Preheat the oven to 350F.

Place the graham crackers in a food processor or blender and grind them until fine. Alternatively, you can put your cookies in a gallon-size plastic bag and crush the crackers with a rolling pin until fine.

Place your graham cracker crumbs in a medium bowl. Add your sugar and butter. Mix until well combined. Be sure any large chunks are crushed.

Pour your cookie mixture evenly into a 9 or 10-inch springform pan. Press the crumbs down along the bottom and side of the pan to form the crust (I typically try not to put the crumbs beyond the halfway point). Be sure to pat the crumbs evenly. Alternatively, you can use the back of a measuring cup or spoon to pat the crumbs and form the crust.

Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Then, set aside to cool.

Place the cream cheese in a mixing bowl and use an electric mixer to blend until smooth and creamy. Then, add the sweetened condensed milk, Key lime juice, Key lime zest and vanilla bean paste to the bowl. Blend again until fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth.

Next, pour the cream cheese mixture into the cooled graham cracker pie crust, smoothing the top with a spatula. Then, refrigerate the pie for at least 4 hours or overnight to allow the filling to set.

When you are ready to serve the pie, make the whip cream topping. First, with a handheld or stand mixer, whip the heavy whipping cream, Key lime juice, Key lime zest, and powdered sugar, medium-high speed until medium peaks form, about 1-2 minutes. Be sure to scrape the sides halfway through. Pro tip. place the mixing bowl in the fridge for 15-30 minutes (or longer) prior to whipping your cream.

Top your pie (or individual slices of pie) with the whip cream topping before serving. Top with additional lime zest and enjoy!