Why it works: Lime and mint match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 846 recipes. Both carry beta-phellandrene, which smells minty, terpene. The science ↓
NutraSweet Key Lime Pie
Ingredients
Directions
Make the crust
Combine graham cracker crumbs, margarine, and 2 tbsp NutraSweet spoonful in the bottom of a 7-inch springform pan; pat evenly on bottom and ½ inch up the side of the pan.
Make the filling
Sprinkle gelatin over ½ cup of the milk in a small saucepan; let stand 2 to 3 minutes.
Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until gelatin is dissolved.
Beat cream cheese until fluffy in a small bowl.
Beat in remaining 1¼ cups milk and the gelatin mixture.
Mix in lime juice and ½ cup NutraSweet spoonful.
Chill and serve
Refrigerate pie until set, about 2 hours.
Loosen side of pie for pan with a small spatula and remove side of pan.
Place pie on serving plate; garnish with lime slices and mint.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 7 of 8 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 7 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Cheese | 1 oz (28g) cheddar | 113 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Cracker | 5 saltine crackers (15g) | 66 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Gelatin | 1 envelope (7g) | 23 |
| Lime | juice of 1 lime (44ml) | 11 |
| Peppermint | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Lime + minttop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together846 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Gelatin + creamtop 7% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,628 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
-
Milk + cheesetop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,426 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Cream + cheesetop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,655 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Milk + creamtop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together29,399 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Graham cracker crumbs
- Form the base crust that holds the pie together.
- Gelatin
- Sets the filling so it holds a clean slice.
- Cream cheese
- Adds body and creaminess to the filling.
- Fresh lime juice
- Provides the tart, acidic flavour that defines the pie.
- Skim milk
- Adds liquid and softness to the filling.
The step that matters
Dissolving the gelatin. Gelatin must be fully dissolved over low heat, stirred constantly; undissolved granules leave gritty specks and weak, uneven setting. Overheating can also weaken its setting power, so keep the heat low.
Swap the mint
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (gelatin, milk, cream, cheese, lime):
- Nutmegfits better
- Peppermintfits better
- Cinnamonfits better
- Mintthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against gelatin, milk, cream, cheese, lime. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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