Atlantic Beach Pie Ice Cream

The best use of Saltine crackers ever!

Hi Bakers!

I know I led this series with one of my favorite flavors, passion fruit, but this my friends, is the summer ice cream of my dreams!

This is Atlantic Beach Pie Ice Cream. It’s tangy from fresh limes, a bit salty from Saltines (yes, those ones), and creamy sweet from the no-churn ice cream base.

Atlantic Beach Pie is an old southern dessert that is like a cross between a key lime pie and lemon meringue pie. Variations of the sweet yet zesty dessert have been served for decades along the Atlantic Coast where lemon desserts after seafood dinners just hit differently (in the best way).

Traditionally made with lemon, lime, or a combination of the two with a meringue topping and cracker crust, it was former Crook’s Corner restaurant owner, Bill Smith, that popularized the dish. Growing up in North Carolina, he gave the classic pie a twist inspired by his childhood.

Smith swapped the meringue for whipped cream, added sweetened condensed milk (the two main ingredients in no-churn ice cream), and topped it with coarse sea salt before putting it on the restaurant’s menu. It was an instant hit!

For this ice cream, I flavored our sweetened condensed milk base with fresh lime juice, zest, and a splash of vanilla. It gets folded together with salty whipped cream then layered into a loaf pan with a sweet, salty, buttery Saltine crumble.

Top with more zest, crushed cracked, and flaky salt.

Let’s get to the recipe!