Publix Key Lime Pie Review
Author’s Note: Not a paid or sponsored review. I have no affiliation with Publix. Or Costco. Or Aldi. Mmmkay.
Let’s conduct some important research.
I was recently asked if I liked Costco’s Key Lime Pie better than Publix. And that was a tough question. Because, although I loved Costco’s rendition (check out my review), Publix is a strong contender. In fact, where I live, Publix is quasi-famous for their Key Lime Pie. So, I wasn’t totally sure how to answer.
But this was an excellent excuse to go buy a fresh Publix pie. For research. Of course.
See? I’m not greedy, I’m just pro-science.
Both pies use real key lime juice, and they both have a strong, distinct flavor. Similar to Aldi’s Key Lime Cheesecake, Publix uses a combination of Lime Juice, Key Lime Juice, and Lime Oil, plus “Natural Flavor.” I thought Costco’s flavor was a bit zingier with more multifaceted key lime taste, but only slightly.
They’re both creamy-rich and smooth. Milk is the primary ingredient for both recipes. However, Publix has a firmer custard. Do I like it firmer? Actually, yes. Yes, I do. It’s a bit stickier and less buttery than Costco’s custard, but super concentrated. The mouthfeel is more dense, in a good way. It’s sweet, but not overpowering.
Publix has done a better job making a crust that is not too crumbly, but not soggy either. It’s a basic graham crust, with a pleasant crunchiness and a light sweetness. It’s not bursting with flavor, but crusts seldom are.
I liked the flavor of Costco’s crust a tad more, but it was terribly messy. Even so, Costco’s pie was slightly more homemade-looking than Publix.
I do appreciate how the Publix crust holds together neatly for serving. It stays with the custard, like a loyal spouse. Here they are, on the way to my stomach, sticking together through thick and thin. An inspiration to us all. *sobs quietly*
The fake-cream-stuff
Both pies feature a ring of piped, whipped fake-cream-stuff. I like Costco’s fake-cream-stuff better than Publix fake-cream-stuff. But I dislike both of them. Fake-cream-stuff should not exist. Please make it stop. We want real cream. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.
I do like that Publix fake-cream-stuff is almost not sweet at all. It’s the tiniest whisper of sweetness. I found this a pleasant contrast against the strong sweetness of the pie custard. Publix has also added an additional garnish of sliced almonds, which are snazzy and give crunchy pizazz.
Serving the pie
Publix used to garnish their pies with a slice of lime. Now they’re garnishing with a printed disk that looks like lime. This is very, very weird to me. It’s a thin wafer of white chocolate, printed with dyes (including Red 40, Blue 1, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6). Why, tho?
If you are serving this pie to guests, I would recommend buying one whole (real) lime and slicing it into small half-circles to garnish each serving. They just look a little naked otherwise.
The pie tastes best right out of the refrigerator; it gets annoyingly soft at room temperature.
Ingredients in Publix Original Key Lime Pie
Here are the ingredients, from the label. Some points of sadness are: hydrogenated vegetable oil, polysorbate 60, sorbitan tristearate, polyglycerol, polyricinoleate, sodium benzoate, etc. And, of course, the dyes.
However, Publix has managed to avoid artificial flavors. And no sodium metabisulfite.
Price and Servings
A full-size, 34 ounce pie is $10.99 and serves about 8. Each slice would cost $1.38. About 32 cents per ounce.
A mini, 12 ounce pie is normally $6.50 (shown on sale here for $4.99) and would serve four stubby wedges, at $1.62 per slice. About 54 cents per ounce.
Publix also sells a Mango Key Lime Pie, which I previously reviewed.
Shelf Life
The “sell-by” date on my pie was dated for 2 days after my purchase. But mine lasted much longer than that in my refrigerator. As usual, Publix desserts are pretty sturdy and don’t change much over time.
Dramatic Conclusion
Publix is still one of my top choices for key lime pie. Measured on my high-tech “Awesome-o-Meter,” the score is “Yaaas.” I like the rich lime flavor, structured crust, and concentrated custard. If the fake-cream-stuff was replaced, it would be serendipitous. Make it so.
The End.
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