crumb crust, if you’re aiming for an authentic Atlantic Beach pie, the saltine cracker crust really is a must.
Ingredients
- 1½c Saltine Crackers, crushed (~150g)
- 3T Granulated Sugar
- 5T Unsalted Butter, melted
1.
Start by grinding your saltine crackers into fine crumbs. The easiest method is to use a food processor, working in small batches so you don’t overfill the bowl. You’ll need about 1½ cups of crumbs in total. If you don’t have a food processor, place the crackers in a large zip-top bag, leave a small opening for air to escape, and crush them evenly with a rolling pin.
2.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the saltine cracker crumbs with 5 tablespoons of melted butter and 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Stir with a fork until the crumbs are evenly coated and resemble damp sand.
3.
Press the mixture firmly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan. The easiest method is to start by pressing the crumbs into the center, then working outward until they climb up the edges of the pan. A flat-bottomed measuring cup or glass can help pack the crumbs tightly and evenly.
4.
Transfer the pie crust to the refrigerator to allow the butter to firm up while you make the Atlantic Beach pie filling.
How to Make an Atlantic Beach Pie:
Ingredients
- 28oz Sweetened Condensed Milk (795g)
- 5 Egg Yolks
- ½c Lemon Juice
- ½c Lime Juice
1.
Preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C).
2.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk and egg yolks. Using a whisk or even a fork, mix until fully combined.
3.
Add the lemon and lime juices, and once again mix until fully combined.
4.
Pour the filling into your prepared saltine cracker crust.
5.
Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until very tiny cracks begin to appear around the edges of the pie. (To be quite honest, baked and unbaked Atlantic Beach pies look very similar. But after 35 minutes at the correct temperature, the pie should be done).
6.
Chill the pie for at least 3 hours in the refrigerator so the filling can fully set before serving.
Homemade Whipped Cream Topping:
Bill Smith has said that Carolina lemon pies can be found topped with either toasted meringue or whipped cream. He prefers whipped cream, so the Atlantic Beach pies served at his restaurant are finished with a generous layer of freshly whipped cream.
Ingredients
- 1½ c Heavy Whipping Cream, cold
- ¼c Powdered Sugar, sifted (60g)
- ½t Vanilla Extract
1.
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the cold heavy cream, sifted powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Whip on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form and the cream holds its shape.
2.
Spread the whipped cream evenly over the chilled Atlantic Beach pie using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. For a more decorative look, transfer it to a piping bag and pipe rosettes or swirls across the top.
Pro-Tip: Sifting your powdered sugar is an important step to prevent clumps in your whipped cream. You can shake the powdered sugar through a fine-mesh sieve to sift it.
Other Citrus Pies Similar to Atlantic Beach Pie
These pies are typically made using a very similar base recipe, but the lemon and lime juice is swapped out for other fruit juices. They tend to work best with other citrus fruits. Even if you don’t see a specific recipe listed here, you can experiment by replacing the lemon and lime juice with another citrus juice of your choice.
- Key Lime Pie: Key lime pie is one of the most popular pies across the US, and is the most-searched for pie on Google. The classic pie features a thick, creamy lime custard filling, and is topped with whipped cream or a toasted meringue.
- Meyer Lemon Pie: Meyer lemon juice is a great replacement for the citrus juice in Atlantic Beach pie. The sweet and sour nature of meyer lemons lends itself exceptionally well to this type of dessert.
- Carolina Lemon Pie: Use all lemon juice and keep the filling in a saltine cracker crust and you get an old-fashioned Carolina lemon pie.
- Sour Orange Pie: Sour orange pie is actually the predecessor to key lime pie, though it has never gained the same recognition. Some bakeries in Florida still sell this pie. While regular orange juice is much sweeter than lime juice, Seville oranges have a sour flavor that creates a sweet and sour filling. This is an excellent pie worth trying.
- Orange Pie: Although oranges are much sweeter than limes, you can make this pie with regular orange juice as well. Keep in mind that the final product will have no sourness to balance the sweetness. You can lower the sweetness by using a mix of orange juice and lemon juice or by making the sour orange pie described above.
- Grapefruit Pie: Grapefruit juice is extremely sour and not very sweet. Using grapefruit juice in place of lime juice in this recipe can create a delicious grapefruit-flavored dessert where the sourness of the grapefruit juice is balanced by the sweetness of the condensed milk.
How to Store Atlantic Beach Pie:
Atlantic Beach pie is most delicious when served chilled, and it needs to be chilled for a few hours after baking so the custard filling can fully set. Store your Atlantic Beach pie in the refrigerator, so you can serve a slice at any time. The pie keeps well in the refrigerator for 2 or 3 days, but the saltine crust begins to soften quickly, so it’s best to enjoy the pie within a day or two of baking.
Atlantic Beach pie also stores very well in the freezer. Bake your pie as usual, and instead of storing it in the refrigerator, place it in the freezer wrapped in plastic and sealed in a freezer bag to prevent freezer burn. Don’t top the pie with whipped cream until you’re ready to serve it, since whipped cream does not freeze well. When you are ready to enjoy your Atlantic Beach pie, thaw it in the refrigerator for a couple of hours and then cut your slices.
We’d love to see your Atlantic Beach pie creations! If you give this recipe a try, tag @doggone_baking on social media so we can share in the baking fun.
Atlantic Beach Pie
Ingredients
Saltine Cracker Pie Crust
- 1½ cups Crushed Saltine Crackers (~150g)
- 3 tbsp Granulated Sugar (35g)
- 5 tbsp Unsalted Butter, melted (70g)
Atlantic Beach Pie Filling
- 28 oz Sweetened Condensed Milk (795g)
- 5 Egg Yolks
- ½ cup Lemon Juice (118mL)
- ½ cup Lime Juice (118mL)
Whipped Cream
- 1½ cups Heavy Whipping Cream, cold (355mL)
- ¼ cup Powdered Sugar, sifted (60g)
- ½ tsp Vanilla Extract
Instructions
Make the Saltine Cracker Pie Crust
- Using a food processor on high, grind 150g of saltine crackers into fine crumbs. This should make about 1½ cups of crumbs.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the saltine cracker crumbs with 5 tablespoons of melted butter and 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Stir with a fork until the crumbs are evenly coated.
- Press the mixture firmly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie tin. The easiest method is to start by pressing the crumbs into the center, then working outward until they climb up the edges of the pan. A flat-bottomed measuring cup or glass can help pack the crumbs tightly and evenly.
- Transfer the pie crust to the refrigerator to allow the butter to firm up while you make the Atlantic Beach pie filling.
Make the Atlantic Beach Pie
- Preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C).
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk and egg yolks. Using a whisk or even a fork, mix until fully combined.
- Add the lemon and lime juices, and once again mix until fully combined.
- Pour the filling into your prepared saltine cracker crust.
- Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until very tiny cracks begin to appear around the edges of the pie.
- Chill the pie for at least 3 hours in the refrigerator so the filling can fully set before serving.
Finish the Pie with Whipped Cream
- In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the cold heavy cream, sifted powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Whip on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form and the cream holds its shape.
- Spread the whipped cream evenly over the chilled Atlantic Beach pie using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. For a more decorative look, transfer it to a piping bag and pipe rosettes or swirls across the top.
