No-bake key lime pie is a refreshing dessert that is perfect for summer and spring. Key lime pie is an easy recipe that comes together in under 20 minutes. It's refreshing, creamy, zesty, and delicious.
This pie recipe takes a few simple ingredients to make and is super simple to throw together in a matter of minutes. The best part of this recipe is that it does not require an oven.
If you like zesty recipes for summer as we do, try our lemon cooler cookies, lemonade bundt cake, lemon ricotta pancakes, and our lemon blueberry cake.
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Why this recipe works
- There is no baking involved.
- This recipe uses super simple ingredients.
- This recipe is a make-ahead recipe, so it’s perfect to make the day before a gathering.
- Comes together in under 30 minutes.
- Perfect for lime lovers!
Ingredients
Before you start to make this recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the cooking process will go smoothly and easily.
Graham crackers/ tea biscuits- We like using tea biscuits because they are sweeter, but graham crackers will work great as well.
Butter- use unsalted butter for this recipe. Only butter will work for this recipe, no margarine, and no coconut oil. Margarine has a weird taste and can ruin the flavor of these delicious cookies.
Granulated sugar- we like using granulated sugar, but caster sugar will work as well.
Cream cheese- the most important ingredient in this recipe, is the cream cheese. Make sure that you are using full-fat cream cheese, it's important that you use full-fat cream cheese and make sure that it’s at room temperature.
Heavy cream- use cold heavy cream.
Lime zest- you will need 1 tablespoon of lime zest.
Lime juice- use fresh limes or key limes for this recipe for the best result.
Condensed milk- use your favorite brand of condensed milk.
Instructions
In a medium mixing bowl, add the crushed graham crackers, granulated sugar, and melted butter. Mix with a spoon until combined.
Transfer the crumbs into a prepared 9-inch pie pan, pressing evenly and firmly into the pan. Place the pie pan in the fridge for at least 30 minutes until the crumbs are firmed up.
In a big mixing bowl, add the room temperature cream cheese and mix with an electric hand mixer until the cream cheese is creamy.
Add the condensed milk, lime zest, and lime juice, and mix until well combined.
In a separate bowl, whip together the heavy whipping cream and the powder sugar until stiff peaks form.
Lightly fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until the mixture is well combined and creamy.
Pour the creamy mixture into the pie pan and smooth out the tops. Place the pan in the fridge to firm up for at least 5 hours.
Pipe dollops of whipped cream around the edges of the pie and place slices of key limes on each dollop of whipped cream.
Expert tips
- Make sure that you are using room-temperature cream cheese in this recipe, this step makes it easier to mix the cream cheese with no unnecessary lumps, we don’t want that.
- Use high-fat cream cheese or the well-known Philadelphia cream cheese. Using full-fat cream cheese ensures you that your cheesecake will be stable and will not crack.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl frequently to ensure that you have a homogeneous mixture that has no cream cheese lumps.
- Before you start to make this recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the cooking process will go smoothly and easily.
Faq's
Yes, if you don’t like cream cheese, simply switch it with mascarpone cheese.
Store this pie in the fridge (because of the dairy and citrus juice) in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Serve key lime pie by itself! As a dessert on a hot summer day, this pie is refreshing, creamy, and delicious.
Decorating tips
We like to decorate this pie with dollops of whipped cream around the edges of the pie. We also like adding thin slices of lime to each dollop of whipped cream.
Substitutions
There are a few substitutions that may be helpful for your diet:
Gluten-free - if you want to make this recipe gluten-free, simply replace the graham crackers with gluten-free graham crackers, or with gluten-free digestive biscuits.
Crust- People outside of America usually don’t have graham crackers. You can use tea biscuits, vanilla wafers, and digestive biscuits.
Limes- sometimes it's hard to find key limes in the store. If you can't find key limes, use regular limes. We do it all the time.
Freezing
To freeze this pie, make it according to the instructions, then chill it according to the instructions in the fridge.
When the pie is completely set, you can freeze the pie covered in a few layers of plastic wrap or foil. This pie will freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, place the pie in the fridge overnight.
How to cut a pie?
Cutting pies and cheesecakes, the right way is very important. To get even and clean slices, make sure that you are using a serrated knife.
Our favorite way to cut cheesecake and pies is by dipping a long knife into hot water, once the knife warms up, wipe off the excess water, and slice the cake. Dip and wipe the knife between every slice.
More easy desserts you may like:
Best Ever Chocolate Cake- This is the best chocolate cake ever. I’ve been searching for the best one bowl chocolate cake recipe for so long and found it and can’t wait to share it with you!
No-Bake Chocolate Biscuit Cake- one of the easiest no-bake recipes, takes only 20 minutes from start to finish, and it tastes incredible!
Cherry pie- This homemade cherry pie is incredible. Our homemade cherry pie is made with a delicious and easy cherry pie filling and the easiest flakey pie crust. This recipe is a family favorite and always gets rave reviews.
Chocolate Babka- This recipe is made by making a decedent brioche-like bread and filling it with rich chocolate filling made with dark chocolate, butter, powder sugar, and cocoa powder, topped with a simple sugar syrup that brings all the flavors together.
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No Bake Key Lime Pie (gluten free option)
Ingredients
Crust:
- 250 g Graham crackers or tea biscuits
- 100 g Butter
- 2 tablespoon Granulated sugar
Make the filling:
- 230 g Cream cheese
- 1 cup Heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon Lime zest
- ⅓ cup Lime juice
- 1 cup Condensed milk
- ¼ cup Powder sugar
Instructions
Make the crust:
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the crushed graham crackers, granulated sugar, and the melted butter. Mix with a spoon until combined.
- Transfer the crumbs into a prepared 9 inch pie pan, pressing evenly and firmly into the pan.
- Place the pie pan in the fridge for at least 30 minutes until the crumbs are firmed up.
Make the filling:
- In a big mixing bowl, add the room temperature cream cheese and mix with an electric hand mixer until the cream cheese is creamy.
- Add the condensed milk, lime zest, and lime juice, and mix until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whip together the heavy whipping cream and the powder sugar until stiff peaks form.
- Lightly fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until the mixture is well combined and creamy.
- Pour the creamy mixture into the pie pan and smooth out the tops. Place the pan in the fridge to firm up for at least 5 hours.
- Pipe dollops of whipped cream around the edges of the pie and place slices of key limes on each dollop of whipped cream.
Notes
- Make sure that you are using room-temperature cream cheese in this recipe, this step makes it easier to mix the cream cheese with no unnecessary lumps, we don’t want that.
- Use high-fat cream cheese or the well-known Philadelphia cream cheese. Using full-fat cream cheese ensures you that your cheesecake will be stable and will not crack.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl frequently to ensure that you have a homogeneous mixture that has no cream cheese lumps.
- Before you start to make this recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the cooking process will go smoothly and easily.
Meriel
What size pie tin should I use please?
RichandDelish
Hi Meriel, we used a 9-inch pie pan for this recipe!