Key lime pie is an American dessert pie. It is made of lime juice, egg yolks, and sweetened condensed milk. It may be served with no topping, topped with a meringue topping made from egg whites, or with whipped cream; it may be cooked in a pie crust, a graham cracker crust, or no crust.

Key limes are the pink flamingos of Florida food, and they are a celebrated part of local colour.  The key lime tree, which is native to Malaysia, probably first arrived in the Florida Keys in the 1500s with the Spanish.  

Key limes look like confused lemons, as they are smaller than a golf ball with yellow-green skin that is sometimes splotched with brown.  They are also known as Mexican or West Indian limes.

Every restaurant in the Florida Keys, and especially in the city of Key West, serves this wonderful pie.  There seems to be a key lime pie for every palate, with numerous versions made throughout the region.  This pie is considered the official pie of the Florida Keys.

Key lime pie is typically made with ingredients like key lime juice, sweetened condensed milk, and a graham cracker crust. While key lime juice itself is not toxic to dogs, the other ingredients in the pie can be problematic for their digestive system. 

Limes are high in citric acid. In large amounts, citric acid can cause gastrointestinal upsets for dogs or even central nervous depression and loss of coordination. If your dog eats large amounts of limes, consult your veterinarian right away.

Remember, the health and well-being of our furry friends should always be a top priority. So, while key lime pie may be a tempting treat for us, it’s best to keep it away from our four-legged companions. 

Can Dogs Eat Key Lime Pie/Potential Risks

Feeding your dog key lime pie can pose several potential risks to their health. While it may be tempting to share a delicious treat with your furry friend, it’s important to understand the potential dangers associated with certain ingredients in key lime pie. Here are some of the risks you should consider before feeding your dog key lime pie:

1. Digestive Upset: Key lime pie contains ingredients that may be difficult for dogs to digest. If your dog is refusing to eat, vomiting, eating grass, or whining during belly rubs, there’s a good chance he or she is experiencing stomach discomfort.

The graham cracker crust, for example, is often made with butter, which can be heavy and greasy for their digestive system. 

2. High Sugar Content: Limes and lime juice are reasonably high in sugar, which can be detrimental to your canine companion. Too much sweetness, especially if consumed as juice, can negatively affect your dog’s metabolism and contribute to high blood sugar, diabetes, heart problems, and excessive weight gain.

Sweetened condensed milk, a key ingredient in key lime pie, is loaded with sugar.  But eating a lot of sugar or many sugary treats over a long period of time may cause numerous health issues for your dog, like upset stomach, obesity, metabolic changes, and diabetes.

3. Artificial Sweeteners: Some key lime pie recipes may include artificial sweeteners like xylitol. While xylitol is safe for human consumption, it is  Xylitol is extremely toxic to dogs. Even small amounts of xylitol can cause hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), seizures, liver failure, or even death in dogs

highly toxic to dogs. Even small amounts of xylitol can cause a rapid release of insulin in their bodies, leading to a dangerous drop in blood sugar levels. This can result in symptoms such as weakness, seizures, and even liver failure.

4. Potential Allergens: Key lime pie often contains ingredients like eggs or nuts, which can be common allergens for dogs. Allergies are a misguided reaction to foreign substances by the body’s immune system, which, of course, people and pets can suffer from. 

There are quite a few different types of allergies in dogs. Skin allergies, food allergies, and environmental allergens all pose challenges for dogs and their owners, and to make things more complicated, the symptoms of all these different types of allergies can overlap.

5. Nutritional Imbalance: Key lime pie is not a balanced or complete meal for dogs. It lacks essential nutrients that are necessary for their overall health and well-being. 

Poor nutrition can lead to many serious disorders in dogs, including obesity, emaciation, rickets, allergies, and fur loss. These disorders are frequently caused by either the amount or quality of the food that is offered but can also be triggered by some medical disorders and infestations of parasites

6. Toxicity: Psoralen, a compound found in lime peels and the leaves of lime trees, can cause adverse reactions in dogs, such as rashes and discolouration. If your pooch gets psoralen on its skin, exposure to ultraviolet light from the sun can cause painful skin irritation too.

7. Weight Management: Key lime pie is a calorie-dense dessert, and feeding it to your dog can lead to weight gain and obesity. Dogs that are overweight or obese are at a higher risk for various health issues, including joint problems, heart disease, and diabetes. It’s important to maintain a healthy weight for your dog by providing them with a balanced diet and appropriate portion sizes.

Read Also: Can Dogs Eat Okra? Find Out

Alternative Pie Recipe For Dogs

1. Mini Pumpkin Pies for Dogs

INGREDIENTS

Pie Crust

• ¾ cup rice flour
• 1 medium egg
• 2 tablespoons apple sauce

Pie Filling

• ¾ cup pumpkin puree
• 1 medium egg
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Topping

• ¼ cup Greek natural yoghurt

INSTRUCTIONS

Make the Pastry

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F degrees.
2. Add the ingredients to a food processor and blend into a dough. If the mixture is too sticky add more flour. If too dry, add water.
3. Remove the dough and roll it out in between two layers of parchment paper.
4. Cut out circles large enough to cover the mini muffin tin holes. We used a tumbler.
5. Place the pastry into the mini muffin tin.
6. Bake for 6-8 minutes until slightly golden. Remove from the oven for the filling.

Make the filling

1. Lower the oven temperature to 175C/350F degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, place the pumpkin puree, egg and cinnamon. Whisk until smooth.
3. Spoon into the mini pastry cases and bake the pies for 40 minutes until firm.
4. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before removing them from the muffin tin.
5. Serve with a spoonful of Greek yoghurt on top.

2. Sweet Potato Pie Dog Treats

Pie Filling ingredients

• 2 TBSP Coconut Oil (Melted)
• 3 TBSP Peanut Butter (No Xylitol as it is toxic to dogs) *see notes about peanut butter for dogs
• 1/3 Cup of Sweet Potato (Boiled and mashed)
• Pie Crust
• 3/4 Cup of Quick Oats (Or Oat flour if you have it)
• 1/4 Cup of Unsweetened Applesauce

Directions

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil, peel and slice one sweet potato. Boil the sweet potato for about 20 minutes. Strain the water from the pot and mash the sweet potato.
2. While your sweet potato is boiling – Preheat your oven to 350 F. Prepare four muffin liners or use silicone muffin liners.
3. Blend the unsweetened applesauce and oats in a food processor. You will have a slightly sticky dough.
4. Using an ice cream scoop or spoon; scoop equal amounts of dough into 4 muffin liners. Then use the back of the ice cream scoop to create an indent in the center. This will creat a pie-shell that your filling can sit in. See the photo below as an example. (I formed the sides with my fingers so that the dough was evenly distributed.)
5. Bake your crusts for 15 minutes until they are golden brown. You will want to let them cool completely before removing them from their liners and adding the filling.
6. Make the filling: Combine 1/3 cup of mashed sweet poato, 3 tbsp of peanut butter, and 2 tsp of melted coconut oil in a bowl. Stir well to combine. Scoop 2 tbsp of filling into each pie crust.
7. Optional: Warm two tablespoon of peanut butter in the microwave in 10 second increments. Once the peanut butter is warm, you can lightly drizzle each pue with the warm peanut butter.
8. Make sure everything is cool enough before allowing your dog to enjoy their sweet potato pie dog treats! Serve immediately * See special recipe notes below

Notes

1. These treats are meant to be served immediately. If you want to save them for a couple of days, store the empty pie shells in an airtight container, and the sweet potato filling in a ziploc bag in the fridge for up to two days.
2. Freeze any extra pie filling for yummy frozen dog treats.
3. If you have extra mashed sweet potato you can also freeze it for frozen dog treats – or – give a small amount as a fresh food topper on your dogs dinner.
4. I prefer single ingredient peanut butter for my dog treats. Otherwise, regular peanut butter is generally okay for dogs. Just be sure that your peanut butter does not contain Xylitol as this ingredient is toxic to dogs.

3. Apple Pie For Dogs

Ingredients

Pie Crust

• 1½ cups Oat Flour
• ¼-½ cup Water
• 2 tablespoons Melted Coconut Oil

Pie Filling

• ½ cup Unsweetened Applesauce or 1 small apple diced
• ½ teaspoon Cornstarch
• 1 Egg
• ¼ teaspoon Cinnamon optional

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 6-cup muffin tin with non-stick spray or grease it with coconut oil.
2. In a medium bowl, combine oat flour, melted coconut oil, and water. Add a little water at a time until a rollable dough consistency is obtained.
3. Place the dough on a flat surface and roll out the dough until it is ¼-inch thick.
4. Using a round cookie cutter about the same width as a regular muffin tin cup or a regular canning jar ring, cut out mini crusts.
5. Optional: Using the leftover crust, cut small strips to lay them across the tops of the mini apple pies to form a crisscross lattice pattern.
6. Gently press mini crusts into the bottom of the muffin cup wells and up the sides enough to create a well for the filling.
7. Place the filling ingredients in a bowl and stir until well combined.
8. Equally divide the filling mixture into the cups.
9. Lay strips of dough in a crisscross pattern on top of the filling if desired.
10. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
11. Remove the pies from the muffin pan and cool them completely before serving.

4. Peanut Butter Pie Dog Treats

Course: Recipes

Prep time: 30minutes

Cooking time: 40minutes

Total time: 1hour 10minutes

Ingredients

• One Large Ripe Banana (Mashed)
• 1/2 Cup of Peanut Butter (Make sure it does NOT contain Xylitol)
• Pie Crust Ingredients
• 1 1/2 Cups of Oat Flour
• 1/2 Cup of Unsweetened Applesauce

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 F. Prep a muffin tin with 8 muffin liners or use your silicone muffin liners.
2. Combine the unsweetened applesauce and oat flour. You will have a slightly sticky dough.
3. I used an ice cream scoop to scoop equal amounts of dough into 8 muffin liners. I then used the back of my ice cream scoop to create and indent in the center so the pie filling would sit nicely in the center. See the photo below as an example. I formed the sides with my fingers so that the dough was evenly distributed in the liner. Using a fork gently poke a few holes in the bottom of your crust. This will prevent your crust center from getting puffy while baking.
4. Bake your crusts for 15 minutes. They will turn a nice golden brown. You will want to let them cool completely before removing them from their liners and adding the filling.
   
5. To make the filling: Thoroughly mash your banana and mix in your dog’s favorite peanut butter (Make sure it does not contain Xylitol). Chill in the fridge or the freezer until you’re ready to put your filling into your pie crusts.

Notes

1. Oat Flour can easily be made by running quick oats through your food processor.
2. Make sure your peanut butter does not contain Xylitol. Xylitol is considered toxic to dogs. Try to aim for limited ingredients and low sugar content in your peanut butter. See my recommendations in this blog entry for great peanut butter brands.
3. This is a treat and not meant to be fed on a regular basis. Please consult your vet before introducing any homemade treats into your dogs diet.
4. I recommend breaking the pies up into bite size pieces in your dogs food bowl.
5. These treats do not store well. I tested the pie recipe by using only half of the ingredients and it created four perfect pie crusts. So this recipe can easily be cut in half. You can store the empty pie crusts in the fridge for up to one week in the fridge. Fill the stored pie crusts with fresh filling when you’re ready to feed your dog another pie treat.

Read Also: Can Dogs Eat Tofu?

5. Mini Pumpkin Pies For Dogs

INGREDIENTS

• ¾ cup rice flour
• 1 medium egg
• 2 tablespoons apple sauce
• Pie Filling
• ¾ cup pumpkin puree
• 1 medium egg
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• Topping
• ¼ cup Greek natural yogurt

INSTRUCTIONS

Make the Pastry

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F degrees.
2. Add the ingredients in a food processor and blend into a dough. If the mixture is too sticky add more flour. If too dry, add water.
3. Remove the dough and roll out in between two layers of parchment paper.
4. Cut out circles large enough to cover the mini muffin tin holes. We used a tumbler.
5. Place the pastry into the mini muffin tin.
6. Bake for 6-8 minutes until slightly golden. Remove from the oven for the filling.

Make the filling

1. Lower the oven temperature to 175C/350F degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, place the pumpkin puree, egg and cinnamon. Whisk until smooth.
3. Spoon into the mini pastry cases and bake the pies for 40 minutes until firm.
4. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before removing them from the muffin tin.
5. Serve with a spoonful of Greek yoghurt on top.
6. Makes 12 mini pumpkin pies
7. Always check with your veterinarian before introducing any new foods into your dog’s diet.

6. Pumpkin Dog Cake Recipe

Equipment

• 2 6-inch round cake pan
• 1 Mixing bowls
• 1 Hand mixer
• 1 Offset spatula

Ingredients

Pumpkin Dog Cake

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, wheat and oat flour may be used as well
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
• ¾ cup pure pumpkin pureé
• ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
• ¼ cup smooth natural peanut butter, (see notes)
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1-2 tablespoons local honey

Peanut Butter Yogurt Frosting

• 1 cup unsweetened Greek yogurt
• ½ cup smooth natural peanut butter, (see notes)
• 1-2 tablespoons local honey, or pure maple syrup

Decoration

• ¼ cup smooth natural peanut butter
• dog biscuits

Instructions 

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease and flour two 6-inch round baking pans. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Set a side.
3. Use an electric mixer (or mix by hand) to beat the pumpkin, applesauce, peanut butter, eggs and honey until well combined. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.
4. Divide batter evenly between the two prepared pans and bake 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes then invert cakes onto a wire rack to cool completely.
5. Use an electric mixer (or mix by hand) to combine the yogurt, peanut butter and honey until fluffy and smooth. Use an off-set spatula to frost the cakes.
6. To pipe a number on top of the cake, place smooth peanut butter in a plastic zip top bag. Cut the corner of the bag and write the number or message. If the peanut butter is too stiff, place the bag in the microwave for 5 to 10 seconds. Garnish the cake with biscuits and serve your pup!

7. Beefy Pumpkin And Sweet Potato Pies

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons + extra Olive Oil
• ¾ pound Extra Lean Ground Beef
• ½ cup Fresh or Frozen Peas
• 1 cup Pure Pumpkin Puree or Cooked and Peeled Fresh Pumpkin
• 4 small Sweet Potatoes (about 2 cups)
• 2 large Eggs

Directions

1. Add 2 T olive oil to a frying pan and over medium heat brown the meat. Then drain off excess grease. Use a colander to rinse meat under warm water to remove remaining grease. Shake to dry.
2. Wash and peel sweet potatoes. Cut twelve, ¼” thick slices, about as big around as the bottom of a muffin tin. Cut them remaining sweet potatoes into 1” pieces.
3. In a 12-count muffin tin, place a drop or two of Olive Oil in the bottom of each compartment and place a slice of sweet potato in each.
4. Put all the 1” pieces of sweet potato in a medium pot with enough water that they are all submerged. Bring to a boil on high heat until the potatoes are fork tender. Then drain, rinse and mash.
5. In a large bowl, mix meat with peas, pumpkin, crack in the eggs. Mix well.
6. Spoon meat mixture into the muffin tin, distributing evenly between the 12 compartments. Top with mashed sweet potatoes, covering the meat.
7. Cook at 350 / 180 degrees for 20 minutes.
8. Cool. Use a spoon to loosen edges. Remove from pan. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days or freeze for future use.

Notes

1. This recipe is intended for intermittent/supplemental feeding only and is not intended as a complete or balanced diet for long term feeding.

8. Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Pie

EQUIPMENT

• 9 inch pie plate
• Rolling Pin
• Large mixing bowl
• Hand Mixer

INGREDIENTS

• ½ recipe gluten-free pie crust plus GF flour or rice flour for rollin
• 3 medium sweet potatoes about 1 ½ pounds, scrubbed and pricked all over with a fork
• 1 ¼ cups half and half
• 3 large eggs
• ½ cup light brown sugar packed
• 3 Tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt

Marshmallow Meringue (optional)

• 3 egg whites
• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 7 oz jar marshmallow creme

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  
2. Preheat temperature to 400 F degrees. Arrange sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and roast until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 1 hour. Remove and let cool on a baking rack.
   3 medium sweet potatoes
3. While the potatoes are baking, lightly flour a piece of parchment paper, roll out the dough into a 13-inch round, about ⅛-1/4 inch thick. Fit into a 9-inch pie dish. Using kitchen shears, trim to a 1-inch overhang; fold under. Lightly prick the bottom of the dough with a fork. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4. ½ recipe gluten-free pie crust
5. Increase oven temperature to 425 F degrees. Line the chilled pie crust with parchment paper and fill it with pie weights or dried beans. Blind bake for 12-15 minutes, until the edge of the crust just begins to turn golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool while you make the filling. Turn oven down to 350°F.
6. When cool enough to handle, peel sweet potatoes, discarding the skins. Place flesh in a large bowl and beat until smooth with a hand mixer. You need 2 cups of potato puree, if you have more you can reserve it for another use. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
7. 1 ¼ cups half and half,3 large eggs,½ cup light brown sugar,3 Tablespoons maple syrup,1 teaspoon vanilla extract,½ teaspoon ground cinnamon,½ teaspoon ground ginger,½ teaspoon ground nutmeg,¾ teaspoon kosher salt
8. Remove the weights and paper from the pie shell. Pour the filling into a pie shell and bake for 40-50 minutes. The pie is ready when the center is just barely jiggly. If the crust starts to darken too much, place a pie shield or foil over the edges.
9. Cool the pie for 2 hours at room temperature and then place it in the refrigerator to chill for at least 4 hours. Serve with whipped cream or top with marshmallow meringue.

Marshmallow Meringue (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Scoop the marshmallow creme into a large bowl. Add the egg whites, cream of tartar, and a pinch of salt to a large glass owl. Using a hand mixer, beat the egg whites, until foamy. Add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, and beat until stiff and glossy peaks form.
2. 3 egg whites,¼ teaspoon cream of tartar,¼ cup granulated sugar
3. Add ½ the beaten egg whites to the marshmallow creme and stir with a rubber spatula to lighten the marshmallow creme. It will be extremely sticky. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites.
4. 1 7 oz jar marshmallow creme
5. Spread the meringue over top of the chilled pie, swirling with the meringue to create peaks. Bake the pie for 5-7 minutes until the meringue is set and starts to turn golden brown. Place on cooling rack and let the meringue cool before serving.

What Do People Say About Dogs Eating Key Lime Pie?

Based on an online survey we discovered that there were no specific comments or opinions found about dogs eating key lime pie. However, it’s important to note that key lime pie may not be suitable for dogs due to some of its ingredients.

Key lime pie typically contains raw eggs, which can carry the risk of Salmonella infection.

Raw eggs are generally not recommended for dogs as they can pose health risks. Additionally, key lime pie often contains other ingredients like sugar, dairy, and high-fat content, which are not part of a dog’s natural diet and may cause digestive issues or other health problems if consumed in large quantities.

So as a responsible pet owner, it’s generally best to avoid feeding your dog key lime pie or any other desserts or human foods that are not specifically formulated for their dietary needs.

Instead, prioritize a balanced and nutritious diet that is appropriate for your dog’s species and consult with a veterinarian for guidance on suitable treats and feeding practices for are furry friends.

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