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Atlantic Beach Pie was popularized by Bill Smith at Crook’s Corner restaurant in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He was inspired by the lemon pies often served along the North Carolina coast, but he swapped the typical meringue topping for whipped cream instead.
The filling is a simple custard made from sweetened condensed milk and citrus juice, and the crust is a crisp and salty cracker crust that balances the sweetness of the filling. The condensed milk really tempers the acidity of the citrus juice, so it’s much less tart and much creamier than a citrus curd pie, for example.
Simply Recipes / Photo by Robby Lozano / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Phoebe Hauser
Compared to the Crook’s Corner version of the recipe, I made a few changes for my adaptation. Unique to this pie is a crust made from saltine crackers, which really levels up the sweet-salty contrast of flavors. I decreased the amount of saltines and increased the amount of butter in the crust to make a perfectly crisp and buttery pie shell that holds together when sliced without crumbling.
I also scaled up the filling because so many recipes for this pie just looked empty and flat to me. The original recipe calls for an 8-inch pie plate, but a 9-inch pie plate is more common to find at home.
The filling definitely looked shallow when spread out in the larger vessel, so I made my version heftier and taller, giving it a more impressive wow factor for height when you slice into it. The filling reaches all the way up to the top of the crust, and the whipped cream towers above it. With a sprinkle of flaky salt and citrus zest on top, each slice is a tangy, glorious treat!
Tips and Tricks for Making Atlantic Beach Pie
- You can crush the saltines by hand in a zip top bag with a rolling pin, or use a food processor.
- Saltine crackers are the traditional choice for this pie crust, but you could also use Ritz crackers, oyster crackers, or any salty cracker of your choice.
- If you’d like to make this pie ahead, the whole pie can be frozen (without the whipped cream topping) for up to 2 months.
Simply Recipes / Photo by Robby Lozano / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Phoebe Hauser
More Citrus Desserts
We like this pie made with a combination of both lemon and lime juice, but you can use all lemons or all limes, if you prefer. Measure 1 cup juice total in step 4.
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2 cups (170g) finely crushed saltine crackers (from about 60 crackers)
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10 tablespoons (5 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
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2 tablespoons granulated sugar
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2 large lemons
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4 large limes
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2 (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
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4 large egg yolks
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1/8 teaspoon salt
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1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream, chilled
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2 tablespoons powdered sugar
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1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
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Flaky salt
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Make and chill the crust:
In a medium bowl, stir together the crushed crackers, melted butter, and sugar until evenly moistened. Transfer the saltine mixture to a 9-inch pie plate. Use a flat-bottomed measuring cup or glass to gently press the crumbs up the sides of the pie plate and evenly across the bottom. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
Simply Recipes / Photo by Robby Lozano / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Phoebe Hauser
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Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F.
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Par-bake the crust:
Bake the chilled pie shell until the crust is lightly browned, 16 to 18 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack. Let cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
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Zest and juice the citrus:
While the crust bakes and cools, finely grate the zest from one of the lemons and one of the limes, cover, and set aside for garnish. Juice both lemons and measure 1/2 cup lemon juice. Juice all of the limes and measure 1/2 cup lime juice.
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Make the filling:
In a large bowl, whisk the sweetened condensed milk and egg yolks until smooth. Whisk in the lemon juice, lime juice, and salt until well blended. Pour the filling mixture into the warm crust.
Simply Recipes / Photo by Robby Lozano / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Phoebe Hauser
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Bake and chill the pie:
Bake the pie until the center is just set, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.
Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours or up to 2 days.
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Top with whipped cream and serve:
When ready to serve, in a large bowl, beat the cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer, gradually increasing the speed from low to high, until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Spoon the whipped cream over the chilled pie. Garnish with a sprinkle of flaky salt and the reserved lemon and lime zest, and serve.
Leftover pie can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Add the whipped cream topping just before serving.
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| Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 713 | Calories |
| 36g | Fat |
| 90g | Carbs |
| 15g | Protein |
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| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 8 to 10 |
|
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 713 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| 36g | 46% |
| Saturated Fat 21g | 105% |
| 193mg | 64% |
| 421mg | 18% |
| 90g | 33% |
| Dietary Fiber 4g | 14% |
| Total Sugars 68g | |
| 15g | |
| Vitamin C 63mg | 314% |
| Calcium 377mg | 29% |
| Iron 2mg | 13% |
| Potassium 684mg | 15% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.
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