We’re seeing more and more lovely and delicious Seville orange recipes lately, and this Seville Orange-Key Lime Pie with Cardamom Crust is a great one. The tangy, sour flavor of the Seville oranges, blended with tart Key Limes, is balanced beautifully with the rich and creamy sweetness of the other ingredients in this outstanding pie. 
I know it’s likely we’re all thinking about Valentine’s Day chocolates, however I couldn’t wait another moment before sharing this recipe because Seville Oranges are in season right now.
This idea for this Seville Orange-Key Lime Pie with Cardamom Crust, was born when Melissa’s Produce sent me Seville Oranges for recipe testing. I had never tasted them before and was surprised at their unexpected flavor. It was almost more like biting into a lemon than an orange.
What are Seville Oranges?
- First cultivated in Seville, Spain, in the 12 century, these oranges are a cross between a Pomelo and a Mandarin.
- Seville oranges have a tangy, sour and bitter flavor — and, a strong orange flavor still comes through.
- Since they are quite sour and bitter, they are rarely, if ever, eaten on their own — they are an orange that is primarily used for cooking. Seville orange recipes can be spectacular.
- These super juicy oranges have a very deep, dark orange skin, which is gorgeous, and the inside of the fruit is a lighter color.
- Seville oranges typically have many more seeds than other oranges.
How to use Seville Oranges
- The juice and rind can be used for both sweet and savory baking and cooking.
- The possibilities for Seville orange recipes are countless, and they are especially known for their use in marmalade.
- These oranges can be used for juices, syrups, cocktails, and vinaigrettes, marinades and sauces.
- As with most citrus fruits, the zest can be used to flavor sugars and salts.
And of course they were used as a main ingredient in this Key Lime Pie with Cardamom Crust.
When I learned that Seville Oranges are most prized for making orange marmalade, I realized they might work perfectly in a pie — a wonderful orange flavor, not too sweet, and on the bitter side.
I thought they would work similarly to a Key Limes when added to creamy, rich ingredients. So I decided to blend these two citruses for this divine dessert.
And guess what? I was totally right, the Seville Orange-Key Lime Pie with Cardamom Crust is out of this world.
The cardamom crust give the tangy and sweet pie just the right amount of crunch and warmth from the spice.
A few more excellent Seville orange recipes for you . . .
- Seville Orange marmalade from Waitrose
- Seville Orange French Toast from Diversivore
- Avocado Crab Salad with Seville Oranges from Family Spice
Enjoy!
This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.
The tangy, sour flavor of the Seville oranges, blended with tart Key Limes, is balanced beautifully with the rich and creamy sweetness of the other ingredients in this outstanding pie.
- 14 whole graham crackers
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
- 10 egg yolks
- 2 (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tablespoon Seville orange zest, divided
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed Seville Orange juice (from about 4 oranges)
- 1 teaspoon Key Lime zest
- 1/3 cup freshly squeezed Key Lime juice (from about 10 limes)
- 2 extra Key limes for garnish
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Adjust an oven rack so that it's in the center of your oven. Then preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
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Add the graham crackers to a food processor fitted with the blade attachment and blend until they are finely ground.
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Add the melted butter, sugar and cardamom -- blend just to combine.
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Pour the graham cracker mixture into a 10-inch pie plate. Use your fingers to gently press it down evenly on the bottom and edges, to form the crust. Set aside.
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In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the condensed milk -- mix only until it's a smooth consistency.
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Add about 2 teaspoons of the orange zest, orange juice, lime zest and lime juice. Mix just to blend.
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Place the pie plate with the prepared crust on a baking sheet. Then pour the filling into the crust.
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Bake in the preheated 350 degree F oven until the pie filling is set, 35 to 40 minutes. (If the edges of the crust are becoming too brown before the pie is set, place a large piece of foil over it for the remaining baking time -- don't wrap it, simply lay it on top gently.)
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While the pie is baking, cut the remaining 2 limes into thin slices, and then cut those in half. Set aside.
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When the pie is done, let it cool to room temperature and then garnish with the remaining orange zest and the lime slices.
This pie is best served at room temperature or slightly chilled.
Save your egg whites for an omelette or soufflé!
And a final note -- yes, if you can't get your hands of Seville oranges or Key limes, this pie should still be yummy with other orange and lime varieties.
Geez Louise! says
my mouth honestly watered when I read the description… WOW ~ that is a lot of flavor. I always choose curd over chocolate.
Jeanne @JollyTomato says
WOW – this sounds amazing! My older son’s favorite pie is key lime – I’m going to have to show him this because I know he’s going to flip over it. Can’t wait to try it!
Colette @ JFF! says
Hello!?
Young lady!
Where’s my slice?
Caroline says
These are some of my favorite flavors all rolled into one beautiful pie! What a great combination! I’m going to print this out now and make it! Love your site!